Title in Kulisusu: Buragil
Told by: Wa Ode Samiyra
Date: circa 1978
Once upon a time, there was a young man named Buragil. He was one of seven children, whose parents were farmers.
One day the father told his children that they were to become traders and were no longer to work the land. Buragil’s six brothers followed their father’s advice to become traders, but Buragil didn’t want to trade, he wanted to help his father work in the garden.
Because Buragil didn’t want to trade, his father became angry and decided to get rid of him. Buragil’s father and six siblings were of one mind about this, but his mother disagreed.
At that time they began seeking a way to dispose of Buragil without his knowledge. The plan they came up with was to call him to go into the forest to hunt cashews. So his father and six brothers took him into the forest. Further and further their travels took them into the forest.
Along the way, Buragil also knew why his father was taking him into the forest, because his mother had told him. Nevertheless, he still did as his father wished.
After a long time, they finally arrived as the base of a cashew tree. His father and brothers ordered Buragil to climb into the crown of the tree, while they waited below. While Buragil was busy picking and eating cashew fruits, his father and brothers secretly left him alone in the tree. Buragil stayed up in the crown of the tree, and he slept there too.
While he was sleeping, during the night there came a herd of pigs, led by a commander who was a very large boar. Those pigs also knew that there were humans in the area, because they could smell human scent.
The commander of the pigs had a bird perched on his head, which they called Kinchah. They named this bird Kinchah because it always called out, “Kinchah!” Whatever the pigs wanted they could have, just by ordering the kinchah bird to call out kinchah. If those pigs wanted food, all they had to do was order the Kinchah bird to say “Kinchah,” and food would appear. This was the bird’s special power.
At that time Buragil observed the bird, and he was astonished because whatever the pigs wanted they ordered the Kinchah bird to provide it for them.
Sometime later the pigs fell asleep below the cashew tree, and their commander was also asleep under the tree. When at last the pigs were fast asleep, Buragil slowly descended in order to take the kinchah bird from the commander’s head. On full alert, he very carefully took the Kinchah bird without the pigs’ commander feeling a thing. Then Buragil dropped to the ground and fled, afraid lest the pigs wake up.
When Buragil was a ways away, not long after the pigs woke up, and realized that their kinchah bird on the head of the commander was no longer there. Those pigs went berserk with anger, seeking where their bird might have gone. They suspected without a doubt that humans had taken the kinchah bird, because humans were in the area. The pigs sought their kinchah bird following the footprints where Buragil had gone.
Even though Buragil had managed to go some distance, he still had doubts inside, afraid that the pigs following him would overtake him and disaster would come upon him, because those pigs would certainly treat him bad. At that time, Buragil stopped for a moment and ordered the kinchah bird he had just stolen to cause a row of trees to grow in the form of a fence. This might hinder the pigs, so that he could save himself. That exceptional bird called out “Kinchah!”, then there grew up trees in the form of a fence.
Soon after Buragil had started on his way again, the pigs chasing him came up against that fence, they were hindered there at the fence. Because that fence was blocking their way, they set about digging it until they had destroyed all the trees and stampeded through, ready again to search which way the human had gone who had taken their kinchah bird.
In that way, even though he had gotten far away, Buragil was still afraid that the pigs seeking him would catch him. So Buragil ordered the kinchah bird to call out “Kinchah!” so that there would be food for the pigs if they came there, and they might eat. When the pigs came upon the food, they stopped to eat. Buragil used the time to keep going, then he came upon a place and then he too was held up because there he was at the ocean. Buragil was afraid, lest the pigs chasing him come upon him.
Again he ordered the kinchah bird to say, “Kinchah!” The Kinchah bird let out “Kinchah” and there appeared a dugout and Buragil set off for the other side. No sooner he had arrived at the other side than the pigs also arrived at the seashore, but they weren’t able to cross there, they had to stop there.
When Buragil arrived on the other side, he met up with the giant named Wangkinamboro, and he asked him, “What are you doing, Grandfather?” Wangkinamboro was angry that Buragil had called him grandfather, and he said to Buragil, “I’m going to eat you!” Said Buragil, “Don’t eat me. Me, I have a gift which can help us.”
Then he ordered his Kinchah bird to say “Kinchah!” and there appeared food in the giant’s house and he ate. Afterwards Buragil asked to take leave, but Wangkinamboro was unwilling unless the bird was given to him first.
Buragil didn’t want Wangkinamboro to take the bird. But Wangkinamboro said, “If you don’t give me that bird, I’ll eat you up!” Then Buragil was afraid, and he was willing to give him the bird. “But please make sure you store it in the attic of your house porch, and you must give me something in exchange.” Wangkinamboro followed Buragil’s advice and he gave him a long sword in exchange. Then he took the kinchah bird and stored it according to Buragil’s instructions.
