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Rabu, 22 Mei 2013
A Farmer and His Three Cats
Folklore From East Java
THERE was a poor farmer in Madura. He lived with his wife and
his children. The farmer did not have his own rice field. He worked for his
neighbors' rice field. He only got small amount of money when harvest came.
The farmer really wanted to have his own rice field. However, he
did not have enough money to buy a piece of land. The farmer told his wife that
he wanted to go to Java. He wanted to work there and got a lot of money.
The farmer left his house with a little money. On the way of the
harbor, he met an old woman. She brought three cats.
"Please help me, Sir. I'm so hungry and I don't have any
money. Please buy my cats," said the old woman.
The farmer was confused. he wanted to help the woman, but if he
bought her cats, he would not bring any money.
Finally, he decided to buy the cats. The woman was very happy.
she gave him a small cage so the farmer could put the cats in it.
Later the farmer was on the ship. At first the cruise was good,
but suddenly there was a heavy storm. The ship could not continue the cruise to
Java. It harbored in Mice Island. People named it Mice Island because there
were so many mice lived in the island. The nice attacked people's barn and ate
their supplies. The people were hopeless. They did not know how to combat the
mice.
The farmer heard about the people's problem with the mice. He
remembered about his three cats. he wanted to help the people by giving them
his three cats.
The people really welcomed the farmer's help. And soon the
farmer released his three cats. The cats had not eaten for a long time. they
were very hungry. And when the cats saw the mice, they immediately chased and
ate the mice.
Slowly the number of the mice decreased. the people were very
happy. They wanted to repay the farmer's kindness. They all gave him a lot of
money. The farmer was extremely happy. he went back to his home in Madura.
The farmer was not poor anymore. he bought land and his own rice
field. He lived happily with his family.
His neighbor was jealous with the farmer. He also wanted to have
a lot of money. He heard about the Mice island. So he collected many cats and
joined a ship.
Finally he arrived in Mice Island. However, the name of the
island was not Mice Island anymore. Its name changed into Cat island. The three
cats that the farmer brought had bred. It made the island full of cats.
And so when he offered his cats to the people, they all were
laughing at him.
"What? Are you kidding?! We have too many cats here.
we don't need your cats!"
He was so embarrassed. Finally he went home to Madura and
brought his cats back to him.***
