WANEBAKA | THE SON OF TUNDE

 In Bali, there was a man named Tunde. He had been married for 10 years but had no children. So, he was very happy when his wife got pregnant. However, after a few months, his wife's belly returned to its normal size. This happened many times, and he sought the help of a shaman, but the shaman could not do anything about it.

One day, when his pregnant wife was washing at the river, she felt something falling from her body into the water, but she ignored it and continued washing. After that, her belly returned to its normal size.

At home, she told her husband what had happened. "Maybe the gods don't want us to have a child," Tunde said. They let it go, and for the next 10 years, Tunde’s wife did not get pregnant again.

Ten years later, women who were washing at the river heard someone singing, but they didn't see anyone around.

"O... washing women...
Tell my father, Tunde,
That Wanebaka has grown up
And wants to be circumcised soon."

The frightened women told Tunde about their experience. At first, Tunde ignored it. But when it happened again, he decided to hold a simple circumcision ritual, even though no boy was actually circumcised.

Fifteen years later, the washing women heard the singing again. This time, they were not afraid.

"O... washing women...
Tell my father, Tunde,
That Wanebaka has grown up
And wants to be married."

Tunde then looked for a girl to be a bride for his non-existent son. He paid for the bride and arranged the marriage. He went to the river and said, "Whoever you are, if you’re really my son, come on your wedding day."

At the wedding ceremony, a guest saw a snake crawling towards Tunde’s house, and everyone ran away in panic. The snake, disappointed, disappeared into the bushes.

A few years later, the song was heard again at the river, and Tunde did the same thing as before. But this time, he threatened the bride that he would kill her if she ran away.

At the ceremony, the snake appeared again, and everyone, including Tunde and his wife, ran away. The bride stood her ground, waiting for her fate. The snake's tail touched her toe, and it slithered into a room. The bride followed the snake. The snake drank a bottle of tuak (palm wine) and became drunk. While it was sleeping, its skin peeled off from its body. The bride gathered the skin and burned it outside the house. The ashes were buried. When she returned to the room, she found a handsome man sleeping in the bed.

"Now you won’t turn into a snake anymore, and I’ll be your loyal wife," she said.