Long time ago, in Khmer kingdom there was a king named Preah Bat Bayong, who had
a royal palace in Dangrek Mountain. The king had a wife named Neang Sak Kraob.
She was the most beautiful woman with smiling face, and white complexion like an
angel. The good fragrance of her body could be smelled around 16 kilometers.
Then, this great fame was publicized to Siam king. This king sent a spy to find
out and finally they knew that the queen was really a beautiful and faithful
woman. The Siam king made a bad scheme to catch her to his kingdom for the great
honor of his country. When Preah Bat Bayong knew this trick, he immediately took
his wife, group of ladies- in- waiting, servants, officers and all soldiers to
leave the palace by the junks toward the southeast in the nighttime. Before
leaving, the king raised his both hands on the head and prayed to God, "May I
achieve three wishes 1. Have a safe journey on the waterway, 2. Be not caught up
by Siam soldiers 3. Find a good residence. If the three wishes become true, I
will have my hair Shaved as devotion." The king was so worried that he sailed
the junk day and night. When he discovered that he had been so far, the king
looked for a place to land the junk. At the same time,the storm blew the junk to
move round and broke its wheel. That was the reason why this place has been
called "Bak Changkot village" (village where junk broke its wheel), but nowadays
this village is known as "Bakkot village". The king was very frightened so he
raised his hands and prayed, "May the storm vanish; and I will deliver the
offerings for the water demons." Suddenly, the storm disappeared. After sailing
a bit further, the king anchored the junk, prepared the offerings for the water
demons, and made a new wheel of the junk. That place has been called "Kanleng
Chot village" (village where the king anchored the junk) and the place, where
the offerings were delivered to the water demons, has been called "Senbon
village" nowadays. The three mentioned villages are located in Leay Bor commune,
Tram Kok district, Takeo province. After finishing all work there, the king
continued his journey in the same direction toward the southeast. When he
arrived at a place, the junk was leaked so the king was repairing while sailing.
That place has been named "Sampov Threay village" up to now (where the junk had
a leak). Traveling further, he arrived at a place where there were many thatches
growing. The king pulled out the thatches and inserted them into the leak. Since
then, this place has been known as "Prek Sbov village" (where there were many
thatches growing). Then, they continued their journey. When they reached a
place, Qween Sak Kraob was worried about many things, one was that the journey
was further and further and the target was not found yet and another thing that
she was afraid was that Siam soldiers might catch up with them. Then, the Queen
lit the candles in order to pray to the all demons, "May we find a safe, good
residence and May cruel Siam soldiers fail and be damaged in the ocean." The
place, where the queen lit the candles to pray to the demons, has been called
"Anlong Tien village". The praying ceremony made her wish come true. 100
thousand Siam soldiers that the Siam King sent to chase her missed her way. They
sailed their junk to different directions. The king Bayong's junk departed to
the east, while Siam Junk went to the west. After the Queen prayed, the king
Bayong turned his junk a bit to the southwest. Then suddenly, there was a storm
to blow and damage Siam junk and all the soldiers were drowned to death in the
ocean. The place where Siam junk was damage by the storm had been named "Senlong
village". Today this village has been changed to "Sanlong village". As for the
junk of the king Bayong, it went very fast to the southwest. The king saw a lot
of islands and mountains so he anchored his junk near an island and walked up to
the island to find a good place and build temporary residence.
When he
discovered that there were several favorite places, the king ordered his
soldiers and servants to take all luggages out of the junk, took his wife into
the valley of the mountain, and landed the junk there. After the king, the queen
and all of his coordinates got out of the junk, the sky became dark and the rain
was pouring so heavily. Suddenly, the thunderbolt struck the junk to overturn
and sink. That place has been called Phnom Ronteah. After that king Bayong kept
looking for a place to build a royal residence. At that time, the king found a
fascinating hill so he built a temporary shelter. When having a suitable
residence, the king and the queen talked about their sadness and suffering from
the beginning. The queen reminded the king of his praying that he would have his
hair shaved for the water demons. Now the king had to fulfill his promise. King
Bayong had his hair shaved for the offering for the water demons. That was why
the king was called Bayong Kor and the hill, he built the shelter, has been
called Bayong Kor Mountain. King Bayong Kor resided peacefully with his wife on
the hill for over one year, and then the queen was pregnant. When it was due
time, she delivered a baby named PreahBath Daikley (short arms King). Though
this prince was named PreahBath Daikley but his body was normal and he was such
a good-looking, clever boy that his parents were very satisfied with him. Since
PreahBath Bayong Kor and Preah Neang Sak Kraob escaped to this island, they
never heard about Siam king. King Bayong Kor lived peacefully and was never
afraid that Siam king would arrive at this island. Later on, Siam king made a
bad scheme to abduct Preah Neang Sak Kraob. He had a special theater built on a
junk and sent many clever officials who were good at investigating and many
other soldiers to the south to look for Preah Neang Sak Kraob again. The
officials, performers, and soldiers made a discussion, estimating that King
Bayong Kor and Preah Neang Sak Kraob must be living on an island of the ocean.
