Chinese Folklore : The bird with nine-heads || Cerita Rakyat Cina : Burung Berkepala Sembilan

This story is provided in two language: Bahasa Indonesia and English. Story in Bahasa is provided First and story in English follows. 

 

Burung Kepala sembilan

Dahulu kala, hiduplah seorang raja dan ratu yang mempunyai seorang putri. Suatu hari, sang putri berjalan mengelilingi kebun, tiba-tiba sebuah badai besar muncul dan membawa sang putri. Ternyata, badai tersebut datang dari seekor burung berkepala Sembilan yang. Burung tersebut telah berhasil menculik sang putri dan menyembunyikannya ke dalam sebuah goa. Sang raja tidak tahu kemana putrinya menghilng, lantas dia membuat sayembara yang berbunyi “Siapapun yang berhasil membawa kembali sang putri, maka dia berhak meminangnya.

Seorang pemuda telah melihat seekor burng berkepala Sembilan telah membawa sang putri ke dalam gua. Gua tersebut, berada di tengah-tengah tebing yang curam. Tidak ada yang akan mampu untuk mengapai gua tersebut dari bawah, maupun menggapainya dari atas. Ketika pemuda tersebut berjalan-jalan di sekitar tebing tersebut, seorang pemuda lainnya datang dan menanyakan apa yang ia lakukan di sana.

            Pemuda itu pun menjawab bahwa burung berkepala Sembilan telah membawa sang putri, and membawanya masuk ke dalam gua. Mendengar itu semua, pemuda yang lain itupun memanggil teman-temannya, dan teman-temannya pun menurukan pemuda tersebut dari atas tebing menggunakan sebuah keranjang telah diikat dengan tali.

            Pemuda itu berhasil mengapai gua, dan ketika dia masuk ke dalam gua, dia melihat sang putri sedang duduk di dalam gua dan membasuh luka sang burung kepala Sembilan karena luka gigit dari seekor anjing surga. Anjing itu telah menggigit kepala ke sepuluh burung tersebut hingga putus, dan luka bekas gigitannya masih meninggalkan darah yang mengalir.

Melihat sang pemuda, sang putri pun menyuruh sang pemuda untuk bersembunyi. Pemuda itupun melakukan apa yang diperintahkan sang putri. Ketika sang putri telah selesai membasuh dan membalut luka sang burung, sang burung pun merasa sangat nyaman. Dan satu persatu dari Sembilan kepala burung tersebut pun tertidur. Melihat sang burung tertidurm sang pemuda pun keluar dari tempat persembunyiannya dan langsung menebas Sembilan kepala burung tersebut dengan pedang. Tetapi sang putri berkata “ Lebih baik kau naik keatas terlebih dahulu, nanti aku menyusul”

Tempat burung kepala sembilan tinggal

“Tidak” kata sang pemuda. “Aku akan menunggu disini, memastikan keselamatan sang putri. Mulanya sang putri tidak mau tetapi akhirya dia pun berhasil terbujuk dan masuk kedalam basket. Tetapi sebelum masuk kedalam basket, sang putri mengambil penjepit rambut dari rambutnya dan mematahkannya menjadi dua bagian. Salah satu bagian ia berikan kepada sang pemuda dan bagian lainnya ia simpan. Dia juga merobek sapu-tangannya menjadi dua dan memberika salah satu robekan kepada sang pemuda. Sang putri meminta agar sang pemuda menjaga pemberian darinya. Tetapi ketika pemuda yang menunggu di atas tebih telah berhasil mengangkat sang putri. Dia pun langsung pergi dengan sang putri tanpa memerdulikan terikan dan panggilan dari sang pemuda tadi dari dalam goa.

Pemuda yang ditinggal di dalam goa pun sekarang bejalan mengelilingi goa. Di sana ia melihat beberapa gadis, yang telah mati dimakan oleh burung kepala sembilan atau pun mati karena kelaparan. Dan di dinding gua, ia melihat seekor ikan yang dipaku dengan empat buah paku. Ketika pemuda itu menyentuh ikan, tiba tiba ikan tersebut berubah menjadi seorang pemuda tampan yang kemudian mengucapkan banyak terimakasih dan menganggap pemuda penyelamat tadi sebagai saudaranya.

