1. Perinduan: Kampungku
1. My Hometown
Asal saya orang Rejang Sambé, tapi saya
I am originally a Rejang from the village of
bersama orang tua pindah ke kota waktu saya
Sambé. But my parents and I moved into town
masih kecil. Jadi menurut saya, kampung saya
when I was small, so I consider my hometown to
adalah Curup. Curup adalah sebuah kota
be Curup.
dingin karena tempatnya di kaki bukit. Yang
Curup is a chilly city because it is situated at
terkenal disebut Bukit Kaba. Kalau pagi-pagi
the foot of the mountains. The most well known is
dingin sekali. Kadang-kadang tak tahan kita
Mount Kaba. It can be very cold especially in the
mandi. Matahari terbit kira-kira pukul tujuh.
early morning. Sometimes we can hardly stand to
Maksud saya, orang Curup orang Rejang.
take a bath. The sun rises around seven o'clock.
Hampir semuanya petani. Sebagian bertani kubis,
berkebun
kopi,
ada
pula
The people of Curup are mostly Rejangs.
yang
Almost all of them have farms. Some tend
bersawah. Waktu selang, mereka bertanam
cabbage patches or coffee fields, and there are
jagung dan kacang tanah.
others who own rice fields. Between seasons they plant corn and peanuts. 3
Di
Curup
tak
banyak
tempat
untuk
In Curup there are not many places for us to
berekreasi. Kalau kita liburan, tempat yang
go. If we have a holiday the most popular places
terkenal adalah Suban (tempat air panas),
are Suban Hot Springs, Lake Tes, and after that
Danau Tes, kemudian dusun Sawah Tes. Ada
the village of Tes. There are also others but they
juga yang lain tapi tidak terkenal.
are not as well known.
Kalau hari Selasa banyak orang dari
On Tuesdays many people from the villages go
dusun-dusun ke kota karena hari itu adalah
out because it is market day. If we should meet
hari pasar. Kalau kita bertemu dengan teman-
our friends, we ask: "Where are you going?" For
teman, kita bertanya, "Hendak ke mana?"
sure they will answer: "To Tuesday Market!" This
Pasti mereka menjawab, "Ke Selasa." Hari
is the day that unmarried girls look for their
itulah gadis-gadis mencari pacarnya dari
boyfriends from the other villages.
dusun lain.
5
Di Curup banyak hari pasar, misalnya
The Curup area has lots of market days, for
pekan Kamis, pekan Rabu. Tetapi hari-hari
example, Wednesday Market, Thursday Market.
pasar itu hanya satu hari saja di dusun-dusun
But these markets are only open one day a week
yang jauh sekali dari kota Curup. Tapi kalau
in villages some distance from the Tuesday
bukan hari libur, pagi-pagi sekali mereka
Market in Curup.
telah pergi ke ladang. Di jalan mereka
Every day except holidays, the people leave for
bertemu dengan gadis-gadis yang juga ke
the fields early in the morning. Along the road we
ladang sehingga dapat mereka bergurau.
meet young girls also going to the fields, and so
Kadang-kadang mereka berpacaran.
we tease them. Sometimes we become steady
Kalau saya ingat semuanya itu, sedih sekali
boyfriends and girlfriends.
hati ini. Sehingga rindu akan kampung saya
When I remember all these things, it makes me
itu.
homesick. So much so that I long to be in my hometown again.
Palembang
Palembang
1974
1974
7
Dia heran melihat ada orang cantik-cantik sedang mandi. 9
2. Lalan Dahulu
2. Lalan ada
cerita
orang-orang
tua.
Here is a story the old people used to tell. The
Ceritanya seperti ini. Ada di sebuah dusun
story goes like this. In a village there lived a
tinggallah seorang bujang. Namanya Bujang
young man. His name was Bujang Kurung. One
Kurung. Suatu hari dia pergi memancing di
day he went fishing in a river not far from his
sungai tidak jauh dari dusunnya. Dibawanya
village. He brought with him uncooked rice and
beras dan garam. Dia pergi sewaktu matahari
salt. He left after the sun was up. He walked
naik. Dia perlahan-lahan berjalan kaki. Tidak
slowly. Soon he arrived at the place he intended
berapa lama dia sampai di tempatnya mau
to fish. He began fishing, but the fish were not
memancing. Dia mulai memancing. Tidak ada
taking the bait. The sun was high in the sky. He
ikan yang mau memakan pancingnya. Hari
had had no luck. Finally, he decided to go home.
sudah siang, tidak ada hasilnya. Setelah itu
As he was getting ready to leave, he heard the
ada niatnya ingin pulang.
sound of voices. He decided to have a look. He
Waktu dia mau pulang terdengar suara
was surprised to see some very beautiful people
orang ribut-ribut. Dia mengintipnya. Dia
bathing in the river.
heran melihat ada orang cantik-cantik sedang mandi. 11
Meréka itu gadis-gadis. Ada seorang yang
They were young girls. There was one prettier
cantik sendirinya. Dia yang paling kecil. Perlahan
Bujang
Kurung
than the rest. She was the youngest.
mendekatinya,
Bujang Kurung crept closer without being
meréka tidak melihat sedikitpun. Bujang
detected. He snatched one of the girls‟ clothes—
Kurung langsung mengambil baju yang paling
the youngest‟s. When they had finished bathing
kecil. Waktu meréka sudah mandi, hendak
and went to put on their things, they found that
memakai bajunya, kiranya pakaian yang
the youngest girl‟s clothes had disappeared.
paling kecil tadi sudah hilang.
Her elder sisters had already put on their
Adik beradiknya sudah memakai pakaian
clothes and wanted to return home to the sky. But
semuanya ingin pulang ke langit. Tetapi yang
the youngest could no longer fly. Her clothes were
paling kecil tadi tidak bisa terbang lagi.
gone. She cried for a very long time. Her elder
Pakaiannya sudah hilang. Dia menangis lama
sisters cried, too, seeing their younger sister
sekali.
juga
unable to return home. Reluctantly, they all
melihat adiknya tidak bisa pulang lagi.
decided to leave. The youngest was left behind
Akhirnya pergi semua. Tinggallah yang paling
alone.
Adik
beradiknya
menangis
kecil itu sendiri.
13
Bujang Kurung melihat seperti itu. Dia héran.
Bujang Kurung saw everything. He was amazed.
Dia tidak menyangka bahwa itu adalah anak
He hadn‟t realized they were children of the gods.
déwa.
He hid the clothes he had taken; he ran away with
Dia
menyembunyikan
baju
yang
diambilnya tadi, dia langsung membawa lari.
them. After that, Bujang Kurung approached the
Sesudah itu Bujang Kurung mendatangi lagi
young girl. He asked why she had not returned
yang paling kecil tadi. Dia bertanya kenapa
home to the sky. She answered that her clothes
tidak pulang ke langit. Kata yang paling kecil
had disappeared. So Bujang Kurung invited her to
itu, “Baju saya hilang.” Sesudah itu Bujang
his village. She agreed to go. Bujang Kurung asked
Kurung mengajak dia ke dusunnya. Dia juga
her name. Her name was Lalan.
mau. Ditanya Bujang Kurung siapa namanya.
When he arrived back in his village, Bujang
Namanya adalah Lalan.
Kurung brought Lalan to his house. Lalan lived
Sudah sampai di dusun, Lalan dibawa
there for a long time. Bujang Kurung was
Bujang Kurung ke rumahnya. Tinggallah
attracted to Lalan. Lalan felt the same way about
Lalan di sana selama-lamanya. Bujang Kurung
Bujang Kurung. Not long after that, the two were
suka dengan Lalan. Lalan suka juga, cinta pula
married by the people of the village.
dengan Bujang Kurung. Tidak lama sesudah
The story ends here.
itu, orang dusun mengawinkan orang berdua ini. Sekian ceritanya. 15
3. Kancil Si Tukang Bohong
3. Mouse Deer the Trickster
Dulu ada seekor kancil. Ceritanya seperti
Once there was a mouse deer. His story goes
ini. Waktu zaman Nabi Sulaiman. Semua
like this. It was the age of the Prophet Solomon.
binatang bisa berbicara.
All the animals could speak.
Hari panas, kancil berjalan ke mana-mana
On a warm day, the mouse deer went for a
ke dalam hutan yang sepi. Kancil berjalan ke
nice walk in the quiet forest. He dropped in at the
rumah
semua
houses of several friends, but all his friends were
temannya pergi. "Aaah, kalau seperti ini
out. "Oh well, in that case I'll just get some sleep,"
biarlah, aku tidur saja," pikir kancil. Dia pergi
thought the mouse deer. He went to find a shady
mencari pohon kayu yang teduh. Dia mulai
tree. He began to fall asleep. But before he could
tidur.
fall asleep, he heard a rustling sound. When he
kawan-kawannya,
tapi
Sebelum mau tidur, terdengarnya suara
looked behind him—to his surprise—there was a
gemerisik. Wakteu dia melihat ke belakang,
tiger fixing to eat him up. The mouse deer wanted
tidak
to run away, but he couldn't.
tahunya
ada
harimau
ingin
memakannya. Kancil hendak berlari, tidak
Instead he pretended to be depressed. The
bisa lagi. Tapi dia pura-pura sedih. Harimau
tiger asked, "Why are you looking so sad, mouse
itu
deer? Don‟t be sad that I‟m going to eat you up."
bertanya,
"Mengapa
kamu
bersedih,
Kancil? Jangan sedih aku ingin memakanmu.” 17
"Aku tidak bersedih kalau kamu ingin
"I am not sad because you‟re going to eat me,"
memakanku,“ kata kancil. Tapi yang aku
said the mouse deer. "What makes me sad is, who
sedihkan, siapakah yang tukang menjaga gong
will guard my grandfather's drum?" asked the
kakek aku ini," kata kancil sambil menunjuk
mouse deer pointing at a bee's nest up in a tree.
sarang tawon di atas pohon kayu itu. Sesudah
Then the mouse deer wept inconsolably.
itu kancil menangis sejadi-jadinya.
"May I beat the drum, mouse deer?" asked the
"Boleh, tidak, aku memukulnya?” kata
tiger.
harimau.
"No!" cried the mouse deer still weeping. "Why
"Jangan!" kata kancil sambil menangis.
not?" said the tiger.
"Kenapa?" tanya harimau. "Sebab
hatiku
sedih
"Because it depresses me if I have to listen to sekali
jika
it."
mendengarnya."
"Let me beat it, „Deer," said the tiger. "I
"Suruhlah aku memukulnya, „Cil!” kata
promise I won't eat you up."
harimau. "Biar aku tidak memakan kamu."
