AJI SAKA

                                                                        AJI SAKA (Story telling)

Dewata Cengkar was a King in Medhangkamulan Kingdom in Central Java. He was a greedy, cruel and like eating human flesh. Due to his fondness, people in his kingdom were forced to pay tibute in the form of human.

Hearing the cruelty of Prabu Dewata Cengkar, a wanderer named Aji Saka wanted to stop the King’s habit. Aji Saka had two loyal retainers named Dora and Sembada. During his travel to Medangkamulan Kingdom, Aji Saka was accompanied by Dora, whereas Sembada stayed at home for he had to look after an Aji Saka’s sacred heirloom. Aji Saka left a message to Sembada that he could not give the sacred heirloom to everyone but him (Aji Saka).

After some time, Aji Saka arrived in a quiet Medhangkamulan Kingdom. The people in this Kingdom were afraid to be outside, as they were scared being the King’s meal. Shortly Aji Saka went toward the palace and met the chief minister. He said that he was ready to be Prabu Dewata Cengkar’s meal.

There came the day when Aji Saka would be eaten by Prabu Dewata Cengkar.Before eating, Prabu always granted one request from the prey to-be. Calmly Aji Saka demanded an area which was as wide as his turban. Hearing Aji Saka’s request, Prabu Dewata Cengkar just guffawed, and agreed with it swiftly. So Aji Saka’s turban was unwrapped.

Aji Saka held one of the turban’s tip, while the other was held by Prabu Dewata Cengkar. Strangely the turban was like enlarging so that Prabu Dewata Cengkar had to walk backward and backward until the edge of southern seas. As Prabu Dewata Cengkar reached the southern sea coast, Aji Saka suddenly flicked his turban in order to wrap Dewata Cengkar’s body, and kicked him to the southern seas. Immediately Dewata Cengkar’s body turned into a white crocodile. “Because you like eating human flesh, you deserve to be a crocodile, and the suitable place for you is the seas.” Said Aji Saka.

Since then, Medhangkamulan Kingdom was led by Aji Saka-a wise King. Suddenly Aji Saka remembered about his sacred heirloom and he ordered his retainer- Dora- to take it. However Sembada did not want to hand it over to Dora, since he remembered his master’s message. Then those two people fought each other fiercely. Both of them had equal supernatural power. And at last they died together.

Aji Saka remembered about his message to Sembada and he soon followed. It was too late when Aji Saka arrived there, his two retainers had died. To bear both of them in mind, Aji Saka enshrined them in Javanese letters :

Ha Na Ca Ra Ka

(ono utusan = there was a messenger)

Da Ta Sa Wa La

(padha kerengan = they fought each other)

Pa Da Ja Ya Nya

(padha digdayane = they had equal supernatural power)

Ma Ga Ba Ta Nga

(padha nyunggi bathange = they died together)

GLOSSARY

after some time                : setelah beberapa saat

be led                              : dipimpin

be scared                        : taku

be unwrapped                  : dibuka

bear in mind                    : mengingat

chief minister                  : patih

cruel                               : jahat

deserve                            : pantas

due to                              : karena

each other                        : masing-masing

edge                                : ujung

enlarge                            : melebar

be enshrined                    : diabadikan

equal                               : sama

flesh                               : daging

flick                                : membalik

fondness                          : kesukaan

grant                               : memberi

greedy                              : rakus

guffaw                              : tertawa keras

habit                               : kebiasaan

hand over                        : menyerahkan

heirloom                         : pusaka

look after                         : merawat

meal                                : makanan

messenger                        : utusan

pay tibute                        : membayar upeti

prey to-be                         : calon mangsa

quiet                                 : sunyi

request                             : permintaan

sacred                              : suci

strangely                          : anehnya

suitable                            : cocok

supernatural                    : sakti

tip                                   : ujung

turban                              : sorban

wanderer                          : pengembara

wrap                                : membungkus

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1.     Where did the story take place?

                                                                     

2.     Who was a greedy and cruel King?

                                                                     

3.     Why were the people of Medhangkamulan Kingdom afraid to go outside of their house?

                                                                     

4.     What did Aji Saka ask for from Prabu Dewata Cengkar?

                                                                     

5.     What did Aji Saka’s turban react when it was unwrapped?

                                                                     

6.     What was the result of the fight between Aji Saka and Dewata Cengkar?

                                                                     

7.     How did Aji Saka lead Medhangkamulan Kingdom?

                                                                     

8.     What did Aji Saka order Dora to do?

                                                                     

9.     How did Sembada react to Dora?

                                                                     

10.  What happened to Dora and Sembada?

                                                                     

11.  What is the moral value of the story?