The men of Kampar are forced to recede. When Maharaja Jaya and Tun Demang see this, they run forth and attack the men of Melaka, leaving a trail of corpses (“bangkai bertimbunan”) in their wake. The Melakan men flee to the sea-side, leaving only Seri Nara Aldiraja and Ikhtiar Muluk who stand their ground. Maharaja Jaya and Tun Demang and the Kampar men continue their attack, showering down weapons like rain. And Seri Nara Aldiraja says to Maharaja Jaya, “Your Majesty, I ask that you give me this piece of ground that I stand on. If you persist in trying to wrest it from me, I will present this spear (to kill you) from your royal elder brother (the king of Melaka).” Tun Demang then stabs Ikhtiar Muluk through the shoulder with his spear. Ikhtiar Muluk then takes his head-cloth and says to Seri Nara Aldiraja, “Chief, I have been wounded.” And so Seri Nara Aldiraja bandages the wound (“dibebatnya”).

Ikhtiar Muluk, who is armed with a Persian bow, shoots right at Tun Demang’s temple (“pelipisan”), making him gush blood (“meleleh”), and Tun Demang collapses beside the elephant of Maharaja Jaya. When Maharaja Jaya sees Tun Demang is dead, he steers his elephant straight at Seri Nara Aldiraja. And Seri Nara Aldiraja uses the spear in his hand to stab Maharaja Jaya straight through the chest, and the king collapses on his elephant. And so Maharaja Jaya dies.

When they see Maharaja Jaya and Tun Demang are dead, the men of Kampar run like hell, but they are hounded by the Melakan forces who kill them, and then go into the fort. And the Melakan men go on a looting frenzy. After this, Seri Nara Aldiraja returns with the spoils.

After a journey of some time, they arrive in Melaka and Seri Nara Aldiraja presents himself to Sultan ‘Alauddin, who is pleased as punch at the conquest, and gives rewards to Seri Nara Aldiraja and Ikhtiar Muluk. And Kampar is handed to Seri Nara Aldiraja, who establishes a governor (“Adipati”) in Kampar.

The king commands Seri Nara Aldiraja to go to Kampar and install his son Raja Munawar Syah as king, with Seri Amar Aldiraja as the Bendahara. And so Seri Nara Aldiraja goes and does just that, after which he returns to Melaka to present himself to the king.

After ruling for 33 years, the king falls sick. When he realises he’s about to die, he calls for his son Raja Mamat as well as his chiefs, and they all come to him. The king asks to be propped up (“disandar”) on the female attendants (“dayang-dayang”), and he asks for five men to approach him.: the Bendahara, the Penghulu Bendahari, the Temenggung, Kadi Munawar Syah and the Laksamana. And he says: “Dear fellows, my end is near. If I die, make my son Raja Mamat the new king. Cherish and love him the way you cherished and loved me. If he makes dumb mistakes (‘khilaf bebalnya’), you need to forgive him as he’s just a boy.”

When they hear Sultan ‘Alauddin’s words, all the men weep buckets. And they say to him amidst their tears, “Your Majesty, we pray that God prolongs your life, because we simply can’t get enough of being ruled by you (‘belum puas diperhamba’). But if, God forbid, the flower in your grasp should wilt, we will carry out your orders, for never will be obey (the descendants of) another Raja.” And the king is mighty pleased to hear this.

The king then looks at his son Raja Mamat’s face and says, “Hey son, let it be known that nothing in this world is permanent. Every living thing will die; only faith (“iman”) is forever. My dying instruction to you is to serve God with all your heart. Don’t take anything from another person without just cause, because God’s servants have been entrusted to you. If your subjects are in difficulty, you must help them at once. If they are victims of injustice, find out about it so that in the afterlife you will not be burdened by your wrong-doing. In the words of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), ‘All those who tend (‘mengebala’) will be questioned about that which they tend’ — meaning that all kings will be questioned as to whether they tended their subjects well. So you need to be always fair, so that you will be protected by God when you are in the next world. You need to always consult with your ministers and chiefs, for even the wisest king will not be able to rule fairly if he does not consult with his officers. A king is like fire, while his chiefs are like wood, because fire without wood will not produce a flame. Also, the subjects are like roots, while the king is like a tree; if there are no roots, a tree cannot stand, and that’s how it is with kings and their subjects. However grievously a Malay does wrong, do not punish him unless it is in accordance with God’s laws, because all the Malays are like your clay (“ketuhaanmu”), for as the Prophet said, “The slave is the clay of the master.” If you kill a subject who did no wrong, your kingdom will be destroyed. Hey son, mark my words if you want you kingship will be blessed by God.”

After this, Sultan ‘Alauddin dies, and he goes from a temporary (“fana”) world to one that is permanent (“baqa”).

Maharaja Aldiraja sends a missive to Pasai; the envoy is Raja Pahlawan. When he reaches Pasai, the letter is carried in procession and brought to the royal hall of audience. It is read out (by the letter-reader in Pasai). What the letter says is “The younger brother sends his greetings (‘salam’)” but what is read out is “The younger brother sends his obeisance (‘sembah’) to his elder brother.” And so Raja Pahlawan says, “The letter says one thing, but you are reading something else!” But the letter-reader continues to read “The younger brother sends his obeisance to his elder brother.” And so Raja Pahlawan says, “The letter says one thing, but you are reading something else! Let me die in Pasai rather than Haru! Even if I am eaten by the dogs of Pasai, I will make sure the right word is said!” When the letter-reader reads it out the same way, Raja Pahlawan throws a hissy fit and goes on a rampage, killing many Pasai men. And then the Pasai men (those who are still alive, of course) kill Raja Pahlawan and the Haru entourage, and this is the cause of the feud between Pasai and Haru.

After this, Maharaja Aldiraja orders his war-chief Seri Indera to attack the territories of Melaka. (It is unclear why he does this. Can’t he just attack Pasai? Or is it because Melaka and Pasai are buddies?) At that time, people lived in houses in a continuous stretch from Tanjung Tuan to Jugra; and these are all destroyed by the Haru forces.

When Sultan ‘Alauddin Syah hears of this, he orders Paduka Tuan (son of the recently deceased Bendahara Paduka Raja) as well as the Laksamana, Seri Bija Aldiraja, and all the war-chiefs to go intercept (“memayari”) the Haru fleet. Paduka Tuan and all the war-chiefs duly set out. When the Melakan men reach the waters of Tanjung Tuan, they encounter the Haru forces, and so the battle begins, and the clash of the fight is so loud it sounds like Doomsday (“seperti akan kiamat”).

