In ancient times, an old warrior named Sura Menggala served on the island of Java. This name is beautiful - it means "Glorious Brave Man." But even though he was a glorious brave man, he had no luck in anything and his life was always poor and meager.
The Crown Prince knew about this and often gave him various gifts, but it did not make things easier for the warrior.
One day the prince called Sura to him and asked:
- Hey, Sura, how are you living now?
“I live well, prince,” Sura answered, so as not to upset him.
The prince again began to think about how to help the poor man so that he would not need anything. And he decided to give him another gift, and to make Sura even more happy, he decided not to tell him anything in advance.
“Sura,” said the prince, “take this letter to the governor of the district in Wonogari, and here is some money for you in case you want to eat on the way.”
Sura Menggala promised to carry out the order, but harbored a grudge in his soul. “To send an old man so far away and give him so little money for the journey! Oh, my bitter fate!” - he thought.
Sura sighed and set off. At a crossroads he met a friend named Rexa Karya.
-Where are you going, Sura?
- Don't ask, brother! It's so hot, and the prince sent me to take the letter to Wonogiri!
- What is there to grieve about? They will feed you a variety of delicious food there and give you sweet coffee, what’s better? How much money did the prince give you for expenses?
- Only one ringgit (small silver coin), but I may have to spend the night on the road.
- Well, I would have a lot of ringgit.
- That’s good - you’ll go to Wonogiri, and we’ll split the money equally! - Sura was happy.
“I agree,” Rexha said.
They divided the money, and Sura Menggala returned home, only stopping at a coffee shop on the way and drinking coffee. Rexa, satisfied, went to Wonogiri. He came to Wonogiri, went straight to the ruler’s house and gave him a letter. The ruler read the letter, smiled and said:
- Do you know what is written in this letter?
“No, sir,” Rexa Karya answers.
- Well, so much the better. Stay and live here with me. Rex stayed, and the owner of the house treated him very well; every day he was served more and more delicious dishes and sweet coffee, and Rexa loved sweets very much.
One day he saw that many guests were gathering at the ruler’s house, and heard that the ruler was giving his daughter in marriage. Only then did Rexha realize that in the letter the prince asked the ruler to marry the bearer of the letter to his daughter.
Of course, the prince planned this to help Sura Menggala, but you think one thing and it turns out completely different. Rexha was jubilant. And who wouldn’t rejoice at the opportunity to become the ruler’s son-in-law, especially if his daughter is so beautiful?
And then one day Sura Menggala heard that two newlyweds had arrived from Wonogiri. Sura asked people and found out that the newlywed was his friend Rexa Karya. Sura hurried to him and asked:
- What news?
“Good, brother,” he answered with a smile and told how the ruler took him as his son-in-law.
"I'm dead!" - thought Sura.
At this time, a beautiful young woman came out and served them food.
- Brother, who is this woman? Sura asked Rexa Carew.
“This is my wife, the daughter of the respected ruler of Wonogiri,” Rexha answered.
"I died twice!" - thought Sura Menggala and said:
- So this is your destiny. I am very glad for your happiness. Please give me at least ten rupees, you know what it’s like for me.
- I would be glad, but I don’t have that much. Here you have one rupee - take it!
“What can you do, I’m unlucky, nothing stays in my hands.” Well, all the best, brother. I wish you happiness with your young wife. - And, sighing, Sura went to his home.
The prince already knew that Sura Menggala had deceived him, and it was not he, but Rexha, who took the letter to the ruler of Wonogiri. However, the prince did not get angry - on the contrary, he began to sympathize even more with the ill-fated Sura. “Yes, Sura is unlucky, but will he never know joy? Let me try again!” - thought the prince and ordered Sura to be called to him. Pale, trembling with fear, Sura appeared before him. He thought that the prince was angry with him because of the letter, but he was mistaken: he greeted him warmly, gave him a large watermelon and said:
- Sura, take this watermelon for yourself. They sent me a few of them and they taste very good.
- Thank you, prince.
Sura Menggala happily accepted the gift and went home.
“And I was afraid that he was angry with me,” Sura thought on the way. “I really didn’t expect that I would receive a watermelon from him, and, apparently, such a sweet one.”
His path lay past the shop. “Yes, I almost forgot - I’ve run out of tobacco. I’d better sell this watermelon and buy more sugar and coffee with the proceeds,” thought Sura, but he didn’t go into the shop.
On the way to the house he met an old woman he knew.
-Where are you coming from, son? she asked.
“From service, mother,” answered Sura. — Do you want to buy this watermelon? He's very sweet.
-Where did you get it?
- The prince gave it.
- What is the price for him?
- How much will you give?
- Fifteen coins - do you agree?
- Fifteen coins for such a big watermelon? Yes, even twenty is not enough for him!
- Is it ripe?
- Certainly! Will they send the prince an unripe watermelon?
- Can I cut it?
- No, mother, take my word for it! - Sura was worried - what if the watermelon turned out to be unripe, then twenty coins would not get him for it.
The old woman took Sura at his word and paid him what he asked for. Sura went to the store, bought coffee, sugar and tobacco and, satisfied, returned home. The next day, when the old woman was thirsty, she remembered that she had a watermelon. She cut it open and froze in amazement: inside the watermelon there was not red pulp, but magnificent jewelry worth thousands of rupees!
Instantly the news spread around how the old widow had become rich by buying a watermelon from Sura Menggala.
Hearing this news, Sura sat down.
- I died three times! - he cried sadly and began to hit himself on the head. “The first time was when I found out that Rexa became the son-in-law of the ruler of Wonogiri instead of me, the second time was when I saw the ruler’s beautiful daughter, and the third time is now.” Oh, woe is me!
While Sura was mourning his bitter fate, a messenger from the prince arrived with a letter. Sura was supposed to take this letter to the military commander.
“Well, I won’t miss this opportunity,” Sura thought on the way. “Here it is, a gift from the prince that will bring me good luck! It’s probably bigger than before. Maybe they’ll promote me in rank or increase my salary, and I’ll become at least a minister. Or... maybe the military leader himself will take me as his son-in-law? They say his eldest daughter is also not bad, although not as beautiful as the ruler’s daughter.”
He brought the letter to the military commander, and he read aloud:
- “The bearer of this letter violated the order twice. Put him in prison for two months.”
Sura heard this, his head began to spin, his legs gave way, and he sighed heavily and sat down on the ground.
“Now I really am dead.” Died four times! Oh fate...
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru