There was once an old woman who had an only son named Suan. [2] Suan
was a clever, sharp-witted boy. His mother sent him to school. Instead
of going to school, however, Suan climbed up the tree that stood by
the roadside. As soon as his mother had passed by from the market,
Suan hurried home ahead of her. When she reached home, he cried,
"Mother, I know what you bought in the market to-day." He then told
her, article by article. This same thing happened so repeatedly,
that his mother began to believe in his skill as a diviner.

One day the ring of the datu's [3] daughter disappeared. All the people
in the locality searched for it, but in vain. The datu called for
volunteers to find the lost ring, and he offered his daughter's hand
as a prize to the one who should succeed. Suan's mother heard of the
proclamation. So she went to the palace and presented Suan to the datu.

"Well, Suan, to-morrow tell me where the ring is," said the datu.

"Yes, my lord, I will tell you, if you will give your soldiers over
to me for to-night," Suan replied.

"You shall have everything you need," said the datu.

That evening Suan ordered the soldiers to stand around him in a
semicircle. When all were ready, Suan pointed at each one of them,
and said, "The ring is here, and nowhere else." It so happened that
Suan fixed his eyes on the guilty soldier, who trembled and became
pale. "I know who has it," said Suan. Then he ordered them to retire.

Late in the night this soldier came to Suan, and said, "I will get
the ring you are in search of, and will give it to you if you will