But the Haru fleet outnumbers the Melakan fleet; there are three Haru ships for every one of Melaka’s ships, and the weapons fall like rain. The Haru men attack Seri Bija Aldiraja’s ship and conquer it, and the Melakan crew jump overboard into the sea.

At that moment, Tun Isap (alternate spelling: Isak) Barakah (son of Tun Pikrama Wira, grandson of Paduka Tuan, great-grandson of Bendahara Paduka Raja) goes aboard the ship of Seri Bija Aldiraja. He and Seri Bija Aldiraja do not jump overboard, but stay on the ship to defend it. The men of Haru are already on the ship and occupy half of it, and so Tun Isap shouts to Seri Bija Aldiraja: “Chief, let’s kick their asses!” But Seri Bija Aldiraja replies, “Let’s wait a while.” When the Haru men advance as far as the mainmast (“tiang agung”), Tun Isak shouts, “Chief, let’s kick their asses!” But Seri Bija Aldijara replies, “The time has not yet come.” When the Haru men come as far as the well, Tun Isak shouts, “Chief, let’s kick their asses!” But Seri Bija Aldiraja replies, “Wait. It’s not the right time.” And then Seri Bija Aldiraja goes inside, and Tun Isap says to himself: “Damnit! I thought Seri Bija Aldiraja was brave, which is why I came aboard his ship. If I’d known he was such a wuss, I would have gone to the Laksamana’s ship instead!”

Then the Haru men reach the front of the covered part of the ship (“muka perkajangan”), and Seri Bija Aldiraja comes out. And he says to Tun Isap, “Isap, sir, now’s the time. Let’s kick their asses!” And Tun Isap replies, “Right on!” And the two of them start to attack, and the Haru men scatter and jump into the sea. Some of them manage to reach one of their ships, but they are pursued by Seri Bija Aldiraja and Tun Isap, who board that ship and capture it. And the crew of Seri Bija Aldiraja (who had jumped into the sea earlier), climb back aboard. Seri Bija Aldiraja and the Melakan war-chiefs intensity their attack, and the Haru battle forces are broken. Their ships heads back but they are pursued by the Melakan forces, who attack once more. The Haru men flee back to safety and report to their king.

When Maharaja Aldiraja hears of how his forces got their asses kicked, he is mighty pissed off and says, “If I were on my elephant Si Betung, I could defeat the whole of Melaka, or the whole of Pasai (‘Melaka se-Melakanya, Pasai se-Pasainya juga’)! Nothing could stop me and my elephant Si Betung from conquering the whole of Melaka!” So he orders another attack on Melaka, and the forces of Haru are prepared once again. (Whatever happened to Si Betung? Was the king referring to a dead elephant, thus explaining why his royal self couldn’t go to battle and win?)

By this time, the Melakan forces have reached a certain place and the men go ashore, to a river. There is a Melakan Indian man (“ada seorang Keling”) named Mia Duzul who is part of the entourage. He sees a he-goat (“kambing randuk”) that he mistakes for a man, and so Duzul is startled and runs like crazy, heading to the others. Everyone there is alarmed to see him running wildly, and they ask “What’s wrong, Mia Duzul?” And he replies, “I saw an old Haru man; we are hudu and he is zuful!” (Unfortunately, no one knows what these two words mean.) When they hear this, they walk further inland with their weapons ready. When they reach the place, they see a he-goat rather than a man, and everyone bursts out laughing, while saying “Damn that Mia Duzul! He fooled us!” Then they all go back to their ships.

The forces of Haru then appear and clash with the forces of Melaka; the din cannot be imagined and the spears fall like heavy rain. The Melakan men drive their ships straight at them, pouring down a stream of darts (“seligi”), causing the Haru forces to break and flee upriver. Paduka Tuan with the other chiefs and war-chiefs then head back to Melaka.

After a journey of some time, Paduka Tuan and the other war-chiefs present themselves to Sultan ‘Alauddin. And he is thrilled to bits to hear of their victory. And so the king rewards Paduka Tuan, the Laksamana, Seri Bija Aldiraja and all the other war-chiefs. They all get robes of honour, too!

Some time later, Seri Bija Aldiraja dies. He leaves two children: one is named Tun Kudu (a daughter?), who gets the title Seri Bija Aldiraja, and the other receives the title of Tun Bija Diraja; the latter then becomes the father of Sang Setia.

Word reaches Melaka that this execution took place without Melaka’s consent. So Sultan ‘Alauddin sends the Laksamana to Siak with a letter. When the ship arrives in Siak, Sultan Ibrahim receives the letter with the same level of ceremony that the Raja of Pahang had done. The elephant parks itself in the hall, and the letter is read out. Once this is done, the Laksamana asks Tun Jana Fakil, “Did you really kill Tun Anak?” And Tun Jana Fakil replies, “I sure did! On the orders of my king.” And the Laksamana turns away from Sultan Ibrahim (a deliberate insult) and points to Tun Jana Fakil with his left hand (another insult), while saying: “You have no manners! Are you a creature of the jungle (‘orang hutan’) with no culture? Are you allowed to execute people without Melaka’s consent? Are you in Siak creating your own laws?” And Sultan Ibrahim and all the chiefs are struck dumb, unable to reply.

After some time in Siak, the Laksamana takes his leave. Sultan Ibrahim gives him robes of honour and a letter for the king of Melaka, which starts with, “The elder brother pays homage to the younger brother. If I committed any wrong (‘khilaf’), I beg a thousand apologies.” The letter is borne with ceremony, and the Laksamana returns. In Melaka, the letter is brought to the palace, where it is read out. After this is done, the Laksamana does his obeisance and sits down. Sultan ‘Alauddin asks him to describe what happened. And the Laksamana tells everything, and Sultan ‘Alauddin is thrilled to bits, and gives rewards to the Laksamana.

And Bendahara Paduka Raja becomes very ill. He sends for all his children and grandchildren, even those who would need to travel for a day or two. Once they are all gathered, he gives his final injunctions (‘berwasiat’). He says, “My children and grandchildren, don’t ever neglect your religion for the sake of the world, because everything in this world is only temporary. You must purify your hearts to serve Almighty God and His Prophet (may God bless him) and to serve the king; don’t ever forget that a good king is joined with the Prophet of God as if they were two gem-stones in a ring. The Raja is like a proxy for (‘umpama ganti’) God. When you serve the Prophet of God, it is like you are serving God Himself, as He says in the Quran: أَطِيعُواْ اللّهَ وَأَطِيعُواْ الرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِي الأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ that is: Obey Allah and obey His Messenger (and those in authority among you). These are my last injunctions. Remember them and you will attain glory in this world and the next.”

