Fable from Sulawesi, Animals’ Football

INDONESIA

Sepak Bola Binatang

Konon, di sebuah daerah di Sulawesi Selatan, ada sebuah padang rumput yang terbentang luas yang menjadi tempat berbagai jenis binatang seperti sapi, kerbau, gajah, keledai, kijang, dan lain sebagainya untuk merumput.

Pada suatu hari, gerombolan sapi dan kerbau bertemu di padang rumput tersebut. Kebetulan mereka datang bersamaan dan hendak merumput di bagian padang rumput yang hijau dan subur. Mereka bergerombol dan saling berebut untuk menguasai di tempat itu.

“Hei, Sapi! Rumput ini bagian kami. Kalian pindah ke tempat lain!” seru seekor kerbau.

“Tidak! Kami juga berhak makan di sini. Lagi pula kita datang bersamaan,” jawab seekor sapi.

Oleh karena tidak ada yang mau mengalah, akhirnya mereka saling dorong dan akhirnya terjadilah perkelahian. Para binatang lainnya yang juga merumput di padang itu bersorak-sorai memberi semangat. Maka makin serulah perkelahian antara gerombolan sapi dan kerbau. Perkelahian tersebut tampak seimbang. Mereka saling tanduk dan saling dorong dengan sekuat tenaga. Sesekali gerombolan sapi itu mengeluarkan bunyi lenguh yang sangat keras.

“Mooohhhh...!”

Hingga siang hari, perkelahian tersebut masih berlangsung dan belum ada yang kalah atau pun menang. Tidak lama kemudian, Singa sang Raja Hutan, tiba-tiba muncul dari balik semak belukar di pinggir padang rumput. Melihat perkelahian itu, ia pun segera mengaung.

“Auuunngggg...!”

“Hei, hentikan perkelahian itu!” seru sang Singa dengan marah.

Mendengar seruan itu, gerombolan sapi dan kerbau itu pun berhenti berkelahi. Para binatang lain yang menjadi penonton pun berhenti bersorak-sorai. Semuanya menundukkan kepala dan tidak berani bergerak sedikit pun, karena takut kepada sang Raja Hutan.

“Berkelahi lagi, berkelahi lagi...! Hampir setiap hari terjadi perkelahian di tempat ini. Kemarin rusa dengan kambing berkelahi karena rumput. Dua hari yang lalu keledai dan kuda juga berkelahi memperebutkan rumput. Sekarang kerbau dan sapi juga berkelahi. Semuanya gara-gara rumput,” kata sang Raja Hutan.

Oleh karena tidak ingin kembali terjadi pertikaian, Sang Raja Hutan menyuruh semua binatang untuk berkumpul di tengah padang rumput.

“Dengarkan kalian semua! Aku tidak ingin melihat lagi ada perkelahian di antara kalian. Untuk itu, aku ingin mengusulkan bagaimana kalau diadakan pertandingan sepak bola untuk membina persahabatan di antara penghuni hutan ini?” usul sang Raja Hutan.

“Setujuuu....!” teriak seluruh binatang yang hadir di tempat itu.

Mereka menyambut gembira usulan itu, karena di samping dapat membina persahabatan juga menjadi hiburan bagi mereka, baik sebagai peserta maupun penonton. Mereka yang ingin mengikuti pertandingan itu segera mendaftarkan timnya. Tim yang paling pertama mendaftar adalah kerbau, kemudian menyusul sapi, gajah, keledai, kuda, kambing, domba, dan seterusnya. Sedangkan sang Raja Hutan hanya berperan sebagai wasit, karena jika timnya ikut dalam pertandingan tersebut, pasti binatang lain akan segan kepadanya.  

Keesokan harinya, pertandingan sepak bola antar binatang itu pun dimulai. Pada pertandingan hari pertama, tim kambing berhadapan dengan tim domba. Kedua tim itu tampak bersiap-siap menempati posisi masing-masing. Sementara binatang lainnya yang menjadi penonton telah memenuhi pinggir lapangan. Mereka sudah tidak sabar lagi ingin menyaksikan pertandingan seru itu.

“Ayo...! Ayo..., kalian bisa...!” terdengar suara penonton memberi semangat kepada tim kesayangan mereka.

