THE FOLKTALE OF PENYUMPIT AND PUTRI MALAM
Image by Erlian Zakia Ayu Anggarani from Pixabay Long ago, there lived a young man called Penyumpit in a village in Bangka-Belitung. He lived in a little house left by his parents. His father often borrowed money from Pak Raje the village head when he was alive. Pak Raje was a rich man but he was very cunning and stingy. The debts of Penyumpit’s father had never been paid off because Pak Raje always raised the interest rates. Though both the parents already passed away, Pak Raje never legally declared the debts void. Penyumpit should pay his late father’s debts by taking care of Pak Raje’s rice field. As the harvest was coming, Penyumpit should safeguard the rice field day and night. Pak Raje would fine him if the rice field got damaged. This was what Pak Raje told Penyumpit before going to the rice field. In fact, Pak Raje knew it was very likely that wild pigs would enter the paddy field and ate the crop. When the harvest came, Penyumpit had to cut and gather the crop in the daytime