BAGUS DIARSA

    

 A long time ago there lived a Balinese prince who loved to le at cockfights. Although his people feared him, most of them also enjoyed cockfights. A large crowd always gathered when a cockfight was held. People came from near and far if they knew that the prince was holding a fight, for then the gambling stakes were high.

Among the people who attended the cockfights was a man called Bagus Diarsa. He liked to gamble, but he was very poor. Each time he went to a cockfight he brought only a little money, some to gamble with, and the rest to buy food.

               One day Diarsa lost almost all of his gambling money at cock­fight. He went to the food stalls and bought a plate of rice with some of the money he had left. While he was eating, he noticed a poor old man, going from stall to stall, asking for left-over. For Every­one turned the old man away, he was dirty and smelled bad.

When the old  man came to Diarsa Diarsa said, 'Why do you ask for left-overs, If that is all I give you I will feel very unkind. It's better that I buy you your own plate of food.' Diarsa bought the old man a full plate of rice, and waited while he ate every grain.

After his meal the old man asked if he could spend the night at Diarsa's house. Diarsa promptly agreed, and when they reached his home, Diarsa asked his wife and son Wira to swiftly prepare a sleeping place for their guest.

As they sat talking late into the night, the old man asked Diarsa if he often went to the cockfights, and whether he won or lost. Diarsa told him that he always went, but always lost.

Then the old man asked, 'Do you keep many cocks?' Diarsa replied, 'Grandfather, I don't have any cocks now. They were all defeated and killed. So now I can bet only on other people's cocks.'

Then the old man said, 'Come to my home and I will give you a strong fighting cock. I have three, and you may take whichever one you like.' Diarsa thanked the old man for his of­fer. The old man asked Diarsa if his son Wira could accompany him home. 'I am old and alone.' he said. 'I need someone to look after me.'

Diarsa felt sympathetic towards the poor old man. 'Cer­tainly, you can take Wira,' he replied, 'if the boy has no objec­tions.' Diarsa and his wife called Wira, and Wira immediately agreed to go with the kind old man.

The next morning Wira and the old man prepared for their journey. Before they went, the old man asked Diarsa to get three chicken feathers. Then he told Diarsa, 'Take good are of thew three feathers. Whenever you want to see Wira or me, just free the feathers. They will fly into the air. Follow them whenever they go, and you will reach my little house.

Then the old man and Wira said goodbye and set off to­wards the east. After they had walked for many hours, the old man said to Wira, 'Listen, my son, let me tell you who I really am. I am the God Siwa.' Just then, he changed into the God Siwa, and soon he and Wira arrived in heaven, and lived in Siwa's palace.

Meanwhile, Diarsa and his wife lived on as usual. Diarsa continued to attend cockfights, and as usual, he always lost. His son had been away for so long that he and his wife had for­gotten him. It was Siwa's wish that this be so.

One day the prince ordered a cockfight to be held outside his palace, and commanded everyone in the village to enter a cock, or else pay a large fine. Diarsa was worried. But suddenly he remembered the old man's promise to give biro a cock. Diarsa told his wife that he must go to look for Wira and the old man.

Diarsa took the three chicken feathers, walked outside his house and looked them. They flew off, and he followed them. After many days Diarsa found himself in front of a beautiful palace. The feathers flew right in, but Diarsa did not dare to follow.

When Siwa saw the feathers enter his palace, he told Wira, 'Your father is outside. Go and bring him in, for he is too afraid to enter alone.' So Wira brought Diarsa in, and explained to him who the old man really was.

Siwa already knew what Diarsa wanted, and he led him to his cocks. Diarsa chose the largest cock. Then he thanked Siwa and said goodbye to his son. But before he lift, Siwa gave him flowers from the garden in his temple. 'Use these when you bet on your cock,' he said.

On the day of the cockfight, people crowded the village square and chose opponents for their cocks. Unfortunately for Diarsa, his cock scared all the others, so he could not find an opponent.

News of Diarsa's strong cock reached the prince, who im­mediately ordered Diarsa to fight his cock against the prince's own. Sharp blades were attached to the legs of both cocks. A huge crowd had gathered to watch the battle between the prince's cock and Diarsa's. How much money do you want to bet on your cock?' The prince asked Diarsa. Diarsa remem­bered Siwa's advice. He reached into his pocket for the temple flowers. But when he pulled his hand out, it was filled with gold, silver, and precious stones. He told the prince that he would bet these on his cock.