Setelah kedua tim bersiap, sang Wasit pun meniup peluitnya sebagai tanda pertandingan dimulai. Pertandingan itu pun berlansung seru dan menarik. Terkadang pula menimbulkan kelucuan, sehingga mengundang tawa para penonton. Pada pertandingan itu tim kambing menang 2 – 1 atas tim domba. Pertandingan berikutnya dilanjutkan keesokan harinya dan seterusnya.

Setelah pertandingan berlansung beberapa hari, maka tinggallah empat tim yang berhasil masuk ke babak semifinal, yaitu tim kuda, gajah, kerbau, dan sapi. Pada semifinal pertama, tim kuda berhadapan dengan tim sapi. Pada pertandingan itu, tim kuda tampil kurang bersemangat, karena sehari sebelumnya, raja mereka meninggal dunia dimakan usia. Akhirnya, pertandingan itu dimenangkan oleh tim sapi dan berhasil masuk ke babak final.

Keesokan harinya, semifinal kedua, tim gajah berhadapan dengan tim kerbau. Sesaat sebelum pertandingan dimulai, tiba-tiba turun hujan deras sehingga lapangan padang rumput tergenang air. Melihat kondisi itu, tim gajah menolak untuk bertanding hari itu. Namun, tim kerbau merasa keberatan jika pertandingan itu ditunda. Oleh karena kedua tim tidak ada yang mau mengalah, akhirnya terjadilah pertengkaran. Melihat keadaan itu, sang Wasit pun segera turun tangan.

“Untuk tidak mengecewakan para penonton yang sudah berdatangan ingin menyaksikan permainan kalian, maka pertandingan semifinal kedua ini harus dilangsungkan hari ini juga, walaupun lapangan banjir,” tegas sang Wasit.

Oleh karena sudah merupakan keputusan wasit yang tidak dapat diganggu gugat, maka pertandingan antara tim gajah dan kerbau harus dilangsungkan pada hari itu juga. Akibatnya, tim gajah selalu mendapat serangan bertubi-tubi dari tim kerbau. Tim gajah tidak dapat bergerak dan berlari, karena lapangan becek dan licin. Beberapa kali tim gajah terjatuh dan terjungkal di lapangan, sehingga menjadi sebuah tontonan yang lucu dan menarik.

Sementara itu, tim kerbau dengan leluasa bergerak dan berlari kesana kemari sambil menggiring bola, karena mereka sudah terbiasa bermain-main dan mandi di kubangan yang becek dan banjir. Sudah dapat dipastikan sebelumnya bahwa pertandingan itu dimenangkan oleh tim kerbau. Tim kerbau menang dengan skor 3 – 0 atas tim gajah. Akhirnya di babak final, tim kerbau bertemu dengan musuh bebuyutannya, yakni tim sapi yang sudah masuk babak final terlebih dahulu.

Sebelum para pemain dan penonton bubar, wasit mengumumkan bahwa jadwal pertandingan babak final akan dilangsungkan dua hari lagi.

“Saya sengaja menunda jadwal pertandingan babak final ini sampai dua hari lagi untuk memberi waktu para pemain untuk beristirahat, agar kedua tim tersebut dapat tampil lebih baik dan menarik, sehingga para penonton dapat terhibur,” kata sang Wasit.

“Kami juga setuju jika pertandingan ini ditunda. Kami harus memulihkan tenaga terlebih dahulu,” kata kapten kesebelasan tim sapi.

“Kami juga setuju,” sahut kapten kesebelsan tim kerbau.

 Setelah itu, para penonton dan pemain membubarkan diri. Kedua tim yang akan bertanding di babak final beristirahat selama dua hari untuk memulihkan tenaga. Di samping itu, kedua tim juga sedang mempersiapkan dan menyusun strategi masing-masing.

Tidak terasa, hari yang ditunggu-tunggu pun tiba, yakni pertandingan babak final antara tim kesebelasan kerbau berhadapan dengan tim kesebelasan sapi. Para penonton telah memadati pinggir lapangan ingin menyaksikan pertandingan seru itu. Berbeda dengan hari-hari sebelumnya, hari itu cuaca sangat panas. Oleh karena itu, kedua tim tersebut membuka baju masing-masing. Mereka pun bertanding tanpa pakaian. Sorak-sorai penonton pun semakin ramai.

