Archive for 2014
10 CERITA RAKYAT DALAM
BAHASA INGGRIS
Lutung Kasarung
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Cerita
rakyat from West Java
Prabu Tapa Agung
had led a kingdom in West Java for a long time. He was getting old and
therefore wanted to choose a successor. But unfortunately, he had no son. He
thought of choosing one of his daughters, Purbararang and Purbasari. But it
wasn’t an easy choice. They were both very pretty and smart. The only
difference was their temperament. Purbararang was rude and dishonest, while
Purbasari was kind and caring. With those considerations, Prabu Tapa Agung
finally chose Purbasari to be his successor.
Purbararang
didn’t agree with her father’s decision. “It’s supposed to be me, Father. I’m
the eldest daughter!” Purbararang said. Prabu Tapa Agung smiled. “Purbararang,
to be a queen takes more than age. There are many other qualities that one must
possess,” explained Prabu Tapa Agung wisely. “What does Purbasari have that I
don’t?” Purbararang pouted. “You’ll find out when Purbasari has replaced me,”
Prabu Tapa Agung answered.
After
the discussion, Purbararang went back to her room. “Is there something wrong?”
asked Indrajaya. Indrajaya is Purbararang’s future husband. “I’m upset! Father
chose Purbasari as his successor and not me! I have to do something!”
Purbararang said. Driven mad by her anger, she came to a witch and asked her to
send rash all over Purbasari’s body. Before going to bed, Purbasari started to
feel itch all over her body. She tried applying powder to her body, but it’s no
use. Instead, the itching grew even worse. She didn’t want to scratch it, but
she just couldn’t help it. In the next morning, there were scratch mark all
over Purbasari’s body. “What happened to you?” asked Purbararang, pretending to
be concerned. “I don’t know, sis. Last night, my body suddenly felt very itchy.
I scratched and scratched, and this is what happened,” Purbasari answered.
Purbararang shook her head. “You must have done something really awful. You’ve
been punished by the gods!”
That
day, the whole kingdom was scandalized. “What have you done, Purbasari?”
demanded Prabu Tapa Agung. Purbasari shook her head. “I didn’t do anything that
would upset the gods, Father,” she answered. “Then how can you explain what
happened to your body?” Prabu Tapa Agung asked again. “If you don’t confess,
I’ll banish you to the woods.” Purbasari took a deep breath. “Like I said before,
I didn’t do anything wrong. And I’d rather be thrown into the woods than to
confess to a deed I didn’t commit.”
After
a short discussion with his advisor, Prabu Tapa Agung ordered Purbasari to be
moved to the woods. Purbasari was very sad, but she couldn’t do anything to
defy her father’s order. She was accompanied to the woods by a messenger. He
built a simple hut for Purbasari. After the messenger left, suddenly a black
monkey came to Purbasari’s hut. He carried a bunch of bananas. From behind him,
some animals looked on. “Are the bananas for me?’ Purbasari asked. The black
monkey nodded, as if he understood what Purbasari said. Purbasari took the
bananas with pleasure. She also said thanks. The other animals that were
looking on also seemed to smile. “Are you willing to be my friend?” Purbasari
asked them. All the animals nodded happily. Although she was living by herself
in the woods, Purbasari never lacked of supplies. Everyday, there were always
animals bringing her fruits and fish to eat.
A
long time had passed since Purbasari was banished to the woods, but her body
still itched. At some places, her skin was even ulcerating. What am I supposed
to do?” Purbasari sighed. The monkey who was sitting next to her stayed still,
there were tears in his eyes. He hoped Purbasari would remain patient and
strong.
One
night, on a full moon, the monkey took Purbasari to a valley. There is a pond
with hot spring water. The monkey suddenly spoke, “The water of this pond will
heal your skin,” he said. Purbasari was surprised, ”You can talk? Who are you?”
she asked. “You’ll find out, in time,” the monkey said. Purbasari didn’t want
to force the monkey. She then walked to the pond. She bathed there. After a few
hours, Purbasari walked out of the pond. She was shocked to see her face
reflected on the clear pond water. Her face was beautiful again, with smooth
and clean skin. Purbasari observed her entire body. There were no traces of any
skin ailments. “I’m cured! I’m cured!” Purbasari shouted in joy. She quickly
offered thanks to the gods and also to the monkey.
The
news of Purbasari’s condition quickly spread to the kingdom, irritating
Purbararang. She then accompanied by Indrajaya go to the woods to see
Purbasari. Purbasari asked if she would be allowed to go home. Purbararang said
she would let Purbasari return to the palace if Purbasari’s hair were longer
than hers. Purbararang then let her hair down. It was so long, it almost
touched the ground. But it turned out that Purbasari’s hair was twice longer
than Purbararang’s hair.
“Fine,
so your hair is longer than mine.” Purbararang admitted. “But there is one more
condition you must fulfill, do you have a future husband who is handsomer than
mine?” said Purbararang as she walked toward Indrajaya. Purbasari felt
miserable. She didn’t have a future husband yet. So, without much thought, she
pulled the black monkey beside her.
Purbararang
and Indrajaya burst out, but their laughter didn’t last long. The monkey
meditates and suddenly transformed into a very handsome young man, a lot more
handsome than Indrajaya. “I’m a prince from a kingdom far away. I was cursed to
be a monkey because of a mistake I committed. I could regain my true form only
if there’s a girl who would be willing to be my wife,” said the young man.