The Bendahara then turns to Seri Nara Aldiraja, Seri Maharaja Muzahir, and says, “Muzahir, you will soon be a great man, greater than me. But don’t behave like the king’s uncle. If you think of yourself as the king’s uncle, you will be killed.” (Muzahir is the brother-in-law of Sultan ‘Alauddin and therefore the uncle of the current king’s son, Raja Mahmud, so this ‘warning’ can be seen as a projection into the future.)

The Bendahara then turns to Tun Zainal Abidin, “If you fail to obtain a good job in the palace, go and live in the jungle, because the shoots and leaves there are enough for a man with a small appetite (‘perut panjang sejengkal’)”.

The Bendahara then turns to Tun Pauh … yes, for someone who’s about to kick the bucket, he sure has a lot to say! It reminds me of:

Anyway, the Bendahara says to Tun Pauh, “Pauh, don’t live in the city. Go live further out there, where you may transform even garbage into gold.”

And then the Bendahara says to Tun Isak, “Isak, don’t seek your livelihood in the king’s audience hall.”

That is an example of what the Bendahara had to say to his descendants; he never repeated himself, as each of them received a specialised greeting.

When Sultan ‘Alauddin hears that the Bendahara Paduka Raja is gravely ill, he comes to see him. The Bendahara did obeisance to him and says, “I feel this world slipping from my grasp, and I place my hopes on the afterlife. I hope Your Majesty does not heed the words of those who are deceitful; if you do so, you will surely regret it. And don’t obey the lusts of the flesh, because many kings in the past had been destroyed by Almighty God for being horny.”

After this, the Bendahara returns to God’s mercy; and he is buried by Sultan ‘Alauddin with due custom. Tun Perpatih Putih, younger brother of the Bendahara, is made the new Bendahara by Sultan ‘Alauddin, and he is known as Bendahara Putih. And then Bendahara Putih has a son, Tun Abu Sayit, who is very handsome. And then Tun Abu Sayit has two sons, Seri Amar Bangsa being the elder and Tun Muhammad being the younger. We are not told if they are handsome, but we know that Tun Muhammad, by Malay standards (“jikalau duduk pada jumlah Melayu”), is quite pious and learned; he knows a bit of Arabic grammar and syntax (“saraf nahu”), a bit of jurisprudence (“ilmu fiqah”), and a bit of theology (“ilmu usul”).

Some time later, the Raja of Maluku comes to pay homage to Melaka. It so happens that Tun Telanai of Terengganu and the Raja of Rekan are also there to pay homage. The Raja of Maluku is given robes of honour and other gifts. He is a great sepak raga player, and the young noblemen join him in playing the game, with him as the leader (“menjadi ibu”). When the ball comes to him, he would kick (dribble?) it 100 times, or even 150 times, before passing it to someone else; he would signal to the guy he wants to pass to, and the pass will be made flawlessly. Then he will sit on a chair and be fanned by pairs of men, while the other youths go on playing. When he resumes playing and the ball comes to him, he will kick it into the air several times, and the ball will remain in the air for as long as it takes to cook pots of rice (“berpenakan nasi”), and this will go on until he passes it to someone, since he’s so skilled. (But not much of a team, player, then!)

The Raja of Maluku is big and strong. He can chop down a mature coconut tree (“nyiur duduk umbi”) with his sword. Tun Telanai of terengganu can also drive his spear right through such a tree. But Sultan ‘Alauddin is the mightiest of them all, as he can shoot an arrow at the tree and make the tree fly (“terbang”)! So this means he is the one most likely to be called:

Sultan ‘Alauddin Syah is very fond of his two buff guests. (We are not told what he thinks of the Raja of Rekan, who may have therefore been a wuss). After a while, the Raja of Maluku and Tun Telanai of Terengganu take their leave and return to their own countries.

When Sultan Muhammad of Pahang hears that Tun Telanai of Terengganu went to pay homage to Melaka without his consent, he orders Seri Akar Raja to go to Terengganu to kill him! When Seri Akar Raja reaches Terengganu and summons Tun Telanai. But Tun Telanai refuses to appear for him, saying: “Is it customary for a war-chief to summon another war-chief?” Seri Akar Raja then orders Tun Telanai to be attacked and killed. And so Tun Telanai is killed. Seri Akar Raja returns to Pahang. And Sultan Muhammad gives the territory of Terengganu to be administered by Seri Akar Raja.

Word reaches Melaka that Tun Telanai of Terangganu had been killed by Seri Akar Raja on the orders of the Raja of Pahang. And Sultan ‘Alauddin is mighty pissed off, and says, “(The Raja of) Pahang is being uppity (‘menunjukkan kaharnya’) and needs a smackdown! I feel like invading the place!” But Bendahara Paduka Raja says to him, “A thousand pardons, Your Majesty, but I feel we should not invade Pahang, as we might suffer losses. I suggest instead that the Laksamana be sent to Pahang.” And Sultan ‘Alauddin Syah says, “OK then.” The Laksamana gets ready, and when the ships are prepared (“musta’id”), the letter from the ruler of Melaka is borne with ceremony to the ship. He sails to Pahang.

When he reaches Pahang, Sultan Muhammad is told by his people: “The Laksamana is here, having been commanded by Your Majesty’s younger brother to present himself.” The Raja of Pahang comes out to have an audience. Sultan Muhammad orders the letter to be brought to him, and this task is given to Seri Pikrama Raja Pahlawan, the Bendahara of Pahang. When he reaches the Laksamana’s ship, the Laksamana comes out, and the letter is taken from him and borne by elephant with due ceremony, with a pair of white umbrellas, accompanied by the music of drums, pipes and trumpets. And the Laksamana tells his men: “After the letter is read, get ready to kill a family member of Seri Akar Raja.” And his men say, “Right on.”

The letter arrives. Everyone in the audience-hall leaves except for the Raja of Pahang. The elephant is brought into the hall, and the letter is received and read out, and it starts: “I send my greetings to God, from the younger brother to the elder brother.”

