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Senin, 01 Oktober 2012

CERPEN; Dongeng Si Kancil (Berbahasa Inggris)


Kancil and Monkey
(Simalungun folklore)
Tugas Mata Kuliah Folklore and Mythology
By Rizal Saryadi


         Introduction:
            Kancil is a name which is very popular in many countries in Indonesia. Many people indicate it as a smart, clever, and tricky animal. It is because many authors in some countries take Kancil by those characters in plays. Indeed the readers assume Kancil as so. However the question is why do some authors often take kancil as a bad character in the play? It is probably the question that often appears in the some people’s mind. Therefore, It’s important to know to give us extra knowledge and for the answer of the question.
According to the Simalungun folklore, why does Drs. Henry Guntur Tarigan take Kancil as the main figure in the story? Are there other stories could be raised for different topics? Drs. Henry Guntur Tarigan is a person who collects the stories from Simalungun folklore.
Concerning about the story of Kancil, here I try to raise the topic of Kancil and Monkey. It is because this topic is important for me. It has the lesson which is could inspired us how to think and consider something. In addition, the story is very nice to join. 
In the fact of this story, Kancil is illustrated as the tricky figure which deceives the monkey to fall into the hole for rescuing itself. Furthermore, it also deceives a tiger for surviving from eaten by it. This is the description about the behavior of Kancil in this story which makes us probably think kancil is bad or clever figure. More importantly, we should know which is not all in this topic raises the badness of Kancil. There are some events that Kancil did something tricky just for surviving itself and not involving other animals as the sacrifice.
In general, there is a common mistake from the readers usually happened. It is why don’t many people take a lesson from kancil story after reading it? This is also the question which is probably rarely revealed by many people.  We should know this one as the introspection for our self as the reader. It is in order to make us being meticulous readers, not just being fun readers. In short, when we are reading the story of Kancil, we are necessary to figure out the lesson in the story because it is one of the aims in the reading the story beside for having fun.