Finally,
Purbararang gave up. She accepted Purbasari as the queen, and also confessed
everything she had done. “Please forgive me. Please don’t punish me,”
Purbararang said, asking for forgiveness. Instead of being angry, Purbasari
smiled. “I forgive you, sis,” she said. Soon after, Purbasari become queen. Beside
her was the handsome prince, the former monkey known as Lutung Kasarung.
Mouse
Deer and Tiger
Cerita rakyat from Central Java
One
upon a time, there was a mouse deer living in a forest. Although he was small,
he wasn’t afraid of the other bigger animals who wanted to eat him. He was so
smart; he always managed to ditch them. One day, a tiger was wandering around
for food. He hadn’t been eating for days. He was really hungry. While he was
walking in the forest, he saw Mouse Deer. The tiger wanted to eat him.
Tiger
slowly ducked, crawled, approaching Mouse Deer, then…”Gotcha!” said Tiger. He
caught Mouse Deer. “Hello, Mouse Deer! I’m really hungry right now. You’ll be
my lunch!” said Tiger. Mouse Deer didn’t want to be his lunch. He tried to be
calm. He looked around and saw some buffalo’s dung. He had an idea. “I’m sorry,
Tiger. I can’t be your lunch now. The King has ordered me to guard his cake,”
said Mouse Deer calmly. “His cake?” said Tiger curiously. “Yes, there it is.
It’s very delicious. The King doesn’t want anyone else to eat it, so he ordered
me to guard it,” Mouse Deer pointed the buffalo’s dung. “Can I taste it?” Tiger
asked. “Of course you can’t. The King would be very angry,” said Mouse Deer
refused. “Just one little bite, Mouse Deer! The King will never know,” said
Tiger. “Well, okay, Tiger. But first let me run far away, so the King won’t
blame me,” said Mouse Deer. “All right, Mouse deer. You can go now.” Mouse Deer
ran quickly out of sight. Tiger then took a big mouthful of the ‘cake’. “Phoooey!”
He spit it out. “Yuck, that’s not cake. That’s buffalo’s dung.”
Tiger
ran through the forest. He caught up with Mouse Deer. “Mouse Deer, you tricked
me. But now you will be my lunch.” Mouse Deer looked around and saw a wasp nest
in a tree. “I’m sorry, Tiger. I can’t be your lunch now. The King has ordered
me to guard his drum,” said Mouse Deer calmly. “His drum?” said Tiger
curiously. “Yes, there it is. It has the best sound in the world. The King
doesn’t want anyone else to hit it,” Mouse Deer pointed the wasp nest. “Can I
hit the King’s drum?” Tiger asked. “Of course you can’t. The King would be very
angry,” said Mouse Deer refused. “Just one little hit, Mouse Deer! The King
will never know,” said Tiger. ”Well, all right, Tiger. But first let me run far
away, so the King won’t blame me,” said Mouse Deer. “All right, Mouse Deer. You
can go now.” Mouse Deer ran quickly out of sight. Tiger then reached up and hit
the wasp nest. Bzzzzzzz…! “Ouch…ouch! That’s not a drum. That a wasp nests!”
Tiger
ran away. But the wasps keep following him. He came to the river. He jumped in
and stayed underwater as long as he could. At last the wasps went away. Then he
jumped out. He ran through the forest till he found Mouse Deer. “Mouse Deer,
you tricked me again. But now you will be my lunch.” Mouse Deer looked around
and saw a cobra. The snake was coiled asleep on the ground. “I’m sorry, Tiger.
I can’t be your lunch now. The King has ordered me to guard his belt,” said
Mouse Deer calmly. “His belt?” said Tiger curiously. “Yes. There it is. It’s
the best belt in the world. The King doesn’t want anyone else to wear it,”
Mouse Deer pointed the cobra. “Can I wear it?” Tiger asked. “Of course you
can’t. The King would be very angry,” said Mouse Deer refused. “Just for one
moment, Mouse Deer! The King will never know,” said Tiger. ”Well, all right,
Tiger. But first let me run far away, so the King won’t blame me,” said Mouse
Deer. “All right, Mouse Deer. You can go now.” Mouse Deer ran quickly out of
sight. Tiger then took the snake and started to warp it around himself. The
cobra woke up. It squeezed Tiger and bit him. SSssssstt! “Oouch! Ow! Ooow!
That’s not a belt! That’s a cobra! Help! Mouse Deer! Help!” But Mouse Deer was
already far away. He laughed aloud. Mouse Deer was safe from Tiger now.***
Malin Kundang
Cerita
rakyat from West Sumatra
Once
upon a time, on the north coast of Sumatra lived a poor woman and his son. The
boy was called Malin Kundang. They didn’t earn much as fishing was their only
source of income. Malin Kundang grew up as a skillful young boy. He always
helps his mother to earn some money. However, as they were only fisherman’s
helper, they still lived in poverty. “Mother, what if I sail overseas?” asked
Malin Kundang one day to his mother. Her mother didn’t agree but Malin Kundang
had made up his mind. “Mother, if I stay here, I’ll always be a poor man. I
want to be a successful person,” urged Malin kundang. His mother wiped her
tears, “If you really want to go, I can’t stop you. I could only pray to God
for you to gain success in life,” said his mother wisely. “But, promise me,
you’ll come home.”
In
the next morning, Malin Kundang was ready to go. Three days ago, he met one of
the successful ship’s crew. Malin was offered to join him. “Take a good care of
yourself, son,” said Malin Kundang’s mother as she gave him some food supplies.
