That, however, was easier said than done.  With one fist Siung Wanara sent each of the king’s men flying, one after another.  Many ended up with broken legs and arms.  One, who was unhurt, ran to the king and told him that there was a young man in the palace who was a great fighter.  The king went to see for himself.

Now great fighters were rare in those days, and Sri Pamekas was pleased to discover such a warrior in his kingdom. “I appoint you commander in chief of my army,” he said to Siung Wanara. “Your name will be Arya Banyak Wide.”

It was normal in traditional Javanese society to be given a new name whenever one rose in rank.  But if the king had stopped to inquire his new general’s original name, he might not have been so eager to employ the young man.  However, Arya Banyak was a great fighter (it was presumably the royal blood that make him so fierce and strong), and the king asked no more.  The kingdom of Pajajaran had many enemies, and the king let General Banyak march out with the royal army.  Soon the young warrior had defeated all the enemies’ forces.

Upon his return to the city, General Banyak invited all the blacksmiths, his uncle’s colleagues, to make him an iron bench. He wanted the bench to have a metal lid that could be closed and locked, so the bench was in reality a chest.  When the bench was completed, Arya Banyak invited King Pamekas to a great feast.  During the meal, the king asked him what the metal contraption was for, and the general answered:   “Whoever is tired and lies down upon it will be refreshed.”

The king fell into the trap. He lay down on the bench and Arya Banyak, alias Siung Wanara, closed the lid.  With the king locked away, Arya Banyak ordered his servants to carry the bench to the River Krawang.  The king shouted furiously from inside his metal prison, demanding to know what was happening and when this game was to end.  Finally, General Banyak answered him.   “You had me thrown into the River Krawang when I was only a baby,” he said. “So I will have you thrown into it now. Did you not want to kill me?  Know that my name is Siung Wanara.”

When the king heard these words, he knew that his last hour had come.  This was the revenge of the sage Chepaka.  Fate cannot be averted, and the king was drowned in the river.

A new kingdom

When Prince Raden Susuruh, Sri Pamekas’ legitimate heir, heard that his father had been killed by a usurper, he collected his troops and marched on the capital.