PAST AND OLD STORY

Salah sebuah gunung yang sangat masyhur di negara kita ialah Gunung Ledang. Gunung ini terletak di negeri Johor. Nama gunung ini begitu masyhur kerana terdapat sebuah cerita legenda berkaitannya. Kononnya, pada suatu zaman dahulu di atas gunung itu tinggal seorang puteri yang jelita. Namanya terkenal sebagai Puteri Gunung Ledang.

Orang-orang kampung yang pergi mencari hasil hutan di gunung itu, sekali-sekala pernah terserempak dengan Puteri Gunung Ledang. Kadang-kadang orang terserempak puteri itu menyamar sebagai perempuan tua.

Puteri Gunung Ledang sangat baik hati. Dia selalu memberikan makanan dan menolong orang yang tersesat jalan. Namun, bukan semua orang berpeluang bertemu dengan Puteri Gunung Ledang. Dia hanya muncul sekali-sekala sahaja, terutama untuk membantu orang yang berada dalam kesusahan.

Oleh sebab itu, tidak hairanlah, jika nama Puteri Gunung Ledang menjadi sebutan di mana-mana.

Sultan Mahmud Syah yang memerintah di negeri Melaka pada masa itu juga turut mendengar khabar tentang Puteri Gunung Ledang. Baginda bercita-cita ingin mengahwini Puteri Gunung Ledang. Baginda lalu memberitahu hal itu kepada para pembesarnya."Pergilah beberapa orang daripada kamu ke Gunung Ledang itu. Beta mahu kamu mencari dan meminang Puteri Gunung Ledang. Beritahulah kepada Puteri Gunung Ledang bahawa beta mahu menjadikannya sebagai permaisuri beta," titah Sultan Mahmud.

Beberapa orang pembesar Melaka segera pergi ke Gunung Ledang. Salah seorang daripada mereka ialah Tun Mamat. Berhari-hari lamanya mereka mendaki gunung itu dengan segala susah payah. Puas mereka cuba mencari, namun Puteri Gunung Ledang tidak ditemui.

Tun Mamat cuba berjalan seorang diri untuk mencari Puteri Gunung Ledang. Akhirnya, Tun Mamat berjaya bertemu dengan Puteri Gunung Ledang. Kawasan tempat tinggalnya sangat indah kerana penuh dengan pelbagai jenis bunga.

Tun Mamat lalu menyampaikan titah daripada Sultan Mahmud itu. Puteri Gunung Ledang enggan menjadi permaisuri Sultan Mahmud. Tetapi dia tidak tergamak untuk menolak pinangan itu. Oleh yang demikian, dia memberikan beberapa syarat.

"Jikalau Sultan Mahmud dapat memenuhi semua syarat tersebut, barulah saya bersetuju menjadi permaisuri baginda," kata Puteri Gunung Ledang kepada Tun Mamat. Tun Mamat bergegas pulang ke Melaka. Beliau lalu memberitahu hal itu kepada Sultan Mahmud.

"Apakah syarat-syarat yang dipinta oleh Puteri Gunung Ledang itu?" Sultan Mahmud ingin tahu.

"Puteri Gunung Ledang mahukan sebuah jambatan emas dibina dari Kota Melaka ke Gunung Ledang, setempayan air pinang masak, setempayan hati nyamuk, setempayan hati kuman, semangkuk darah tuanku, dan semangkuk darah putera Raja Melaka," jelas Tun Mamat.

Termenunglah Sultan Mahmud mendengar segala syarat peminangan yang diberitahu oleh Tun Mamat.

Setelah berfikir panjang, akhirnya Sultan Mahmud bertitah, "Segala syarat itu jika beta mahu, nescaya beta mampu menunaikannya. Tetapi syarat untuk mendapatkan semangkuk darah anakanda beta, tiada sanggup beta menunaikannya. Beta tidak sanggup mengambil darah anakanda beta sendiri."

Semua pembesar berdiam diri mendengar kata-kata itu.

"Tidak mengapalah, wahai Tun Mamat! Beta batalkan hasrat untuk meminang Puteri Gunung Ledang itu," titah Sultan Mahmud lagi. Dengan demikian, tidak jadilah Sultan Mahmud meminang Puteri Gunung Ledang. Baginda tidak sanggup mengorbankan nyawa anakanda kesayangannya.

Selepas peristiwa itu, tiada seorang pun dapat bertemu dengan Puteri Gunung Ledang lagi.

The Snake And The Three Sisters

In a small village, near the sea, there lived a widow with her three daughters. The two elder daughters, were not pretty and not kind. Their names were Kuntum and Kembang. The youngest daughter however, was very different. She was sweet and gentle and was given the name of Ayu (the gentle one) by all her friends.

Every day, when the old woman went to the market, she had to pass a mango tree, which had small but sweet fruits. The old woman always searched under the tree for any mangoes which had fallen during the night.

One day however, there were no mangoes on the ground, although the tree was full of fruits. "Never mind," she said. "Somebody else had taken the fruit. How unlucky I am today."

After she had said these words, she got a big fright. With a loud hiss, a huge snake appeared from among the leaves. His sharp little eyes looked straight at the old woman.

"I was only looking for some mangoes," said the frightened old woman. "My daughters love them very much."
The snake hissed again. The old woman thought that she might still take some mangoes home. "Sir," she said bravely, "Would you give me one mango? In return, I will allow you to marry my eldest daughter."

Then, one small mango dropped on the ground. The old woman picked it up, then she said, "If you give me another mango, you can choose between my first and my second daughters."

Another mango fell on the ground.

"Well sir," said the widow eagerly, "What would you give me for my sweet Ayu?"

Many fruits dropped from the tree. The old woman quickly picked up the delicious fruits and put them in her basket. Thanking the snake, she hurried home. Only then did she realized the dreadful thing she had promised the snake. She ran along the road.