“Yes, Mother,” Malin Kundang said. “You too have to take a good care of
yourself. I’ll keep in touch with you,” he continued before kissing his
mother’s hand. Before Malin stepped onto the ship, Malin’s mother hugged him
tight as if she didn’t want to let him go.
It
had been three months since Malin Kundang left his mother. As his mother had
predicted before, he hadn’t contacted her yet. Every morning, she stood on the
pier. She wished to see the ship that brought Malin kundang home. Every day and
night, she prayed to the God for her son’s safety. There was so much prayer
that had been said due to her deep love for Malin Kundang. Even though it’s
been a year she had not heard any news from Malin Kundang, she kept waiting and
praying for him.
After
several years waiting without any news, Malin Kundang’s mother was suddenly
surprised by the arrival of a big ship in the pier where she usually stood to
wait for her son. When the ship finally pulled over, Malin Kundang’s mother saw
a man who looked wealthy stepping down a ladder along with a beautiful woman.
She could not be wrong. Her blurry eyes still easily recognized him. The man
was Malin Kundang, her son.
Malin
Kundang’s mother quickly went to see her beloved son. “Malin, you’re back,
son!” said Malin Kundang’s mother and without hesitation, she came running to
hug Malin Kundang, “I miss you so much.” But, Malin Kundang didn’t show any
respond. He was ashamed to admit his own mother in front of his beautiful wife.
“You’re not my Mother. I don’t know you. My mother would never wear such ragged
and ugly clothes,” said Malin Kundang as he release his mother embrace.
Malin
Kundang’s mother take a step back, “Malin…You don’t recognize me? I’m your
mother!” she said sadly. Malin Kundang’s face was as cold as ice. “Guard, take
this old women out of here,” Malin Kundang ordered his bodyguard. “Give her
some money so she won’t disturb me again!” Malin Kundang’s mother cried as she
was dragged by the bodyguard, ”Malin… my son. Why do you treat your own mother
like this?”
Malin
Kundang ignored his mother and ordered the ship crews to set sail. Malin
Kundang’s mother sat alone in the pier. Her heart was so hurt, she cried and
cried. “Dear God, if he isn’t my son, please let him have a save journey. But
if he is, I cursed him to become a stone,” she prayed to the God.
In
the quiet sea, suddenly the wind blew so hard and a thunderstorm came. Malin
Kundang’s huge ship was wrecked. He was thrown by the wave out of his ship, and
fell on a small island. Suddenly, his whole body turned into stone. He was
punished for not admitting his own mother.***
Sangkuriang
Long
time ago in West Java, lived a beautiful girl named Dayang Sumbi. She was also
smart and clever. Her beauty and intelligence made a prince from the heavenly
kingdom of Kahyangan desire her as his wife. The prince asked permission from
his father to marry Dayang Sumbi. People from Kahyangan could never live side
by side with humans, but his father approved on one condition, when they had a
child, the prince would transform into a dog. The prince accepted the condition.
They
get married and lived happily in the woods until Dayang Sumbi gave birth to a
baby boy. The prince then changed into a dog named Tumang. Their son is named
Sangkuriang. He was very smart and handsome like his father. Everyday, he
hunted animals and looked for fruits to eat. One day, when he was hunting,
Sangkuriang accidentally killed Tumang. His arrow missed the deer he was
targeting and hit Tumang instead. He went home and tells her mother about the
dog. “What?” Dayang Sumbi was appalled. Driven by sadness and anger, she
grabbed a weaving tool and hit Sangkuriang’s head with it. Dayang Sumbi was so
sad; she didn’t pay any attention to Sangkuriang and started to cry.
Sangkuriang
feel sad and also confused. How can his mother love a dog more than him?
Sangkuriang then decided to go away from their home and went on a journey. In
the morning, Dayang Sumbi finally stopped crying. She started to feel better,
so she went to find Sangkuriang. But her son was no where to be found. She
looked everywhere but still couldn’t find him. Finally, she went home with
nothing. She was exhausted. She fell asleep, and in her dream, she meets her
husband. “Dayang Sumbi, don’t be sad. Go look for my body in the woods and get
the heart. Soak it with water, and use the water to bathe, and you will look
young forever,” said the prince in her dream. After bathing with the water used
to soak the dog’s heart, Dayang Sumbi looked more beautiful and even younger.
And
time passed by. Sangkuriang on his journey stopped at a village and met and
fell in love with a beautiful girl.He didn’t realize that the village was his
homeland and the beautiful girl was his own mother, Dayang Sumbi. Their love
grew naturally and he asked the girl to marry him. One day, Sangkuriang was
going on a hunt. He asked Dayang Sumbi to fix the turban on his head. Dayang
Sumbi was startled when she saw a scar on his head at the same place where she,
years ago, hit Sangkuriang on the head.
After
the young man left, Dayang Sumbi prayed for guidance. After praying, she became
convinced that the young man was indeed her missing son. She realized that she
had to do something to prevent Sangkuriang from marrying her. But she did not
wish to disappoint him by cancelling the wedding. So, although she agreed to
marry Sangkuriang, she would do so only on the condition that he provides her
with a lake and built a beautiful boat, all in one night.
Sangkuriang
accepted this condition without a doubt. He had spent his youth studying
magical arts. After the sun went down, Sangkuriang went to the hill. Then he
called a group of genie to build a dam around Citarum River. Then, he commands
the genies to cut down trees and build a boat. A few moments before dawn,
Sangkuriang and his genie servants almost finished the boat.