Tidak berapa lama, wasit pun meniup peluit sebagai tanda pertandingan babak final dimulai. Pertandingan itu berlansung seru dan menarik. Kedua tim saling memperlihatkan ketangkasan mereka menendang dan menggiring bola dengan teknik yang tinggi. Kedua tim silih berganti menyerang. Sudah beberapa menit pertandingan berlangsung, namun belum ada tim yang mencetak gol ke gawang tim lawan. Makin lama, permainan pun tampak keras. Mereka saling ganjal-mengganjal jika tim lawan membawa bola.

Di tengah pertandingan itu berlansung, tiba-tiba cuaca menjadi mendung. Tak lama kemudian, turun hujan lebat disertai dengan angin kencang. Butiran-butiran air hujan yang turun dari langit sebesar batu-batu kerikil. Jika tertimpa air hujan itu, akan terasa sakit dan menusuk. Para penonton mulai panik. Mereka berlarian kesana-kemari mencari tempat berteduh untuk menghindari air hujan.  

Para pemain pun sudah tidak mendengar lagi komando dari wasit. Kedua tim berlarian menuju ke tempat penyimpanan pakaian. Pada saat itu, tim kerbau yang pertama kali berlari salah alamat, karena dilanda kepanikan dan kesakitan terkena hujan. Mereka berlari ke tempat penyimpanan pakaian tim sapi, lalu memakai pakaian sapi tersebut. Setelah itu, mereka berlari berpencar entah ke mana. Sementara tim sapi yang datang terlambat, terpaksa memakai pakaian tim kerbau yang tertinggal, lalu berlari berpencar untuk mencari tempat berteduh.

Sejak kejadian itu, pakaian (kulit) sapi terlihat lebih longgar atau kebesaran, karena memakai pakaian kerbau. Demikian sebaliknya, pakaian (kulit) kerbau terlihat kesempitan atau kekecilan, karena memakai pakaian sapi.  Itulah sebabnya, di punggung sapi terdapat bagian yang cekung (berongga) dan di bagian leher bawahnya bergelambir, sedangkan pada kerbau tidak demikian. 

ENGLISH

Animals’ Football

Some say, in a region in South Sulawesi, there was a sprawling meadow which became a sanctuary for various types of animals such as cattle, buffalos, elephants, donkeys, deer, and others.

One day, crowds of cattle and buffaloes were met in the meadowlands. Incidentally they came together and started to graze in the green and lush grasslands. They clustered and raced for control of the grounds.

"Hey, Cows! This grass is part of us. You move to another place," yelled a buffalo.

"No! We also deserve to eat here. Anyway we came in pack," said a cow.

Because no one wanted to give in, they finally pushed each other and there was a fight. The other animals that grazed in the grassland cheered encouragingly. Then fight between gangs of cows and buffaloes was getting fiercer. The fight looked stable. They horned and pushed each other vengefully. Occasionally the cattle pack emitted a very loud voice.

"Mooohhhh ...!"

Until midday, the fight was still going on and no one lost or won. Shortly afterwards, Lion the Jungle King, suddenly appeared from behind a bush at the edge of the meadow. Seeing the fight, he was immediately roaring.

"Auuunngggg ...!"

"Hey, stop that fight," shouted the Lion furiously.

By the time they heard the call, hordes of cattle and buffaloes had stopped fighting. The other animals had stopped cheering as well. Everyone lowered their head and did not dare to move a muscle, for fear of the Jungle King.

"No more fight, I say no more fight ...! Almost every day a fight broke out at this place. Yesterday deer with goats fought for turf. Two days ago donkeys and horses also fought over turf. Now the buffalo and cow. Everything is because of the grass," said the King of the Forest.

As he did not want another fight to be broken out, the king ordered all the forest animals to congregate in the middle of the meadow.

"Listen to you all! I do not want to see any fight between you no more. To carry it out, I would like to propose how about a football match to foster companionship among the forest dwellers?" the Jungle King suggested.

"Aye ....!" Shouted all the animals that were present in that place.

They welcomed the proposal, besides for fostering friendship, it was entertainment for them as well, either as participants or viewers. Those who wanted to join the match immediately registered the team. The first team to sign up was the buffalo, then followed by the cattle, elephants, donkeys, horses, goats, sheep, and so on. While the Jungle King just acted as a referee, because if his team participated in the match, the other animals would be hesitant to them.

