MARI MEMBACA DALAM BAHASA INGGRIS

STORY TELLING AND NARATIVE

1.     Amounting Coconut Rice

Once upon a time in the Gulf region for Pandak there exists a coconut rice . the people never know where it came from . Paddy was discovered by a resident around his house . Who found the paddy rice is not complete with the trunk , but only a grain of coconut complete with its shell . Pandak Gulf residents believe that it is the incarnation of paddy Dewi Sri . They are such a blessing to get the rice fall into their place.

When planting season arrives , people take for coconut rice paddy fields to be planted . After rice planting , the community gathered for prayer so that rice planted blessings of God . Group of young people brought dance Dewi Sri . The dance is accompanied by song poem prayer and praise to God . The song they named the Humming . Their bran - o'clock at the drum dance accompanist Dewi Sri .

The clock is running . Harvest season arrived . the people back together and jointly harvest . The first harvest they do so only for a small portion of rice that would be used for a meal together . When will reap rice , they rocked the paddy Dewi Sri bead while chanting praises to God for the success of their crops . Rice that has been harvested later diirik with legs . After the rice is dried . After being rice , rice was cooked and provided a common meal . In the event of coconut rice was re- taken . Before the meal they verses that point is thanksgiving , prayer, and give salvation to God . The meal was finished . The next day the people together all over the rice harvest.

Having finished the entire rice harvest , rice grows son of former rice straw living . This is smaller . They named the smaller rice with Salibu . Rice was smaller than the size of regular rice . Salibu it later in the harvest . Once separated from the shell , then Salibu digonseng and pounded to form chips . Process until impingement Salibu menggonseng performed by young people from the afternoon until the evening . During the process it is not rare that young people ultimately destined . Crackers from Salibu then eaten together in a marriage ceremony that young people 's affinity.

2.     Two giant dragons Sabang and Seulawah

At a time when the island Andalas was separated into two islands, namely the island of the eastern and western parts of the island, two islands separated by a very narrow strait row, in streit it there lived a dragon named Sabang, at that time on both sides of the island stood two fruit kingdom called the kingdom of Daru and the Kingdom of Nature. Royal Daru Daru led by Sultan was on the island and the eastern part of the kingdom led by Sultan Alam Alam're on an island west. Sultan Alam was very fair and thoughtful to the people and very smart trade that Natural kingdom to kingdom prosperous and progressive. While Sultan Daru very cruel to its people and likes robbed merchant ships passing through its waters.

Daru has long been envious of the Sultan Sultan Alam and he had often tried to invade the kingdom of Nature but always blocked by Naga Sabang, so the desire to master nature prosperous kingdom is not reached.

So one day Daru royal advisor named Tuanku Gurka be calling, "Gurka my lord, we have often attacked the Kingdom of Nature but always blocked by the dragon Sabang, you try to find out who the person who can defeat the dragon", Sultan command Daru.

"Your Majesty, the Dragon is the keeper strait Front Sabang, if the dragon dies, the two islands will be fused because no creature is able to take care of a buffer between the two islands besides the dragon", obviously my lord Gurka.

"I do not care about these two islands together, I wanted to rule the kingdom of Nature," explained Sultan Daru.

"There are two giant named Seulawah Agam and Seulawah Inong, they are very powerful," Gurka said my lord.

"Seulawah Agam has enormous power while Seulawah Inong have geulantue sword very fast and very sharp," added Lord Gurka.

Then shortly afterwards came the two giants facing kesangupan Sultan Daru to deliver them to fight against the dragon Sabang . Shortly after sending the messengers to the dragon Sabang to let you know that the two giants will come to fight with him .

Naga Sabang sad to hear the news and soon the Sultan Alam , " Sultan Alam friend , had come the messengers Sultan Daru to me with a message that the two giants Seulawah Agam and Seulawah Inong will come against me ," Obviously the Dragon to the Sultan Alam.

"They are very strong , I'm afraid to lose," said the dragon .

"If I had killed the two islands will converge , will be shocks hard earth and sea water will recede , then order your people ran into a high mountain , because it will come after Beuna ie, it is a very large wave that will sweep the land " , the message of the Dragon .

Sultan Alam Shedding tears of the dragon companions heard the message , " Well my friend, I will convey your message to people.