They left for the island for many days and nights. When they reached there, they
anchored their junk around five hundred meters from Bayong Kor's island. The
place where Siams anchored their junk had been called Cheung Brachum, which has
now been known as Cheung Kanhchum. After properly anchoring their trunk, Siams
built a wooden bridge from the junk to the port. Then, they performed the play
on the junk every night. All men and women had never seen any interesting
performance, so they crowdedly went to see the play and were greeted warmly by
those Siams. When they performed for longer time, people on the island felt very
happy by the Siam performance so that these people and Siams had very close
relationship. The Siam spies discovered that King Bayong Kor was really living
on that island. When the audience returned home, they admired the female dancers
and performers, who could dance beautifully, and their warm welcome.
Ladies-in-waiting and soldiers of Bayong Kor told King Bayong Kor and Preah
Neang Sak Kraob everyday they went to see the show. One day, since she could not
help going to the theater and her servants kept telling her about the
performance, Preah Neang Sak Kraob asked her husband for permission to see the
performance once because the servants told her that it was wonderful. The king
said nothing. She left her baby with her servant; Preah Neang Sak Kraob went to
bathe in the port. Then, she wore jewelry and the male and female servants
accompanied her to see the performance. When they arrived in the theater, the
Siam officials and soliers realized Preah Neang Sak Kraob, the wife of King
Bayong Kor, who they had been looking for. They greeted her warmly and prepared
a good seat for her. After she sat comfortably, the concert started a song
called Lom Neang (comforting her) and another song Cheut Teat in order to start
the play. She deeply concentrated on the themes of the story and beautiful songs
of the characters in the play. The Siams had already made the appointment with
sound of drum rhythms and lyrics of songs. The junk was tied up to an anchor to
the northeast about 300 meters to drag the trunk backward. The place which
anchor was dropped has been called "Yuthkar village". When they knew that she
was stuck up with the themes and music, they sang a song called Srav Khse
Yuthkar (unfastening the rope of anchor). Then, another song called as Sampov
Thoy (reverse the junk). Then, they untied the rope and the junk reversed
gradually. Preah Neang Sak Kraob and her servantsdid not know that the junk was
reversing and moving because they were focusing on the performance. While the
junk was going further and further, Preah Neang Sak Kraob wanted to go home.
When she turned her eyes to find the way home, she saw nothing but the vast
water. She was shaking and shocked in the middle of the ocean. She remembered
the past time when she left Dang Rek Mountain to run away from Siams, but now
she could not escape and was abducted because of not knowing Siams' trick. She
sobbed and said, "Oh! It is today that I am separated from my poor husband and
my beloved son." Siams pushed her servants to return home by rafts; only Preah
Neang Sak Kraob was taken. After abducting her, Siams took her to their king.
Siam king was very happy. He awarded them many presents. He kept her in a
separated castle and ordered his women servants to serve her there. When king
Bayong Kor knew that his wife was abducted, he was absolutely grief-stricken.
