In Madura Island very long time ago there was an honest and kind farmer. He was so poor that he couldn’t meet his family’s needs. He planned to go to Java Island to find a better job. He asked permission to his wife and soon he left for Java Island in the next morning. He only brought enough money for the ship fare.

When he was on his way to seaport, he met a very poor woman bringing an ugly bag with three cats inside. She begged the farmer to buy her cats so she could buy some food. However he couldn’t afford to buy them. He didn’t have enough money but to pay for the ship fare. He thought for awhile, considering buying the cats to help that woman and choose the cheaper ship. Then he decided to do what he just thought. The woman was very grateful and gladly buying food.

The farmer sailed with the cheaper ship which took worse route than the one he was supposed to sail with. The ship lost after misdirected by the big wave to an unknown island. All the passengers and ship crews found that the island was called the Rat Island. It was caused by thousands of rat living in that island and annoying the people there. They ruined the native people’s rice fields. The farmer offered the village chief to use his cats to exterminate the rats.

“OK, I want to buy those cats with dinar gold if they can prove exterminating the rats in this island,” said the village chief. Immediately the farmer let the cats go to hunt the rats. Eventually those cats were very hungry so they kept on hunting the rats.

The village chief then paid the farmer with gold as he promised. He was very satisfied and told his people to repair the wrecked aground ship. The farmer and all the passengers then left back to Madura and told the entire village about where he got the gold.

Hearing the story of the farmer, several people planned to follow the farmer’s journey to Rat Island. However they only found that the rats were no longer there. The farmer’s cats had exterminated them all.

(Madurese/Javanese Folk Tale)