Dayang
Sumbi, who had been spying on him, realised that Sangkuriang would fulfill the
condition she had set. Dayang Sumbi immediately woke all the women in the
village and asked them to wave a long red scarf. All the women in the village
were waving red scarf, making it look as if dawn was breaking. Deceived by
false dawn, the cock crowed and farmers rose for the new day.
Sangkuriang’s
genie servants immediately dropped their work and ran for cover from the sun,
which they feared. Sangkuriang grew furious. With all his anger, he kicked the
unfinished boat. The boat flew and landed on a valley. The boat then became a
mountain, called Mount Tangkuban Perahu (Tangkuban means upturned or upside
down, and Perahu means boat). With his power, he destroyed the dam. The water
drained from the lake becoming a wide plain and nowadays became a city called
Bandung (from the word Bendung, which means Dam).***
Cindelaras
Cerita rakyat from East Java
Raden
Putra was the king of Jenggala kingdom. He had a beautiful queen and concubine.
Unlike the queen, the concubine had bad personalities. She was envious and
jealous with the queen, so she planned to make the queen leave the palace. The
concubine then asked the royal healer to help her in her plan. One day, the
concubine pretended to be ill. Raden Putra called the royal healer to give the
concubine treatments. “What is her disease?” Raden Putra asked the royal
healer. “I’m very sorry, My Majesty. She is sick because the queen put poison
in her meal,” the royal healer lied.
Raden
Putra was shock and angry to hear the explanation. He called the queen and
asked her if the story was true. Of course the queen denied, but Raden Putra
won’t listen. “Please Your Majesty, have mercy. I really didn’t do anything,”
cried the queen in her tears. Raden Putra’s anger ended in a decision. The
queen should be banished to the woods and terminated. He did not know that the
queen was already pregnant. Raden Putra commanded one of his general to do the
punishment. The queen was banished to the woods, but the wise general didn’t
have the heart to kill her. He built a simple house in the woods for her. On
his way back to the palace, he smeared his sword with rabbit blood, so Raden
Putra would believe that he had killed the queen.
After
the general left, the queen lived by herself in the woods. Several months
later, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy. The baby was named Cindelaras. He
grew up as a nice, healthy, and handsome boy. One day, while Cindelaras helped
her mother to collect some fire woods, an eagle dropped an egg. Cindelaras
brought the egg to be brooded by a chicken behind their house. The egg hatched
into a chick and then it slowly became a strong rooster. The rooster is no
ordinary rooster. The rooster could sing. Every morning, the rooster woke
Cindelaras up with its beautiful song, “My master is Cindelaras. His house is
in the woods. He’s the son of Raden Putra.” The rooster often sang that song.
Cindelaras
always woke up early in the morning and listen happily to his rooster’s song.
He didn’t realize the meaning of the song until one day, he started to think.
“Who is Raden Putra?” he asked his mother. The queen then told him the whole
story. She also told him why they were banned from the kingdom and lived in the
woods. Cindelaras was very surprised. He decided to go to the palace to meet
the king, his father. Cindelaras asked her mother’s permission to go to the
kingdom and to tell the king what really happened. He also brought his rooster
that grew bigger and stronger each day.
On
his way, Cindelaras stopped at a village. There, he met some people who were
involved in cockfighting. They challenge him to see how strong his rooster was.
“If your rooster wins, you’ll get a reward,” said the man who challenged him.
Cindelaras accepted the challenge. In a few minutes, his rooster defeated the
opponent’s rooster. He was challenged again by other man, and one more time,
his rooster won. He won again and again.
The
news about Cindelaras’ rooster quickly spread to the whole Jenggala kingdom and
made Raden Putra curious. So, he invited Cindelaras to the palace. “What is
your name, boy?” Raden Putra asked as Cindelaras arrived in the palace. “My
name is Cindelaras, Your Majesty,” Cindelaras answered. He felt both thrilled
and happy to see Raden Putra.
Raden
Putra challenged Cindelaras with one condition. If Raden Putra’s rooster won,
Cindelaras’ head would be cut off. But if Cindelaras’ rooster won, Raden Putra
would share half of his wealth. Cindelaras accepted the condition. The
competition was held in the front yard of the palace. The two roosters fought
bravely. But in just a few minutes, Cindelaras’ rooster won the fight! Raden
Putra shook his head and stared at Cindelaras from his seat, “That rooster is
no ordinary rooster, and the boy is not an ordinaty boy either. Who is he
exactly?” he thought. Raden Putra was about to asked when suddenly Cindelaras’
rooster sang the song, “My master is Cindelaras. His house is in the woods.
He’s the son of Raden Putra.”
Raden
Putra was surprised. “Is it true?” he asked. “Yes, My Majesty. My name is
Cindelaras and my mother was the queen,” said Cindelaras. Raden putra called
the general who had banished the queen. The general then confessed that he
never killed the queen. Later, the royal healer also admitted his mistake.
Raden Putra was so shocked. He immediately went to the woods to pick up the
queen. Ever since, Cindelaras and his parents lived happily together. As for
the concubine, she was sent to the jail as punishment.***
Timun
Mas
Long
time ago in the island of Java, Indonesia, lived a couple of farmer. They
had married for some years but they had no children. So they prayed to a
monster called Buta Ijo to give them children. Buta Ijo was a ferocious
and powerful monster. He granted their wish on one condition. When
their children had grown up, they had to sacrifice them to Buta Ijo. He
liked eating fresh meat of human being. The farmers agreed to his
condition. Several months later the wife was pregnant.