So at the time that has been specified that there was a fierce battle between the two giants and dragons Sabang on the beach . Sultan and the people of the two kingdoms see the exciting battle from a distance . On one occasion Selawah giant Inong successfully slashing his sword to the dragon's neck .

Then Seulawah Agam giant dragon body lift it and shouted , " Weehh ! " , Throwing the body of the dragon was far, far away , behold, the dragon's body lying on the high seas fall . Everyone was silent for a moment , then to Sultan Alam yelled as he waved to the body of the dragon is lying deep in the sea , " Sabaaaaang ! , Sabaaaang ! , Sabaaang ! " Called Sultan Alam .

"O Sultan Alam , do not you call the dragon again!, He 's dead..... it Ulee Leue”, Sultan Daru Shouts from across the strait as he showed towards Sabang dragon head lying on the beach . Suddenly the two islands move toward each other and collide so that there was a very loud earthquake , ground shaking here and there , nothing could stand , two powerful giants sat down on the beach. Shortly after the earthquake stopped , the sea water receded so far thrashed fish on the beach . Daru Sultan and his subjects rejoiced see thrashed fish they quickly picked up the fish , while the Natural sultan and his people ran to the high mountains of the dragon Sabang appropriate message. Shortly thereafter came a huge wave swept island Andalas . Daru sultan and his people being happy was hit by a large wave , the two powerful giants also slammed by big waves as far in a land . Destroyed homes , livestock lying dead , destroyed rice fields , villages and towns destroyed. While Sultan Alam and its people witnessed the horrific events of the high mountain.

3.     perforated coral

Several centuries ago called the Sultanate Kartasura. Sultanate was hit by a deep sadness for his beloved empress is very ill.

Prince has repeatedly call the physician to treat the empress, but none that can cure the disease. So that day by day, the body of the empress to be dry as a bone thin skin will be wraped. Anxiety hits people Kartasura empire. The wheels of government to not function properly. "Servant suggest you that to find a quiet place to appeal to the Supreme Court in order to get clues to cure the queen," said the adviser palace.

Not long ago, Prince Kartasura carry out his meditation. Experienced temptations can be passed. Until one night sounds magical voice.

"stop your meditation. Sponges Take on the South Coast, with a sponge that is, the empress will be healed."

Later , Prince Kartasura immediately went to the palace and asked the magical voice on advisers.

" The southern coast is very broad . Yet servant sure the place is magical voice that is Karang Bolong area , there are a lot of caves in which coral reefs grow flowers , " said the adviser palace with confidence .

The next day , Prince
Kartasura Surti Duke
commissioned to take the
sponge . Duke Surti
choose two loyal escort
named Sanglar and
Sanglur . After a few
days of walking , they
finally arrived at the
reef holes . In it there is a cave . Duke immediately Surti his meditation in the cave . After a few days , Duke Surti hear a person's voice .

" Stop your meditation . I will do as you wish , but you must first meet my terms . "

Surti Duke opened his eyes , and saw a beautiful girl like a goddess from heaven in front of him . The beautiful girl named Suryawati . He was a man of Nyi Loro Kidul who controlled the South Seas . Proposed terms Suryawati , Duke must be willing to settle in the South Coast with Suryawati .

After long thought, Duke Surti Suryawati agreed terms. Shortly after that, Suryawati reached out and invited Duke to show where Surti sponges. When receiving a helping hand Suryawati, Duke Surti feels smooth bodies are flown to follow Suryawati, medium body roughly fixed into position meditating.

"That's the sponge that can cure the Empress," said Suryawati pointing at the bird's nest.

If processed, would be a wonderful herb usefulness. Surti duke immediately took quite a lot of bird's nest. After that, she returned to the meditation. Raga subtle body back into a ballpark. After getting a sponge, Surti Duke invites two companions returned to Kartasura. Prince Kartasura very excited about the success of the Duke of Surti.

" Fast String together the potion , " Prince Kartasura command on the servant . It turns out , after a few days drinking the potion bird's nest , the Empress became healthy and fresh as usual . Kartasura sultanate become cheerful atmosphere back . In the midst of the excitement, Surti Duke remembered his promise to Suryawati. He did not want to break a promise. He then excused himself on the grounds of Prince Kartasura to maintain and inhabit coral holes in which many birds' nests . Duke 's departure Surti sobs accompanied the palace servants, because Duke Surti is a good and humble.

