Hikayat Pelanduk Jenaka

bibliography

text notes

list of words

Bibliography

title:		Hikayat Pelanduk Jenaka
manuscript:		MS Mal.-Pol. 70, Département des manuscrits, Bibliothèque nationale, Paris.
dates:		text:  unknown;    manuscript:  about 1650.
provenance:		text:  unknown;    manuscript:  ? east Java.
words:		6702 words.
references:		to the extant pages (2-74) and lines of the manuscript.

 

Editorial notes

This is the oldest extant mousedeer text. The manuscript uses old Malay spellings current in the seventeenth century. These have been retained as far as possible in the transcription.  On the other hand, its non-standard word divisions have been sacrificed.

The manuscript is incomplete. Probably about two-thirds of the original is extant. It contains:

1*-3:  Introduction: how the mousedeer subjugates the forest animals. He gives himself the title 'syekh rimba' and finds an ant hill where he can sit in state. (p.1 missing)

3-17:  Pretending to have magic powers, he pacifies the wild goats and the tigers, who then live in peace under his rule.

17-31:  The other forest animals complain to him about an ogre, whom he subdues with the story that the world is coming to an end. The forest creatures come under his protection.

31-55*:  The recalcitrant monkey seeks support from the lion; but the mousedeer defeats the lion using a wasps' nest. (48-55 missing)

55*-82*:  The monkey goes to the elephant for refuge; but the mousedeer defeats the elephant in a shin-kicking match. (56-81 present)

The story line is recognisably shared by the two editions published by Klinkert, though the Paris text is considerably pithier.

Bibliography:

P. Voorhoeve, "Les manuscrits malais de la Bibliothèque nationale de Paris", Archipel no.6 (1973), pp.42-80.

H.C. Klinkert, Hikajat Pelandoek Djinaka, of de Reinaert de vos der Maleiers, Leiden: Brill, 1885 (Leiden Cod.Or. 1932)

H.C. Klinkert, De Pelandoek Djinaka, of het guitige dwerghert, Leiden: Brill, 1893 (India Office MS 3049)

Asdi S. Dipodjojo, Sang Kantjil: Tokoh Tjerita Binatang Indonesia, Jakarta: Gunung Agung, 1964.

I. Proudfoot, “A ‘Chinese’ mousedeer comes to Paris”, Archipel (Paris), no.61 (2001), pp.69-97. — on the history of the manuscript.

Preparation

Added:  1999 - April 2000

The manuscript was transcribed and edited for the MCP in Canberra.