        The stories
Once Kancil was fell into the hole had dug by a hunter to catch the tiger. Because the hole was deep enough, it was very confused; because of course it would be difficult to jump. The effect, it couldn’t breathe nature reserve more in. Most, in the hole there were no food or drinking water anymore.
For a few minutes in the hole, suddenly there was a leaf fell down into the hole. The leaf was from a tree surround the hole which was close to. “Great luck! Alright, I will pretend to read this leaf like there is a text on. Then there is one hear my voice, so it will approach here. After that I will invite it to come into this! It is not bad idea!” Kancil said as wiping off its head.
“On the moon two days has been trapped, the trapped day on the moon two; I am free other people are confined, other people are confined I am free” So it was it said repeatedly as if it was reading the letter. For a long time he was reciting it, but no one approached it. Kancil was not hopeless; it read it louder till its voice being hoarse. However more and more no one came.
Not far from the hole, a gang of monkey approached. When the ears of Kancil heard monkey’s voice, it read the writing of leaf louder and louder. So because of that voice, a monkey visited it from the tree. When they looked at each other, the monkey asked, “What are you doing, Kancil? You look like a crazy animal? The other monkeys came approaching the hole. “You don’t know what happened!” Kancil said. “Don’t you look the sky will fall down? Come in……protect yourself soon?!” then, “Look up! As pointing the sky; won’t the sky fall down? Come on, jump into this hole in order to avoid you all from the death!” it lied to the monkeys. Because being afraid of the death, so the monkeys fell down directly to save themselves. After they all came into the hole, then Kancil said; Are there your other friends outside? If so, let me to pick them up! It is pitiful if they died there!” The monkeys said that all of their friends have been here.
“E-eh….the sky has moved down!” Kancil said to make them afraid. Astounding! My grandmother still outside! Is there one of you brave to pick it up?” it tested the monkey. They all were quivering. One was probably their leader said, “Enough kancil, it is better if you pick it up! And please tell to other friends to hide here! It’s pitiful if they are died because the sky!” Hearing their agreement, Kancil felt comfortable. However in order to not being suspicious, Kancil pretended to refuse it. Then the monkeys pressured it, so Kancil even said, “How can I go out? Ah….I fell afraid?! Furthermore, Do I know when I go up, then the sky fall down? So I will be dead, whereas you’re free from the death! it said as if it’s difficult to accept. “Yet…,” it pretended thinking for a moment. “Alright! Anymore, I can’t forget my grandmother’s favor! Please, you all throw me out of this hole in order that I can come back soon! Or like this! You all make stairs by constructing your body like pyramid. So I will be easy go up by your back!” The monkeys didn’t protest more. They did what Kancil suggested. Afterwards kancil walked on their back till reached the top of the hole. Then it jumped up,”hu…up!” Now it was free to breathe the fresh air in. After arriving to the top, it repeated the reading:
“On the moon two days has been trapped, the trapped day on the moon two; I am free other people are confined, other people are confined I am free.” Then it repeated 2-3 times. Afterwards, it left the monkeys which were confined succeeding its self. 
When Kancil was joining its trip, it met the tiger. It felt afraid because it was impossible to avoid. “What is the idea to avoid it?” it thought under heart. “O…here is the feces of buffalo! If so….?” It thought again, “I have an idea!” Then it took a slice of wide leafs and it covered the feces up. Afterwards it kept it away by other leaf. The tiger approached it, “what are you doing, Kancil?!” it asked. “Nothing grandmother (a summons for tiger in that country), I am just given the duty by the king Sulaiman to protect his food. He will come to eat for a while later,” said kancil as keeping the feces away. Hearing that, the tiger felt hungry, “how if you give this food for me? Accidentally I felt so hungry!” it asked to kancil. “I don’t, grandmother! I am afraid if the king Sulaiman being angry with me. If this food is not arrived to him, I would be killed! So I forbid you to eat this!” Kancil pretended. “I am very hungry, Kancil! If you don’t give it, I will eat you soon! Give it or not?!” it threatened by its tusks.
“If so grandmother, please take it, but I should go first in order that I get free of the punishment from the king,” says Kancil deceiving the tiger. The tiger was very happy heard this, “Ok Kancil, please go away from me! I am so hungry, I will eat this soon!”
Kancil then went by whole of its power. Afterwards the tiger began to eat the feces supposed food. “Ngaup..,” it joined the feces. However, then its stomach felt painful, so that it was very angry with Kancil. It knew it was not food but buffalo’s feces. Because of that, it tried to chase after Kancil. It followed the track of Kancil till the track was not clear anymore. “Damn it”, the tiger mocked Kancil roughly. It didn’t found Kancil for a long the day. So, it became more and more angry. However it didn’t know what to do. It just could keep that animosity till the exact time to revenge.

The argumentations
            This story has described us about the ideas of Kancil to survive itself. There are some bad sides and good sides of the way for surviving. It victimizes Monkeys gang as the method for its plan. This is bad behavior and no justice for this event. The monkeys which have no any mistakes to it become the victims of its trickiness. In addition, it takes the advantages for this case without thinking and repaying their service. However, it traps them all instead.
            “Great luck! Alright, I will pretend to read this leaf like there is a text on. Then there is one hear my voice, so it will approach here. After that I will invite it to come into this! It is not bad idea!” Kancil said
            This statement is a description of its behavior which How tricky it is. It plans are very nasty. In what condition, kancil may not do this. It should do a favor after arriving over the land. After using monkey’s service in the hole, it should help them all because there are many ways to do. It could try to seek something like the rope, staircase, wood, and etc. However that is impossible for Kancil itself. It doesn’t think monkey’s sufferings after helping it. It is probably proper if I illustrate it as egoistic animal.
            In the other cases, Kancil may be true in the way surviving itself. As when rescuing itself from the evil tiger, it do same method by deceiving it. However in this one, it doesn’t take a benefit from other animals as the victim. It just uses a property of buffalo’s feces. This is not too bad in my opinion, because it doesn’t make dangerous to other animals. In addition, this trick is natural to do in this situation. The most important is it just tries to deceive the tiger trickily for surviving.