Surti Duke invites two companions to go with it . After thinking for a few moments, and Sanglur Sanglar decided to go with Duke Surti . Arriving at Karang Bolong , they make a simple home . Once completed , Duke Surti meditated . Not long ago , he separated from the delicate to raga ballpark .

"I came back to fulfill my promise," said Duke Surti , after seeing Suryawati in front of him. Then , Duke Suryawati Surti and married them . They live happily in Karang Bolong. There they get a high income from the bird's nest that is increasingly sought-after man.

4.     Hill Origins Supply

Once in the interior of the island , there is a fertile and prosperous village . Rice paddies and fields always provide a bountiful harvest . In the village there lived a farmer named Mr. Jurna and his wife . They want the rice yields more than the previous harvest . " Hem , preferably in the rice planting season now we vowed , " suggested Mr. Jurna on his wife . " Professed what , sir ? " said Mrs. Jurna . " Well , if rice yields increased later we make a big rice cone , said Mr. Jurna hopefully. Mrs. Jurna agree .

It turns out Mr. Jurna rice yields increased . According to the vows have been spoken , then Mr. Jurna and his wife made a big rice cone . Moreover held binge eating and drinking . But Mr. Jurna and his wife have not been satisfied with the yields they earn . They want vowed again next paddy season . " Now we made ​​a vow . If the rice harvest later be increased , we will make three big rice cone , " said Mr. Jurna who supported his wife . They also wanted to throw a party more festive than the previous party .

It turned out really happen. Increased rice yields over again. Mr. Jurna and his wife immediately implement her vows. Most of the remaining harvest livestock bought by Mr. Jurna. But they were still not satisfied. Pak Jurna and his wife made ​​a vow to make five large cone if the crops and livestock into more. Next harvest abundant and more cattle. "A gift from the Gods, what we beg succeed," said Mr. Jurna flat.

On a sunny morning, Mr. Juran go into the fields. When I got to the edge of paddy fields, he saw something strange. "This pile of soil supply?" she asked herself. "My feelings have not pile soil there yesterday," murmured Sir Juran remembering. Rice supply is a device graduated from coconut shell. After observing that the ground stack, pack Jurna proceed immediately surrounding fields. After that, he went home. Arriving home, pack Jurna told his wife about what he had seen. He immediately proposed to make the rice supply as seen in the fields. Jurna mother supports her husband plan.

"You see, sir. We made ​​some rice supply. Way, we will be abundant harvest, so as to exceed the harvest of others," suggested Mrs. Jurna.

Abundant harvest. Barns are full. The neighbors Pak Jurna amazed at harvest was unequaled. "Mr. Jurna the master farmers," said a middle-aged man to his friends. "Not a master farmer but farmers are lucky," said one of his friends with a smile. Pak Jurna and his wife made some rice supply. Hijinks begin immediately very festive. Some rice supply was immediately taken to place a supply in the form of piles of soil are. However, Mr. Jurna very surprised to see the supply increases.

"Well, I'll make rice supply as land
supply is growing," Mr. Jurna
pitched arrogant determination.
 Mr. Jurna immediately went home
and ordered his wife to make a
greater supply of rice. A rice supply
is ready to be brought to the field.
While humming and accompanied
 by rice water gemerciknya, Mr. Jurna carry large supply of rice. But after arriving in place, Mr. Jurna aghast.

"Gosh! Greater supply and high!" she cried. "That's okay. Rice I still have savings that can be made for the supply," said Mr. Jurna snobby. So it goes. Each Mr. Jurna make a greater supply of rice, piles of soil in the form of supply and the higher the increase in size.

The land supply over time into a hill. Mr. Jurna and his wife resigned. They are no longer able to make the rice supply. So what happened? Pak Jurna impoverished and arrogance caused his own. Finally, piles of soil that has been turned into a hill called the Mount of supply.

5.     Bile king

Bile king was a young king who reigned in the land of Nusa Upper River, Musi Rawas, South Sumatra. One time, the King of Kings Prince Bile help Mortar Stone Mas of the kingdom to destroy the famous King Kubang magic mandraguna. Did the King of Kings Kubang Bile destroy? Follow the story follows the story of King Bile.

