Story Telling
MUNDINGLAYA DI KUSUMAH

  

Once, the consort of King Siliwangi in West Java named Padmawati who was the daughter of Dewi Mananggay in Heaven was pregnant. She craved torch ginger fruits (buah kecombrang). The King ordered Patih Lengser (Patih = a chief minister) to look for torch ginger fruits in the Kuta Pandak Land, at Muara Beres region. From Geger Malela, the son of Rangga Malela in Muara Beres, Patih Lengser got eight sacks of torch ginger fruits which were exchanged with four pouches of money. Meanwhile in Muara Beres, Nyi Gambir Wangi also craved the torch ginger fruits but they were sold to the representative of King Pajajaran.

Lengser Muara Beres was commanded to return the money, just to exchange with the four sacks of torch ginger fruits. Lengser Pajajaran did not want to give them. So both of them fought each other fiercely for the torch ginger fruits. No one won the fight. Just then they were reconciled by a spirit from Karang Siluman. The torch ginger fruits had to be equally shared and there was a deal that if the two babies had been grownup, they must have been tied up by marriage.

Nyi Padmawati from Gunung Gumuruh gave birth to a son, named Munding Laya Di Kusuma, whereas Nyi Gambir Wangi gave birth to a daughter, named Nyi Dewi Asri.

Prabu Guru Gantangan who was also the son of King Siliwangi’s first wife in Kuta Barang regency wanted to have a son, then adopted Sunten Jaya and also took care of Mundinglaya. As times went by, since Mundinglaya was very handsome and had magic power, Guru Gantangan became afraid of losing his reign. Then Mundinglaya was put in jail.

King Siliwangi was concerned about the security of Pajajaran Kingdom. He needed someone to solve the problem. Fortunately Pohaci Wiru Mananggay sent his dream to Padma Wati, he dreamt of getting Layang Salaka Domas owned by Guriang Tujuh in Sorong Kancana to overcome the upcoming security problem in Pajajaran Kingdom. Padma Wati told about the dream to the King. When it was contested to the sons and retainers, no one was brave to find it. Therefore Padma Wati who dreamt about Layang Salaka Domas should prove it, if she had failed, she would have been put in jail. At last, Mundinglaya was released from jail since he promised to fetch Layang Salaka Domas.

Mundinglaya set off with Patih negara, Jaksa Seda Kawasa, Gelap Nyawang, Kidang Pananjung, Patih Ratna Jaya and Prabu Liman Sanjaya with perahu kancana, they sailed through Leuwi Sipatahunan and Bangawan Cihaliwung. Arriving at Lubuk Muara Beres, he wanted to meet his fiancee, Dewi Asri. After telling his trip purpose, Mundinglaya continued his travel. In Sangiang Cedas Patenggang, all his escorts were left behind the ship.

In his trip, Mundinglaya met his grandmother in Heaven to ask about   Layang Salaka Domas of which his mother was dreaming. Mundinglaya was ordered to turn into wind so that he could fly Layang Salaka Domas. A storm brought Layang Salaka Domas, then it was followed by Guriang Tujuh. Guriang Tujuh attacked Mundinglaya until he died by their krises (west traditional daggers). Mundinglaya’s soul came out from his corpse, fanned his body and cast a spell in order that he could be alive again.

Prabu Guru Gantangan’s adopted son, Sunten Jaya, who was arrogant and had bad attitudes was ordered to propose marriage to Dewi Asri, since he heard Mundinglaya was killed by Guriang Tujuh.

Dewi Asri did not accept Sunten Jaya’s marriage proposal,but she was forced to accept the marriage proposal. She gave a condition to Sunten Jaya that he had to fulfil her request which was giving her a kingdom with its contents.

Sunten tried to finish building a kingdom. Some time later he brought properties about twenty five ships with a lot of retainers on them that would build a kingdom. Dewi Asri who was forced to marry Sunten Jaya create trouble so that the marriage would fail in order that the building of the kingdom was in chaos.

 Mundinglaya who was alive again and was meditating got a hunch. He was dreaming that his ship was hit by a storm, the ship was broken and drowned in the sea. He remembered his fiancee. In his dream, Sunten Jaya would marry his fiancee. Mundinglaya with his retainers including his giant friend –Munding Sangkala Wisesa - sailed to Leuwi Daun. At last they arrived in Batu Tulis.

Dewi Asri had a premonition about Mundinglaya’s coming. She asked a permission from her mother to take a bath at a sacred bathing place. She met Mundinglaya in a river, then they got on a Kancana boat (perahu kancana) and had a chat.