The next day, the animals’ football match began. On the first day of the match, the goats’ team faced the sheep’s team. Both teams seemed ready to hold their position respectively. While other animals that acted as the audience would watched from the sidelines. They could not wait to watch the exciting match.

"Come on ...! Come on ..., you can do it...!" Audience voice encouraged their favorite team.

After both teams got ready, the referee blew his whistle as a sign of starting the match. The match was exciting and interesting. Sometimes a jocularity occurred, so the laughter of the audience broke out. In that match the goats team won 2-1 over the sheep team. The next match was continued the next day and so on.

After the match occurred for a few days, there were four teams left that made it into the semi-finals, the team of horses, elephants, buffaloes, and cows. In the first semi-final, with the horses team faced the cattle’s team. In that match, the horses’ team performance was less excited, because the day before it, their king died agedly. Finally, the match was win by the cows’ team and they made it into the final round.

The next day, the second semi-final, the bulls’ team faced the elephants’ team. Just before the match started, a sudden heavy rain flooded the pasture field. Seeing the condition the elephants’ team refused to play that day. However, the buffalo team opposed to postpone the match. Neither of the team wanted to give in, finally a fight started. Seeing the situation, the referee immediately intervened.

"For the satisfactory of the audiences who had come to watch your match, the second semi-final match should be held today, although the field was flooded," confirmed the referee.

As it was the referee's final decision, the match between the elephants’ team and the buffaloes’ team should be held on that day. As a result, the elephants’ team always got barrage of the buffaloes’ team. The elephants’ team hardly moved and ran, because the muddy and slippery field. The elephants’ team fell on the ground a couple of times, so that it became a funny and interesting spectacle.

Meanwhile, the buffaloes’ team moved and ran freely while dribbling the ball, because they were used to play and bathe in the muddy and flooding puddles. It can be ensured previously that the match was won by the buffaloes’ team. They won by a score of 3-0 over the elephants’ team. Finally, in the final round, the buffaloes’ team countered his rival the cattle’s teams that had entered the final earlier.

Before the players and the audiences dispersed, the referee announced that the final round would take place in two days.

"I deliberately delay this final round match schedule up to two days to give the players some time to rest, so that both teams can perform better and more attractive, and the audience can be entertained," said the referee.

"We also agree that the match was postponed. We must restore our power first," said the captain of the cattle’s team.

"We also agree," said buffalo’s team’s captain.

 Afterwards, the audiences and the players scattered. Both teams would compete in the final round in two days to restore power and rest. In addition, both teams were also preparing and strategizing respectively.

The long-awaited day had arrived, the final round of animals’ football match between the buffaloes’ team versus the cattle’s team. The spectators had crowded the sidelines to watch the exciting match. Unlike the previous matches, the weather was very hot that day. Therefore, both teams undressed their jerseys. They played without clothes. The audiences’ cheers was getting louder.

Soon, the referee blew his whistle as the sign of starting the final round match. The match occurred furiously and fun. Both teams showed their own high technique in kicking and dribbling the ball. Both teams attacked alternately. The match had went on for a few minutes, but no team had scored any goals against the opposing team. The longer the match, the harder they played. They wedged harshly when the opposing team conquered the ball.

In the middle of the match, the weather suddenly turned cloudy. Shortly afterwards, there was heavy rains with strong winds. The droplets rain fell down from the sky as pebbles. If it hit, it would be so hurt. The audiences began to panic. They ran confusedly to find shelter to avoid the rain.

The players also ignored any more command from the referee. Both teams ran to the restroom. At that time, the buffaloes’ team ran to the wrong restroom, because of the panic and heavy rain. They ran to the cows’ team’s restroom, and worn the cows’ jerseys. Afterward, they ran separately somewhere. While the late team, the cows, forcefully worn the buffaloes’ team’s jerseys that were left scattered and ran to seek for shelter.

Since the incident, the cows’ clothes (leather) looks looser or oversized, for wearing buffaloes’. And vice versa, buffaloes’ clothes (leather) looks cramped or small, for wearing cows’ outfit. That is why, on the backs of cows are part of concave (hollow) and below of its neck is sagged, while on buffaloes, it is not.