She
gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. They named her Timun Emas. The
farmers were happy. Timun Emas was very healthy and a very smart
girl. She was also very diligent. When she was a teenager Buta Ijo came
to their house. Timun Emas was frightened so she ran away to hide.
The farmers then told Buta Ijo that Timun Emas was still a child. They
asked him to postpone. Buta Ijo agreed. He promised to come
again. The following year Buta Ijo came again. But again and again
their parents said that Timun Emas was still a child.
When
the third time Buta Ijo came their parents had prepared something for
him. They gave Timun Emas several bamboo needles, seeds of cucumber,
dressing and salt.
‘Timun,
take these things’
‘What
are these things?’
‘These
are your weapons. Buta Ijo will chase you. He will eat you
alive. So run as fast as you can. And if he will catch you spread
this to the ground. Now go!’
Timun
Emas was scared so she ran as quickly as she could. When Buta Ijo arrived
she was far from home. He was very angry when he realized that his prey
had left. So he ran to chase her. He had a sharp nose so he knew
what direction his prey ran.
Timun
Emas was just a girl while Buta Ijo was a monster so he could easily catch her
up. When he was just several steps behind Timun Emas quickly spread the
seeds of cucumber. In seconds they turned into many vines of
cucumber. The exhausted Buta Ijo was very thirsty so he grabbed and ate
them. When Buta Ijo was busy eating cucumber Timun Emas could run away.
But
soon Buta Ijo realized and started running again. When he was just
several steps behind Timun Emas threw her bamboo needles. Soon they
turned into dense bamboo trees. Buta Ijo found it hard to pass. It took
him some time to break the dense bamboo forest. Meanwhile Timun Emas
could run farther.
Buta
Ijo chased her again. When he almost catch her again and again Timun Emas
threw her dressing. This time it turned into a lake. Buta Ijo was
busy to save himself so Timun Emas ran way. But Buta Ijo could overcome
it and continued chasing her.
Finally
when Timun Emas was almost caught she threw her salt. Soon the land where
Buta Ijo stood turned into ocean. Buta Ijo was drowned and died instantly.
Timun
Emas was thankful to god and came back to her home.
Roro Jonggrang
Long
time ago, there was a kingdom named Prambanan. All the people of Prambanan
lived peacefully. But then, Prambanan kingdom was attacked and occupied by the
Pengging kingdom. Prambanan then was ruled by Bandung Bondowoso of Pengging
kingdom. He was a mean king. He also had great supernatural power. His soldiers
were not only humans, but also genies.
The
king of Prambanan had a beautiful daughter named Loro Jonggrang. Bandung
Bondowoso fell in love with her and wanted to marry her. “You’re very
beautiful. Would you be my queen?” asked Bandung Bondowoso. Loro Jonggrang was
shocked. She didn’t like Bandung Bondowoso because he was a mean person. She
wanted to refuse, but she afraid that Bandung Bondowoso would be angry and
endangered the people of Prambanan. Then, she came up with a plan. “If you want
to marry me, you have to build a thousand temples for me in just one night,”
said Loro Jonggrang. “What? That’s impossible!” said Bandung Bondowoso. But he
did not give up. He consulted with his advisor. “Your Majesty can asked the
genies to help built the temples,” said the advisor.
So,
Bandung Bondowoso summoned his entire genies soldier and commanded them to help
him built a thousand temples. The genies worked in unbelievable speed.
Meanwhile, Loro Jonggrang heard from her servant that the building of a
thousand temples was almost finished. She was so worried. But again, she came
up with a great idea. She asked all of her servants to help her. “Please
prepare a lot of straw and mortar. Please hurry up!” said Loro Jonggrang. “Burn
the straw and make some noise pounding the mortar, quickly.” All those servants
did what Loro Jonggrang ordered them; burning straw and pounding the mortar,
making the genies think that the sun is going to rise.
“It’s
already dawn. We have to go,” said the leader of the genies to Bandung
Bondowoso. All the genies immediately stopped their work and ran for cover from
the sun, which they afraid of. They didn’t know that the light was from the
fire that burning the straw, not from the sun.
Bandung
Bondowoso can’t stop the genies from leaving. He was angry. He knew Loro
Jonggrang had just tricked him. “You cannot fool me, Loro Jonggrang. I already
have 999 temples. I just need one more temple. Now, I will make you the
one-thousandth temple.” He pointed his finger to Loro Jonggrang and said some
mantras. Magically, Loro Jonggrang’s body turned into stone. Until now, the
temple is still standing in Prambanan area, Central Java. And the temple is
called Loro Jonggrang temple.
Jaka Tarub And
Nawang Wulan
Jaka Tarub was a handsome and diligent young
man. He lived in a village near a lake. One day, when Jaka Tarub passed the
lake, he heard some giggles and laughs of some girls who were bathing in the
lake. He was curious, so he peeped through the bushes. There were seven
beautiful girls in the lake. They’re fairies from the heavenly kingdom of
kahyangan. Jaka Tarub saw a scarf near the bushes. It belonged to one of the
fairies. Jaka Tarub then took it and hid it.
Crack!!!
