The Fanged King
Once upon a time, in the ancient kingdom of Kedah, when the land was ruled by the Siamese crown, there lived a king whose cruelty would become legend. This king, known as Raja Bersiung, though he bore the Siamese name Ong Maha Perita Daria, ruled with an iron fist that brought terror to all who dwelt in his realm.
In those dark days, the people of Kedah lived in constant fear, for the king’s guards would seize anyone who dared speak against their master, and such unfortunates would face torture or swift death. Raja Bersiung’s domain stretched across much of the fertile Bujang Valley, yet his hunger for power knew no bounds, and he dreamed always of expanding his cruel reign.
Now this wicked king had one great weakness—his love of curry, particularly the spicy curry made with spinach leaves and fragrant spices that filled his palace with their aroma. So precious was this dish to him that he employed two faithful cooks: one to wash the tender spinach leaves, and another, skilled in the art of curry-making, to prepare his daily feast. These two men were bound by friendship and by their shared duty to satisfy their master’s appetite.
Each morning, before the king stirred from his bed, the cooks would prepare the curry, for woe betide them if the dish was not ready when Raja Bersiung awakened. The king would rage and punish them severely for such tardiness.
When not terrorizing his subjects, the king loved to hunt the swift deer and mouse-deer that roamed the Bujang Valley. He kept two trained hunting dogs to aid him in this pursuit, and when he returned from these expeditions, he would command his cooks to add the fresh venison to his beloved curry.
One day, while the king hunted deep in the forest, a terrible storm arose. His guards, fearing for their master’s safety, urged him to take shelter in a nearby cave. Though Raja Bersiung protested, wishing to continue his hunt, the rain fell so heavily and the sky grew so dark that he was forced to agree.
For four long hours the storm raged, and the king grew hungry and ill-tempered. Yet when he thought of the six fine deer his party had killed, his spirits lifted, for he knew what a feast awaited him.
Meanwhile, at the palace, the two cooks worked anxiously, preparing curry for their master’s return. The cook whose task it was to prepare the king’s portion was a man given to worry and daydreaming. As he worked, his mind wandered to thoughts of the king’s safety, and in his distraction, his knife slipped and cut deep into his finger. Blood flowed freely, and several drops fell into the pot of curry before he could stop them.
“What am I to do?” he cried to himself. “If the king discovers this, surely I will be punished! I must prepare a fresh curry before he returns.”
But even as he spoke, the sound of trumpets announced the king’s arrival. There was no time to begin anew. The cook could only pray that his master would not notice any difference in the taste.
Raja Bersiung, ravenous from his long day, looked upon his favorite dish with great anticipation. The fragrant aroma made his mouth water, and without delay, he began to eat with great relish.
When he had consumed nearly half the curry, the king paused, his eyes widening with surprise. Never before had he tasted anything quite like this. The flavor was extraordinary, unlike any curry he had ever eaten. Immediately, he summoned his cook.
“What have you added to my curry today?” demanded the king.
The terrified cook, knowing that lies would only make his fate worse, fell to his knees and confessed his accident. “Forgive me, Your Majesty! While preparing your curry, I cut my finger, and some of my blood fell into the pot. I had no time to prepare another. Please have mercy!”
“Ah,” said the king, his eyes gleaming strangely. “So it is blood that gives this curry its remarkable taste. It is delicious beyond measure. From now on, you must add blood to every curry you prepare for me.”
The cook’s heart filled with dread, for he understood his master’s meaning. Raja Bersiung was a cruel king who kept many enemies imprisoned in his dungeons, some awaiting execution. The king turned to his guards and commanded in a loud voice:
“Go to the prison and see who is to be executed today. Take a vessel with you. When you have cut off his head, collect all his blood and bring it to me.”
The guard hastened to the dungeon, where an old enemy of the king awaited his fate. The man was executed on the spot, his blood collected in a vessel and brought to the king.
Raja Bersiung smiled wickedly at the sight of the blood-filled container. Though the palace servants trembled with fear, none dared speak, for they knew their bloodthirsty king would kill anyone to satisfy his terrible craving.
From that day forward, Raja Bersiung could not live without tasting human blood. More and more prisoners were killed, even those who were innocent of any crime. The king became hated by all who served in his palace.
When the prison grew nearly empty, Raja Bersiung knew he must find a steady supply of blood. He commanded his guards to kidnap innocent children from the villages. Though the guards carried out these terrible deeds, the people knew well who was responsible. The unfortunate children were killed, and their blood was given to the cook to mix into the king’s curry.
The villagers’ anger toward Raja Bersiung burned like fire. His practice of killing innocent people merely to drink their blood was seen as the height of evil.
This consumption of human blood caused a terrible transformation in the king. Two long fangs, called siung, began to grow from his mouth. He did not notice this change until one morning he awoke with great pain in his jaw. He summoned an old minister to examine him.