Tak lama, pemuda penyelamat tadi merasa kelaparan. Dia mencoba keluar di bibir goa untuk mencari makanan, tetapi ia tidak menemukan apa-apa kecuali hamparan bebatuan. Kemudian, dia melihat seekor naga yang sedang menjilati batu. Sang pemuda penyelamat pun menirukan apa yang sang naga lakukan dan tak lama kemudian rasa laparnya menghilang. Kemudian dia bertanya kepada sang naga, bagaimana ia dapat keluar dari dalam gua. Kemudian sang naga menganggukan kepalanya dan menggerakan ekornya sebagai pertanda bahwa sang pemuda penyelamat itu harus duduk di ekornya.

Dalam kejapan mata, sang pemuda telah sampai di daratan dan sang naga pun dengan cepat menghilang. Sang pemuda penyelamat pun berjalan hngga ia menemukan cangkang kura-kura yang berisi mutiara. Tetapi itu adalah mutiara ajaib, karena jika itu dilemparkan ke dalam api, api akan segera padam dan apabila itu dilemparkan ke dalam air, air itu akan membelah dan kita dapat berjalan melewati belahan air tersebut.

Kemudian pemuda penyelamat itu mengambil mutiara tersebut dan menaruhnya ke dalam kantong. Kemudian dia melanjutkan perjalanannya. Tak lama kemudian, dia menemukan pantai. Dia pun melempar mutiara ke pantai tersebut dan kemudian air pantai tersebut membelah menjadi dua. Dia pun dapat melihat naga air. Naga air berteriak

“Siapa yang berani menganggu ku di kerajaanku sendiri?

“Aku menemuka mutiara ini di cangkang kura-kura dan melemparkan salah satunya ke dalam air. Air pun membelah dua” jawab sang pemuda

“Baiklah kalau begitu kata sang naga, “Datanglah ke dalam laut denganku dan kita dapat hidup bersama” 

        Sang pemuda pun menyadari bahwa naga yang sedang berbicara ini adalah naga yang sama yang ia temui di gua. Dan naga tersebut memeliki anak yang mana anak tersebut menjadi akrab dengan sang pemuda seolah-olah mereka bersaudara.

“Karena kau telah menyelamatkan anakku dari dalam goa dan menjadi kau kini menjadi saudaranya. Sekarang kau ku anggap anakku” Kata ayah Naga. Kemudian sang nada menghibur sang pemuda dengan makanan dan wine. 

              Suatu hari temannya, sang anak naga,  berkata kepadanya “Ayahku pasti ingin memberimu hadiah. Tapi tolong jangan terima uang ataupun perhiasan darinnya. Mintalah botol labu kecil di sebelah sana. Dengan botol labu itu kau dapat mewujudkan apapun yang kau minta.

           

Gourd Flask| Botol labu

Tak lama, Sang ayah Naga meminta kepada sang pemuda untuk mengatakan apa yang ia inginkan. Sang pemuda menjawab “Aku tak ingin uang atau perhiasan. Yang aku inginkan hanya botol labu kecil si sana.” Awalnya, sang Ayah Naga tak ingin memberikannya, tetapi ahirnya ia pun membiarkan sng pemuda untuk memilikinya. Kemudian sang pemuda meninggalakan istana. Ketika dia menginjakan kaki di daratan lagi, dia merasa lapar. Dia pun meminta kepada botol labu makanan. Kemudian muncul meja makan di hadapannya lengkap dengan hidangan daging yang segar dan lezat. Setelah makan dan minun sepuasnya, sang pemuda pun berjalan tetapi dia merasa letih. Tiba tiba di hadapannya muncul seekor keledai besar. Dia pun menaiki keledai tersebut. Setelah beberapa saat dia merasa cara berjalan keledai mulai terasa aneh dan kemudian tiba tiba muncul kereta kuda. Dia pun menaiki kereta kuda. Tetapi jalannya kereta kuda itu terlalu berguncang dan membuatnya tak nyaman. Ia pun berpikir “seandainya aku punya tandu pasti aku akan merasa nyaman”. Kemudian dengan ajaib munculah tandu dan pengawalnya. Sang pemuda pun menaiki tandu dan pergi ke kota dimana raja, ratu, dan putrinya berada.

