THE PORCUPINE’S IDEA
By Endang Firdaus
A long time ago, the animals in the jungle of Kalimantan were lead by a bear. He ruled fair and wisely. All animals lived peacefully. Meanwhile, the animals in the jungle of Sumatera was lead by an elephant. He wanted to enlarge his territory very much. One day, he called a rabbit.
“What could I do, Your Honest?” asked Rabbit.
“I’ll give you a duty,” said Elephant.
“What’s that?”
“Please go to Kalimantan. See the king of that island’s jungle. Ask him to bow to me. This is my letter for him.”
Rabbit went to Kalimantan. Arriving there he told what Elephant said to all animals there. Then he returned to Sumatera. Instantly, the animals in the jungle of Kalimantan got anxious and afraid. Bear was sad. “What must I do?” he said. “If I agree to bow to Elephant, the animals here will be suffered. If I fight him, I know I will be a loser. According the animals in this islands that ever met him, he has a very big body, long tusks, and a strong trunk that can fell the big trees.”
And old porcupine came.
“What do you want?” Bear asked
“I’ve an idea, Your Honest.”
“What’s that?”
“For our peace, you must send a delegation to Sumatera to meet the king of that island’s jungle to say that you will not bow to him. Your delegation must take my hairs to be given to the king. Ask the delegation that the hairs are your own hairs. That’s my idea, Your Honest.”
Bear agreed. He sent a delegation to Sumatera. His delegation told his king said to Elephant and then gave the porcupine’s hairs to him. He said they were the king’s hairs of Kalimantan’s jungle.
Elephant got surprised and frightened to see the hairs. He grumbled, “This hairs was big and strong. I am sure that Bear, the king of Kalimantan’s jungle, is big and very strong.”
Elephant gave up his plan to conquest the jungle of Kalimantan. The animals there were happy.
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