Pelandok Tale in Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (dated back in 1907)

Tak sangka!!! saya sungguh tidak menyangka.. cerita dongeng kita sebenarnya telah dijurnalkan pada 100 tahun lampau. Hikayat sang kancil yang selalu saya dengar semasa kecil-kecil dulu,
sama ada diceritakan oleh ayah, nenek, Tokku (atuk), cikgu Yazid (masa di sekolah rendah), serta cikgu2 lain, bahkan kakak sepupu saya Kak Wan yg suka berbari,
rupanya telah diterbitkan dalam Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society pada sekitar 1907.. itu sekitar arwah atuk saya masih kanak2.. Bayangkan betapa rajinnya mat2 salleh ini merekodkan kesusteraan orang2 melayu, untuk apa tujuan mereka pun tak dapat saya fikirkan.
di sini saya cut n paste utk tatapan semua..

A Pelandok Tale. #
The story is told that once on a time in the old on days the king of a certain country was out hunting, ho had been out many days and had got nothing. Owing to the noise that was made by all his followers all the animals had run right away. A certain pelandok was also running away.

While he was busy running along glancing to the right and to the left, he came to a certain place where there was a pond, into which he fell. He swam to the west and ho swam to the east look- ing for a place to get up but he could not find one.

While he was in this fix an elephant passed. Now at that time of day there happened to be a very big storm indeed with thunder booming and lightning crackling hither and thither.
When the pelandok saw the elephant, he said to him, " Ho Ka Sang Gajah, are you not afraid that the sky will fall in? Just listen to the noiso, rum rum."
The elephant said, " If the sky is really going to tumble in, I am afraid it may hit me, and if it hits me I shall die."
The elephant then said, " What are you doing down there in that very deep well ? "
The pelandok replied, " Oh I have two reasons for being in this well, first I ran away from this sky that is going to fall in, then secondly I saw very rare game in this well which has never been seen by my grand- fathers, great-grand-fathers, great-groat-grand-fathers or great-great-great-grand-fathers, who were before me."
The elephant then said, " If that is really so, may I also come in and get away from this sky that is on the point of failing in ? May I too see this game ? "
The pelandok said, " If you are frightened and if you want to see this game, come along."

* This tale is by Penghulu Mohamed Noordin bin Jaffa r of Kota 8tia, Lower I'erak. The source is unknown. ft. A. Soc., Xo. 48, 1907. 28


A PELANDOK TALE.

So the elephant tumbled right down into tho woll. After that a tiger came along, on whom the same trick was played. And then a rhinoceros on whom the same trick was played. And then a deer on whom the same trick was played. And then a wild pig on whom the same trick was played.
When they were all inside the well, the pelandok said, 41 Hei, I fooled you that time."

When the tiger heard what the pelandok said he (the tiger) said, " Very good, Salam di Rimba, if over I get out of this well, I will eat you."
While he was saying this the pelandok took a piece of wood and began to tease the elephant.
The elephant said, " Stop that, or I shall kick you." But the pelandok paid no attention and went on teasing.
At last the elephant kicked him right up on to the ground outside, saying, ** Now you aro sure to be killed when struck by the sky."
The pelandok said, " Oh that was merely my cunning. I wanted to get out and could not, so 1 said the sky would fall in,"
Just then the tiger scrambled up to the edge and got away into the jungle, saying as he went " If ever I catch you, I'll eat you."
After that the pelandok went to some people and saidi 44 Hoo ee . . . . gentles and lords, in that well there, there aro many beasts. Elephants, rhinoceroses, pigs and deer have fallen into it. You can go and take them."
After that ho went on his way. The tiger also went on bis, looking for the pelandok, but the pelandok kept on moving.
After two or three days the pelandok came across a very large hornets' nest. Indeed the noise of the hornets could be hoard about twenty?yards away.
He walked on very slowly carrying a leaf with him, and then he sat down near the hornets' nest which he gentle fanned.
A short time aftor he was so seatod the tiger came along and said to him,
4< This time I really will eat you, Salam di Eimba."


A PELANDOK TALE. 29

The pelandok said, " Don't talk of eating me when I have had orders from King Solomon to take care of his gong."
The tiger said, " Is that really King Solomon's gong that you are looking after ? "
The pelandok answered/ 4 Are you deaf ? Listen care- fully.
Does not it sound hy itself? When it is struck its sound is wonderfully sweet. So delicious is it that perhaps if you were to hear it you could neither eat nor sleep."
The tiger said, " Hei Salam di Kimba, may I try and strike it?
I am very anxious to listen to the sound."
The pelandok answered, " Ka Sang Rimau, you are speaking like a madman. You are speaking as if it were my own. Still I don't know. If you very much want to hear it I will go and tell King Solomon. If he allows it, you may strike. But mind you strike it when I say you may, and not before."
The tiger replied, " Very well.''
So the pelandok rushed away. When he got some way off he said, " Ho Ka Sang Rimau, King Solomon commands you to strike."
When the tiger heard that he struck it with his paw. The hornets stung him all over his body. The tiger ran here and there in very great pain. He threw his whole soul into his running.
The tiger said, " Very good. I have not got hold of you yet : but if ever I do meet you, there is not the slightest doubt that I will eat you."
After that the pelandok walked on very hungry and looking for some food. Two or three days later he came across a very large and extremely handsomely striped python. Its coils were just like a very handsomely striped cloth. The pelandok sat down by it. The tiger walked on in a rage looking for the pelandok.
At last he met him and said to him, " This time your doom has overtaken you, Salam di Rimba." The pelandok said, " Don't keep on talking of dooms. Look first. What is this ? Do you know its name ? "
B. A. Hoc., No. 48, 1907.

panjang lagi ceritanya.. saya terjumpa secara kebetulan sahaja, itupun online, bukan dari mana2 perpustakaan. Cuma ada perbezaan lah, kalau 100 tahun lampau dipanggil pelanduk, sekarang ni dipanggil Kancil.. Ho Ka Sang Gajah pada hemat saya sepatutnya berbunyi Ho Kau Sang Gajah.. tapi ini dari kaca mata saya la,mungkin ahli sejarah/sastera lebih mengetahui.. ini web add nya: http://www.archive.org/stream/journalstraitsb00brangoog/journalstraitsb00brangoog_djvu.txt

rajin sungguh mat2 saleh zaman lampau merekodkan cerita dongeng kita ni yer??!! walhal kita ini pula hanya menurunkan cerita ini dari mulut ke mulut.. memang ada buku cerita kanak2 pasal hikayat sang kancil ini ttp saya seperti percaya tak percaya cerita sebegini diterbitkan dalam jurnal oleh mereka.. apa yg mereka fikir pada waktu tersebut? Hmm dan apa pula ye sepatutnya yg kita boleh amik pengajaran??