            Di sana, pemuda yang menunggu sang gadis di atas tebing sedang merencanakan pernikahan dengan sang putri karena dianggap telah menyelamatkan sang putri. Tetapi sang putri tidak menghendakinya, dan dia berkata “Dia bukan orang yang tepat. Penyelamat sesungguku akan datang dan dia membwas potongan jepit rambut dan saputangan ini sebagai tanda”.  Tetapi sang pemuda yang dibicarakan oleh sang putri tidak kungjung datang. Tertekan dengan desakan pihak lain, sang raja pun berkata “Pernikahan harus dilaksanakan besok!”. Mendengar itu, sang putri pun bersedih, dia berjalan di jalanan kota, tetap mencari keberadaan sang penyelamat sejatinya. Stelah beberapa hari, tiba-tiba dia melihat tandu memasuki jalanan kota. Di dalam tandu pun dia melihat seorang pemuda yang memegang potongan jepit rambut dan sapu tangan.

            Sang putripun sangat bergembira. Dia pun membawa sang pemuda itu ke hadapan ayahnya dan memperlihatkan potongan jepit rambut dan saputangan yang dipegang sang pemuda dan mencocokannya dengan yang ia pegang. Melihat itu semua, sang raja percya bahwa sang pemuda di hadapannya lah yang telah menyelamatkan sang putri di dalam gua. Akhrinya, sang raja menghukum sang pemuda sebelumnya yang akan direncanakan untuk menikahi sang putri. Keesokannya, pernikahan diselenggarakan. Sang putrid an sang pemuda pun hidup bahagia di hari-harinya.

Catatan: “Burung berkepala Sembilan adalah cerita rakyat Cina yang diceritakan turun-temurun. Potongan jepit rambut adalah contoh potongan perhiasan yang digunakan sebagai tanda pengenal oleh pasangan tersebut (Yang Gui Fe). Ikan yang terpalu di dalam gua sebenarnya adalah anak dari sang naga. Di Cina, naga sering disimbolkan sebagai dewa laut. Botol labu kecil sering dianggap jimat dalam cerita rakyat Cina, dan kekuatan yang melayani sang pemilik botol biasannya terjebak di dalam botol ini.

The English version story is taken from || Cerita berbahasa inggris disadur dari here!

Long, long ago, there once lived a king and a queen who had a daughter. One day, when the daughter went walking in the garden, a tremendous storm suddenly came up and carried her away with it. Now the storm had come from the bird with nine heads, who had robbed the princess, and brought her to his cave. The king did not know whither his daughter had disappeared, so he had proclaimed throughout the land: “Whoever brings back the princess may have her for his bride!”

Now a youth had seen the bird as he was carrying the princess to his cave. This cave, though, was in the middle of a sheer wall of rock. One could not climb up to it from below, nor could one climb down to it from above. And as the youth was walking around the rock, another youth came along and asked him what he was doing there. So the first youth told him that the bird with nine heads had carried off the king’s daughter, and had brought her up to his cave.

The other chap knew what he had to do. He called together his friends, and they lowered the youth to the cave in a basket. And when he went into the cave, he saw the king’s daughter sitting there, and washing the wound of the bird with nine heads; for the hound of heaven had bitten off his tenth head, and his wound was still bleeding. The princess, however, motioned to the youth to hide, and he did so. When the king’s daughter had washed his wound and bandaged it, the bird with nine heads felt so comfortable, that one after another, all his nine heads fell asleep. Then the youth stepped forth from his hiding-place, and cut off his nine heads with a sword. But the king’s daughter said: “It would be best if you were hauled up first, and I came after.”

“No,” said the youth. “I will wait below here, until you are in safety.”

