Once upon a time, there were an old couple who earned their living by farming. They lived in a hut at the outskirts of the village. One day the old man and his wife went farming as usual. In the evening, the old man told his wife to go back home before him. He said, “Please go back home and cook rice, I will find some fish for our dinner.”
The wife replied, “ Okay, you go find some fish and I will go home and cook rice.”
Then the old man went to the big swamp in the deep jungle which had very little water and was nearly dry. He used the fishing net to catch the fish. It took him quite a long time to find the fish. Unfortunately, he got no fish but a small turtle. The old man did not want the turtle so he let it go in the water. He tried again and again wishing that he would get some fish but what was caught by the net was the small turtle. The old man let it go in the water and moved to another part of the swamp. He did not find any fish until dark, what he got was the same turtle. He decided to take it back home. When he arrived home he said to his wife; “ I couldn’t find any fish but a small turtle”.
The wife said; “That doesn’t matter then. Let’s eat Namprik(spicy sauce with hot chillies) instead and keep this turtle in the big jar. I will cook it later. ”
On the following day, the couple went to the rice field as usual. When they came back home in the evening, they had their dinner without realizing that there was a turtle waiting to be cooked. It was like this every day until the turtle grew up. Surprisingly, it could speak human language. One day in the morning, the couple came to wash their face near the jar where the turtle was kept, he heard someone said; “Grandfather and grandmother, you don’t have to go to the rice field today. Let me work for you.” The couple were really surprised when they found that the turtle talked to them. The old man did not believe what the turtle said. He mocked him by saying;
“How can you do it? You are such a small and slow creature.”
The turtle said calmly; “You just give me some betel leaves and a betel nut and I will work for you.
The couple did as the turtle requested, they tied the roll of betel leaves with the nut inside on the turtle’s neck. After that the turtle went to the rice field. He chewed the roll of betel leaves and he turned to be human. The man sat down and chanted the holy prayer. Soon after the prayer was chanted, the messy weed was cleared from the land and rice was grown instead. After finished his work, he turned to be the turtle and went back to the old couple’s hut. When he arrived, he said;
“Grandfather, grandmother, I’ve finished my work. I got rid of the weed and I grew rice. Tomorrow you can go and have a look”
The old man said; “ I don’t think a slow and small creature like you can do it.” The old man still could not believe.
On the following day, the couple went to work as usual. When they arrived at the rice field, they were surprised to see the beautiful green rice field. The old man exclaimed delightedly;
“How could such a small turtle do it!” They went back home and was still amazed.
Later in the morning, the turtle asked to work for them again. What he wanted before working are betel leaves and a betel nut. This time, he brought with him some pumpkin and cucumber and gourd seeds. When he arrived at the rice field, he took the roll of betel leaves from his neck and chewed. Not long after, he turned to be a man. The man enchanted the prayer. His prayer took away the unwanted weed and brought the beautiful farm of pumpkins, cucumbers and gourds.
When he went back home, he told the couple to have a look after a week passed.
The couple did not fully believe what the turtle told them.However, they went to the field a week later and weresurprised to see beautiful pumpkins, cucumbers and gourds everywhere. There were too many to eat up so the old woman took some to sell at the market. The turtle became the old couple’s beloved grandchild. One day, while they were at home together, the turtle told them that he wanted to marry the princess and asked them to ask for the king’s daughter.
The couple was shocked to hear his request. The grandmother said; “How can an ordinary poor people like us do that? We are just ordinary poor farmers. You are not suitable for the princess. I dare not to do so.” The turtle then said; “You just go and I will help you find the way for that.”
Next morning, the couple went to the king’s palace. When they were in front of the king’s throne. The king asked; “What’s your purpose of coming here?”
The old man replied; “ Your Majesty, I came here today because my turtle grandson wants to marry your daughter.”
“Which daughter, I have two?” The king asked.
The old man thought worriedly and had not yet replied when the king said;
“ If you dared to ask for my daughter, I will give her to you but let me ask my daughters.”
The king turned to the two princess, the elder was KadepDong and the younger was Kadep Sala and asked;
“ Would you like to marry the turtle?” He asked his elder daughter; Kadep Dong.
“ No, father . I won’t marry such a slow creature. What is the use of marrying him, I wonder.”
She replied abruptly. The king then turned to the younger daughter; Kadep Sala and asked;
“ What about you, will you marry him?”
The young princess replied, “ It’s up to you father. I will do whatever you ask me to.”
The king turned to the old couple and the turtle grandson and said;
“ My younger daughter; Kadep Sala will marry your grandsonbut within tomorrow, he has to build the bridge made from gold and silver from your home to the palace, together with tons of gold and diamond for the dowry. If you cannot do this I will cut your head.”
The king said firmly, this really frightened the couple. They hopelessly went back home and told the news to the turtle.The turtle was not worried. He told his grandfather and grandmother to rest and wait until the next day. At night, the turtle blew his magic and soon there was a golden and silver bridge led to the palace. When the old couple woke up in the morning, they were really surprised and were very happy that they would be safe from being executed. They had a long parade to the palace. When the three of them were in front of the king, the princess could see that the turtle was actually a handsome man. She fell in love with him at first sight. The king got them married and allowed them to live in the palace with many servants to serve their needs.The elder sister was very suspicious about her younger sister and her brother in-law. She really wanted to know why her sister got married to the turtle. One day, she secretly went to their palace. She found that the turtle could turn into a handsome man. Then she was very jealous of her sister and really wanted to take her sister’s husband. Not knowing what to do, she planned to kill the turtle. She started visiting the younger sister, Kadep Sala was very happy to welcome her. She always trusted her sister. While they were together, Kadep Sala told Kadep Dong that her turtle husband wanted to have black teeth and did not know how to do it.As KadepDong had plans to kill her brother in-law, she told her sister that the man should eat hot boiled pumpkin in order to make his teeth black. Kadep Sala was too innocent to know the bad plan of her sister. She then boiled a pumpkin and let the turtle eat it. Though the magic turtle knew, his life would be soon taken, he could not avoid the Karma; the deed which he did in the past life. He could not avoid death so he ate the hot pumpkin and died. Kadep Sala was very miserable because of the loss. Meanwhile Kadep Dong finally realized that what she did was not good to anybody.