Accidentally, Jaka Tarub stepped on a twig. “There’s someone!” said one of the
fairies. “Let’s get back. Hurry!” she said. They pulled over and wear their
scarf. “Where is my scarf?” one of the fairies couldn’t find her scarf. She was
the youngest fairy called Nawang Wulan. They tried to search for it, but it was
no where to be found. “We’re sorry, Wulan. We have to go back to kahyangan,”
said the eldest fairy. “You’ll have to find it by yourself. We’ll wait for you
in kahyangan,” she said in empathy. The other fairies then flew to the sky
leaving Nawang Wulan behind. Nawang Wulan saw them leaving in tears. She was so
sad.
“Excuse
me …,” said Jaka Tarub, startling Nawang Wulan. “Are you okay?” he asked.
Nawang Wulan moved backward, “Who are you?” she asked. “My name is Jaka Tarub.
I was passing by and I heard you crying, so I came to see what happen,” Jaka
Tarub lied. Nawang Wulan then told him about her problem. “I can’t fly without
my scarf,” she said. Jaka Tarub then asked Nawang Wulan to come home with him.
At first, Nawang Wulan refused the offer. But since she didn’t have anywhere
else to go, Nawang Wulan then decided to follow Jaka Tarub.
Nawang
Wulan stayed with Jaka Tarub in the village. A month passed, and they decided
to get married. Nawang Wulan was willing to marry a human because she fell in
love with Jaka Tarub. After a year, they had a beautiful daughter. They named
her Kumalasari. They lived happily.
Jaka
Tarub was also happy to live with Nawang Wulan and Kumalasari. Especially
because he always got a lot of harvest since he married Nawang Wulan. He
couldn’t even keep all of his harvest in the barn because it was always full.
“It’s so weird. Nawang Wulan cooked everyday, but why is my barn always full,”
Jaka Tarub mumbled to himself. He was so curious. One day, Jaka Tarub stayed at
home. “I want to stay home today. I’d like to play with Kumalasari,” he said to
his wife. “Well, I’ll go to the river to wash the clothes. Please keep an eye
on Kumalasari,” asked Nawang Wulan. “I’m cooking rice now. Please do not open
the pan cover before it’s done,” she said just before she left. “Could this be
the secret?” Jaka Tarub thought. After Nawang Wulan left, he curiously opened
the pan cover. He found only one single paddy. “How come?” he wondered.
Before
lunch, Nawang Wulan came home. She headed to the kitchen to see the rice she
had cooked. She found that the rice turned into only a few grains. “Did you
open the pan cover?” she asked her husband. “I… I’m sorry. I was curious,” Jaka
Tarub said as he realized his fault.
Ever
since, Nawang Wulan had lost her power. She couldn’t cook rice with only a
single paddy. Their paddy supply was slowly lessened. Their barn was almost
empty. One day, Nawang Wulan went to the barn to get some paddy. When she took
one of them, she found a scarf. “What’s this? This is my scarf,” said Nawang
Wulan startled.
That
night, Nawang Wulan asked her husband about the scarf. Jaka Tarub’s eyes
widened, “You found it?” he asked. Jaka Tarub looked down and asked for her
forgiveness. “Because I’ve found my scarf, it’s time for me to go back to where
I belong,” Nawang Wulan said. Jaka Tarub tried to stop her, but Nawang Wulan
had made up her mind. “Please take good care of Kumalasari,” she said. “If she
wanted to see me, take seven grains of candlenut and put it into a basket.
Shake it as you play the bamboo flute. I’ll come to see her,” she explained.
Jaka
Tarub promised to take good care of their daughter. He once again asked for
forgiveness for all of his mistakes. “I’ve forgiven you, so you don’t have to
feel guilty. I must go now. Take care,” said Nawang Wulan as she flew to the
bright full moon.***
Damar
Wulan
Damar
Wulan was born in the village of Paluh Amba, not far from the capital city of
Majapahit. He was the son of Udara, the former prime minister of Majapahit.
Since his father had retired his family live in a quiet and prosperous village
outside the capital. Damar was a smart boy so he could easily learned the
lessons his father taught him. He learned martial art, religion, politics, and
literature. He was very good at all those subjects. When his father thought
that he is mature enough, he asked Damar to find job in Majapahit. He told
Damar to apply for a job at the Prime Minister’s office. He hoped that his
close relation with the new prime minister would help him get the prime
minister’s attention. Furthermore Damar was a smart boy so his father was sure
Damar was capable to do any job.
Damar
was very confident he would get a good position at the prime minister’s office.
Early morning he left his village. At midday he got to Majapahit and he
directly went to the prime minister’s house. Prime Minister Logender was his
name. The guards sarcastically questioned him when he told them he would see
the prime minister.
‘Who
do you think you are?’
‘I
am Damar Wulan. I am the son of the former prime minister Udara. My father told
me to see the prime minister here’
‘If
you think you can impress us by telling us about your father, you are
completely wrong poor boy. The son of a prime minister would never go anywhere
on foot’
‘But,
that’s true. My father told me to find job here’
‘Listen
poor boy, the prime minister is a very busy person. He does not have time for
job seeker like you. But if you need a job, there is a vacant position here.
Let me report my chief’
Then
the soldier reported to his superior. After that someone called Damar to get
into the commander’s chamber. He told Damar that the prime minister’s office
needed several boys to take care of the horses. Damar was surprised because he expected
clerical job but then he accepted the offer. Since that day he lived in a
simple hut behind the prime minister’s house.
Damar did a good job so his superior was
satisfied with him. He was also very sociable. Soon he had a good relationship
with the prime minister and his family. The prime minister had two sons –
Layang Seto and Layang Kumitir and a daughter – Anjasmoro. His sons were very
arrogant and lazy. They treated Damar cruelly. They wanted Damar to do whatever
they want. Every body hated them but nobody dare to express their feeling.