Once upon a time , Rawas Ulu subdistrict which is a district of Musi Rawas , South Sumatra, is divided into three regions , namely Upper River Nusa government , Stone Mortar , and Kampung Kubu tribe . Three regions each ruled by a king . Upper River country was ruled by King Bile young and famous for his courage and his power. People live safely and prosper because of farming in the area thrive. Meanwhile , Stone Mortar State ruled by the famous Prince Mas wealthy and have a lot of buffaloes . The State Kampung Kubu Kubu ruled by a king who has high magic power . Kampung Kubu country known as the most lagging behind other countries despite two pretty fertile territory.

One time , Prince Mas had difficulty maintaining his ever
growing cattle breeding . Therefore , he intends to give up
 some of their animals to anyone interested preserve the
 condition buffaloes submitted remain his property , the
result of breeding that will be shared equally . Kubu king
 who heard the news very interested to accept the offer of
Prince Mas . He immediately sent his envoy to the Land
of Stone Mortar to overlook Prince Mas.

" Please, sir ! Servants are messengers of State Kampung
Raja Kubu Kubu tribe . The arrival of slaves here to tell
the King wishes to receive bids servants who are interested and willing to abide by its requirements Tuan , "reported the envoy of King Kubu.

"All right, then ! Go home and tell your King that I approve of his desire . Tomorrow I will send tens of buffaloes . Also goes to your King that if the buffaloes have been breeding , I will come to take the division result , "said Prince Mas .

" Well , sir ! Mr message will be conveyed to the King slave servant , " the envoy said as he excused himself. The next day , Prince Mas send dozens of male and female buffaloes to the King camp . Kubu king accepted it gladly . It maintains and care for the buffaloes well . The buffalo Herd and let her wallow in rice fields spread widely in the region . Pet buffalo also multiply quickly and almost the whole area has become a buffalo wallow . Since then , the country became known as the Kubang Affairs and Raja Raja faction called Kubang.
A few years later , Prince Mas felt that it was time to take the livestock division maintained by King Kubang . Then sending the envoy to the King facing Kubang . Once there , the King Kubang denay his promise and refused to share the results with Prince Mas . In fact , it assumes that all the buffalo that was maintained was his.

"O, messenger! Why you come here? "Said the king Kubang.
"Please, sir ! Prince Mas servant king sent here to collect sharing of buffaloes that Mr. maintain.

"replied the messenger of King Prince Mas.

" What did you say , the division proceeds ? No, all the buffalo had to be mine because I am a caring and multiplying it , "King said Kubang .

" But , sir ! Is it not in accordance with the agreements that have been agreed with Mr. King Prince Mas ? " The envoy said .

" Cuihhh ... to hell with the deal ! The agreement is only valid at the time, but not anymore , " King Kubang deny

Several times Mas envoy trying to persuade the Prince King and gave the sense , however, the King reneged on his promise remains Kubang . Eventually King Kubang feel disgusted with the enticements . He also ordered the police in order to expel the messenger. Finally , the messenger of King Prince Mas home empty-handed.  Heard reports from his envoy , Prince Raja Mas is furious at the attitude and actions of King Kubang . Dimples State authorities intend to attack the Batu Raja Kubang , but what the famous King Kubang powerful and has a lot of tough guards . Finally , he decided to ask for help to the King of Gall . And he went along with several bodyguards to Nusa Upper River State . Once there , they were welcomed by the arrival of the King of Gall . Prince Raja Mas then express purpose of his arrival . Without thinking, the King of Gall also expressed willingness to help the Prince Mas.

"Well , Prince Mas ! I will help restore the your buffalo . Kubang king who likes to break a promise that must be taught a lesson , " King said Gall.

"But , how can the King of Gall ? Is not it a very powerful king Kubang "asked Prince Mas confused .

"Quiet Prince Mas ! We need a strategy to defeat him , " King said Gall .

