(A story from South Sulawesi)
Once, a headman lent a sum of money to a peasant called Pottala. When the time came to return the money, the headman came to visit Pottala and asked him for the money. Pottala had no money. He said to the headman, "I haven't the money yet. Somebody else has borrowed it from me. Please wait a few more days, so that I will have time to collect what people owe me."
The headman agreed and said that he would return in four days' time. But when the fourth day came, Pottala still did not have the money He decided to trick the headman. Early in the morning, he went to the river and caught a fish. He boiled the fish in a pot of water and when the soup was ready, he took out the fish and put an iron axe into the pot instead. When the headman arrived, Pottala politely invited him into the house and served him a bowl of the delicious fish soup.
"Hm, that's very nice." the headman said. "What did you make the soup with, Pottala?"
"Oh, just this axe," Pottala said pointing to the axe in the pot.
"Just... this axe? nothing else?"
"Nothing else. This is a soup-axe, you know. Would you like another bowl? I made plenty of soup." After the two men had finished the soup, the headman asked for his money." I haven't got the money, Please give me some more time sir," said Pottala.
"You know what," said the headman," just pay me with the soup-axe." Pottala agreed, and the headman went happily home with the axe. He gave the axe to his wife and told her to make soup with it for evening meal. His wife obeyed, but although the axe was boiled for hours and hours, the water reminder just water. The next day, the headman returned the axe to Pottala.
"You lied to me, Pottala," he said angrily, "This is an ordinary axe. It can't make soup."
"But sir, you saw yourself that there was only this axe in the pot yesterday, and you liked my soup," said Pottala.
"I don't want your axe anymore, Pottala. Give me back my money," said the angry headman.
"I haven't got you money yet, sir. Please give me some more time," answered Pottala. The headman agreed to give him another three days.
After three days he came back to Pottala's house. "Where's my money Pottala?" he asked.
"Please sir, come in. I'm just going to prepare my lunch. Why don't you eat with me?" said Pottala. The headman agreed and climbed up onto the verandah. Then Pottala took a blowpipe and pointed it to the sky.
"Whar are you doing?" asked the headman.
"I am shooting a wild duck for our lunch, sir," Pottala answered.
"But there's no wild duck to be seen," said the headman.
"They are flying over the sean, sir. This blowpipe can shoot as far as the sea," Pottala said. He pointed it once more at the sky and blew as hard as he could."Let's go into the kithcen now. The duck will be on the table," Pottala said to the headman.
Together they entered the kitchen and sure enough, there was a wild duck lying on the kitchen table.
BE CONTINUED
