Indonesia
Tale of Fatimah, The Milking Girl
Fatimah was a 12 years old girl who lived alone with her mom or Mak. Everyday, she helped her milking the cow in the barn on their backyard. The name was Mak Sapi, the only cow they had. Her father left it when he died five years ago. Mak Sapi was the only source of money they had.
In the morning Fatimah woke up before the roster started alarming the neighborhood. Fatimah would scrape the floor and cleaning it up. After that Fatimah went to greet Mak Sapi, tapping her back. “Good morning, Mak Sapi,” she said. Mak Sapi would bellow as if to greet her back. Mak Sapi understood and permitted Fatimah to take her milk.
Fatimah prepared two buckets, she filled one with warm water and the other for the milk. Fatimah washed Mak Sapi’s nipples with warm water and wiped with clean towel. She did that gently while singing softly, making Mak Sapi relaxed and convenient. After that, Fatimah started to milk the cow. It was Sunday, the day when Mak promised to give all the profit from the milk to her daughter. Fatimah was so happy for it. After done with milking, Fatimah brought the milk in the bucket on her head.
On her way to the market, Fatimah started to calculate the money she would get from selling the milk and what to buy with it. “I know, I will buy some hens from Mang Dede,” she said. “The hens will lay eggs every morning and I will sell them to Ceu Eneng. I will use the profit from the eggs to buy a beautiful gown, decorated with lace and a hat for my head. Then I will go to the market using my new gown and hat. I will be so pretty that no one will have a nerve to call my name! even Siti, the most beautiful girl of this village will be jealous of me.”
“Every boy will fix their eyes on me when I walk by. They will hiss my name but I will ignore them. Maybe I will lay eyes for a second and leave, swinging my hair like this,” she went on with the scenario in her head. While mumbling, Fatimah throw her head back, swinging her hair and… what a shame, the bucket on her head fell and all the milk in it spilled on the ground.
Fatimah was shocked upon what happened. All the milk she had this morning was gone, nothing left in the bucket. Fatimah was so sad, she picked up the bucket and start limping home.
At home, Fatimah told Mak what just happened. “Ah…, girl…,” Mak Said.
Retold from Aesops Fable by Maharani Indri
PHOTO: THINKSTOCKS PHOTOS