          Conclusion
“If a child eats the baby of Kancil which is just born, he/she would be smart person through his/her growth period”
(The myth from some countries in Bangka)
A myth above, which is I heard directly from the native person, indicates Kancil as a sacred smart animal which is very useful for children’s intelligence. It could make a child who eats being clever or smart. I think this myth could be related to the story of Kancil in this folklore as the description the characters.  
Kancil is very famous as bad figure in general. It is because many authors take Kancil as this character in the plays. Furthermore, Kancil is smart and clever like described on the myth above which probably proper to be this figure for being tricky. Also, Kancil is suitable as the main character in this story according to Drs. Henry Guntur Tarigan. It is probably Drs. Henry Guntur Tarigan thinks that Kancil is weak yet smart. So, it could be the chance to reveal how useful is the cleverness of someone or something which is better than the big muscle and strongness. However the problem is many people rarely take the lesson from the story of Kancil. Therefore, they should chance this habit as the introspection for themselves.
Actually there is one other animal which is suitable to chance the characters of Kancil. It is the aunts because they also weak, smart, and clever naturally. If we look at the behavior of these animals, we will see something different. Those are the aunts could work together in every case. They also can obey their leader which always controls them. Furthermore, they can make the line well regulated as one of the symbol of their disciplines.
  
          Refference:
            Henry Guntur Tarigan, Drs., 1980, “Cerita Rakyat Simalungun”, Proyek Penerbitan Buku Sastra, Jakarta.

CERPEN; Java Pewayangan


Banjaran Gathotkaca

By Dhalang Purba Asmara
at General Medical School of Gadjah Mada University


Gathotkaca is prominent figure in the story of Java Pewayangan. He is a son of Bimasena is from Pandawa’sFamillyand Arimbi (Hidimbi) is from Rakshasa. Gathotkaca has great supernatural power as he could fly on the sky without wings and even he is cannot be defeated by any even weapon except by heirloom Kontawijaya. He is also known as “wire muscle iron bone” because his strong body.

Birth of Gathotkaca

A long time ago, Gathotkaca was born by his mother Arimbi. Krisna, Gareng, and the others assembled to watch the birth of Gathotkaca. Unexpectedly, there was a something weird when he was born. As told in pewayangan by Ki Purba Asmara that his cord cannot be cut by any weapon. Bima and Arjuna had tried to cut it but they both failed. So his mother and overall who watched this incident were very sad. Bimasena even attempted to suggest her not to be sad. However, Bima just looked at Arimbi’s sadness.He was not success to suggest her. Consequently, Arjuna as Bima’s brother, attempted to cut it by the cover of arrow Kontawijaya. Also together with all his powerful magic, Arjuna started to cut it. However there was a miracle happened at that event. Gathotkaca’s cord was cut and the cover of Kontawijaya entered into gathotkaca’s body through his navel. But that was not a problem. Gathotkaca’s mother was even very glad. She absolutely could smile again.
In actual fact that was not told by dhalang Purba Asmara about before Arjuna cut Gathotkaca’s cord, he firstly went to somewhere to do meditation for getting the guidance from god. Also at the same time, Karna was doing meditation looking for the heirloom weapon. Because of their faces are resemble, so that Batara Narada as delegate from the heaven, gave heirloom Kontawijaya to wrong person that is Karna. Actually it should be given to Arjuna on command from Bathara Guru. So when Arjuna knew that incident after doing meditation, he attempted to take it back from Karna. Unfortunately, he just could get its cover, whereas Karna escaped and brought the heirloom Kontawijaya..
For a while the misery happened, Bathara Naradha came. He gave Gathotkaca name as Jabang Tetuka. After that he borrowed Gathotkaca to bring over the heaven. However, his mother was curious why did Bathara wanted to bring him over the heaven. So Bathara replied that Gathotkaca would be used for against the sovereign Pracana and governor Sekipu. After talking more, so Arimbi and Bima allowed him to bring Gathotkaca.

