prince with this expensive gift; her mistress explicitly requires her to explain that if the gift is accepted the lady herself will follow. The servant leaves the palace, loaden with all the presents: “a chest on her head, a betel-tray on her hands and the cloth on her arms” (411–413). Her route is described again (414–422), she arrives at the house where she finds Bujangga Manik's mother sitting on mattress. She asks Jompong Larang what her message is, and the servant duly reports the instruction given by the princess. Then the mother addressed her son, in a lengthy speech explaining the outstanding quality of the gift (456–546). In fact she mentions many more articles that were early described. In particular the specification of the quids in 470–493 is remarkable: they are said to be prepared by forming, folding and rolling them on the thighs and the breast of the lady who prepared them, and by binding them with fringe threads of her frock, so “as to bind a young man, to excite a bachelor's desire” (470–478). It is clear that by this practice an extra sexual charge is loaded to the betel. A number of quids are identified by a specific name. The mother urges her son to accept Lady Ajung Larang's offer; adding that if he agrees “there is no more than just that”; she mentions “symbolic gifts” (sesebutan 518–522) and ends her strong recommendation by describing the exceptional beauty of the princess and her eagerness to give herself to the young man; has she not said: “I shall give myself, I shall dive like a hawk, leap like a tiger, asking to be accepted as sweetheart”? (530–534; the mother is exaggerating, we have not heard these words from the lady herself). But Ameng Layaran is shocked by his mother's enthusiasm which he calls “forbidden words” (carek larangan) and resolutely refuses to accept the gift in an equally lengthy declaration (548–650); he reveals the negative meaning of the sesebutan, which predict illness, tears and physical infirmity (563–574). His love is with the instructions which he received from his teacher (575–577). He requests her therefore to go together with Jompong Larang in order to return the gifts to the princess and to comfort her. He prefers to life in celibacy and to keep to the lessons which he received during his recent trip to Central Java, in the district of