Long ago, nestled among the lush green hills of Bali, there was a quiet village whose people lived in harmony with the land. Most of the villagers were farmers, waking with the sun and tending to their fields with care. Among them was a man named Jurna—a hardworking and dedicated farmer known for his bountiful harvests. 🌾
Year after year, Jurna’s rice fields gleamed golden under the sun. His crops grew tall and strong, and no one in the village could match the abundance he produced. Yet, despite his success, Jurna’s heart was never content. The more he harvested, the more he wanted.
"I must have more," he often muttered while gazing across his thriving fields.
"Better harvests, richer yields... Yes, I’ll ask the gods."
One evening, as the sky blushed with the colors of dusk, Jurna turned to his wife with a spark of ambition in his eyes.
“I will make a promise to the gods,” he said.
“If they grant me a harvest greater than I’ve ever had, I will offer them generous offerings. And I’ll share my blessings with our neighbors.”
His wife looked at him quietly, unsure whether to feel proud or worried. The promise sounded noble—but deep down, she sensed that something in Jurna had begun to shift.
“I agree,” said his wife gently, “but remember—you must keep your promise.”
Time passed, and just as Jurna had hoped, his harvest grew richer than ever. The rice fields shimmered like gold beneath the sun, and his granary overflowed. Jurna was overjoyed. True to his word, he prepared beautiful offerings to the gods—fruit, flowers, and woven palm-leaf trays. He also shared his bounty with his neighbors, who smiled with gratitude and praised his kindness.
But even then, Jurna was not content.
“This is good,” he thought, “but I want even more. If I give twice as much, maybe the gods will bless me twice as greatly.”
So once again, he made a vow. He promised the gods that if they granted him an even better harvest, he would double his offerings and be even more generous to those around him.
And once again, his wish was granted. The rice plants grew taller, fuller, and greener than ever before. The other farmers were amazed. “Jurna must be truly blessed,” they said. “He always shares his good fortune with us.”
Jurna smiled proudly—but deep inside, something else was starting to grow: a hunger for more, and more…
One day, Jurna set out to tend to his rice field. As he approached, something unusual caught his eye—a large pile of soil lying on the ground. Upon closer inspection, he realized it resembled a catu—a traditional tool made from coconut shells that villagers used to measure the amount of harvested rice. Curiously, Jurna knelt to examine it further.
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| Catu, a coconut shell scoop used to measure rice, symbolizes simplicity and gratitude in the life of Balinese farmers. In the legend, it holds the meaning of a promise and heartfelt sincerity. |
That evening, he shared his discovery with his wife, telling her about the strange soil formation in the shape of a catu. After thinking for a moment, she had an idea.
"Why not make a catu out of rice?" she suggested with a spark of creativity in her eyes.
Jurna, intrigued by the idea, agreed, and together they worked late into the night, carefully shaping the rice into a replica of the traditional measuring tool. The following morning, as Jurna returned to his rice field, he was taken aback to find that the soil catu had grown even larger overnight, its size now more impressive than before.
"Hmm... I think I can make a rice catu even bigger than this one," Jurna thought to himself with growing pride.
Excited by the prospect, he asked his wife to help him create an even larger rice catu. They worked diligently, Jurna feeling a sense of satisfaction with each scoop of rice they placed. He had big plans to show off his creation to the neighbors, hoping their admiration would affirm his growing sense of success.
The next day, when he presented the rice catu to his neighbors, they were in awe of its size. The villagers couldn’t stop praising him for his resourcefulness and the grandness of the creation. "Jurna must be very wealthy," they murmured among themselves. The praise filled Jurna with pride, but as the words of admiration swirled around him, something shifted within him. He became arrogant, believing that the bigger the catu, the greater his worth in the eyes of his community.
On the following day, when Jurna arrived at his rice field, he expected the soil catu to have stayed the same size, or even shrunk slightly. But to his surprise, it had grown even bigger—far beyond what he had imagined.
"Dn’t worry," Jurna said with a smirk, his confide
nce swelling. "I have more than enough rice to make thi catu even bigger. Let the neighbors see what a wealthy man I truly am."
As he added more rice to the catu, Jurna fantasized about the praise he would receive. He could already hear the villagers talking about his newfound riches.
And once again, his wishes were granted. When the neighbors came by and saw the even larger rice catu, they marveled at its size and once more praised Jurna’s apparent wealth. Their admiration grew with the size of the catu, and so did Jurna’s arrogance. He no longer saw the act of creating the catu as a simple task—it had become a symbol of his pride, his ego inflating with each passing day.
But little did Jurna know, his obsession with the catu’s size would soon lead him down a path far more unpredictable than he could have ever imagined.
Days passed, and each time Jurna visited his rice field, he hoped, with increasing desperation, that the strange soil catu would finally stop growing. But when he arrived that morning, he saw that it had grown even bigger, its size now far beyond anything he could have imagined. The sight of it sent a wave of frustration through him. The once manageable pile of soil was now a towering mound, and Jurna couldn’t help but feel a mixture of anger and bewilderment.
Detemined to stay ahead, he set to work immediately, using the last of his rice to build an even larger catu, convinced that this would be the final step in proving his wealth and status. However, this pattern continued day after day. Every time he arrived at his field, the soil catu had grown exponentially, and he was compelled to add more rice, each attempt more excessive than the last. The cycle of growth seemed endless.
Jurna's wife, noticing the dwindling stock of rice and the mounting waste, grew increasingly worried. She gently but firmly reminded him, "Jurna, please, stop. Our rice is running low. You're only making things worse.
Her voice was full of concern, but Jurna, driven by his need for admiration, ignored her pleas. All he could think about was how he could make his rice catu bigger than the now immense soil catu. His obsession with outshining the soil catu consumed him completely, and he disregarded the consequences of his actions.
As the days went by, the rice that had once been a source of sustenance for their household disappeared entirely, swallowed by the ever-expanding rice catu. With nothing left, Jurna’s once-thriving farm was reduced to emptiness. He had used up all his resources, and his wealth had evaporated into the growing mound.
One day, when Jurna arrived at his field, he was met with the heartbreaking realization that there was no more rice to feed the catu. His land was barren, and the rice catu was no longer just a measure—it had become a monstrous, insatiable force that could no longer be contained. The soil catu, once a simple pile, had grown into an enormous hill, towering above the surrounding landscape. Its size was so vast that it was no longer just a mound of dirt—it was now a towering peak that could be seen from miles away.
The people, who had once praised him for his creation, began to call the massive formation "Catu Hill" or Bukit Catu, a stark reminder of Jurna’s folly. The hill became a symbol of his greed and arrogance, a landmark for all who passed, whispering the tale of the man who lost everything in pursuit of a hollow dream.
Jurna, now penniless and humbled, stood at the foot of Catu Hill, staring up at the monument of his own ambition. The weight of his regret settled heavily in his chest. He had sacrificed everything—the rice, the land, his future—for the illusion of wealth and status. But now, all that remained was the towering hill, an unyielding reminder of the consequences of his selfishness.
Moral Message:
The story of Jurna and Catu Hill teaches the dangers of greed and unchecked ambition. While it is natural to seek growth and prosperity, when driven by selfish desires and a need for constant validation, we risk losing everything that truly matters. Jurna's obsession with making his rice catu bigger than the soil catu, ignoring the needs of his family and the consequences of his actions, ultimately led to his downfall. The massive Catu Hill stands as a reminder that true fulfillment comes not from external recognition or endless accumulation, but from balance, humility, and respecting the resources and relationships that sustain us. Excessive ambition, when not tempered by wisdom and care, can consume all that we hold dear. 🌱
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