Be God’s Knight

Governor Sekipu attacked the heaven. He was refused by Bathara Guru to propose an angle called Dewi Supraba. So Bathara Guru sent Bathara Naradha to borrow Gathotkaca  for fighting Sekipu. When Naradha came with little Gathotkaca, He surrendered Gathotkaca to Sekipu as his enemy. The first, Sekipu underestimated Gathotkaca as little baby fought powerful ogre. However when he tried to eat Gathotkaca, he couldn’t eat him.  He couldn’t hurt Gathotkaca’s skin even a little. Because of his shame, he gave Gathotkaca back. He wanted Gathotkaca grew up immediately. Therefore, Gathotkaca was included into crater Candradimuka. For a while later, he grew up as powerful man that has more great powerful magic then before. It was because Candradimuka influenced his powerful magic more great.
Gathotkaca was ready to battle with Sekipu, so that he met him. However before they went to battle, they talk a little bit. Then Sekipu attacked Gathotkaca suddenly. In luck, Gathotkaca was success to avoid him. After that they duel strongly and powerfully. Sometimes Sekipu felt down and sometimes so did Gathotkaca. In fortune, Gathotkaca defeated him successfully. So Sekipu died and then Pracana appeared with his horrifying face. He wanted to revenge on the die of his governor, Sekipu. After a little talk, He also did something same as Sekipu. He attacked Gathotkaca immediately and touched gathotkaca’s body. Gathotkaca felt down and then he woke up again. After that Gathotkaca revenged it, so they battled as strong knight. The situation was same as while fighting Sekipu. Sometimes Gathotkaca felt down and sometimes so did Pracana. Eventually with his super power, Gathotkaca was success defeated him. Indeed, Pracana felt down and died.

The Marriage of Gathotkaca with Pergiwa

The planning of marriage Gathotkaca and Pergiwa as daughter of Arjuna has spread to anywhere. The preparation at Yodipatias Bimasena’s place was very perfect. At schedule, the celebration would be done at three places such as Madukoro, Yodipati, and Pringgondani. The report has been spread to Hastina, the staying place of Kurawa’s people. There was carried out of noble meeting. There was be present the elders of Kurawa as sovereign Duryodana, governor Sengkuni, and Danyang Drona. They discussed about the way in order to Pandawa could be destroyed. Danyang Drona suggested breaking Pandawa by wedding Lasmana with Pergiwa before Gathotkaca did. Hopefully, Bimasena would be angry and then killed his younger brother, Arjuna. That planning was prepared perfectly.
The applicant group of Hastinapura even set out completely with the troops and every kind of greatness sign and marriage sign. After arrived in Madukoro, Danyang Darona talked and persuaded Arjuna. So by many ways, Arjuna eventually couldn’t refuse. The proposal of Hastinapura was accepted. Then the delegate to Yodipati was sent for giving information that the proposal of Gathotkaca was refused, whereas the group of hastina was allowed to lodge at Madukoro. At Yodipati, Bimasena that before looked fresh, immediately be quiet and slept at the yard of his place. He said; “don’t disturb me”. At the same time, Gathotkaca looked very disappointed. However, he was comforted by the servants and Petruk promised that he would try to relate their love back. So, Gathotkaca went to Madukoro with Petruk. They moved stealthily to get Pargiwa’s place.
Petruk had the duty to keep outside, whereas Gathotkaca got into Pergiwa’s room. Pergiwa welcomed Gathotkaca.
Gathotkaca; “is it right if you accept Lesmana’s proposal?”
Pergiwa; “absolutely Gathotkaca, I was ready to serve Lesmana as my husband.”
Gathotkaca; “okey, if that’s right I would be glad too. As the reward, take my heart”, (Gathotkaca took his weapon).
Then, Gathotkaca was embraced hardly by Pergiwa. She acknowledged that she just examined Gathotkaca’s love and then said that she accepted Lesmana’s proposal because she didn’t want to disappoint his father.
At outside the room, Lesmana came to get Pergiwa. However Petruk blocked him, so the battle was happened. And then Lesmana knew that Gathotkaca was inside, so that he called Kurawa’s people to attack Gathotkaca. However, Gathotkaca defeated them all, including Danyang Drona.
Danyang Drona was very angry so that he reported it to Arjuna. He said that Gathotkaca was doing not proper deed with Pergiwa. Arjuna was so angry herd that, so he faced Gathotkaca soon. He battled Gathotkaca with his great heirloom. Meanwhile, Gathotkaca didn’t fight him back anymore. Arjuna became more vicious than before, he thought that Gathotkaca underestimated him. Petruk was very afraid looked at situation. Moreover Arjuna pulled out his whip Kyai Pamuk that was striked hard on Gathotkaca’s body repeatedly.
Petruk run to Yodipati for waking Bimasena up. However, Bimasena couldn’t wake up though he called it repeatedly. Then Petruk remembered the story about Kumbokarno that could be woken by pulling his foot hair out. So he did it to Bima and he woke up. Immediately, Petruk told about his son that was stroke by Arjuna hardly. However Bima was just relaxed, he didn’t care about that. He said that Arjuna was right as his uncle to teach about the truth for Gathotkaca. Petruk was very confused and said that Gathotkaca would die. However, Bima didn’t care about that and just said that it was no problem. Petruk tried to find another way. He said that Arjuna disfigured his name when he was torturing Gathotkaca. Suddenly, Bimasena run very fast. He was very angry with Arjuna. After he came to Werkudoro, he hit Arjuna hardly repeatedly. So Arjuna ran to the group Ngamarta that just came.
Kresna and Puntadewa came and fortuanately he was success to separate between Bima and Arjuna. Then, Petruk told Bima about why he lied to him. Eventually, Arjuna and Bima made piece. Arjuna realized about his fault. Indeed, Pergiwa accepted Gathotkaca to marry her after that. Meanwhile, the group of Hastina was attacked by Bima and then went home without good outcome.