The minister was horrified by what he saw. “Forgive me, Your Majesty,” he said with trembling voice, “but your pain comes not from your teeth. Two fangs have grown in your mouth, and these are the source of your suffering.”
Upon hearing this, Raja Bersiung laughed with terrible glee. His laughter echoed through the palace, striking fear into all who heard it.
News of the king’s fangs spread throughout the kingdom. Far from being ashamed, Raja Bersiung was proud of his monstrous appearance. He wanted all his subjects to know that his fangs grew longer each time he consumed human blood. This knowledge filled the people of Kedah with terror.
The king believed his fangs would make his subjects more obedient and his enemies more fearful. The killing of innocent children and villagers continued, for his appetite for blood grew ever stronger.
The king’s cook was filled with sorrow at the cruelty he was forced to enable. He resolved to do something to end this horror. After days of planning, he decided to poison Raja Bersiung and put an end to his reign of terror.
He told no one of his plan, fearing discovery. On a day when the king went hunting, the cook spent more than an hour preparing the curry. When no one was watching, he drew out a horn-shaped container filled with deadly poison and sprinkled it into the king’s curry.
That day, Raja Bersiung returned from an unsuccessful hunt in a foul mood. He ordered his evening meal prepared immediately. This time, his two hunting dogs accompanied him to the dining table, for he desired company after his disappointing day.
The cook brought the poisoned curry to the table, his hands shaking with fear, though fortunately the king did not notice.
Before Raja Bersiung could taste the deadly curry, one of his hungry dogs leaped onto the table and knocked over the bowl. The curry spilled across the floor.
The hungry king was furious at this accident and ordered his guards to drive the dogs away. But before they could act, both dogs had licked up the spilled curry from the floor.
Within moments, the poison coursed through their bodies. Both dogs writhed in agony and died. When the guards examined them, they reported to the king that the animals had been poisoned. Raja Bersiung realized that his dogs had saved his life.
The king knew immediately that his cook had tried to poison him, for he alone prepared the royal curry. Both cooks were arrested and tortured.
Unable to bear seeing his innocent friend suffer, the guilty cook confessed his crime. Raja Bersiung flew into a rage and ordered the cook’s immediate execution. The remaining cook was commanded to take over all cooking duties, watched constantly by two guards to ensure he would never attempt such treachery.
From that day, the king had only one cook, who was too terrified to try anything that might endanger his own life.
Raja Bersiung continued his cruel ways. A group of brave fishermen, unable to bear the suffering any longer, plotted to end his reign. One among them declared that the time for rebellion had come. Though they lacked proper weapons, they were determined to overthrow the tyrant king.
But their plan was betrayed by one of their own, who revealed their plot to Raja Bersiung. The king ordered his armed soldiers to hide in the forest near the palace.
When the soldiers saw the fishermen approaching, they attacked, shooting several rebels. The surviving fishermen fled toward their village, hoping to escape pursuit.
But when they reached their homes, they found more armed soldiers waiting, for the traitor had revealed their dwelling place. The leader of the fishermen called upon his companions to fight to the death, for surrender would only mean execution.
A fierce battle ensued. Though the fishermen fought bravely, they were outnumbered and outarmed. All the rebels were killed, but they died fighting rather than surrendering.
During these events, one of Raja Bersiung’s ministers was away from the kingdom. When he returned and learned what had happened—including the death of his own brother among the fishermen—his heart filled with rage and sorrow.
This minister had always been loyal to the king, but now his own family had suffered. He was a man who loved peace and could no longer bear to see the continued cruelty inflicted upon the people of Kedah. He knew the time had come to end Raja Bersiung’s tyranny.
The minister was well-respected among the palace staff. Rather than cause chaos within the palace, he waited for the king to go hunting with his guards. When Raja Bersiung departed for the forest, the minister launched his rebellion, gaining support from other ministers and soldiers.
He assembled a great army of thousands and marched toward the king’s hunting ground.
Raja Bersiung was shocked to see such a vast force approaching. He realized that his ministers and soldiers had turned against him. He commanded his hundred guards to fight the rebel army, but not one obeyed. Instead, they all joined the minister’s forces, leaving the king completely alone.
For the first time, Raja Bersiung felt true fear. He fled deep into the thick forest. The minister ordered his men not to pursue the king, knowing that Raja Bersiung would never dare emerge from the wilderness again.
The rebel army knew they were finally safe from the fanged king’s cruelty. All the people of Kedah rejoiced at the minister’s victory.
Several years later, Raja Bersiung died alone in the deep forest, old and forgotten.
Under the just rule of the righteous minister, the Bujang Valley became prosperous and peaceful. The people no longer lived in fear, for the cruel Fanged King would never trouble them again.
And so it was that evil was vanquished by courage and justice, and the land knew peace once more. For as it is written in the old tales, those who feast upon the blood of innocents will find that their own wickedness becomes their doom, and righteousness shall always triumph in the end.