(A story from Central Java)
It was a very dark night. On the beach everything was quiet. Only the song of the waves broke the deep silence. There was nobody to be seen on the sand. There was not a single man or a single animal.
At one place near the sea there rose a high rock. The waves had been throwing themselves for centuries againts the walls of this rock and had made holes in them. Some of the holes were small, but some were big and formed little caves.
On this dark night a man was sitting alone in the biggest cave at the foot of the rock. He sat, without moving, on a dirty bamboo mat that was spread on the sand. His hands were folded on his chest and his eyes looked straight ahead towards the sea. That man was Karta. For seven days and six nights he had sat like this, alone in that little cave. That night was the seventh night. What was he doing there? What did he want ?
Karta was a poor peasant. He had been poor all his life and he desperately wanted to be rich. All his work on his paddy field could not bring him the wealth he desired so much. So he had to look for other ways to get rich. One day a friend told him about the Queen of the Sea. According to the old people the Queen of the Sea lived in a beautiful palace on the bottom of the ocean not far from the coast. It was said that sometimes she gave some of her wealth to people who asked her for help in time of need. Those who wanted to meet her had to fast and to sit on the beach for seven days and seven nights, calling her name in their minds. If she agreed to help them, she would appear on he seventh night. But if she did not come on the seventh night, it was clear that the Queen was not willing to help them.
And this was the seventh night for Karta. Would the Queen come and make him rich? Karta was tired of being poor, of working hard, of living in a hut, wearing old torn clothes, and always eating the same food every day: rice and salted fish.
Midnight passed. Karta grew sleepy. But he did not want to fall asleep, not now, on this special night.
The hours passed, dawn would come soon, but still Karta waited patiently. Then suddenly... a strong wind rose from the sea and blew away the dark clouds which covered the sky. Now Karta could see the shining stars.
The wind became stronger and waves rose up high. In the middle of the waves Karta saw a figeure appearing. It was the figure of a woman, coming nearer and nearer to the beach on the rolling waves. When she was very near, Karta could see her beautiful face. Her long black hair fell loose over her white shoulders and her eyes were as bright as the stars in the sky. But when she lifted her body from the water, Karta could see that from her waist downwards she had the form of a big fish. Instead of legs he saw a fishtail. Now she spoke to him in a soft and kind voice.
"What do you want, Karta ? I heard you calling through the walls of my palace. Why do you call me?"
Karta bowed low, so low that his forehead touched the sand. He answered softly, "Forgive me, Your Highness. People have told me that you are good and kind. They say that you like to help poor like me. I'm so poor, Your Highness, please give me some of your wealth."
"Karta." the Queen of the Sea answered, "wealth that is not earned by hard work does bring happiness. Go back to your village, work on your paddy field. Take care of the young rice so that it grows well and give a rich harvest."
"I've worked hard all my life, Your Highness, and I'm still poor. My work doesn't bring me more than dry rice and salted fish. Look at my clothes, they're old and worn, yet I can't buy new ones. Be kind to me, Your Highness, and make me richer. I'll be grateful to you all my life." said Karta.
"You have a good wife and a lovely child. Aren't they enough to make you happy?" said the Queen again.
Karta shook his head.
"I will do as you wish then, Karta. But listen, listen carefully. I never give anything away without asking something in return. Are you sure you can do what I ask?" said the Queen in a seious voice.
"I shall do everything Your Highness asks of me," answered Karta eagerly.
"Now listen and remember, Karta. I'll make you the richest man in the village, but only for ten years. After ten years you have to come back here, and I'll take you with me to my palace. There I'll change you into a pillow for my bed to rest my head on when I'am tired. Do you agree?"
"I agree to everything you've said, Your Highness," answered Karta, who only thought of becoming rich.
"Good. Ten years from now I expect to see you here at this same place. Now, go home."
The Queen of the Sea dived into the waves and disappeared from Karta's sight. He was alone again on the beach. In the east the sky turned red. It was dawn.
Slowly and painfully Karta stood up. He felt stiff in every bone of his body. He stooped to pick up his mat and ... what was that ? What was that on his feet? A pair of beautiful blue sandals! Never before in his life had Karta worn anything so fine. He looked more carefully at himself. His old shorts were gone. In their place was a pair of gleaming silk trousers. He had a snow white shirt on, and around his waist there was a sarong woven in many rich colours. Karta touched his head. His dirty old fez was gone, too ; instead he wore a new black one. He stretched out his hand and saw a big gold ring on his finger. The Queen of the Sea had made him rich. Proudly Karta walked home.
Be continued