Not long after Wangkinamboro had fallen asleep, Buragil went and took the bird again and departed. As he was going along, he met up again with Wangkinamboro. His second meeting with Wangkinamboro was the same story as his first meeting with Wangkinamboro, only the second time around Wangkinamboro gave him an iron-tipped spear. Buragil set off again, taking the long sword, the spear, and his kinchah bird.
As he was going along, Buragil met with a wrinkled old woman, and he greeted her. The old woman said, “Why do you call me grandmother?” Said Buragil, “Me here, I’m searching around for all you grandparents.”
Then the old woman said, “You must be hungry, because there isn’t any food around here.” Buragil answered, “Don’t worry, Grandmother, there’s lots of food. I’ve brought a kinchah bird that can help us.”
Then Buragil ordered the bird to say “Kinchah!” asking for food, and there appeared all kinds of delicious food. After that he asked for a house, and just then there was a house complete with furnishings. Buragil stayed with the old woman in that house and they were happy.
One time the old woman related to Buragil, “Over that way is a certain village, where the people have nearly been finished off being eaten by a giant Garuda bird. Don’t you go over there.” Said Buragil, “I'm not afraid. I’ll go kill it.” When the old woman heard this talk, she was astonished at Buragil.
Then the old woman related that she had heard tell from the rajah of that village, that he would marry his daughter to whoever killed that Garuda bird. Said Buragil, I will kill it.”
Then the old woman set off to inform the rajah that there was a young man ready to kill the Garuda bird. Said the rajah, “Where is this young man? Go call him and bring him here quickly!”
The old woman went quickly to call Buragil. Buragil returned to meet the rajah, complete with his long sword and spear, and the kinchah bird perched on his shoulder. Upon arriving there he met with the rajah. The rajah said to Buragil, “Can a youth like you kill the Garuda bird? Even all the soldiers of this country weren’t able to kill it, let alone a youth like you who has no weapons.” Responded Buragil, “Hey Rajah, don’t worry. Just watch and see that I can kill it, even without anyone to help me.”
The rajah and all the soldiers in that country were astonished at Buragil’s bravery to kill that savage Garuda. Said the rajah to Buragil, “If you are able to kill that Garuda, I will marry you to my daughter.” So the rajah and Buragil agreed.
Then Buragil went to the field, and prepared his weapons. Buragil began waiting for when the Garuda came, taking his long sword and his sharp spear for fighting the Garuda whenever it should come. It wasn't long before the huge Garuda appeared, its wings overshadowing almost the whole village.
Buragil was prepared for action, and when it was close, preparing to eat Buragil, Buragil began ordering his kinchah to call out “Kinchah!” and all at once his long sword and his spear jumped up and flew into the air, attacking the Garuda.
The Garuda was cut to pieces slashed by the long sword, and pulverized, pierced by the spear that went flying through the air every which way.
Like that was the exceptionality and blessedness of the kinchah bird along with Buragil’s weapons, which could move about on their own.
Finally after the attack, it wasn't long at all before that bold Garuda died. The rajah and his army and the people living in that village were astonished and very happy with Buragil because the Garuda which had kept threatening them was dead.
According to their earlier promise, the rajah married Buragil with his daughter as recompense for his services, and Buragil was also chosen to become rajah of that country. Beginning at that time he became rajah, and he lived there, and he ordered the citizens to go and call the grandmother (old woman) to live with him and his wife altogether. Beginning at that time Buragil lived prosperously and very happily.
One time his father and his six brothers arrived, trading and buying food in the village where Buragil was rajah. They came before the rajah in order to ask permission to trade and buy food. At the time that they met with the rajah, he knew that those people were indeed his father and his siblings who in the past had discarded him in the forest. Buragil asked, “Do you know someone named Buragil?” They answered, “Oh, we know him. Buragil was an ill-fated child, discarded in the forest.” Then the rajah said, “That Buragil is here.”
They asked in return, “Where is that young man now?” “Buragil is in back, helping me.” They responded, “Call him for us, so that we can kill that ill-fated child.”
Then Buragil retired to the back for a short while, then he returned again to face those people and said, “I am Buragil. Whatever you want, if you want to kill me, then just kill me. I am Buragil who was previously discarded in the forest. Now I have become rajah of this country.” When they heard the rajah’s words, they were afraid and were not brave enough to kill him, because Buragil was the rajah whom they had faced earlier.
Then Buragil ordered his father and six brothers to go and call his mother from their country, so that she might come and meet Buragil.
When Buragil’s mother arrived, rajah Buragil expelled the rest of his family to their own village and no longer allowed them to trade or buy food in his country, nor allowed them to enter there.
Buragil, who had become rajah and had married the daughter of the rajah, ruled over that country, and all of them lived as one family with his wife, the old woman, and his own mother, living happily, luxuriously and prosperously.
We hope you enjoyed this story. You can download a print version (pdf) which gives the story in all three languages.
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