On the way she met a monkey swinging from a branch. "What nice mangoes you have there, auntie. Please give me some," she begged.

"Here, take one, little monkey, but if a snake passed by, don't tell him which way I have gone." Then she quickly walked on. After a while, the old woman met a bird. The bird was sitting up in a tree guarding its nest. The bird said, "Your mangoes look ripe and juicy. Please give me one. My children are hungry." Here dear bird. Take the mango, but if a snake passed this way don't tell him you have seen me," answer the widow.

She walked on until she reached the road which led to her house. There she met a child.

"Oh please, auntie, give me one of those mangoes," the child asked.

"Here my love, have one, but if you see a big snake, don't tell him where I live," answered the widow. She gave the child one of her mangoes. At last she was home. She close the door tightly behind her. Then she showed her basketful of mangoes to her three girls. However, she did not tell them who had given her the fruits.

In the meantime, the snake had slid down the tree and followed the woman. Soon, he met a monkey who was sucking on a mango. "Which way did the woman who give you that mango go little frind?" hissed the snake. " You had better tell me, or i'll eat you up."

The frightned monkey quickly pointed in the direction, which the widow had taken. Soon the snake passed a tree. On the tree he saw, the mother bird feeding her little ones a ripe mango. "Which way did the woman who gave you that mango go, little friend?" hissed the snake. "You had better tell me or I'll eat you and your little ones."

The frightned bird quickly pointed in the direction which the widow had taken. He crawled until finally he came to a village. The snake looked around to find out which was the widow's house. At the moment, he saw a child staring at him. The child was peeling a ripe mango.

"Little one, where does the woman who gave you that mango live? Tell me, or I'll eat you up." he hissed.

With a trembling hand, the child pointed out the widow's house. The snake slid, towards the house and went around the house until he found an open window. In a flash, he was inside and had hid himself in a dark corner. He waited until nightfall when the widow and her daughters had gone to bed.

In the middle of the night, the poor woman was sudenly awaken by something cold and heavy on her legs. She knew immediately it was the snake. Now she had to keep her promise or the snake would surely kill her.Or sir, have pity on a poor widow," she begged. But the snake only coiled himself more tighly around her legs. The frightned woman called out to her daughters. When the girls saw the snake, they were very frightned. With a trembling voice, the widow told them what had happened that morning under the mango tree.

"Kuntum, would you save my life and marry him? asked the widow.

"Me! Marry a snake! Oh mother, never in my life!" shouted Kuntum, and she ran out of the room.

"What about you, Kembang?" asked the widow.

"No, no, I can't do that!" said Kembang and she followed her sister.

Only Ayu stayed behind.

"Ayu, my dear, will you marry master snake to save my life?" pleaded the mother for the third time.

"Of course I will, mother," said the good Ayu. As soon as he heard her words, the snake slid away from the widow and moved closer to Ayu. The next day, Ayu and the snake were married. The sweet and gentle girl took care of her husband and she fed him fresh milk and soft boiled rice. She prepared a basket for him to sleep in which she put by her own bedside.

A week after the marriage, the widow asked her daughter, "Ayu, are you happy?"

"Oh yes, mother, I am," answered the girl with a smile. "Ever since I married master snake, I have had wonderful dreams. Every night I dream a handsome young prince comes to me and tells me the most wonderful stories."

"This is truly a most remarkable snake," thought the widow. "Perhaps he is enchanted." She decided to stay awake that night and watch her daughter's bed. Nothing happened until midnight, when the widow heard a slight rustling from the basket. She peered into the dark and saw to her surprise, a handsome man rising from the basket. He went to Ayu's bed and gently put his arms around the sleeping girl, whispering soft words in her ear.

Carefully, the widow crawled to the basket. In it, she saw a crumpled snake skin. Quickly, she snatched it from the basket and rushed to the kitchen. She threw the skin into the fire where it was quickly burnt to the ashes. The widow had succeeded in breaking the spell which had bound the young man. When the two sisters saw how handsome and charming Ayu's husband was, they were very jealous. However, they pretended to be nice and kind to their younger sister. But only Ayu's husband knew that they were wicked and unkind. So, he decided to set up a plan to test the two sisters.

The next morning, he told his mother-in-law that he was going to sail away for a month. During his absence, he advised his wife, to be patient and to take good care of herself. He knew that the two sisters were jealous and were thinking of something evil. He hid himself in the village and kept track of what happened in the house.

True enough, when Ayu's husband left, they thought of a plan of to get rid of their younger sister. One day, they invited their little sister to go for a walk at the beach. The little sister was very happy because she hadn't been out for a long time. After enjoying walking along the beach, Kuntum, and Kembang asked Ayu to play in a small rowing boat.

When Ayu was in the little rowing boat, the two sisters pretended to help to push the boat. Then suddenly, they pushed it out towards the open sea. The boat was soon swept away. It was tossed in the woves with poor Ayu in it. Ayu cried for help but her cruel sisters only laughed.Bye bye, dear sister," they called out. "We will take good care of your husband when he comes home."

Meanwhile, Ayu's husband saw everything that took place. When the two wicked sisters, had left, Ayu's husband quickly swam into the sea and saved his wife.

Ayu was indeed happy to see her husband.

On seeing Ayu, Kuntum and Kembang turned pale. "A ghost, a ghost!" they shrieked.

"No, not a ghost," said the man. "This is your sister whom you tried to get rid off."

When the villagers heard how cruel the two sisters had been to Ayu, they chased them away from the village. Ayu and her husband stayed in the village for the rest of their lives and were loved by anymore.

She was saved at last when her husband was around. They rested in an empty shed in the village. The next day, they decided to meet Ayu's mother.