At first the king’s daughter was not willing; yet at last she allowed herself to be persuaded, and climbed into the basket. But before she did so, she took a long pin from her hair, broke it into two halves and gave him one and kept the other. She also divided her silken kerchief with him, and told him to take good care of both her gifts. But when the other man had drawn up the king’s daughter, he took her along with him, and left the youth in the cave, in spite of all his calling and pleading.

The youth now took a walk about the cave. There he saw a number of maidens, all of whom had been carried off by the bird with nine heads, and who had perished there of hunger. And on the wall hung a fish, nailed against it with four nails. When he touched the fish, the latter turned into a handsome youth, who thanked him for delivering him, and they agreed to regard each other as brothers. Soon the first youth grew very hungry.

He stepped out in front of the cave to search for food, but only stones were lying there. Then, suddenly, he saw a great dragon, who was licking a stone. The youth imitated him, and before long his hunger had disappeared. He next asked the dragon how he could get away from the cave, and the dragon nodded his head in the direction of his tail, as much as to say he should seat himself upon it. So he climbed up, and in the twinkling of an eye he was down on the ground, and the dragon had disappeared.

He then went on until he found a tortoise-shell full of beautiful pearls. But they were magic pearls, for if you flung them into the fire, the fire ceased to burn and if you flung them into the water, the water divided and you could walk through the midst of it. The youth took the pearls out of the tortoise-shell, and put them in his pocket. Not long after he reached the sea-shore. Here he flung a pearl into the sea, and at once the waters divided and he could see the sea-dragon.

The sea-dragon cried: “Who is disturbing me here in my own kingdom?” The youth answered: “I found pearls in a tortoise-shell, and have flung one into the sea, and now the waters have divided for me.”

“If that is the case,” said the dragon, “then come into the sea with me and we will live there together.” Then the youth recognized him for the same dragon whom he had seen in the cave. And with him was the youth with whom he had formed a bond of brotherhood: He was the dragon’s son.

“Since you have saved my son and become his brother, I am your father,” said the old dragon. And he entertained him hospitably with food and wine.

One day his friend said to him: “My father is sure to want to reward you. But accept no money, nor any jewels from him, but only the little gourd flask over yonder. With it you can conjure up whatever you wish.”

And, sure enough, the old dragon asked him what he wanted by way of a reward, and the youth answered: “I want no money, nor any jewels. All I want is the little gourd flask over yonder.”

At first the dragon did not wish to give it up, but at last he did let him have it, after all. And then the youth left the dragon’s castle.

When he set his foot on dry land again he felt hungry. At once a table stood before him, covered with a fine and plenteous meal. He ate and drank. After he had gone on a while, he felt weary. And there stood an ass, waiting for him, on which he mounted. After he had ridden for a while, the ass’s gait seemed too uneven, and along came a wagon, into which he climbed. But the wagon shook him up too, greatly, and he thought: “If I only had a litter! That would suit me better.” No more had he thought so, than the litter came along, and he seated himself in it. And the bearers carried him to the city in which dwelt the king, the queen and their daughter.

When the other youth had brought back the king’s daughter, it was decided to hold the wedding. But the king’s daughter was not willing, and said: “He is not the right man. My deliverer will come and bring with him half of the long pin for my hair, and half my silken kerchief as a token.”       when the youth did not appear for so long a time, and the other one pressed the king, the king grew impatient and said: “The wedding shall take place to-morrow!” Then the king’s daughter went sadly through the streets of the city, and searched and searched in the hope of finding her deliverer. And this was on the very day that the litter arrived. The king’s daughter saw the half of her silken handkerchief in the youth’s hand, and filled with joy, she led him to her father. There he had to show his half of the long pin, which fitted the other exactly, and then the king was convinced that he was the right, true deliverer. The false bridegroom was now punished, the wedding celebrated, and they lived in peace and happiness till the end of their days.

Note: “The Bird With Nine Heads” is a traditionally narrated fairy-tale. The long hair needle is an example of the halved jewel used as a sign of recognition by lovers (see “Yang Gui Fe”). The “Fish” in the cave is the dragon’s son, for like East Indian Nagaradjas, the Chinese dragons are often sea-gods. Gourd flasks often occur as magic talismans in Chinese fairy-tales, and spirits who serve their owners are often imprisoned in them.