When the letter is fully read, everyone sits at their appointed places. The Laksamana does his obeisance and sits, and at that moment there is a sound of commotion from outside. The Raja of Pahang asks, “What’s all that racket?” And he is told, “Your Majesty, the Laksamana’s men just killed a cousin of Seri Akar Raja!” And so the Raja of Pahang says to the Laksamana, “One of your men, sir, just killed a cousin of Seri Akar Raja. I suggest that you investigate, sir.” It was the custom of the Raja of Pahang to call Melakan chiefs ‘tuan’ (sir). The Laksamana orders for the man who did the killing to be brought forth. And the man is brought in, bound (“diikat”). The Laksamana asks him if he had killed a relative of Seri Akar Raja. He replies, “I sure did!” And the Laksamana says to the Raja of Pahang, “Yes, he killed a cousin of Seri Akar Raja, but I ask that no action be taken against him, because Seri Akar Raja had also offended the Raja of Melaka by killing Tun Telanai without getting permission from him first.” And the Raja of Pahang is silent.

After some time in Pahang, the Laksamana takes his leave. And the Raja of Pahang sends a reply letter to Melaka, which starts: “The elder brother pays homage to the younger brother.” The Laksamana is given robes of honour. The letter is borne to the ship with due ceremony. And the Laksamana sails back to Melaka.

On reaching a place, the king comes across five thieves (did he recognise them by their attire?) who are carrying a chest. When he sees them, he chases them; they are startled and run away, leaving the chest behind. Sultan ‘Alauddin tells Hang Isak, “Stay here by the chest” and Hang Isak says, “OK.” Sultan ‘Alauddin and Hang Siak (which seems to be an alternate, and less lewd-sounding, name for Hang Isap) run after the five thieves, who go up a hill. They continue the chase up the hill and catch up with them under a bodhi tree. Sultan ‘Alauddin gives a shout (“bertampik”) and slashes one of the thieves, and the thief gets sliced in half, at the waist, as if he were a cucumber! The remaining four thieves run to a bridge, where they are hotly pursued by the king. When they come to the end of the bridge, the king kills one of them, and the other three jump into the river and swim across. After this, Sultan ‘Alauddin walks back. Upon reaching Hang Isak, he says, “Take this chest to your house.” And Hang Isak says, “OK.” And so Sultan ‘Alauddin goes back to his palace, but we are not told if he uses this:

The next morning, Sultan ‘Alauddin has an audience in his hall, and all the chiefs, women (the manuscript says “perempuan” — although this is most likely a mistake, as the scribe probably meant “para menteri” [ministers], which is more logical for this patriarchal setting), officers, heralds (“abentara”) and warriors are there. Sultan ‘Alauddin addresses Seri Maharaja, as he happens to be the Temenggong (which is like the Internal Security Minister), and asks: “Were there guards last night?” And Seri Maharaja says, “There were.” And Sultan ‘Alauddin says, “I hear that there was a man killed on the hill and another killed at the end of the bridge. Who was it who did the killing?” And Seri Maharaja says, “I have no idea.” And so Sultan ‘Alauddin says, “Your guards are useless, as I hear our city is being overrun by thieves!”

He then sends for Hang Isak and Hang Siak, and tells them to bring the chest. So they enter the hall with the chest. Sultan ‘Alauddin asks both of them: “What did you hear about last night? Tell Bendahara Paduka Raja and all the other bigwigs here.” Hang Isak and Hang Siak then recount what happened. And so all the chiefs fearfully bow to Sultan ‘Alauddin, as if to say, “We’re not worthy!” Sultan ‘Alauddin then orders an inquiry (“tafahhus”) to be made for the owner of the chest. This is done and a merchant named Ki Tirubalam is identified as the owner. Sultan ‘Alauddin orders for the chest to be returned to him. Then Sultan ‘Alauddin leaves the hall, and all the chiefs go back home.

That very night, Seri Maharaja becomes a very strict guard. And he comes across a thief and slashes him, severing the thief’s arm from his shoulder! The severed arm is then flung on the crossbar (“alang”) of a shop. The next morning, the shopkeeper is about to open the shop. The shopkeeper sees the severed arm, is shocked and gives out a shriek. And from that day onwards, there are no more thieves in Melaka. This is how Sultan ‘Alauddin rules Melaka.

He then tells his son Raja Radin: “You should protect your subjects. If they do anything wrong, you should forgive them, because, as the Almighty God has said, innallaha ma^as-sabirin (Allah is with the patient). If you are faced with a duty, you have to put your duty to God above all else, for as the Prophet Muhammad said: ‘Min tawakkal alallahi kafi (Surrender yourself to the will of God and that will suffice for you).’ My son, do as I say and you will surely receive the grace of God and His Prophet (peace be upon him).”

When they hear Sultan Mansur Syah’s words, everyone there bawls shamelessly. The Bendahara and the other ministers say: “Don’t break our hearts! We vow (‘berkaul’) that if you are fated by Almighty God to recover from this sickness, we will distribute all the wealth of the treasury to the poor and needy. But — although God forbid if it were so! — if the grass under your royal feet should wilt, we will all comply with your bidding.” After this, Sultan Mansur Syah dies; and he is buried with the customary royal ceremony.

Raja Radin is then installed as the new king by Bendahara Paduka Raja, and he carries the title Sultan ‘Alauddin Ri’ayat Syah. And Sultan ‘Alauddin becomes a boy of unmatched strength. But after some time, he gets diarrhoea (“sakit buang air”) and he has to take a dump 12 times a day. Bendahara Paduka Raja and the Laksamana never leave their king’s side; (the Bendahara) would feed him 10 to 20 times a day, as if he would feed (“menyuap”) a baby; and the Laksamana would clean (“membasuh”) him 20 or 30 times a day. (Who says that life as a high-ranking officer of the court would be glamorous, eh?)

