Cow Dung Mushroom

When month August comes, many competitions are held, both in towns and villages, all lively to welcome the anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Indonesia, which became independent on August 17, 1945. Likewise with the village of Cipo. In fact, since July, inter-village football matches have been held. Starting in July until the final in August. The inter-village football fights for the regent's trophy. Approaching the final, the match is getting more exciting.

However, rumors arise that one of the soccer teams uses ghosts to beat opponents. The issue was thrown at the opponent as a war of nerves, to provoke the opponent's emotions. Jalu excitedly told about the existence of a ghost in the arena of a football match.

"That's right, there is a ghost in the soccer game."

"You saw the ghost by yourself?" asked Ndul-ndul.

"No. But many say so. When one of the players has succeeded in bringing the ball in front of the opponent's goal, it will fall and be tackled by the opponent's ghost," said Jalu.

Cipo said, "You have contracted Nek Imeh, very weird stories."

One afternoon Cipo saw a large brown mushroom in Mr. Cardov's cowshed. The fungus grows in a pile of dried cow dung. The pile of cow dung is prepared as manure. Uncle Odar often buys cow dung to be used as fertilizer. "Wow, big mushrooms!" cried Cipo, amazed. The mushroom was ten centimeters in diameter with a short handle. The mushroom umbrella was thick enough like tough cookie dough.

"Don't take the mushrooms," said Mr. Cardov to Cipo. "Mushrooms are poisonous."

But a young people who often hang out at the substation took the mushroom. In fact, Oje, the leader of the gang, took the mushroom and carried it away. Cipo had heard that they would sell it to a psychics. The psychics practices magic in the village of Blang Wetan.

"Mushrooms like this will be paid dearly by the shaman," said Ojek. It is said that the shaman can make people see supernatural beings: ghosts.

"It's possible that the one who can see ghosts on the soccer field is the psychic's men," said Jalu.

"Its said that to consult him must pay a high price," continued Ndul-ndul.

Cipo will investigate, is there really a ghost in a football match? Perhaps, the ghost issue was raised by the shamans to sell the incantations. Opportunity, Cipo was invited by Mas Tolo to go to the shaman's place by a motorbike. Arriving at the shaman's practice, there were already many queuing up. Instead, use numbers. "Come in," said the shaman's assistant when it was Mas Tolo's turn. Cipo came in.

"What do you want?" asked the shaman. As it turned out, the shaman wasn't that old, long hair. Likewise his beard and mustache. Moreover, his beard is irregular. Mas Tolo is a bit confused. "I want to see a ghost on the soccer field," said Mas Tolo.

The shaman asked, "When will the match take place?"

"Tomorrow afternoon," answered Mas Tolo.

The shaman looked at Cipo closely, "If you boy, what do you want?"

"I only took Mas Tolo," Cipo replied. Fortunately, the room was dark enough so that Cipo's face, which was pale with fear, could not be seen.

"Did you know the conditions?" asked the shaman. Mas Tolo handed over an envelope containing money. The shaman peeked inside the envelope and smiled. Mas Tolo was given a small red envelope. "Drink this coffee while you watch a football game." After that they said goodbye.

The night, there was an uproar. Mas Tolo screamed in fear because he saw a ghost. "Help! help..! A ghost is going to pounce on me!" Mas Tolo shouted when Uncle Odar came to calm him down.

"Your bald gender," muttered Uncle Odar.

Cipo then told that Mas Tolo invited the shaman to Blang Wetan village in the afternoon, "Mas Tolo wants to see a ghost at a football match." Cipo then asked Bu Puh, Mas Tolo's mother, to find a small red envelope. "The shaman told him to drink that coffee before seeing the football game."

Bu Puh became embarrassed by Cipo's statement. "Want to see a ghost? So the money they said was used to buy college books was used to go to a shaman? Geez!" cried Mrs. Puh, holding back her sadness. Mas Tolo is a child who is very spoiled by Mrs. Puh.

"What is Tolo's stamp on the student, why can't he think clearly," said Mr. Jlog.

"Do not be like that. After all, students are angels," said Uncle Odar.

Mas Tolo chattered like a bird, unconscious. Laughing constantly and very happy. Mrs. Puh showed the envelope found to Cipo. "Is this?"

"That's right," said Cipo. As a result, Mas tolo was locked in the room. Some people took care of him because Mr. Puh was in Bandung, he had a trade business. In the afternoon, people were still talking about Mas Tolo who was drunk on coffee.

"I heard that Mas Tolo was possessed by a demon last night," said Ndul-ndul.

"Yes, because he asked the shaman for a spell," said Jalu, knowingly.

Cipo said, "I know better. Because he invited me to the shaman." Ndul-ndul protested, "Why wasn't I invited?"

"Your knowledge is still low so you won't be strong enough to go there," said Cipo, pretending to be serious.

Ndul-ndul curious, "What knowledge to get there?"