Then the two cocks were released. But Diarsa's cock flew up into the air, swooped down on the prince, and killed him. There was a great uproar Diarsa ran home, chased by the prince's soldiers.

Once he was inside, many eagles surrounded his house. His cock perched on the roof, and suddenly turned into a huge Garuda. With the help of the Garuda and the eagles, Diarsa soon subdued the prince's followers. The people, who had hated and feared the strict prince, rejoiced and called Diarsa their new prince.

Diarsa was much loved, for he ruled justly. The princedom became prosperous and happy. Siwa watched all this happen­ing, and one day he called Wira and said to him, 'Wira, it is now time for you to return to earth, for your father has become a prince, and will soon need your help.' So Wira returned to earth amidst great rejoicing by Prince Bagus Diarsa and his Princess. They made Wira the prime minister, and Diarsa's family and his descendants ruled that princedom of Bali for many generations.

THE HUNTER

 In a mountain village there lived a man called Sedet who learned his living for himself, his young son, and his wife by catching birds each day and selling them. One night as he lay asleep Sedet dreamed that the sun was high in the sky. Startled, Sedet woke up, and believing that it was day-time, he took his blowpipe and set off along the edge of the jungle. It was still dark. All the birds were asleep in the trees, so every time that he sent a dart from the blowpipe it hit its mark. The dart did not kill the birds, but merely stunned them. He tied the birds to his belt. Soon the birds filled up all the space around the belt. When the sun rose and it was light, he set off for home.

However, on his way back through the jungle he met a ti­ger. Just as the tiger was about to eat him, all the birds around his waist, startled by the tiger's growls, suddenly his belt broke. Sedet fell and landed in the king's garden unconscious.

The night before, the king's daughter, Princess Sri, had dreamed that her future husband fell into her garden. Her fa­ther was informed about the dream and he called together his priests to ask to explain the meaning of his daughter' dream

Meanwhile, the princess went into the garden to bathe. When she arrived there, she saw Sedet lying by the edge of to pond.

She asked her attendants, 'Where does that man lying be­side the pond come from?' The attendants all said they did not know. The princess then told her father of the stranger in their garden. The king, accompanied by all his priests, went to inves­tigate the matter.

When they had all had a look, the priests spoke together to the king, 'Oh, king, this strange occurrence is very similar to your daughter's dream. According to our humble opinion, it is certain that this is some extraordinary person. If not, how did he manage to get inside here without anyone knowing?' The king agreed with what the priests said. Sedet was carried into the palace.

In due course he revived and was appointed chief minister, and eventually he married the princess. Because of his sudden rise to power, however, he did not behave well, and was not popular with the people. Soon even the princess grew to detest him, but since they were married there was nothing she could do.

Back in the small mountain village, Sedet's son, know as Young Sedet, waited a long time for his father to return. Young Sedet also went to the jungle to look for him, but despite a long search, he couldn't find his father anywhere. Young Sedet and his mother both wept, for they though that Sedet was dead.

One day Young Sedet went to town to sell firewood and at the same time to look for his father. While he was walking through the town he saw his father, who was richly dressed. He immediately went over to him.

Naturally young Sedet expected his father to greet him. But Sedet ignored his own son. He pushed him aside and walked haughtily ahead. He behaved as if young Sedet were some poor street urchin who had angered him by getting in his way. Young Sedet was furious at the way his father treated him, and he was also very sad. He went home and told his mother, who cried bitterly.

Time passed and more of the people began to hate Sedet, the new chief minister, for he was full of greed and cruelty, and felt no pity for the poor. Everyone knew that Sedet came from a distant part of the country. Finally, news reached the palace that he had a wife and child living in poverty in a small mountain village. This made the people hate Sedet even more.

Sedet grew more harsh and cruel with each passing day, until one day the people could stand it no longer. They grouped together outside the palace, and when Sedet rode out in all his splendour he was attacked and killed. This is what happens to a greedy man who abuses good fortune.