19
"Tetapi bila kamu memukulnya, hati ku
"But if you beat it, it will make me very sad,"
sedih sekali,” kata kancil. “Tapi kalau kamu
said the mouse deer. "But if you want to beat it
hendak memukulnya juga, tunggu dulu aku
anyway, wait here and let me get far away,” said
pergi jauh-jauh,” kata kancil. “Jika aku
the mouse deer. “When I shout `Ready!' you can
berkata
begin beating the drum. I won't be able to hear it,"
„Sudah!‟
boleh
kamu
mulai
memukulnya. Aku tidak mendengar lagi,”
said the mouse deer.
kata kancil.
"Go on," said the tiger.
“Pergilah!” kata harimau.
The mouse deer ran a good distance away.
Sesudah itu kancil berlari jauh-jauh sekali.
From afar, he shouted, "READY!" When he heard
Sudah jauh sekali, dia berteriak “Sudah!”
the mouse deer say "Ready!" the tiger began to
Mendengar kancil berkata “Sudah!” mulailah
beat on the bee's nest. How shall I say it? The
harimau memukul sarang tawon tadi. Apa
queen bee came out of the nest and stung the
kata?
menyengat
tiger. The tiger screamed in pain from the bee
kesakitan
stings. Wherever the tiger ran, he was chased by
disengat tawon tadi. Ke mana harimau berlari
the bees for a long time until finally the tiger
dikejarnya oleh tawon, ahirnya dia mati.
died.
Induk
harimau.
Dia
tawon
keluar
terpekik-pekik
21
Kembali kita ke kancil tadi. Dia berlari
Let's go back to the mouse deer. He ran away
secepat-cepatnya. Sudah itu dia berhenti
as fast as he could go. After that he stopped near a
dekat ular besar yang sedang tidur. Dia tidak
sleeping python. The mousedeer did not know
tahu ada beruang di belakangnya hendak
there was a bear right behind him ready to eat
memakannya.
him up.
Tapi kancil berkata, “Sabar dulu!” Sebab
But the mouse deer said, "Wait just a minute!"
jika beruang hendak memakannya, beruang
because if the bear wanted to eat him up, he had
harus memakai tali pinggang Nabi Sulaiman
to put on the Prophet Solomon's belt which was
yang sedang bergulung itu sebab kancil yang
coiled nearby, because the mouse deer was the
tukang jaganya diperintah Nabi Sulaiman.
guardian of the belt by order of Solomon himself.
Beruang mengambil tali pinggang sedang
The bear picked up the belt that was lying
bergulung itu. Dia langsung memakainya. Apa
there rolled up. He put it on. What can I say? The
kata? Ular besar tadi bangun langsung melilit
snake woke up and coiled around the bear until
beruang hingga dia mati.
he died. Then the mouse deer ran away as far as
Sesudah itu kancil lari jauh-jauh lagi.
he could go.
23
“Hey! Kamu lain yang ditanya, lain pula yang menjawab!” 25
4. Kepiting dan Beruk
4. The Crab and the Ape
Dahulu di negeri Nabi Sulaiman ada cerita
Once upon a time in the land of the Prophet
beruk dan kura-kura. Meréka sama-sama
Solomon there was an ape and a turtle. They both
menanam
ini
planted banana trees. As for the turtle, he planted
menanam anak pohon pisang. Tetapi yang
a young banana shoot, but as for the ape, he
beruk, dia menanam pohon pisang yang sudah
planted a mature banana plant with its flower tip
agak besar. Pucuknya ke bawah.
hanging down.
pisang.
Yang
kura-kura
Pisang yang ditanam beruk tadi tidak
The banana tree planted by the ape did not
hidup. Pisang yang ditanam kura-kura hidup
thrive. The banana tree planted by the turtle
dengan bagus. Sesudah itu kata kura-kura,
thrived very well. Said the turtle, "My banana tree
"Sudah besar pisangku."
is already big."
Kata beruk, “Sudah besar pula pisangku.”
"My banana tree is already big, too," said the
Tidak berapa lama sudah itu, pisang kura-
ape.
kura berbuah. Kata kura-kura dengan beruk,
Soon after that the turtle‟s tree started to
"Pisangku sudah berbuah."
show some bananas. Said the turle to the ape, “My
Kata beruk, “Pisangku sudah berbuah
tree already has some bananas.”
juga.
The ape replied, “Mine already has some too.” 27
Setelah itu pisang kura-kura mulai masak. Tetapi
kura-kura
tidak
bisa
After a little while, the turtle's bananas
memanjat.
ripened. But the turtle could not climb the banana
Disuruhnyalah beruk untuk memanjat pohon
tree. The turtle asked the ape to climb up and get
pisangnya. Sampai beruk di atas, dia mulai
the bananas. When he reached the top, the ape
memakannya. Satu sikat habis, dua sikat
started to eat. One bunch, gulp! Two bunches,
habis, sesudah itu, hampir semuanya habis.
gulp! At this rate he would soon finish them all.
Kata kura-kura, “Lemparkan untukku satu
Said the turtle, “Throw me one, ape!”
buah, Beruk!”
“A sweet one,” said the ape.
Kata beruk, “Satu buah manis!” “Lemparkan
untukku
kulitnya
“Just throw me a peeling,” said the turtle. saja,
“The peelings are sweet,” said the ape. Soon he
Beruk!” kata kura-kura. “Kulit-kulitnya
manis,”
had gobbled up one bunch of bananas. kata
beruk.
Ahirnya pisang satu tandan habis semua dimakan beruk.
