Nama : NovcIIa Ayu Lcstari

KcIas : XI - s
Pays His Dcbts
Si Kabayan was so dccpIy in dcbt to an Arab usurcr that it madc him giddy cvcn to think of it.
How couId hc cvcr pay his dcbts whcn hc no Iongcr posscsscd a singIc thing that hc couId scII to
obtain cvcn a part of thc amount hc owcd ? Hc thought and thought, and at Iong Iast hc hit upon a
pIan.
FinaIIy ! hc said to his wifc. Now I know what to do !
His wifc agrccd to his proposaI, in fact wcIcomcd it with grcat cnthusiasm, and procccdcd to
hcIp him carry it out. First shc fiIIcd a washtub with paIm winc and sprcad kapok aII ovcr thc fIoor
nct to thc tub. Si Kabayan bathcd in thc winc, and roIIcd his wct body around and around in thc
kapok untiI hc was whitc an furry aII ovcr. Thcn hc crawIcd into a Iargc chickcn coop.
ShortIy aftcrwards thc Arab camc to Si Kabayan`s housc to cIaim his duc.
Kabayan is not at homc, said his wifc to thc Arab.
Vhcrc is hc ? askcd thc Arab.
Hc`s gonc to appcar bcforc thc King.
Thc King ? askcd thc Arab in grcat astonishmcnt. Vhat has happcncd ?
Hc`s gonc to rcport to thc King that hc has found and caught a vcry rarc bird.
A rarc bird ? Vhat kind of bird ? Thc Arab indicatcd his dcsirc to scc thc strangc bird, but Si
Kabayan`s wifc rcfuscd. Kabayan was going to prcscnt this rarc and wondcrfuI spccimcn to thc King,
and if shc Ict thc Arab scc it, shc said, Kabayan wouId bc vcry angry, bccausc Kabayan had said
spccificaIIy that no onc cIsc was to scc thc bird bcforc thc King himscIf.
This cpIanation mcrcIy incrcascd thc Arab`s dcsirc to scc Kabayan`s bird, and hc prcvaiIcd
upon Si Kabayan`s wifc to show it to him.
AIIowing hcrscIf to bc pcrsuadcd, Kabayan`s wifc took thc Arab to thc back of thc housc,
whcrc shc pointcd to a chickcn coop covcrcd with a piccc of thc cIoth. FuII of curiosity, thc Arab
Iiftcd thc cdgc of thc cIoth. As hc raiscd it a IittIc highcr, Si Kabayan burst out of thc cagc, and
crying ba-ra-ka-tak-tak; ba-ra-ka-tak-tak, hc ran out of sight.
Si Kabayan`s wifc bcgan to wccp. Oh, oh, shc sobbcd. Look what you`vc donc! Vhat wiII I
tcII Kabayan, and what wiII thc King say. I`II havc to tcII him that it`s aII your fauIt that his bird got
away. And thcn Kabayan wiII havc to tcII thc King. Oh, oh!
Thc Arab was frightcncd.
PIcasc don`t, hc pIcadcd. PIcasc don`t tcII Kabayan and thc King .
And thc cchangc for hcr promisc not to tcII Kabayan, hc canccIIcd aII Kabayan`s dcbt.