Sultan ‘Alauddin has a grandmother, the mother of Raja Mansur Syah (which would make her well over 100); people call her Raja Tuha; and she has a great fondness for Sultan Muhammad, the ruler of Pahang. She really wants Sultan ‘Alauddin to die, so that Sultan Muhammad can take over the throne! Gosh! She’s not the sweet type of grandmother that we saw in:

After some time, Sultan ‘Alauddin gets a bit better, and he is given rice and milk, but he has a relapse (“bentan”) and almost dies. Bendahara Paduka Raja and the Laksamana are told, and they come to the palace. And Raja Tuha’s thought is: “Get me to the palace, so that I can lie down on top of (‘kutiharapi’) Sultan ‘Alauddin and weep for him, so that he can die while being crushed!” So Raja Tuha goes to the palace, and she heads for Sultan ‘Alauddin Ri’ayat Ayah, but Bendahara Paduka Raja and the Laksamana say to her: “Your Highness! Don’t go anywhere near your grandson!” And the wicked old lady asks, “Why won’t you allow me near him?” The Bendahara and the Laksamana say, “If you go near him, we will attack (‘amuklah’)!” And Raja Tuha asks, “OMG, are you being disloyal Malays?!” The Bendahara and the Laksamana reply: “Yes, Malays are being disloyal just this one time. If you go anywhere near your grandson, we will attack!” And so Raja Tuha cancels her plan to go near Sultan ‘Alauddin. After this the Bendahara, the Penghulu Bendahari and the Laksamana take good care of Sultan ‘Alauddin, and he is preserved by Almighty God, which means that his ‘death summons’ (“surat azal”) isn’t yet issued.

Sultan ‘Alauddin recovers, and he gives robes of honour to Bendahara Paduka Raja and the Laksamana, and he gives palanquins (“usungan”) to carry them wherever they go, with their people accompanying them. The Bendahara’s palanquin is wrapped in yellow (and kept) in his public hall. And his people say to him: “Why are you being a doofus (‘bagai pak si bendul’)? The Laksamana makes full use of his palanquin, which carries him all over the place, with his people marching with him; doesn’t that make a grand sight? But you, sir, when you are being carried at all, you don’t take us to accompany you.”

And the Bendahara replies: “Who is being a doofus here, me (or you)? When the Laksamana is being carried thus, with his men marching with him, the people doing their trade nearby will ask: ‘Who’s that in the palanquin?’ and they will be told, ‘It’s the Laksamana.’ Then they’ll ask: ‘Is the Laksamana an important man?’ and they will be told, ‘Yes he is.’ Then they’ll ask, ‘Is there anyone more important than him?’ and they will be told, ‘Yes, the Bendahara is more important.’ So, then, when I go out in my palanquin, the people will also ask, ‘Is the Bendahara an important man?’ and they will be told, ‘Yes he is.’ Then they’ll ask, ‘Is there anyone more important than him?’ and they will be told, ‘No, no one is.’ Some people, those who don’t know the whole story, might even take me for the king himself, as our ruler is still just a boy. And here’s another thing. If the king goes out in his palanquin, you must escort him. (But if you were to do the same for me) people will confuse me for the king, and where would that leave his superiority over me? As for the Laksamana, his henchmen don’t appear in court functions, while all of you are always in the king’s hall of audience.” And the Bendahara’s men fall silent when they hear this.

It becomes a habit that whenever the Bendahara gets a good new boat or weapon, and the Laksamana hears of it, the Laksamana will say, “Lemme see it!” The Bendahara will refuse but the Laksamana will insist. After being pestered for some time, the Bendahara will then show it. And whenever the Laksamana sees the thing, he will take it. This happens often. And so the Bendahara’s men tell him: “Why are you being a doofus? All your good boats and weapons are taken by the Laksamana, and so we, your people, don’t get anything.” The Bendaraha replies, “Who’s being the doofus here, me? Or you? If I have a good elephant or horse, you are welcome to ask me for it. But what do you know about such things (as opposed to boats and weapons)? The Laksamana is a great warrior, and that’s why I give him good weapons. So if the king’s enemies were to attack, we can get him to do the fighting, so that people will say he’s not the king’s warrior, but OUR warrior.”

After ruling for some time, Sultan ‘Alauddin and his wife Tun Naja (daughter of the elderly Seri Nara Aldiraja, and sister of Seri Maharaja) have a few sons and daughters. One of the sons is Sultan Ahmad and the other is Sultan Abdul Jalil. He gives away his eldest daughter in marriage to … Sultan Ahmad! (This initially seems like brother-sister incest, but the people who’ve studied this manuscript assure us that some crucial words are missing, and it should actually read: “… to a son of the Raja of Pahang, named Sultan Ahmad.” So they are still related, but not THAT closely.) With his royal wife, Sultan ‘Alauddin has two sons: Raja Munawar Syah and Raja Zainal. We are told that Raja Menawar Syah is older than Raja Mahmud (and this is the first time we are hearing of Raja Mahmud; he is another son of Sultan ‘Alauddin with his non-royal wife Tun Naja) but the king prefers Raja Mahmud to succeed him.

The Raja of Campa lives in a city called Malafasat. Near his palace is an areca palm tree with a very big blossom (“mayang”) — but even after a long wait, the blossom does not unfurl (“mengurai”). And so the Raja of Campa tells his slave: “Climb that tree and see what’s up with that blossom.” The boy climbs the tree, plucks the blossom and brings it down. The Raja parts the blossom and sees a very good-looking boy inside it. And so the blossom’s sheath (“seludang”) becomes the state gong, known as Jeming; and its stamen (“bidang”) becomes the state sword of the Raja of Campa, known as Beladau. The Raja of Campa is thrilled at finding the boy, and names him Raja Po Gelang. He gives the boy to the wives of all the aristocracy and of the prime minister, but he refuses to be breastfed by any of them!

The Raja of Campa has a cow with multi-coloured skin (“bulunya pancawarna”) with a young calf. I wonder if the cow looked like this:

The king milks the cow and gives the milk to the boy, and the boy drinks it! And that is why, until today, the people of Campa do not drink cow’s milk or kill cows.

Po Gelang grows up. It so happens that the Raja of Campa, who had found him, has a daughter named Po Bia. And so the Raja of Campa marries his daughter to Po Gelang, who had come from the areca palm blossom. (Isn’t it nice when people aren’t too fussy about ancestry?) After some time, the Raja of Campa dies and Raja Po Gelang replaces his father-in-law as king. After Po Gelang comes to power, he builds a city so big that it can fit seven mountains, and the length is so great that it would take a whole day to sail from one end to the other with a strong wind (“sepenyampang sehari berlayar angin tegang kelat”). When the city is complete, he names it Yak. We are not told if he got the name after watching an Animal Planet documentary on Tibet.

After some time, Po Gelang has a son named Po Teri. When Po Teri grows up, Po Gelang dies. Po Teri then takes over the throne. Po Teri marries a princess named Bia Suri, and they get a son named Po Gema. When Po Gema grows up, his father Po Teri dies. And so Po Gema becomes the new king.

