Wednesday, 14 November 2018

A Folktale from West Kalimantan : The Golden Watermelon

The Golden Watermelon
retold by Miss Siska




In Sambas, West Kalimantan, lived brothers named Muzakir & Dermawan who were inherited wealth from their parents. But they turned out having different personalities and characters. The firstborn Muzakir was very greedy and selfish. He didn’t want to do charity. That’s why people didn’t like him either.


Meanwhile, the youngest son Dermawan was generous and down to earth. He was also helpful. He loved to share food to the poor. He did it all sincerely without hoping for any rewards from them.

Muzakir wondered to Dermawan’s generosity, “How can you love to squander your money to the poor? There’s no profit on that.”
“Look! You have squandered half of your wealth to the poor. Soon you’ll be the poor, too. I won’t help you at all you it is so,” he added. Dermawan just smiled at his brother.

Apparently, what Muzakir said was right. Shortly, Dermawan’s wealth was all spent nothing left. But he didn’t repent on doing good things and still lived happily. He also tried to help others as he could.


One day, Dermawan found a small fallen bird with hurt on his tiny feet.
“Oh dear! Poor birdie,” said Dermawan.
“…with broken wings?” he felt touched.
Then he brought home the birdie and took care of it until recovered. He let the birdie fly away when it could fly again.

The next day, the birdie returned with a grain of seed in between its beaks. Dermawan gladly accepted the bird’s gift. He soon planted it. It turned out to be watermelon plant growing. But it only grew with one watermelon. A huge sized watermelon. It was getting large and large unlike its normal size.





A few days later Dermawan harvested the huge watermelon because it smelled so good. He split it.
“Wow! What is this?” he was surprised. It was as yellow gold. It contained pure sand gold. He was extremely glad and praised to God for what he just got.

Dermawan changed his life. He bought a large house and garden. This time his money wouldn’t quickly run out because his garden was well managed by his employees. The workers were the people which once he ever helped. Who had become rich.


Recognising it all, Muzakir envied. Then he searched for a broken winged bird. Just because he didn’t find it, so he hit a bird using a catapult.
“Shoooooot!” a birdie fell.

“Tweet..tweet..tweet,” shouted the bird in pain. Then he took care of the birdie like Dermawan did before. Muzakir were also given a seeds by the bird . Then he planted it. He thought he would be far richer than Dermawan.


The day had come. Muzakir harvested watermelon that giant and soon he split it. Suddenly, “Aaaaaarrrgghhh ....noooo... heeeeelp!” he threw the knife. Apparently, the giant watermelon didn’t contain gold but what came out from it was large snakes, mud and black rotten smelled carrion. Those who saw Muzakir were ranting and running away instead of helping him. Some laughed at him.

Since that incident, Muzakir realised and turned into a better person.

THE END

Moral value :
"Covetousness, arrogance and enviousness are bad characters.
Helpfulness is a good attitude.
Do not envy of the others’ success.
Do not do anything fraudulently to gain your end."



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