29
“Bagaimana aku ingin membalas beruk
“How can I get back at this ape?” thought the
ini?” kata kura-kura. “Dia bisa memanjat, dia
turtle. “He can climb, he can run, I can only walk
bisa melompat. Aku berjalan saja lambat.
slow. Aaah, I will ask the crab to help me out." He
Aaaa, aku minta tolong dengan kepiting saja.”
went to the crab. He explained what he wanted.
Kura-kura
pergi
menemui
kepiting.
Dia
"Ok!" said the crab. After that the crab went
ceritakan kehendaknya kepadanya. “Jadi!”
kata
kepiting.
Sesudah
looking for the ape, but he couldn't find him. So itu
the crab hid under a rock waiting for the ape.
kepiting pergi mencari beruk, tapi rupanya
Not long after that the ape came and sat on
tidak ketemu. Ahirnya kepiting diam di
the very rock where the crab was hiding. When
bawah batu menunggu beruk tadi. Tidak lama
the ape sat on the rock, the crab began to speak.
sesudah itu, beruk sampai, kebetulan beruk duduk di atas batu tempat kepiting tadi bersembunyi. Waktu beruk duduk di atas batu, kepiting mulai berbicara.
31
“Kepiting mengapit!” kata kepiting.
"Crabs pinch!" said the crab.
“Huuus!” Siapa itu?” kata beruk.
"Huuus! Who is that?" said the ape.
“Kepiting
mengapit,”
kata
kepiting.
"Crabs pinch!" said the crab. The crab pinched
Kepiting mengapit-ngapit alat kelamin beruk.
and pinched the ape's penis.
“Hus! Siapa itu?” kata beruk.
"Huuus! Who are you?" said the ape.
“HUUUUUT!” disahut kepiting.
"Huuuut!" answered the crab.
“Hoy! Kamu lain yang ditanya, lain pula
"Hoy, I talk to one person and another one
yang
menjawab!”
Disangka
beruk,
answers?"
kemaluannya yang menjawab. Sesudah itu dia mengambil
kayu
terus
memukul
The ape thought it was his penis that was
alat
answering him. So the ape grabbed a stick and
kelaminnya sendiri, hingga beruk mati.
beat on his own penis. After that the ape died.
Inilah balasannya kalau orang serakah sekali.
Disangkanya
yang
That's what happens when people are too
menyahut
greedy. He thought his own penis was answering
perkataannya adalah alat kelaminnya sendiri.
him. He didn‟t know it was the crab.
Tidak tahunya kepiting.
33
5. Putri
5. Meterei
Dulu ada cerita orang tua-tua. Ada orang
Once there was a story told by the elders.
yang bernama Pak Majei. Anaknya ada
There was a man named Majei who had nine
sembilan. Yang bungsu namanya Putri. Putri
children. The youngest child was named Meterei.
ini cantik sekali. Alangkah cantiknya. Semua
Meterei was very beautiful. Extremely beautiful!
orang
kakak-
Everybody liked her. But her elder siblings could
kakaknya tidak ada yang setuju melihat Putri
not stand the sight of her. They scolded Meterei
itu. Kakaknya terus mengatakan, Putri yang
continuously for her supposed bad behavior. Her
jelek-jeleknya. Terus kakaknya marah.
sisters were angry with her all the time.
sayang
dengannya.
Tapi
Sesudah itu ada yang hilang di rumahnya.
One day something disappeared at the house.
Orang ribut mencarinya. Tidak juga ketemu,
People were in an uproar looking for it. When
orang
they didn‟t find it, they accused Meterei of
langsung
menuduh
Putri
yang
mengambilnya.
stealing it.
Panjang ceritanya, Putri mau dibuang ke
Let‟s keep the story short. Meterei was going
dalam hutan. Putri tidak tahu dia mau
to be abandoned in the forest. Meterei did not
dibuang ayahnya.
know she was going to be abandoned by her father. 35
Tidak
diajak
Not long after that, her father invited her to
pergi
accompany him to the forest. They left early in
membawa nasi di dalam bungkus, sayur di
the morning carrying rice in a wrapper and
dalam tabung.
vegetables in a bamboo. When they got to the
ayahnya
lama ke
sesudah
hutan.
itu,
Pagi-pagi
dia dia
Sampai di dalam hutan, dekat jalan gajah,
forest near an elephant trail, her father built a
ayahnya membuat pondok serudung. Waktu
temporary shelter. When the shelter was about
pondoknya itu selesai, ayahnya mengatakan
finished, her father told Meterei to wait there
kepada Putri untuk menunggu dia di pondok,
while he went to gather some firewood nearby.
ayah mau pergi sebentar mengambil kayu
Then her father went away.
bakar di sekitar sinilah. Sesudah itu ayahnya
Meterei waited and waited. She waited for a
berangkat.
very long time. Her father did not come back.
Itulah Putri menunggu. Sudah lama dia
After a while it began to get dark. The shelter was
menunggu, ayahnya tidak datang lagi. Tidak
near an elephant trail where the animals passed
lama lagi hari akan malam. Pondok di jalan
back and forth to find food. The first to come by
gajah tadi adalah jalan tempat léwat binatang
was an elephant.
pulang dari mencari makanan. Mula-mulanya melintas gajah.
37
Gajah menegur, “Hoy! Putri, apa kerja
The elephant called to her, “Hoy! Meterei!
kamu di sana? Hari akan malam.”
What are you doing here? It is getting dark.”
Kata Putri, “Saya ini dibuang ayah saya.” Sesudah
itu,
banyak
binatang
"My father has abandoned me,” answered
léwat.