"Mathematics!" cried Cipo, laughing out loud. But Cipo has been curious since last night. Is it true that the coffee given by the shaman can bring in supernatural beings? "I think the key is in the coffee, not the incantation," said Cipo, in his heart.

Where did the game of football come from? On its 100th anniversary, FIFA acknowledged that football originated in China. In the country of the bamboo curtain, soccer has been played since 5,000 BC under the name "tsu chu". The point is to train the soldiers physically. Usually, tsu chu is contested on the emperor's birthday. In fact, so far people think football comes from England.

Apparently, Marcopolo (1254-1324) who introduced modern football from China and Japan when he returned to Europe from his adventures around the world. The oldest records of football are found in China during the Tsin Dynasty (255-206 BC). The manuscript suspects that this game was passed down from generation to generation 5,000 years earlier. One team consists of six people, who compete to insert a ball of animal skin filled with hair, into a net hole with a diameter of 40 cm. A 10.5 m high net was stuck in the middle of the arena surrounded by walls, much like today's volleyball. With tsu chu the Chinese also practice kung fu.

The rule: the ball must not be touched by the hand, and the winner is the one who gets the ball into the net the most. Tsu chu means kicking a ball, born from an ancient Chinese belief. According to author Li You (55-135), the ball symbolizes the holy month, and the two opposing teams symbolize yin and yang. The number 12 is taken from the number of months in the Chinese calendar. The referee leads the match and counts the score. The emperor was so happy that tsu chu was required in schools so it was very popular.

During the Han dynasty, 206 BC to 200 AD, the fame of tsu chu reached its peak, there was even a match between Chinese and Japanese teams held in Kyoto, documents from 50 BC. The Japanese played tsu chu after traders and students came to China, moreover, the Japanese themselves are a nation that likes to explore. The Japanese call it "here", the players are 2 to 12 people. The goal is a tree that stands in a row. This game is very noisy, because the players are always screaming when dribbling or about to kick the ball. Players may not tackle or injure an opponent. Kemari reached its peak in the 10th - 16th centuries.

What is the history of football in Europe? There was a ball game, but it was more like a rugby game these days. In Greece, the ball game existed in 800 BC under the names "episkyro" and "harpastron". The Roman armies that invaded Greece brought the game and introduced it throughout conquered Europe. Emperor Julius Caesar was a fan of the game of harpastron, as a sport and to train his troops. The area of ​​the field depends on the number of players. Once played by 100 people so it was more of a mass riot. So the Roman writers, Horatius Flaccus and Virgilus Maro, called it an uncivilized sport. Then, this sport was banned in Europe, like being banned by the authorities.

England began to know football around the 8th century AD. Just like Roman, this game is very dangerous, even more brutal. Played on a very wide field or 3 – 4 km long streets. King Edward II called it "the game of the devil who hates God". He forbade his people to do this sport, especially for the nobility. At that time it was considered tacky because it used a human skull as a ball. But this prohibition is more on the king's worries, because if allowed the soldiers forget to practice arrows or war, so they are not ready if there is an enemy attack. The ban on playing sports lasted until the time of Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1608).

In the book "The Anatomies of Abuses" by Philip Stubes in 1583, "hundreds of people died in this one game" he wrote. Many of the players who survived were seriously injured: broken legs, broken spine, leaking heads, narrow eyes, etc. So this writer campaigned to the churches to ban this game. Especially when the game is played on Sabbath Sunday, people who steal football are put in jail for 1 week. In France it is also prohibited. The ball was introduced to them by the Romans in 50 BC, also played without rules and there was no player limit, called the "soule" was only played again in the 12th century AD. But it was banned again under King Philip V in 1319, who was succeeded by subsequent French kings.

What about America? In Central America the Indians and Astek also played football for hundreds of years. It's just that in the Astek tribe, the game is more of a combination of basketball, volleyball, and soccer at once. For the Indians, football is more like an inter-tribal war, which is held on a vast field and for days if the score is still even. With the number of players per team of 500 people, the "pasuckaukowohog" resulted in months of injuries. Before competing they held a ceremony like going to war. Their faces are painted with pictures to repel reinforcements.

Football became more regular when in 1580 Giovani Bardi of Italy posted a series of rules. In Italy football is called "calcio". The following year, Richard Mulcaster in England did the same. The head of Merchant Taylor's and St Paul's schools called for restrictions on players and referees. In his book "Position Where in Those Primitive Circumstanes be Examined" he advocates less violence and emphasizes fitness. Two hundred years later, Joseph Strutt perfected that rule. Learning from the history of English football in 1770, he wrote the book "The Sport and Pastimes of the People England". He made a rule that football must be played by two equal numbers of teams. Both teams must win the ball to enter it into the opponent's goal which is 70 - 90 m apart. Both Bardi, Mulcaster and Strutt they wanted football as a game. They actually adopted the rules of the game of football from China and Japan decades earlier.