The Death of Gathotkaca

In pewayangan version wich has been told that Gathotkaca was very close with Arjuna’s son, Abimanyu. Once day, Abimanyu married with Utari as princess from Wirata Kingdom where he acknowledged that he still be unmarried man. But actually the case that he was married with Sitisundari, Kresna’s daughter.
Sitisundari that was entrusted at Gathotkaca’s castle heard that his husband was married again. So, Gathotkaca’s uncle called Kalabendana came to meet Abimanyu for asking him went home. Kalabendana was the youngest brother of Arimbi that had the smooth heart and noble. The case of Abimanyu was made utari jealous. Abimanyu perforce lie with Utari. He swore if he had more wife than Utari, so the enemy would gang up on him.
Then Kalabendana met Gathotkaca and reported the attitude of Ambimanyu. However Gathotkaca reprimanded him instead. Gathotkaca considered him was daring to meddle in his cousin’s family business. Because of his emotion, He stroke Kalabendana’s head. So that Kalabendana died immediately even though Gathotkaca did it unconsciously. When the war of Baratayuda was happened, Ambimanyu was truly died beacause he was ganged up on by the enemy from Korawa. Tomorrow, Arjuna was sauccess to revenge on the die of his son by cutting Jayadrata’s head off. 
Duyudana was very sad on the die of his cousin in law, Jayadrata. He forced Karna to attack for Pandawa’s camping that night. So karna even perforce did it although that broke the war role.
Hearing Korawa wanted to attack at night, so Pandawa even sent Gathotkaca to block them. Gathotkaca was chosen consciously because Kotang Antrakusuma that he had could spray the light brightly.
The battle at that night was very horrifying. Gathotkaca was success killed Korawa’s person called Lembusa. However, he lost his both uncles Brajalamadan and Brajawikalpa that was killed together with their enemies called Lembusura and Lembusana. Gathotkaca finally faced with Karna that had Kontawijaya heirloom. Karna threw Kontawijaya toward Gathotkaca and suddenly Gathotkaca tried to avoid it. However unexpectedly, Kotawijaya touched his navel. So that Kontawijaya united again with its cover and Gathotkaca died.