Meterei. Soon many animals passed by. The last
Terakhirnya léwat ular besar.
one to come was a large python. He asked
Dia bertanya kepada Putri, “Apa yang
Meterei, “What are you waiting here for? It is
ditunggu anda di sini? Hari tidak lama lagi
going to get dark very soon.”
akan malam.”
Meterei answered, “I have nowhere to go. I
Dijawab Putri, “Saya tidak ada tempat
don‟t know the way. My father has abandoned
pulang. Saya tidak tahu jalan. Saya dibuang
me.”
ayah saya."
39
“Kalau seperti ini, marilah ikuti saya
In that case, come home with me," said the
pulang,” kata ular besar. Langsung ular besar
python. The python lifted Meterei onto his back,
mengangkat
and carried her to his village, fording rivers and
Putri
di
atas
punggungnya.
Sesudah itu dibawanya Putri ke dusunnya,
crossing thickets of deep forest.
menyeberang sungai, léwat rimba.
Finally they came to the python‟s village.
Sesudah itu, dia sampai di dusun ular
They were welcomed by the village people. As
besar. Dia langsung disambut oleh orang
soon as the python arrived in the village, he
dusun itu. Waktu ular besar sampai di
changed into a handsome young man. Not long
dusunnya, maka dia berubah jadi bujang
after that he was married to Meterei by the people
ganténg. Tidak lama sesudah itu orang desa
of the village.
mengawinkan bujang ganténg tadi dengan
The story ends there.
Putri. Cuma sampai di sini ceritanya.
41
“Aku ingin memakan hasil kamu ini,” kata raksasa. 43 “Jangan!” kata harimau.
6. Kancil dan Raksasa
6. The Mouse Deer and the Giant
Dulu ada cerita kancil mau mencari ikan di
Once there was a story about a mouse deer
sungai tidak jauh dari tempatnya tinggal. Waktu
who wanted to catch fish in a river not far from
hari dia hendak berangkat, dia berangkat pagi-
where he lived. The day he went fishing, he set
pagi sekali. Dia berjalan perlahan-lahan. Di jalan
out early in the morning. He walked slowly. On
dia bertemu dengan babi hutan. Ditanyai babi
the way he met a wild boar.
hutan, “Hoy, „Cil! Mau ke mana kamu?”
The boar asked, "Hoy, 'Deer! Where are you
“Mau mencari ikan,” kata kancil.
going?"
“Aku ikut, boleh, tidak?” kata babi hutan.
"I‟m hoping to catch some fish," said the
“Ayolah, “ kata kancil. Sesudah itu, dia terus berjalan bersama dengan babi hutan. Tidak lama sesudah itu bertemu dengan harimau.
mouse deer. "I'll come too, if it‟s all right with you,” said the boar.
“Hendak ke mana kalian?” kata harimau.
"Fine!" said the mouse deer. He continued to
“Kami ingin mencari ikan,” kata kancil.
walk along with the boar. Not long after that they
“Aku ikut,” kata harimau.
met a tiger. "Where are you going?" asked the tiger. “To catch fish,” said the mouse deer. "I'll join you," said the tiger. 45
“Marilah!” jawap kancil. Rupanya tidak lama meréka berjalan, bertemu lagi dengan gajah.
"Come on!" answered the mouse deer. They all set out again walking slowly. Soon after that they
“Mau ke mana kalian semua?” kata gajah.
ran into an elephant.
“Kami mau mencari ikan,” kata kancil.
"Where are you going?" asked the elephant.
“Aku ikut, boleh, tidak?” kata gajah.
"We‟re hoping to catch some fish."
“Boleh,” kata kancil. Tidak lama sesudah itu
"I‟ll come, too, if it‟s all right with you,” said
meréka berjalan léwat lembah, léwat hutan.
the elephant.
Sampai meréka di sungai tempatnya mencari
"No problem!" said the mouse deer. For a short
ikan, mulailah meréka bekerja membendung air.
while they walked along crossing ravines and
Gajah tukang mengangkut tanahnya. Babi hutan
hiking through the forest.
terus menggali tanahnya. Tidak lama sesudah
When they arrived at the place where they
itu, air mulai kering, mulailah dia mencari ikan.
were planning to fish, they went straight to work
Hasil yang dapat diangkat ke darat diletakkan di
damming up the river. The elephant was the hod
bawah pohon kayu besar. Kancil menyuruh
carrier. The boar was the digger. In no time at all
harimau untuk menjaganya. Yang lainnya terus
the river bed was nearly dry. They began to
mencari ikan.
collect the fish. The catch was thrown up onto dry land and kept under a big tree. The mouse deer told the tiger to stand guard. The others continued to collect fish. 47
Kembali cerita kita kepada harimau yang
Our story turns to the tiger guarding the fish.
sedang menunggu ikan tadi. Waktu dia sedang
While he was dutifully guarding the fish, along
baik-baik menunggu ikannya, sampailah raksasa.
came an ogre. "Hoy, tiger, what are you doing?"
“Hoy, harimau, apa kerja kamu?”
"I'm guarding our fish," said the tiger.
“Menunggu ikan,” kata harimau.
"I am going to eat your catch of fish," said the
“Aku ingin memakan hasil kamu ini,” kata raksasa.
ogre. "No, you don‟t!" said the tiger.
“Jangan!” kata harimau.
"Then I will kill you!" said the ogre. The tiger
“Kamu kubunuh nanti!” kata raksasa itu.
trembled when he heard that. He ran to the
Gemetar harimau mendengarnya. Dia berlari
mouse deer. He explained that the ogre was going
kepada kancil. Dia cerita bahwa raksasa mau
to eat the fish.
makan ikan tadi.
