The Magic Tambourine
In a wee little hamlet, once upon a time, there lived an old widow and her son. Kundang, for that, was the boy's name, had an innocent child-like nature and, therefore, people took him to be a simpleton. One day, the three village vagabonds, Colak, Colik, and Dholak, known for their naughty pranks, were wandering by the stream when they heard someone singing. Peering through the thick bush they saw Kundang, eyes half-closed, blissfully basking in the warm sunshine beside the brook. His donkey grazed on the pastures nearby. The three at once gave a gleeful chuckle. For, they seldom missed any chance to play their wicked tricks upon him. One of them threw a big stone into the stream, splashing water all over Kundang. Shaken from his sweet reverie, the boy turned back and saw the three friends laughing heartily.
"Good morning, reverend sir," they greeted him, bowing ceremoniously. "What's this fairy tale about that you are singing?" asked Colak. "Tomorrow I'm going to sell my donkey in the market," replied Kundang dreamily. "How much do you want for it?" put in Colik. "Three hundred rupiahs! You see, he's very clever and hard-working," said Kundang, as the beast brayed loudly. "Hurrah! Our Kundang is going to be rich and will soon take a wife!" they shouted in one voice and walked away. Very early the next morning, even before the cock had begun to crow, Kundang's mother shook him up from sleep and said, "Last night I had a dream, a beautiful dream it was, I saw there's a good fortune awaiting us in the town beyond the hills." "So what?" asked her son still half asleep. "Let's pack up and shift to the town!" said the simple woman. "Then, what about the donkey?" he asked. "On our way, we'll halt at the market and sell it off. We were already planning to sell it, isn't that so?" said his mother, adding, "You proceed to the market while I gather some fruit and berries from the woods. Mind you, for not less than three hundred rupiahs should you let the beast go," strictly instructed the cautious woman. Kundang had not gone very far when he met one of the three rogues. "What a healthy sheep!" Dholak exclaimed, patting the animal. "But you had said you wanted to sell a donkey, didn't you?" "You fool! Do you have only buttons for your eyes? Can't you recognize an animal as big as this?" replied the young man angrily.
Dholak knelt down and carefully examined the animal, feeling it from tail to the head. Then suddenly he burst into guffaws. "Ho! Ho! Ho! You think this gentle sheep to be a donkey, eh! Of course, people take you as a simpleton. Just give it to me for thirty rupiahs, which is much more than its worth." "Get off my way. Whatever it may be, a donkey or a monkey I won't sell it for a rupiah less than three hundred," retorted Kundang and strode away. He had only gone a few yards when he came across Colak. "How much do you expect for this sickly little sheep?" he asked, saluting him. "It's no sheep! It's a donkey, you fathead!" shouted back the angry boy. "Is it so?" answered Colak feigning astonishment. He then began scrutinizing the beast and in the process got underneath its stomach and started imitating, very accurately indeed, the sound of a sheep. "This animal will only fetch you a meager ten rupiahs. I offer you fifty for it. Give it to me and you don't have to go all the way to the market." Kundang most adamantly shook his head and without a word continued on his way. However, he now began to wonder whether the animal he was leading was really a donkey or a sheep. Two people had said it was a sheep. He patted its back, pulled its ears, and even punched its stomach. There emanated a long loud bray. Convinced that the beast was a donkey, he trodded along.