Anjasmoro, on the other hand, liked Damar very much. Gradually she fell in love
to Damar. So did Damar. They had a secret love. When Layang Seto and Layang
Kumitir knew what happened to Damar and Anjasmoro, they were very angry. They
treated Damar more and more cruelly.
At the time the kingdom of Majapahit faced a
very serious problem because of the rebellion of Menak Jinggo. He was a half
brother of the Queen Kecono Wungu. He was a prince of Majapahit and a highly
respected general of the Majapahit army. For his great achievement for his
country his father appointed him as the ruler for the kingdom of Blambangan, a
vassal state under Majapahit. When his father passed away he was sure that he
would become the successor. But he was very disappointed when his father appointed
his sister instead. He thought that he was more capable than Kencono Wungu so
he rebelled.
Menak Jinggo proved to be a good general.
Under his leadership the Blambangan army could win several battles with
Majapahit army. The territory of Majapahit one by one fell to Blambangan. At
the time the morale of the Majapahit army was already down. They were not sure
that they could win the war. So the queen and the prime minister met everyday
to discuss the worsening situation. Some weeks went by but still they did not
have any ideas to solve the problem. Every report they received about the war
was only about the defeat of the Majapahit army.
Prime
Minister Logender was shocked when his wife reported to him about the affair of
Anjasmoro and Damar Wulan. For a highly respected person like him, it was a
very serious blow to his ego. He was a very respectable person while his
daughter dated with a poor boy. It was a serious humiliation. He could not
accept it. This fact made him very angry. He thought very hard to find a
solution. Suddenly an idea struck his sharp mind when he was meditating at
midnight.
Early
in the morning he went to the palace and asked the queen for an audience. Then
he explained his plan.
‘Your
Majesty, last night I had an idea’
‘Tell
me about it’
‘Our
army could not win because we apply a wrong strategy. The Blambangan army is
very good at a frontal open warfare like that. Furthermore our army’s morale is
now down. So we have to avoid open warfare. Since now on we have to launch a
new tactics of secret operation. We must send a small army unit to kill Menak
Jinggo secretly’
‘Who will do that?’
‘Who will do that?’
‘I
have a body guard. His skill in martial art is excellent. He is very capable at
individual fight. So he is ready for this duty. I am sure he is the right
person’
‘OK,
I think you are right. Send him as soon as possible to Blambangan. If he can do
his job well I will give him great reward’
When
Logender got home he called Damar Wulan immediately. He asked him about his
martial art skill. Damar said he had mastered some fighting skill. His father
had trained him Pencak Silat, the Indonesian martial art. As a result, he was
very skillful at using sword, lance, as well as empty hand fighting technique.
Then Logender asked him to fight both Layang Seto and Layang Kumitir. Both of
them fought emotionally since they hated Damar very much. But Damar was smart,
skillful, strong and tough. In just several minutes he could beat both of them
without difficulty. Logender was angry but also satisfied since he found a way
to get rid of both problems – his home and his country.
‘Damar,
you are a great fighter. I am very proud of you. And that’s why you will
receive a great honor to fight for your country. Now there is a rebellion in
Majapahit. The king of Blambangan has done a crime. His name is Menak Jinggo.
Find him in his palace and Blambangan and kill him. Are you ready?’
‘I am ready any
time Sir’
‘Good.
Today you have to prepare everything and tomorrow you must leave for Blambangan
secretly. Do not tell any one about this duty. Not even Anjasmoro. Don’t be
afraid because the Majapahit army will fully support you. They will back you
and provide all your needs. When you can kill Menak Jinggo behead him and bring
his head here. If you can do this job well you will be promoted to a high
position as the commander of Majapahit army’
‘Yes, Sir. I am very glad to receive this order. I will do my best’
‘Yes, Sir. I am very glad to receive this order. I will do my best’
The
next day, very early in the morning Damar Wulan left Majapahit alone. Meanwhile
Prime Minister Logender had implemented his own plan. He prepared a small army
unit under the leadership of his two sons. They went behind Damar in a distant
so that Damar did not notice them. They went secretly so no one knew it. Their
task was not to protect Damar but to kill him and seize the head of Menak
Jinggo if he could kill Menak Jinggo. But if Damar was killed then they had
nothing to do.
Several
days later Damar Wulan arrived in Blambangan. The Majapahit army kept on spying
on him. They were surprised to see Damar did not directly attack the palace. He
applied for a job instead. Once again he was accepted to work in the palace to
take care of the horses. Everybody including the king Menak Jinggo liked him
because he was very polite and he did his job well. He was also very handsome
that two of the king’s wife fell in love with him. Waito and Puyengan were the
wives of King Menak Jinggo.
As
everybody trusted him, it was easy for Damar to search the palace. He knew
where Menak Jinggo lived. One night he secretly jumped the palace wall to kill the
king. Finally he was inside the king’s bedroom. But unfortunately the king was
ready to welcome him. A small army unit was there to arrest him. He was no
match for Menak Jinggo. But Menak Jinggo was a smart person. He did not kill
Damar instantly. He wanted to gather information from him. So he ordered his
guards.
‘Don’t
kill him. Let him alive, treat him well. I will question him tomorrow’.
‘Yes,
Your Majesty’
He
ordered his men to treat him well. He even let Waito and Puyengan to see Damar.