"Hold it right there!” said the mouse deer.
“Berhénti!” kata kancil. “Tidak ada gunanya
“Your long claws and sharp fangs are completely
kukumu panjang, paing tajam itu,” kata kancil.
useless,” said the mouse deer. Next the mouse
Kancil menyuruh gajah menunggu ikan tadi,
deer told the elephant to guard the fish, but he
rupanya gajah tidak juga berani. Berlari dia
was afraid, too. He ran when he saw the giant. So
melihat raksasa itu. Sesudah itu, disuruhnya
the boar was sent, but he was afraid too.
babi hutan, rupanya sama saja, tidak juga berani. 49
Jadi kata kancil, “Busét! Kalian ini besar badan saja, tidak ada yang berani. Biarlah aku
"Phooey! You guys are big, but all of you are cowards. I‟ll just have to guard them myself."
saja yang menungguinya.” Berangkatlah kancil
The mouse deer went off to guard the fish.
menunggui ikan hasilnya tadi. Raksasa belum
The ogre had not yet come back. The mouse deer
sampai. Kancil pergi mengambil rotan. Dia terus
started collecting rattan vines. He tied them
menyambungnya panjang-panjang. Tidak lama
together to make a long rope. While the mouse
lagi datanglah raksasa ingin memakan ikan. Tapi
deer was thus occupied, the ogre returned
begitu dia melihat kancil sedang memegang
intending to eat the fish. But he was surprised to
rotan seperti itu, raksasa bertanya, “Oy! Kancil!
see what the mouse deer was doing. He asked,
Apa kerja kamu?”
"Hey, mouse deer, what are you doing?"
“Aku membuat tali sebab dunia mau kiamat.
"I made a rope because the world is coming to
Pohon kayu ini saja yang tidak hancur,” kata
an end. This tree is the only thing that will be
kancil.
spared," said the mouse deer.
“Boleh aku menumpang, „Cil!” kata raksasa itu.
"May I join you?” said the ogre. "No way!" said the mouse deer.
“Jangan,” kata kancil.
"Naah, 'Deer, we‟re brothers," said the ogre,
“Laa, Cil! Kita masih famili,” kata raksasa itu sambil marah. Kau kumakan nanti,” kata raksasa itu. 51
angrily. "Then I will eat you instead!" he said.
“Silakan makan saja,” kata kancil. “Nanti
"Go ahead!" said the mouse deer. "Now or
atau sekarang sama saja mati!” Raksasa sedih
later, we are both going to die anyway." The ogre
dan tambah takut.
was confused and trembled with fear. Finally:
Ahirnya kancil berkata, “Carilah tali banyak-
"Ok, go fetch lots of rope!"
banyak!” Pergilah raksasa berangkat mencari
The ogre went to get all the rattan he could
tali rotan sebanyak-banyaknya. Sudah banyak
find. When he had gathered enough, the mouse
talinya, kancil berkata, “Ikatlah rotan ini ke
deer said, "Wind the rope around your body and
tubuh kamu sambil diikat di pohon kayu besar
tie yourself to that tree."
itu." Mulailah
The ogre began to tie himself up. He tied raksasa
itu
mengikat
dirinya.
Diikatnya kuat-kuat tubuhnya dengan tali rotan itu.
himself up as tightly as he could. "Try to move!" said the mouse deer. But the ogre could no longer get loose. "The sky is getting
“Coba berontak,” kata kancil. Tapi raksasa itu tidak bisa lepas lagi.
dark, it is going to rain," said the mouse deer. "The
“Langit mulai gelap, hari akan hujan,” kata kancil. “Dunia akan kiamat.”
53
world
is
coming
to
an
end."
Sesudah itu kancil mengikat léhér raksasa
After that the mouse deer tied the rope around
sehingga dia tidak dapat bernapas lagi, ahirnya
the ogre's neck until he couldn't breathe, so that
ia mati. Matilah raksasa itu, kancil memanggil
he died. "That's what will happen to anybody who
kawan-kawannya, dia menyuruhnya melihat
tries to eat our fish," said the mouse deer. The
raksasa itu sudah mati. Semua kawan-kawannya
mouse deer called his friends and told them to
takut kepada kancil.
look. His friends were filled with respect for the mouse deer.
55
7. Ketindung
7. Ketinoak
Dulu ada di sebuah dusun yang jauh dari
Once upon a time in a village far from town
pasar tinggallah seorang gadis yang cantik.
there lived a beautiful young maiden. Her name
Namanya Putri. Dia itu anak dewa yang turun ke
was Meterei. She was a child of the gods who had
bumi
come down to earth to escape from jealous sisters
karena
keluarganya
tidak
senang
melihatnya.
who couldn't stand the sight of her.
Pagi-pagi dia pergi mandi ke sungai tidak jauh
dari
mencuci
river near her house. She was washing her hair,
rambutnya. Jadi bayangannya terlihat di dalam
and her reflection appeared in the water. The
air. Tempat mandinya itu di bawah pohon kayu .
bathing place was under a large tree. Up in the
Di atasnya ada sétan perempuan penunggunya.
tree there was a female spirit haunting it. The
Sétan itu namanya Ketindung. Dia sedang duduk
spirit's name was Ketinoak. She was sitting on a
di atas pohon tadi. Dilihatnya bayang-bayang
branch of the tree when she saw Meterei's
Putri di dalam air itu. Disangkanya bayangan
reflection in the water. At first Ketinoak thought
yang cantik itu adalah bayangannya.
that the beautiful reflection was her own.
