From the west of Battambang provincial town about 12 kilometers, there are a chain of hills such as Phnom Sompov, Phnom Trung Mom, Trung Tea, and Phnom Neang Rom Saysak and so on. At that time, it was said that there was a king who had a son, Reachkol, and settled his royal palace along Dang Reak Mountain.
There was a young lady, whose name was Sovann Maksa who found an egg by chance, which was not known what kind of animal species. When It was due time, that egg hatched and came out a little crocodile. Seeing it was lovely, she loved that baby crocodile and raised it till it grew up. It was a big, smart crocodile, which was named Athun.
Preah Bath Reachkol was fascinated by the beauty of Sovann Maksa, who was a perfectly beautiful daughter of a poor family. And her crocodile was not only extremely powerful, but also brave and clever.
After having close relationship with her, the prince turned out to be unsatisfied because he thought that he could not marry her as she was only the daughter of the ordinary family.
After thinking rationally about his marriage, the prince wen to tell his parents. His parents agreed on that proposal and then ordered the royal servants to look for the beautiful lady who was born in the upper-class family to marry their son.
Then, they heard that there was a king in Chan Borey district who had a daughter, whose name was Neang Rom Saysak. She had magic hair, which she could do what as her wishes. When she stroked her hair, it caused the land to flood with water or the water became mainland.
The parents of Preah Bath Reachkol ordered the royal serva to take a royal message to the king of Krong Chan Borey in order to ask his daughter to marry their son according to the tradition.
After reading the message, king of Krong Chan Borey consented to their request and replied in a massage which read, "If you are satisfied with my daughter, please your majesty bring the engagement gifts to my kingdom."
When Prince Reachkol heard that reply, he was very satisfied and then ordered his royal servants to prepare all kinds of presents to put into a junk and left for Krong Chan Sorey.
When Sovann Maksa got that news, she was frustrated so she called Athun to block and destroy the junk because she did not wish the prince to marry Neang Rom Saysak.
As soon as its master gave an order, Athun crawled into the water and swam as fast as an arrow towards the junk of Preah Bath Reachkol.
"Hey! Athun, it's me," said Phreah Bath Reachkol, when he saw Athun, "Don't do anything crazy!" "I serve anyone who gives me food," replied Athun.
Seeing this giant crocodile, the royal servants screamed with fear all over the junk. Some threw winter melons and pumpkins to Athun for eating; and some others tossed the cages of chickens and ducks to stop it from disturbing the prince's voyage.
Preah Bath Reachkol tried to pray, "May God who preserves this territory save us from this danger." Due to the prince's virtue, Indra was excited with his invocation.
Then the Indra informed Neang Rom Saysak about the prince's danger. The princes immediately started to stroke her magic hair so that the sea became dry. Athun was stuck in the land until its scales were dry and contorted its body convulsively before it was fatal.
When the sea became dry, Preah Bath Reachkol ordered his servants to take all the gifts towards Chan Borey City to marry Princess Rom Saysak. The place at the trunk of the crocodile became a hill which is nowadays called, "Phnom Krorpeu" (crocodile hill), and the place where its tail flicked and the place at its nose created two lakes called Boeng Kontuy Krorper (lake of crocodile tail) and Boeng Chrormos Krorper (lake of crocodile nose) respectively. And the place at the junk also created a hill, which exactly looks like a junk has been called Phnom Sompov Uunk hill).
The sail junk, falling down into the water, became a hill called Phnom Kdaung Sompov (the hill of sail junk). And the cages of the chickens and ducks, which were thrown at Athun, created a hill called Phnom Trung Morn and Trung Tea (hill of chicken-and-duck cages). The palce where Princess Rom Saysak stroked her hair at the south of Phnom Sompov also became another hill called Phnom Rom Saysak (Rom Saysak hill).
After the marriage, Preah Bath Reachkol and his wife, accompanied by his servants, rode an elephant back to his palace. While traveling on half way, he saw such those hills that he became so furious with Neang Sovann Maksa. Thanks to her wickedness, everything was destroyed.
Since Sovann Maksa was always malicious to him, Preah Bath Reachkol ordered hangmen to arrest her in order to be sentenced to death, avoiding that she might make more troubles. And the place which her head had fallen became a hill called Phnom Song Kbal, but it is now called Phnom Song Kban instead.
While Price Reachkol and Princess Rom Saysak lived and loved each other until the end of their lives.
- The END -
"Don't judge the people by their appearances"
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