By doing so he hoped that Damar would give him valuable information. But Damar
was also a smart person. He dated Waito and Puyengan and he asked them the way
to kill Menak Jinggo. Since the two women loved Damar they revealed a secret.
‘Nobody
can hurt him. He is a tough guy and he is protected by god. God gave him a
secret weapon called Wesi Kuning’
‘What
is that?’
‘That’s
a golden amulet. It is just a small amulet, as small as a thumb but it is very
powerful. Its shape is like a stick. It is stored in his bedroom’
‘He
is a dangerous man. We have to stop him. Could you help me find his amulet?
‘I
will help you if you marry me’
‘Sure
I will marry both of you as soon as I can arrest him’
When
their turn to amuse the king arrived Waito and Puyengan could get into the kings
chamber. They used that opportunity to steal the amulet. Then they gave it to
Damar Wulan. Menak Jinggo did not realize their conspiracy. When the night was
very quiet they opened the door for Damar Wulan. There was a fight but it was
too late for Menak Jinggo. The sudden attack did not give him much chance to
survive. Consequently Damar could beat his enemy and Menak Jinggo was beheaded.
Damar
Wulan immediately left Blambangan palace that night while promising Waito and
Puyengan to be back after he received the rewa.
Danau
Toba
Once
upon a time there was a prosperous village in a far away island called Sumatra.
In northern part of the island, lived a farmer whose name was Toba. He lived
alone in a hut by a small forest. He worked on his farmland to grow rice and
vegetables that he sells to local market. Once day he wanted to catch some fish
so he went to a river and fished there. He was very surprised when he got a big
fish. The fish was as big as human being. Soon he went home and put the fish in
his kitchen. He planned to cook the fish for his dinner that night. When he got
to his house that afternoon he took a bath. Then as he walked into his bedroom
after taking a bath Toba was very shocked. Do you want to know what happened?
There stood in his living room a very beautiful girl. The girl greeted him
nicely. For a moment Toba was speechless. When he could control his emotion he
asked her.
‘Who
are you? What’s your nae? Why suddenly you are here in my house?’ ‘Pardon me if
I surprised you Mr. Toba, but you took me here. I was the fish that you caught
in the river. Now that I become a human being again, I would like to thank you
and I will be your servant to express my thankfulness’
‘Were
you the fish?’
‘Yes,
I was the fish. Look at your kitchen’.
Toba immediately rushed to his kitchen and the fish was nowhere to be seen. He saw some gold coins instead. ‘Whose coins are these? Why there are some coins here?’
‘Those coins are mine. As I changed into human being my scales changed into gold coins’
‘Ok you can live here and work for me. Your room is over there’
‘Thank you very much Mr. Toba’
Toba immediately rushed to his kitchen and the fish was nowhere to be seen. He saw some gold coins instead. ‘Whose coins are these? Why there are some coins here?’
‘Those coins are mine. As I changed into human being my scales changed into gold coins’
‘Ok you can live here and work for me. Your room is over there’
‘Thank you very much Mr. Toba’
Since that day the
beautiful girl lived in Toba’s house. Since she was very beautiful Toba fell in
love with her and not long after that they got married. The girl married to
Toba on one condition that he would never tell anybody about her past. Toba
agreed to the condition. Several months later Toba’s wife delivered to a baby
boy. Their son was healthy. Soon he grew up into a handsome boy. Toba named him
Samosir. Unfortunately Samosir was a lazy boy. He did not want to work at all.
When his father worked hard in his rice field and farm, Samosir just slept.
When he was awake he talked a lot and he ate a lot. Toba was very disappointed
with his son’s nature. He hoped that one day Samosir would change into a
diligent boy. Day in and day out but Samosir never changed. Toba used to go to
his farm and rice field early in the morning. Then at midday his wife would
bring him food. They used to eat lunch at their farm. As he was a teenager Toba
and his wife tried to change his behavior. They ordered Samosir to bring food
for his father for lunch while her mother stayed at home to do household
chores. But Samosir never did his duty well. He always woke up very late. He
woke up after midday. Then one day his mother forced him to bring the food.
‘Sam,
wake up. Go to the farm and bring the food for your father. He must be very
tired and hungry now’.
But
Mom, I am tired and hungry too’
‘What
makes you tired? You just wake up. Go now. You father needs the food’
Toba
reluctantly went to the farm. But he did not go to the farm immediately. He
stopped somewhere in the street and ate the food. It was already late afternoon
when he got to the farm. His father was disappointed. Then he was angry as he
realized that his son had eaten his food. He said sarcastically.
‘O,
you are stupid lazy boy. You are son of a fish!’
Samosir
was hurt. He went home right away and as he got home he told his mother about
his father’s words. Samosir’s mother was shocked. She was also deeply hurt. ‘O
Toba. You break your promise so I cannot live with you here anymore. Now you
have to accept to consequence of what you did. Samosir, now go to the hill,
find the tallest tree and climb it’
‘Why
mom? What will happen?’
‘Just
do it, never ask any question. Good bye’
As
soon as she finished saying that suddenly the weather changed. Sunny day
suddenly turned into cloudy day. Not long after that the rain poured heavily.
The rain last for several days. Consequently the area was flooded. The whole
area became a big lake. Then it was called Lake Toba and in the middle of the
lake there is an island called Samosir Island. Meanwhile Toba’s wife
disappeared. Lake Toba is located in the province of North Sumatra, Indonesia.
Today it becomes a tourist destination.
Time in Jakarta 