Sesudah
rumahnya.
dilihatnya
Ia
terus
Early one morning she went to bathe in the
bayang-bayang
itu
Then she noticed it was Meterei‟s reflection in
adalah bayangan Putri tadi, dia benci sekali
the water. She became very upset when she saw
melihat Putri ini.
Meterei. 57
Ada pula di dusun lain tinggal seorang
In another village there also lived a young
bujang tampan. Namanya Bujang Kurung. Dia
man named Bujang Kurung. One day he went out
pergi berjalan-jalan sambil membawa pikat
walking carrying a quail decoy. He walked here
puyuh. Ia berjalan ke mana-mana masuk hutan
and there, in and out of the forest and several
keluar hutan, masuk dusun keluar dusun.
villages. Finally he came to the village where
Sampailah dia di dusun tempat Putri yang cantik
Meterei lived. He saw that she was very beautiful.
itu, Bujang Kurung melihat Putri itu cantik
He asked his mother and father to seek her hand
sekali. Dia menyuruh ibu dengan bapaknya
in marriage. Eventually, his mother and father did
melamar Putri itu. Ahirnya dilamarlah Purtri
ask for Meterei‟s hand. Meterei was also willing.
oleh ibu ayahnya. Rupanya Putri mau juga.
After negotiating the bride price and other details,
Setelah berunding berapa yang diminta serta
a date was picked. All that was left to do was to
dengan lain-lainnya, harinya sudah ditetapkan.
wait for the wedding day.
Tinggal menunggu hari pernikahannya saja lagi.
59
Sétan perempuan di atas pohon kayu di tempat
mandi
semua
on her perch in the tree at the place where people
benci
go to bathe. She was angry when she heard this.
mendengarnya. Tidak lama sesudah itu, orang
Not long after that, the village folk prepared for
dusun ingin mengawinkan Putri dengan Bujang
the wedding of Meterei and Bujang Kurung. The
Kurung. Bésoknya orang ingin sedekah, Putri
day before the celebrations, Meterei went to the
pergi ke sungai mau mandi. Sétan perempuan
river to bathe. The spirit saw her entering the
tadi melihat Putri mau mandi, dia langsung
water. She pushed Meterei so that Meterei was
mendorong Putri ke sungai sehingga Putri jatuh
swept downstream by the river. Then the spirit
hanyut. Sétan itu berubah menjadi perempuan
changed into a woman who looked exactly like
sama wajahnya dengan Putri.
Meterei.
rencananya.
Sétan
itu,
mendengar
The female spirit overheard all these plans sitting
perempuan
itu
Dia pura-pura jadi Putri. Tidak ada orang
She pretended to be Meterei. No one knew
tahu, yang pulang dari mandi itu bukannya
that the person returning from the river was not
Putri.
Meterei. So the village folk married the evil spirit
Orang
langsung
mengawinkan
sétan
perempuan itu dengan Bujang Kurung.
to Bujang Kurung.
61
Kembalilah cerita kita kepada Putri tadi. Dia
Now our story returns to the real Putri. She
hanyut terus sampai di sebuah dusun, diambil
was swept away to a village downstream where
orang.
some people rescued her. They adopted her as
Kemudian
dia
diangkat
orang
jadi
anaknya. Kembali
their own child. lagi
cerita
kita
kepada
sétan
Our story returns again to the female spirit
perempuan yang jadi dengan Bujang Kurung
living with Bujang Kurung. Her name was
dulu. Namanya Ketindung. Orang dusun tidak
Ketinoak. Nobody in the village could quite figure
tahu kenapa tinkah lakunya agak berlebihan.
out why she was „over-acting‟ in the strangest
Tidak lama sesudah kawin, Bujang Kurung
way.
jatuh sakit. Punggungnya melekat dengan tikar,
Not long after the marriage, Bujang Kurung
badannya sudah kurus. Hanya tinggal kulit
got sick. His back stuck to the straw mat, his body
membalut tulang saja lagi. Makan nasi tidak
grew thin—he was all skin and bones. He couldn‟t
mau, minum air juga tidak mau. Orang sudah
eat or drink. Everyone was worried about him.
pusing semua memikirkannya. Macam-macam
They tried giving him different medicines but
obat sudah diberikan tetapi Bujang Kurung tidak
Bujang Kurung did not get any better.
juga sembuh.
63
Sesudah itu ada orang dari dusun lain datang mengunjunginya.
Orangnya
Dibawanya
nasi,
dibawanya
Disuruhnya
Bujang
Hérannya
juga,
sembuh,
makan
Kurung
Bujang nasi
perempuan. air
village to visit the patient. The visitor was a
minum.
woman. She brought rice and boiled water, and
memakannya.
she told Bujang Kurung to take them. Amazingly,
Kurung
suka.
After a while, a person came from another
langsung
Tetapi
Bujang Kurung‟s health immediately improved,
kalau
and he regained his appetite. But when the
perempuan itu pulang ke dusunnya lagi, Bujang
woman returned to her village, Bujang Kurung fell
Kurung kembali lagi sakit. Kalau perempuan itu
sick again. When she came back, he got well
datang, dia séhat lagi. Begitulah Bujang Kurung
again. This kept up for quite a long time.
seterusnya.