Po Gema gets a fleet of ships ready to pay homage to the king of Majapahit, and so he sets sail. After a journey of some time, he reaches Majapahit. The king (Batara) of Majapahit hears of this arrival, and he instructs all his chiefs to welcome him with due ceremony. He brings Po Gema into the palace with full pomp and splendour. He then marries Po Gema to his daughter Radin Galuh Ajeng. (And to think some hosts are content just with complimentary fruit baskets!) After some time, Radin Galuh Ajeng gets pregnant. Po Gema asks the king for leave to return to Campa, but the Batara Majapahit says, “You may go, but my daughter must stay here.” Po Gema replies, “Alright, I will obey your every command. But if I don’t die soon, I promise to come back here to present myself.”

Po Gema tells his wife he is leaving, and Radin Galuh Ajeng asks, “If our child is born, what should his name be?” Po Gema replies, “Call him Raja Jaka Anak. When he grows up, send him to me in Campa.” And his wife says, “Cool.” Po Gema then gets on his ship and travels back to Campa.

After her husband leaves, Raden Galuh Ajeng gives birth to a boy, whom she duly names Raja Jaka Anak. When he grows up, she tells him what his father had instructed. Upon hearing his mother’s words, Raja Jaka Anak gets ready a few dozen ships. When the fleet is ready, he seeks leave from the Batara Majapahit to go to Campa to be with his father. And the Batara Majapahit says, “Sure thing.” And so Raja Jaka Anak sails to Campa.

After a voyage of some time, Raja Jaka Anak arrives in Campa and presents himself to his father, Po Gema. The king is thrilled to finally meet his son and makes him (or, I think, promises to make him) the new ruler in the capital of Bal (which is how the manuscript now refers to the city of Yak. Oh well, Bal might be a better name).

After some time, Po Gema dies; and Raja Jaka Anak succeeds his father to become the new ruler of Campa. He marries a woman named Po Jibatji, and they have a son named Po Kubah. When Po Kubah grows up, his father Raja Jaka Anak dies. Po Kubah duly replaces him on the throne. He marries a woman named Po Mecat, and they have a few daughters. One of these daughters is very fine-looking, and the Raja of Kuci is interested to marry her, but Po Kubah does not grant this wish.

And so the Raja of Kuci invades Campa. The fierce battle between Kuci and Campa involves a large number of troops. One day, the Raja of Kuci sends for the Penghulu Bendahari (Treasurer) of Campa, inviting him to cross over to his side. And so the Penghulu Bendahari agrees to allow them into the fort. At the day’s dawn, he opens the door to the fort, and all the Kuci forces barge in and go on a rampage (“beramuklah”) against the men of Campa — some of whom escape with their families, but others fight back. And so Bal falls, and the Raja of Campa dies.

The Raja of Campa’s children and all his chiefs flee for their lives, and they have no fixed destination. There are two princes of Campa, Indera Berma Syah and Syah Palembang, who escape by boat. Syah Palembang ends up in Aceh. Syah Indera Berma (which is what the manuscript now calls Indera Berma Syah) ends up in Melaka, and when Sultan Mansur Syah sees him and his followers, he is thrilled to meet them, and orders them to embrace Islam. (Wait, not even a fruit basket first?) And so Syah Indera Berma and his wife Kini Mertam and all their entourage become Muslims. Sultan Mansur Syah makes Syah Indera Berma a minister and has great affection for him. That is the story of the origin of the Melaka Campa community, all of whom are descendants of Syah Indera Berma and his people.

After a journey of some length, they reach Pasai. The men of Melaka commence battle, but the Pasai forces do not give in so easily, because there are merely 20,000 (“dua laksa”) Melakan forces against 120,000 Pasai men, and even this represents only one man per village (“sebuah dusun, sebuah dibilangkannya”). The Laksamana, Seri Bija Aldiraja and all the warriors get together with Bendahara Paduka Raja to discuss strategy. The Bendahara says, “What do you all think? We’ve been here for some time but we can’t be sure of victory. It’s better we go home so that our king won’t be forever anxious.” But his son Tun Pikrama says, “Why should we return? We haven’t gone all out yet. Let us land again with the Laksamana, Seri Bija Aldiraja and all the warriors.” And the Laksamana and Seri Bija Aldiraja say, “Your son is right. Let us all land again.” And Bendahara Paduka Raja replies, “You got it! Tomorrow, we go ashore again.”

Early the next morning, all the chiefs gather around the Bendahara, who orders rice to be served to everyone. But the cook says, “We don’t have enough plates and cups, because far more than twenty servings are needed.” So the Bendahara says to the chiefs, “Since we’re all going into battle together, let us all eat together off leaves.” The chiefs agree, and the Bendahara orders for leaves to be spread all along the beach, and then the Bendahara, chiefs, war-chiefs and even ordinary commoners (“rakyat hina-dina”) eat together off the leaves. We are not told what leaves are used, but I wonder if this is the precursor to:

After eating, all the Melakan chiefs (and here the manuscript takes the trouble to list 22 of them by name) and the soldiers go inland. The sound of their marching feet is like thunder, and their weapons flash like streaks of lightning!

The men of Pasai come to the fore; their feet and roars make a terrifying sound, and they look like a sea at high tide, with their banners like a forest of trees. The two forces clash, and the din they make is so indescribably loud — not just the roar of the soldiers but the sounds of their elephants and horses — that even if thunder were to crash from the heavens, no one would hear it. Many men from both sides are killed; blood flows like an engorged river, and the ground is littered with corpses. The attack from Pasai is so strong that the Melakan forces break up and run towards the coast. When the Bendahara stands on the bank and looks beyond him to the sea, he shouts to a spear-carrier, a boy named Kerangkang: “Get me my spear! Old as I am, I will defeat them single-handedly!”

Meanwhile, Tun Pikrama is holding his own, together with Hang Isak and Naina Sahak, because their weapons are Persian (the Jawi word is فراسي, so it could also be perisai [shield]) spears. The men of Pasai can’t defeat them; anyone who tries to get close will get killed. The Pasai men therefore halt. Naina Sahak says to Tun Pikrama, “Yo chief! How can we last with just the three of us? Those who’ve run back don’t know we are still here. If you two stay here, I will run back to them and get reinforcements.” Tun Pikrama says, “Alright, bro!” Naina Sahak goes to get as many of the men who had run back as he can; he tells everyone he meets to go help Tun Pikrama. And so all the men go back into battle. Naina Sahak meets Hang Hamzah, Tun Pikrama’s son-in-law, who is running like a fiend without a backward glance, not even following a proper path. Naina Sahak says, “Hey, Hang Hamzah! Why are you running like a big lizard (‘lari membiawak’)? When Tun Pikrama took you as his son-in-law, wasn’t it because you are handsome and courteous? Wasn’t it because you are well-mannered, with lustrous black hair? We all thought you would also be brave!” And Hang Hamzah asks, “Is my father-in-law still there?” Naina Sahak says, “He is!” And so Hang Hamzah goes back into battle, complete with his shield clanging with bells, and his spear with its mother-of-pearl handle, while shouting, “I am the Hamzah at the end of time! (‘Akulah Hamzah akhir zaman!)” And he plunges straight into the sea of Pasai forces.

