The Clever Trick of Nang Cubling: The End of the Monkey Horde

Nang Cubling and his wife, Men Cubling, are a simple couple living in a small village. Every day, they work hard in the fruit garden which is their main source of livelihood. The garden is planted with various types of plants, such as bananas, which they care for with great patience and love. They pull out weeds, water the plants, and fertilize the soil carefully. This garden is their most valuable treasure, because the harvest will be their life's provision in the coming months. However, the happiness of working in the garden is not always smooth, because they are often haunted by big problems that come from a group of mischievous monkeys. The monkeys often damage the plants and steal almost ripe fruits. This anxiety makes them think of various ways to overcome this recurring problem.

Nang Cubling Successfully Captures a Monkey Named I Lutung (Source: Personal Collection)

After a long time their garden was damaged by a group of monkeys, Nang Cubling finally decided to take firm action. He could no longer bear to see the plants he had worked so hard to care for being destroyed just like that. So, with determination, Nang Cubling decided to set a trap. This trap was made from wood he collected from the surrounding forest. After the trap was finished, Nang Cubling placed bait in the form of fruit which the monkeys really liked. The next day, he returned to the garden with high hopes that the trap would work. How surprised Nang Cubling was when he saw that the trap he had made had succeeded in catching a monkey named I Lutung. Without waiting any longer, he took I Lutung to the river near the garden to slaughter him.

Nang Cubling Cleaning I Lutung Meat on the Riverbank (Source: Personal Collection)

On the banks of a calm river, Nang Cubling began to clean the I Lutung that he had slaughtered. Carefully, he skinned and separated the meat from the bones. While he was busy cleaning the meat, suddenly a big monkey approached him. The monkey saw what Nang Cubling was doing and asked, "Nang Cubling, what are you cleaning?" Calmly, Nang Cubling answered, "Oh, this is ilut meat," without mentioning that it was actually I Lutung meat. The big monkey left without suspicion. Not long after, another monkey came, this time a smaller monkey. Just like the previous one, the small monkey also asked what Nang Cubling was doing, and once again Nang Cubling answered with the same answer, "This is ilut meat." The two monkeys left without suspecting that what they were asking about was actually the meat of one of their own herd.

Skinny Monkey Tells His Family About I Lutung (Source: Personal Collection)

After some time had passed and Nang Cubling was almost done cleaning the meat, another monkey came over to him. This monkey was skinny, then he asked Nang Cubling in a curious tone, "What kind of meat are you cleaning, Nang Cubling?" At first, Nang Cubling still answered as before, "It's ilut meat." However, the skinny monkey kept asking questions, making Nang Cubling blurt out, "Huh, what kind of meat?" he asked again. "Ilut meat," Nang Cubling replied. "Oh, ilut meat, is ilut meat the same as pork?" he asked again. "Ilut meat is I Lutung meat, not pork!" Hearing Nang Cubling's statement, the skinny monkey was shocked and ran away while saying, "I will tell my other friends to raid your house, because you have killed our brother."

Men Cubling Pretending to Cry (Source: Personal Collection)

Shortly after, a group of angry monkeys arrived in front of Nang Cubling's house, angrily telling Nang Cubling to get out. Men Cubling came out with tears streaming down her cheeks. In a sobbing voice, she said, "My husband has died of a heart attack." The monkeys, who initially did not believe it, forced their way into the house to make sure. Inside, they saw Nang Cubling's body lying stiff on a bed, covered in a shroud. Their anger began to subside, replaced by pity when they saw what they thought was Nang Cubling's lifeless body. Men Cubling took advantage of this moment and asked the monkeys for help. "Please, I can't bury my husband alone. Will you help me dig a grave for him?" she said, sobbing. Without suspecting anything, the group of monkeys agreed to help and began digging a grave for Nang Cubling.

A Troop of Monkeys Trapped in a Hole They Dig (Source: Personal Collection)

After the monkeys finished digging a deep hole, Men Cubling quietly woke her husband up. Nang Cubling, who had been pretending to be dead, immediately got up from her bed and then Nang Cubling took a bamboo mat that had been prepared and covered the hole that had been dug by the monkeys. Meanwhile, Men Cubling swiftly took boiling water that he had prepared earlier in the kitchen. Without hesitation, Men Cubling began to pour the hot water into the hole where the monkeys were trapped. The sound of screams and cries of pain could be heard from inside the hole, as the hot water burned the bodies of the monkeys trapped inside. The monkeys tried to escape, but the bamboo mat that covered the hole prevented them from getting out. In the end, the monkeys that had been a nuisance to Nang Cubling and his wife died in the hole they had dug themselves.