In Guy Soccer (1992), Guy Oliver wrote that the game and the rules were inspired by both "tsu chu" and "here" as the inspiration for modern football. Strutt campaigns for this game, even for children and women to get fit. Whereas in China, according to the Ming Dynasty painter, Du Jin, women played tsu chu between 1465-1509. Strutt's ideas became the basis for modern football regulations, and this underlies the birth of the Football Association in England on 26-10-1863 by 11 English football clubs whose members are students. Initially, the association set the number of players, a team of 15 – 21 people.

In 1870 the number of players was standardized to 11, the new goalkeeper appeared in 1880. From this organization emerged the term "soccer" stands for association. At that time someone asked Charles Wreford Brown, a student at the University of Okford. At that time he was asked if he was a rugby player (rugger) sport which is more famous there. Brown replied, "No, I am soccer." While the name football, previously known as fute-ball, is better known after being written by William Shakespeare in his play entitled "King Lear", there is a character who mocks his stupid friend with the word "football player". Even in Comedy and Error, the term is used to ridicule characters whose paths are uncertain.

The year 1863 was a milestone in modern football, in addition to having a referee, the area of ​​the field and the number of players were limited. Also started wearing balls made of animal skins filled with air. This game then spread in the British colonies and developed rapidly. There has been a unique event in the world cup. When Italy was led by the cruel dictator Benito Musolini, Italy became the team that entered the final to fight for the first place. By Musolini the Italian team must win, otherwise all the players and crew will be killed. Out of pity for the fate of the Italian players, his opponent chose to give in. Play elephant ball which means the score is set before the game takes place.

***

Cipo took his two friends to the police station, asked who the shaman was. "As long as the shaman does not commit a crime, there is no problem," said Brigadier Anwar.

"Are the police not suspicious of the ghost rumors on the football field? Then, what about the promotion of the shaman who is said to be able to make people see ghosts?" asked Cipo.

"Shamans, everywhere, always promote like that. Anyway, the weird stuff," said Brigadier Sanusi, who answered Cipo's question.

Cipo grumbled, "What about Mas Tolo, who went crazy when he drank the coffee which the shaman gave him?"

"Being crazy, what do you mean?" asked Brigadier Sanusi.

Cipo was excited when his fishing rod started to get stronger. "Yes, Mas Tolo went crazy after drinking the powdered concoction given by the shaman," said Cipo.

Now, Brigadier Anwar and First Brigadier Sanusi looked at each other. "It could be that the shaman is selling addictive substances," said Brigadier Anwar.

"What is an addictive substance?" asked Cipo, impatient.

"A type of drug," answered Brigadier Sanusi.

Cipo remembered something, then said, "Some time ago Oje and his friends took a mushrooms in Mr. Cardov cow's stable. They sold the mushrooms to the shaman."

Brigadier Anwar and Sanusi looked at each other again. "If that's true, then there's nothing wrong that the shaman selling addictive substances," said Brigadier Anwar. "Is the potion powder still there?"

"Saved by Mrs. Puh. Mas Tolo's mother," replied Cipo.

A policeman was ordered to Mrs. Puh's house and asked for a small red envelope. Then, the envelope and some of its contents were taken to the hospital laboratory to find out its contents. It is true. There are addictive substances that come from mushrooms or poisonous mushrooms. The police immediately moved while the shaman did not know that he was being watched. So that, the shaman will not have time to throw away the evidence. There was a raid on the shaman's practice. There is strong evidence that the shaman also sells illegal drugs.

Not only cow dung mushrooms, but also pills that people usually use to get drunk. The shaman was arrested. It turned out that the first person to announce that there were ghosts in the soccer game was the shaman's orders. With the ghost issue, people flocked to see football matches. After the bait is spread, he whispers that the ghost can be seen when he gets a spell from the shaman.

"Anyone who eats cow dung mushrooms will get drunk and experience hallucinations. What he saw became strange. Seeing a bald child is mistaken for a ghost. Just looking in the mirror, he will scream in fear because his image is mistaken for a demon," explained Brigadier Anwar.

Brigadier Sanusi added, "So don't be fooled by strange things. Moreover, the offer can see the devil. Seriously. The devil is the shaman himself. Substances from the fungus affect the nerves of the brain. People who eat it will be very happy or very sad. It depends on how the person feels."

"So, since Mas Tolo wanted to see a demon from the start, what did he see become a demon?" asked Jalu.

"That's right," answered Brigadier Sanusi. Cipo, Jalu, and Ndul-ndul nodded.

Cipo contacted Mr. Soku before writing a report about the capture of a shaman who sells knowledge to see demons. "How about it, can it be publish or not?" asked Cipo.

"Very funny. Okay, you send it via email only. Let us not retype. Because the magazine will soon go to print," said Mr. Soku. Cipo then quickly wrote the shaman's story. (*)