His tear dropped every day, but he bore to live for his son. He looked at the
ocean he nearly became blind. He saw nothing, but the vast water and waves of
the sea. When he turned his eyes to the island, he saw the landscape and forest
that seemed to help relieve his suffering. "How sad I am!" said the king, "I am
nostalgic when you and I ran away from Siams. Now, it is not editable to make a
great mistake that leave me so lonely." Preah Neang Sak Kraob, who was staying
alone in the castle, always felt very upset even though she was attentively
served and pleased by the servants, she could not be relieved from the
suffering. For her, though the castle was very big, but it seemed too narrow to
find way to walk. Every day, she sat and looked out at the south window to look
for anyone with whom she might be familiar. Siam king always ordered the
soldiers to guard at the doors and would not let her out at all. She was very
sad everyday because she missed her beloved son and her poor husband. Years
later, prince Dai Kley became mature. He asked his father for his missing
mother. King Bayong Kor, then, told his son about what had happened. The prince
was furious. He asked for permission to look for and save his mother. The king
said, "If you go alone with bare hand, you can't save your mother. When you
bring your mother back, there will be fighting; so it is not the right time to
go. Please wait until I mobilize enough soldiers to go with you. If you are in
danger, they can help you escape." The king selected lots of brave and loyal
soldiers to assemble at a particular place to learn fighting lessons and magic.
That place has been called Sre Chorm Pol up to now, (field where brave, loyal
soldiers were assembled). When King Bayong Kor realized that the soldiers were
strong enough, he let his son prince Dai Kley travel by junk toward the
northwest. It took them three weeks to arrive at the Siam border. Prince Dai
Kley anchored his junk at a port near an island, which was so close that he
could go into Siam kingdom. As mentioned, though prince Dai Khley was named
short arms (Dai Kley) but he, like other men, had normal arms and was very
handsome and charming. He told his soldiers, "Wait for me here, in our junk, I
will go alone. I don't know when I will be back; I will return after I attain my
goal." He continued his journey to his Siam city thinking, "If I meet my mother,
she may not be able to recognize me, and neither may 1." One day, when the
prince was looking around, he glanced at his mother Preah Neang Sak Kraob, who
was sitting at the window alone looking outside. He did not know she was his
mother. The prince thought, "This Siam lady is really beautiful, her face is as
round as the moon, and she had so lovely red lips." He suddenly fell in love
with her. He tried to pay a court to her. Preah Neang Sak Kraob, not recognizing
the young man as her son, thought that he was a typical Siam man and courted
him, too and they fell in love with each other. She told the prince, "Please
come here again in the late night. I will go down and wait for you." She
confirmed, " Here is very quiet; no one comes often." The prince had deeply
fallen in love. He thought himself, "I will make love with this Siam girl and
take her to the junk; then, I will be back to look for my mother." When the late
night came, he returned to the castle as she told him. She went down to take him
to her room. They made love and slept together. After that, they left for the
prince junk. When they got at the junk, she recognized Banyong Kor's soldiers
and relatives. They talked to each other and knew that she was Preah Neang Sak
Kraob, the prince's mother. She was informed that the young man was her son that
she left for over ten years. The mother and son embraced each other because of
missing, and their love relationship was disappeared. The prince was deeply
shocked by his misconduct toward his mother. Even though his mother apologized
for him, he could not get rid of this shock. The soldiers, when finding Preah
Neang Sak Kraob, quickly sailed the junk as fast as they could toward Bayong
Kor's palace. Three weeks later, the junk reached the palace. King Bayong Kor
and Preah neang Sak Kraob were reunited happily, excitedly and they sobbed
because they missed each other so much. When Preah neang Sak Kraob met her
beloved husband, she told him, "I was kept in the castle alone with many
women-servants all day and night, and no one bothered me, even Siam King. When
our son came there, I did not recognize him, and neither did our son. We both
fell in love and engaged in sexual intercourse. Please apologize me and our
son." After listening to what she told, the king was not angry because he
thought, "Never have son and mother made love with each other; this was because
they did not know each other, they made a great mistake." Since King Bayong Kor
was afraid that his son would be sinful, he called for scholars and prophesiers
to prophesy whether his son would have a sin or not. Through a long analytical
discussion, they decided, "The prince has to be punished to dig up 100 I ponds
(100 I Sreas Ang)." Then, the king decided to order the laborers help him. After
the 1001 ponds were dug up, the king celebrated a religious ceremony for the
completion, The prince wished, "Now I have dug up 1001 ponds, I would devote
these ponds for the advantage of all living creatures on earth to use the water
from today onwards until all the ponds become dry and the soil comes up as flat
as normality, then my sin will be vanished." Thus there have been many places
named Angs namely Ang Rokar, Ang Soeng and so on. - The END -
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