Semangka Emas (Golden Watermelon)
Posted by Wahyudi English on March 2, 2008
One day, Dermawan was sitting on a bench at his garden, trying to release his tiresome. A sparrow suddenly fell off in front of him. The poor sparrow twittered in pain, “Poor little one”, said Dermawan. “Are your wings broken?” he tried to talk to the bird. He gently took the sparrow into his lap and checked on it. And yes, its wings were terribly broken. “I‘ll try to fix you”, he muttered. After put on medicine on the wound, he slowly bandaged the wings. He took some rice and fed it. It gradually tamed and was no longer afraid of Dermawan. Its wings were at last completely healed few days later, and it flew and left.
The sparrow came to visit Dermawan the next day. It held a tiny seed with its beak, and later on put it in front of him. Dermawan smiled at the bird. It seemed to be just an ordinary seed, yet he was so happy receiving the gift from the bird. Dermawan later planted it at the back yard of his house. The seed started to grow the next three days. It was in fact a watermelon tree. Dermawan took care of it patiently that it grew so well. He thought in the beginning that it would bear many fruits since it was so blossomy. “If all of these flowers turn to good fruits, I shall have enough store of foods for my own and I can share the rest of them to the poor”, he hoped in his heart. However, it was so weird that after being taken care of carefully only one grew well. Even though it was the only single fruit from the tree, it grew bigger than the ordinary watermelon. Dermawan was so happy to see the fruit and couldn‘t wait to taste it. “It seems to taste wonderful. Hmmm…and it smells good”, he said to himself.
Harvesting time finally came and he decided to take the watermelon. “Oh my God, it is so heavy”, he uttered while trying hardly to carry it into the house to put on the table. He took a knife and started to cut and was shocked to his view. “What is this?” he anxiously asked when he saw a pile of something golden inside it. He thought it was just ordinary sand, but changed his mind as he observed the thing carefully and understood that it was a pile of pure golden sand. Happily he danced that failed to be aware of the presence of a bird that had been noticing him. He lastly realized what was going on as the bird twittered. It was the one he once helped which gave the gold. “Thank you! Thank you!” said him to it. The bird then flew and never appeared again.
Dermawan bought a big house with a very big nice garden the next day. All of the poor came to his house and were welcomed for meals. Though people kept coming to his house for help, he never ran out of money. He had so much that would never cease of it, and the fields produced plants with good fruits as well. The news about his fortune was finally spread all over. It was also heard by his brother Muzakir and turned him to jealousy. Muzakir fuelled with anxiety to know the secret of his brother‘s sudden fortune, and Dermawan honestly let his brother know the details.
Muzakir immediately commanded his servants to find a bird with a broken leg and broken wings as he heard the story from his brother. Nothing was found after one week attempt in searching such a bird. He was so angry and couldn‘t sleep during the nights. A seemed to be brilliant idea came to him one morning. He asked one of his servants to catch a bird using chopsticks. And of course, the chopsticks hurt a bird and broke its wings. He then on pretended to pity the poor bird and took care of it. The days passed and the bird was completely healed and let to fly. It took not a long time fort he bird to come back to Muzakir and brought a seed for him. He was very happy and hoped for rich in his heart,” I will be very rich soon, even richer than Dermawan”, dreamily he hoped.
Muzakir planted a seed, given by the bird, at the back yard of his house, and it grew to a fine tree after several days. It also bore only a single fruit, a watermelon which was even much bigger than that once owned by Dermawan. As the harvesting time approached, Muzakir asked his servants to take the fruit and immediately cut it. He couldn‘t wait to find a pile of golden sand inside. No longer able to wait, he rush cut it and was very shocked when black mud mixed with dirt flushed out to his face. It smelled very bad. Muzakir‘s clothes and also the rug in that room were terribly dirty because of it. In rage ran him to the street, couldn‘t stand the rotten smell from the watermelon. People on the street started at him and mockingly laughed at him for what they saw. He was so ashamed being laughed at and mocked by the people.
The story teaches us to be thankful for everything given to us. It is necessary to receive things with a sincere heart because even a small gift is so valuable. This is reflected in Dermawan‘s attitude in sincerely received the small seed from the sparrow. He didn‘t grumble and expect wonderful fortune. It also teaches us that to welcome people in our house and hearts requires sacrifice, the materials as well as the moral. And it can only be rewarded by the Divine. This is illustrated by Dermawan who liked to help the poor even though he would finally lose everything. But, his sacrifice was not for nothing since it was given back to him by Allah SWT thousands times that what he had shared before. On the contrary, when people are selfish and greedy and reluctant to share with others, Allah SWT will also be reluctant to reward them. It is seen through what Muzakir experienced. He preferred to keep his fortune to himself and didn‘t want to share, so he got humiliation in return. He was annihilated from the neighborhood. He got the mud with bad rotten smell instead of a pile of golden sand as he hoped.
Prosperity comes from the Divine who is faithful and merciful. People are trusted a part of it that they can learn to share sincerely. For this reason, those who are willing to share will gain hundreds times than the amount they share with others. This folklore invites everyone to open the heart for people especially those in needs, and to share with others especially the less fortunate. Surprises and fortune are for those who willing to share; life will be more beautiful and surely the world will smile at them.
Source: Melayu Online dot Com
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