The men of Melaka confront anew the forces of Pasai, and manage to kill all that they meet. The remaining Pasai soldiers run helter-skelter, leaving many dead. The men of Melaka chase them until something called Gentian Muhammad (The Bridge of Muhammad), and then the Melakans force their way into the palace. Pasai is captured! And so Bendahara Paduka Raja reinstates Sultan Zainal Abidin as the ruler. After a few days, during which he takes care of administrative matters of the state, Bendahara Paduka Raja goes to take his leave from Sultan Zainal Abidin. Bendahara Paduka Raja asks, “What words of tribute will you give to your royal father (the king of Melaka)?” And Sultan Zainal Abidin says, “Tributes that are paid in Melaka should just remain in Melaka.” Bendahara Paduka Raja is so angry at this reply that he says, “The tribute that I pay in Pasai will also remain in Pasai!” and then he goes to his ship. The Bendahara and the men of Melaka then sail home.

When they reach Jambu Air, word reaches them from ashore that Sultan Zainal Abidin is once again being attacked by the people of Pasai. (He must be really unpopular.) Bendahara Paduka Raja calls Seri Bija Aldiraja, the Laksamana and all the other chiefs for a meeting. The Laksamana says, “Let’s go back to reinstate Sultan Zainal Abidin!” But the Bendahara says, “I won’t do that again, because he did not want to pay tribute to our king!” And all the chiefs say, “Alright then! We will follow what you say.” So the voyage home is resumed.

After a journey of some time, they reach Melaka. All the chiefs present themselves to Sultan Mansur Syah, who is angry at the Bendahara for not going back to Pasai to reinstate Sultan Zainal Abidin. And so Sultan Mansur Syah calls for the Laksamana. When he arrives, the king asks him to explain what happened in Pasai, and the Laksamana proceeds to bad-mouth (“berjahat”) the Bendahara! This makes Sultan Mansur Syah even more pissed off at the Bendahara. At this moment, all the Bendahara’s men are there, presenting themselves to the king. Sultan Mansur Syah leaves the hall, and everyone else there goes back home. The Bendahara’s men go to see the Bandahara and tell him how the Laksamana bitched about him to the king. And the Bendahara falls silent.

The next day, Sultan Mansur Syah gives an audience in his hall. All the state officers are there, except the Laksamana. The king calls for Bendahara Paduka Raja, who comes and presents himself. And so Sultan Mansur Syah asks for his version of what happened in Pasai. The Bendahara proceeds to pay many compliments (“bagai-bagai pujian”) to the Laksamana! The king is amazed to hear this, and gives the Bendahara robes of honour. The Laksamana’s men happen to be in the hall with them. After the king leaves the hall, the Laksamana’s men also leave. The men go to see the Laksamana and repeat all the praises that the Bendahara bestowed upon him to the king. And so the Laksamana instantly goes to see the Bendaraha, who is seated alone with an audience, and he prostrates himself at the Bendahara’s feet, saying, “You are truly a great chief.” The way the story goes, the Laksamana prostrates himself seven times at the feet of Bendahara Paduka Raja.

After this, Sultan Mansur Syah gives robes of honour to Tun Pikrama and Hang Hamzah. The two men get the title Paduka Tuan, and they also get the territory of Buru as reward for their defeat of the Pasai forces. Buru at the time had a fleet of 40 ships. Tun Pikrama’s son Tun Ahmad is given the title Tun Pikrama Wira, and Hang Hamzah the (further) title of Tun Perpatih Qasim. We are also told that Tun Perpatih Qasim would have two children: a daughter named Tun Puteri (who would later be the mother of someone named Seri Pikrama Raja Tun Zahir, who is known to some people as Tun Utusan); and a son named Laksamana Sura Diraja.

After a journey of a few days, they arrive at the foot of Mount Ledang and start their ascent. When they are about halfway up, they encounter a strong wind that makes further progress impossible; their path is now very difficult. Tun Mamad says to the Laksamana and Sang Setia, “You both stay here. Let me go up ahead.” The Laksamana says, “OK.” So Tun Mamad goes, bringing the two fastest men, up the mountain. And when they come close to the ‘yearning bamboo’ (“buluh perindu”), the wind becomes so strong that the men feel like they might fly off the mountain! The clouds seem close enough to be touched, and the tune of the yearning bamboo is so melodious that even the birds in flight come down to listen, and every creature (“mergastua”) that hears it becomes enchanted.

Tun Mamad comes to a garden and enters it. He meets four women, one of whom is elderly but fine-looking (is she a GILF?), and she asks him: “Who are you and where are you from?” Tun Mamad replies, “I am from Melaka. My name is Tun Mamad. I come to do the bidding of Sultan Mansur Syah, who wants to ask for the hand of the Princess of Mount Ledang in marriage. But, please, what is your name?” And the woman replies: “I am Dang Raya Rani. I am the guardian of the Princess of Mount Ledang. Wait here. I will tell the Princess why you are here.” After she says this, she and the other women vanish (“lenyaplah”).

A second later, a different older woman appears, but this one is hideous and is triply hunchbacked (“bongkok tiga lipat belakangnya”) giving an entirely unappetising twist to:

This ugly-ass crone tells Tun Mamad: “Your words have been presented by Dang Raya Rani to the Princess of Mount Ledang. And the Princess has said: ‘If the Raja of Melaka wants to marry me, he needs to build a bridge of gold and another of silver, connecting Melaka to Ledang mountain. As for a betrothal offering (“peminangnya”), I want seven trays of the hearts of mosquitoes, seven trays of the hearts of mites (“hati kuman”), a vat of young areca-nut water, a vat of tears, a cup of the king’s blood, and a cup of his son’s blood. Once these conditions are fulfilled, I will accept the Raja of Melaka’s proposal.” After she says all this, the old biddy vanishes. According to those who tell this story, the hideous woman was the Princess of Mount Ledang herself, but in disguise.

