he regions below the earth are
stories of visits to the world above the skies, to which adventurous
heroes climb either by vines or ropes, which dangle suddenly in front of
them, or by means of lofty trees. "Jack and the Bean Stalk" is a
parallel story in our own folklore. Sir Spencer St. John[1] gives a
Dayak account of the introduction of rice among the Orang Iban, as they
call themselves, which states that "when mankind had nothing to eat but
fruit and a species of fungus which grows round the roots of trees, a
party of Ibans, among whom was a man named _Si Jura_ (whose descendants
live to this day in the village of Simpok) went forth to sea. They
sailed on for a long time until they came to a place where they heard
the distant roar of a large whirlpool, and, to their amazement, saw
before them a huge fruit tree rooted in the sky and thence hanging down,
with its branches touching the waves. At the request of his companions,
Si Jura climbed among its boughs to collect the fruit, which was in
abundance; when he got among the boughs, he was tempted to ascend the
trunk and find how the tree grew in that position. On looking down he
saw his companions making off with the boat loaded with fruit; there
was nothing for him to do but go on climbing. At length he reached the
roots of the tree and found himself in the country of the Pleiades
[which the Dayaks call 'the seven chained-stars']; when he stood upon
the ground he met a man-like being, whose name was Si Kira, and he went
with him to his house. For food Si Kira offered to him a mess of soft
white grains, and told him to eat. 'What, eat those little maggots?'
said Si Jura. 'They are not maggots, that is boiled rice,' replied Si
Kira, and he forthwith instructed him in the art of planting, weeding,
reaping, husking, and boiling rice.

"While Si Kira's wife was out, getting some water, Si Jura peeped into
one of the tall jars that were standing near by, and looking straight
through the bottom of it, he could see his father's house and all his
brothers and sisters sitting around talking. His spirits were much
depressed at the remembrance of the home that perhaps he should never
see again, and instead of eating he wept. Si Kira at once saw what was
the matter, and assured him that he would arrange everything
satisfactorily for him; then Si Jura fell to and ate a hearty meal, and
afterwards he was given three kinds of rice, and Si Kira further
instructed him how to fell the