Let's keep the story short. After awhile people
Singkat ceritanya, lama-lama ditanya orang,
asked the woman, “Who are you really?" At first
“Siapakah anda ini sebenarnya?” Tidak mau
she did not want to say. Only when they pressed
perempuan itu menceritakannya. Sudah dipaksa
her for an answer did she tell her story, and the
orang barulah perempuan itu bercerita. Selesai
people realized who she was. She was Meterei,
mendengar cerita perempuan itu, baru orang
who had been swept downstream some time ago.
tahu, perempuan itu adalah Putri yang hanyut di sungai dulu.
65
Ketindung Langsung
mendengar
orang
pula
menangkapnya,
cerita
itu.
kemudian
orang merendamnya sehingga dia mati. Putri pulang kembali ke desanya. Ahirnya Bujang Kurung séhat selamanya.
*** Ketindung also heard the story. The people grabbed her and held her under water until she died. Putri was finally able to return to her own village. Bujang Kurung recovered his health completely.
67
Beruk cepat larinya sehingga kura-kura dapat ditangkap. 69
8. Beruk Dengan Kura-Kura
8. The ape and the turtle
Dahulu ada seékor beruk berdekatan
Once there was an ape that lived next door to
rumahnya dengan kura-kura. Beruk pagi-pagi
a turtle. Early one morning the ape paid a visit to
sudah bertamu ke rumah kura-kura. Waktu itu
the turtle's house. On that particular day it was
hari hujan terus. Kata beruk dengan kura-
raining.
kura, “Apa kerja kita, „San? Hari tidak bagus,
Said the ape to the turtle, "What shall we do,
hujan saja.”
Cousin? The weather is terrible, it‟s raining cats
“Berdiang saja kita,” kata kura-kura.
and dogs."
“Ayolah,” kata beruk. Sesudah itu kura-
"Let's just build a fire," said the turtle.
kura mengambil kayu untuk menghidupkan
"Good idea!" said the ape. After that the turtle
api besar. Berdianglah beruk dengan kura-
fetched wood and lit a big fire. The ape and the
kura menunggu hujan berhénti. Tidak lama
turtle warmed themselves while waiting for the
sesudah itu hujan mulai berhénti. Bertanya
rain to let up.
kura-kura, “Ke mana kita jalan-jalan hari ini,
Not long after that the rain stopped. The turtle
„San?”
asked, "Where shall we go today, Cousin?"
71
“Entahlah,” kata beruk sambil berpikir.
"I don't know," said the ape, deep in thought.
“O, ada akalnya,” kata beruk sambil ketawa.
"Oh, I have an idea!" said the ape laughing. "Let's
“Kita mencuri jahé Pak Majei saja. Dia tidak
go steal Majei‟s ginger. He won't be going to the
pergi ke kebun hari hujan ini.”
field. It's too wet."
“Ayolah”!” kata kura-kura. Tidak lama
"Let‟s do it!" said the turtle. Soon they were on
sesudah itu, pergilah beruk dengan kura-kura
their way to steal Pak Aji‟s ginger. They walked
hendak mencuri jahé. Berjalan meréka berdua
slowly as they approached the ginger patch.
hati-hati pergi mendekati kebun jahé Pak
When they got there, the ape began to eat the
Majei. Sesudah sampai di sana, beruk mulai
ginger. The turtle ate some, too.
memakan jahénya. Kura-kura makan juga.
As soon as the ape bit into the ginger, he hollered
Waktu dia memakannya, menjeritlah beruk.
out loud, "Waaa! Majei‟s ginger is hot!" His voice
“Waaaah! Pedas jahé Pak Majei ini!” Keras
was very loud.
sekali suaranya.
73
“Jangan bersuara keras!” kata kura-kura.
"Don't talk loud!" whispered the turtle. But the
Tetapi beruk berkata tambah keras, “Ibuuu!
ape hollered even louder, "Oh, Mama! Majei‟s
Pedas sekali jahé Pak Majei,” kata beruk.
ginger is so hot!" he shouted.
“Diam!” kata kura-kura. Tetapi beruk
"Be quiet!" whispered the turtle. But the ape
tambah keras menjerit, ahirnya Pak Majei
just got louder until Pak Aji found out. He chased
tahu. Dia langsung mengejar beruk dan kura-
after the ape and the turtle. The ape ran away
kura. Beruk cepat larinya sehingga kura-kura
fast, but the turtle was easily overtaken. Majei
dapat ditangkap Pak Majei. Dia langsung
threw the turtle into a thorny patch of salak fruits.
membuang kura-kura itu di kebun salak yang
The turtle was caught fast in the thorn patch. His
berduri. Tersangkutlah kura-kura di kebun
body twisted slowly in the wind.
salak itu. Bergoyang kalau dihembus angin.
75
Sesudah ia membuang kura-kura ke
After throwing the turtle into the thorn patch,
kebun salak tadi, Pak Majei pulang. Perlahan-
Majei went home. Slowly the ape approached the
lahan
yang
turtle who was still stuck on the thorns. Carefully
tersangkut di duri salak itu. Langsung dia
he freed the turtle from where he was stuck. After
melepaskan
dia
the turtle got free, the ape slipped. He fell
tersangkut. Sesudah ia melepas kura-kura,
backwards into the patch of salak thorns and got
terpelését pula beruk. Dia jatuh tersangkut
stuck.
beruk
mendekati kura-kura
kura-kura dari
tempat
pula di pohon salak yang berduri itu.
The turtle was unable to help him so that the
Kura-kura tidak bisa menolong sehingga
ape died.
beruk mati.
77