Mundinglaya and Dewi Asri went to Muara Beres together, while having a carnival to the palace and then they sat on the papanggungan kancana and had a meal. Finally Sunten Jaya knew that he had been cheated. He ascended the papanggungan and would attack Mundinglaya, but he was affected by Mundinglaya’s spell and was very weak. In turn Dewi Asri and Mundinglaya got married.

When Pajajaran prosecutor- Patih Rangga Gading- came to Muara Beres to see the wedding, beholding the marriage and reconciling two conflicting persons, Sunten Jaya came to take his properties which were about twenty five ships. Rangga Gading asked about who was the first person proposing to marry Dewi Asri, the people of Kuta barang and Pajajaran sided with Sunten Jaya. Lengser Pajajaran told about the ins and outs of Mundinglaya and Dewi Asri’s relationship. And the people of Muara Beres and Pajajaran understood that Mundinglaya and Dewi Asri had been paired off since they were in the womb.

Sunten Jaya got angry and was assisted by his relatives to challenge Mundinglaya to a battle. But a friend of Mundinglaya who was a giant named Munding Sangkala Wisesa fought back and could  defeat Sunten Jaya and his relatives.

Mundinglaya was happy to become a rich bridegroom. He was crowned as a young King with Dewi Asri and Ante Kancana as the consorts. The people of the Kingdom were involved in a great wedding party.

GLOSSARY

adopt                              : mengangkat

alive                                : hidup

ascend                            : naik

attitude                          : sikap

be affected                      : terpengaruh

be assisted                      : dibantu

be cheated                      : ditipu

be commanded                : diperintah

be concerned                   : prihatin

be contested                    : dilombakan

be crowned                     : diberi mahkota

be enganged                    : bertunangan

be equally shared            : dibagi secara adil

be exchanged                   : ditukar

be involved                      : terlibat

be put in jail                     : dipenjara

be reconciled                    : didamaikan

be released                       : dilepaskan

behold                             : menyaksikan

bridegroom                      : pengantin pria

cast a spell                       : membaca mantera

chat                                : bincang-bincang

consort                            : permaisuri

contents                           : isinya

corpse                              : mayat

craved                              : ngidam

defeat                              : mengalihkan

drown                              : tenggelam

escort                              : pendamping

fail                                  : gagal

fetch                               : mengambil

fiancee                            : tunangan

fiercely                           : dengan ganas

fortunately                      : untungnya

grownup                         : tumbuh dewasa

hunch                             : wangsit

in chaos                          : dalam kekacauan

in turn                            : pada gilirannya

left behind                      : ditinggal

meanwhile                      : sementara

overcome                        : mengatasi

pregnant                         : hamil

premonition                    : pertanda

prosecutor                      : Jaksa

prove                               : membuktikan

peconcile                        : mendamaikan

regency                           : kabupaten

pegion                             : wilayah

reign                               : kekuasaan

relationship                     : hubungan

relative                           : famili

representative                 : perwakilan

retainers                         : pelayan

sacred                             : suci

set off                              : berangkat

side with                         : berada di pihak

some time later                : beberapa saat kemudian

spell                                : mantera

storm                              : badai

take care of/ took care of : merawat

the ins and outs               : luar dan dalam

therefore                          : karena itu

torch ginger fruits             : buah kecombrang

trip purpose                     : tujuan perjalanan

turn into                          : berubah menjadi

womb                              : rahim

  

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1.      Where did the story take place?

.............................................................................................

2.      Who was Mundinglaya Di Kusumah?

.............................................................................................

3.      What did Padmawati want to eat during her pregnancy?

.............................................................................................

4.      Who would be the wife-to be of Mundinglaya Di Kusumah

.............................................................................................

5.      Why was Mundinglaya Di  Kusumah put in jail?

.............................................................................................

6.      What was the solution to overcome a problem of security in Pajajaran Kingdom?

.............................................................................................

7.      Why did Dewi Asri refuse Sunten Jaya’s marriage proposal?

..............................................................................................

8.      What was Dewi Asri’s request for Sunten Jaya to propose marriage to her?

............................................................................................

9.      How did Patih Rangga Gading resolve the problem between Dewi Asri and  Sunten Jaya?

.............................................................................................

10.  Who assisted Mundinglaya to defeat Sunten Jaya?

.............................................................................................

11.  What is the moral value of this story?

.............................................................................................