Tun Mamad climbs down from the place and meets the Laksamana. He conveys the words of the Princess of Mount Ledang to the Laksamana and Sang Setia. So the Laksamana and all his companions descend the mountain and walk back to Melaka. After some time, they reach Melaka. The Laksamana, Sang Setia and Tun Mamad present themselves to Sultan Mansur Syah, and repeat to him the words of the Princess of Mount Ledang. And Sultan Mansur Syah says, “I would have granted everything she asked — except for the cup of my son’s blood, because I don’t have the heart to do it.”

Sultan Mansur Syah appoints Tun Bija Wangsa to travel to Pasai to pose the following question: “Will those in Heaven stay in Heaven forever? And will those in Hell stay in Hell forever?” Tun Bija Wangsa is entrusted with seven tahil of gold dust (“emas urai”) and two women, one named Dang Bunga from Mengkasar and the other named Dang Diba, daughter of a Muar yeoman. Sultan Mansur Syah also gives presents of fine floral cloth (“kimka”) of yellow and purple to the Raja of Pasai. Sultan Mansur Syah reminds Tun Bija Wangsa of the question he needs to ask to the philosophers (“pendita”) of Pasai: “Will those in Heaven stay in Heaven forever? And will those in Hell stay in Hell forever?” Whoever can answer the question will receive the seven tahil of gold dust as well as the two (presumably slave) women. (Who says thinkers don’t appreciate luxury and sex?) If there is a correct answer, that answer should also be brought back to the beat of ceremonial drums (“ditabalkan”) to Melaka. Orders are then given for the letter to Pasai to be escorted with great pomp to the port, and Tun Bija Wangsa sails to Pasai. I wonder if he is like the less malevolent 15th century version of:

The letter is received by the Raja of Pasai with proper ceremony. It is read out to him and he is jolly chuffed with its contents. Tun Bija Wangsa pays homage to the Raja of Pasai, who asks, “You are here on a mission, Tun Bija Wangsa?” And Tun Bija Wangsa answers, “Your Majesty’s elder brother (‘paduka kekanda’) says that anyone who can answer the riddle posed in this letter will receive seven tahil of gold dust and two women, and the answer will be brought back to the beat of drums to Melaka.” The Raja of Pasai then calls Tuan Makhdum Mua to sit with him. The Raja of Pasai spells out the question in the letter: “Will those in Heaven stay in Heaven forever? And will those in Hell stay in Hell forever?” He continues, “You have to give the answer so that we are not shamed.” (The phrase used is ‘supaya kita tidak kemaluan’; yes, go and snigger.)

Tuan Makhdum Mua replies, “Those in Heaven will stay in Heaven forever. And those in Hell will stay in Hell forever.” And Tun Bija Wangsa asks, “Is there no other way of seeing it?” And Makhdum Mua replies, “That is my final answer, because it tallies with the Quranic phrase khalidina fiha abada (They will dwell therein forever).” At this moment, Makhdum Mua’s student Tun Hassan, who is also sitting with them, turns his head away, because he does not like Makhdum Mua’s reply. The Raja of Pasai then leaves the audience-hall and everyone else goes back.

When Makhdum Mua reaches his house, Tun Hassan comes to visit him and says, “Why, sir, did you answer the envoy the way you did? If that is the answer, the people of Melaka must already surely know it. I feel that they are looking for another answer.” Makhdum Mua asks, “What do you think the right answer is?” And Tun Hassan replies, “I feel it should be …” When he hears the full reply, Makhdum Mua says, “Doh! You’re right. I was in error (‘khilaf’) but what can we do now? What’s said has already been said!” Tun Hassan says, “That’s quite easy. Call the envoy to meet you, and then say, ‘Because you asked that question in a hall full of people, I gave you that answer. But now that I can meet you in private, I will give you the REAL answer. And it is …” Makhdum Mua agrees.

Makhdum Mua then calls Tun Bija Wangsa. He serves the envoy dinner, and then takes him to a secluded place outside, and says exactly what his student had suggested. When he hears the REAL answer, Tun Bija Wangsa is thrilled to bits. (The manuscript, being a tease, never tells us what this real answer is!) So he gives the seven tahil of gold dust and the two women to Makhdum Mua.

Tun Bija Wangsa brings the answer, to the beat of drums, to his ship. And the Raja of Pasai asks, “What is Tun Bija Wangsa carrying to the beat of those drums?” And says a chief with the title of Penghulu Bujang Karikelar, whose name is Tun Jana Makhluk Biri-Biri (Yes, Tun Jana the Sheep Creature. Go on and LOL) … anyway, where were we? Oh yes, this chief says , “Your Majesty, the riddle he asked has been answered well; it was done by Makhdum Mua after being prompted by Tun Hassan.” The king is very glad to hear this and praises Tun Hassan.

Tun Bija Wangsa takes his leave from the Raja of Pasai. The king sends a letter for him to take to Melaka, which is paraded with due ceremony. Tun Bija Wangsa is also given robes of honour, and he sails back to Melaka, with the drums still beating to celebrate the correct answer to the riddle. When they arrive in Melaka, this answer is paraded ahead of the letter from the Raja of Pasai. And Sultan Mansur Syah is pleased to hear the answer to the riddle, and so is Maulana Abu Bakar. The king highly commends Makhdum Mua.

At this time, the kadi of Melaka is named Kadi Yusof, the great-grandson of Makhdum Sayyid Abdul Aziz, who had converted everyone in Melaka to Islam. This judge doesn’t take lessons from Maulana Abu Bakar because he’s already so learned. There comes a time when Kadi Yusof is walking to the mosque for Friday prayer, and he passes by Maulana Abu Bakar’s house. Maulana Abu Bakar is standing in the doorway, and Kadi Yusof sees the Maulana surrounded by light, as if he were a burning wick. Kadi Yusof’s reaction isn’t to look for a fire extinguisher but to run to Maulana Abu Bakar and pay obeisance to him. Maulana Abu Bakar accepts him with a smile. And so Kadi Yusof starts learning from Maulana Abu Bakar. Soon, Kadi Yusof becomes junun (this word actually means ‘to go mad’ or even ‘be possessed by the devil’ but the people who have worked with the manuscript insist it’s to be taken to mean he becomes a meditating recluse), and so his son, Kadi Munawar or Kadi Menua or even Kadi Menu (the original Jawi text says منو so can be any of them) stays in Melaka and becomes the new kadi.