Finally , the King of Gall worked with Prince Mas build strategy . First they split their two forces . The first troops tasked with making the bustle of all the people of King Kubang with performing arts and dance sword in Kubang State . The second duty troops to besiege and burn entire communities Kubang State . On the appointed day , the first troops went to the State for performing Kubang . They enter the territory of the country as he performed songs melodious and sword dances. Foreign residents Kubang flocked to watch the show , is no exception and the bodyguard of King Kubang . At that moment , the two forces led by King and Prince Mas Bile immediately take advantage of the opportunity to surround and burn entire neighborhoods . The residents were scurrying to save themselves . Meanwhile , the new Kubang King realized that they had been surrounded by troops of the two kingdoms . He is powerless to fight back because of the number of troops the King and Prince Mas Bile far more than his army . Finally , King Kubang up and restore the entire buffalo is in the country to Prince Mas . Mas prince and king and all his army Bile buffalo herd is heading Stone Mortar State . How glad the heart of Prince Mas because cattle buffalo can be taken back from the Kubang King’s Bile assistance. As a thank you and remuneration, Prince Mas handed his only daughter named Princess White Blood to the King of Gall to become empress.

Thus the story of King Gall of South Sumatra. There are at least two moral messages that can be learned from the story above, namely the primacy of nature like helping poor due to the nature of love and broken promises. First, the nature of love and helpfulness shown by the attitude of the King of Gall's behavior that has helped quell Mas Prince Raja Raja Kubang greed. Thanks to nature who likes to help it, King Gall was married to Princess White Blood that beautiful girl.   Secondly, the harmful effects of nature like a broken promise. This trait shown by the attitude and behavior of the King reneged on its agreement with the Kubang that Prince Raja Mas because greed for wealth. As a result, the entire settlement destroyed by the troops burned the Prince Mas and Raja Raja Gall.

6.     The Legend of Malin Kundang

A long time ago, in a small village near the beach in West Sumatra, a woman and her son lived. They were Malin Kundang and her mother. Her mother was a single parent because Malin Kundang's father had passed away when he was a baby. Malin Kundang had to live hard with his mother.

Malin Kundang was a healthy, dilligent, and strong boy. He
usually went to sea to catch fish. After getting fish he would bring it
to his mother, or sold the caught fish in the town. One day, when
Malin Kundang was sailing, he saw a merchant's ship which was
being raided by a small band of pirates. He helped the merchant.
With his brave and power, Malin Kundang defeated the pirates.
The merchant was so happy and thanked to him. In return the
merchant asked Malin Kundang to sail with him. To get a better life, Malin Kundang agreed. He left his mother alone. Many years later, Malin Kundang became wealthy. He had a huge ship and was helped by many ship crews loading trading goods.

Perfectly he had a beautiful wife too. When he was sailing
his trading journey, his ship landed on a beach near a small
 village. The villagers recognized him. The news ran fast in
the town; “Malin Kundang has become rich and now
 he is here”. An old woman ran to the beach to meet
the new rich merchant. She was Malin Kundang’s
mother. She wanted to hug him, released her sadness
of being lonely after so long time. Unfortunately,
when the mother came, Malin Kundang who was in front
of his well dressed wife and his ship crews
denied meeting that old lonely woman.

For three times her mother begged Malin Kundang and for three times he yelled at her. At last Malin Kundang said to her "Enough, old woman! I have never had a mother like you, a dirty and ugly woman!" After that he ordered his crews to set sail. He would leave the old mother again but in that time she was full of both sadness and angriness. Finally, enraged, she cursed Malin Kundang that he would turn into a stone if he didn't apologize. Malin Kundang just laughed and really set sail.

In the quiet sea, suddenly a thunderstorm came. His huge ship was wrecked and it was too late for Malin Kundang to apologize. He was thrown by the wave out of his ship. He fell on a small island. It was really too late for him to avoid his curse. Suddenly,
he turned into a stone.

7.     The Legend of Sangkuriang

From passion, desire, love, and angry of Sangkuriang, The Eruption of Mountain Tangkuban Parahu, until now become a city...Here is the short story...There is a kingdom in Priangan Land. Live a happy family, a father in form of dog (his name is Tumang), a mother (her name is Dayang Sumbi), and a child call Sangkuriang. Tumang is demigod possessing magic powers.

One day, Dayang Sumbi asked her son to go hunting in the nearest jungle and she wanted some deer liver or venison. So Sangkuriang went hunting with his lovely dog, Tumang, to please his mother. After hunting all day with empty-handed, Sangkuriang began desperate and worried. Think shortly, Sangkuriang took his arrow and shot his dog. Then he took the dog liver or flesh and carried home. He gave dog liver or flesh to his mother. Soon Dayang Sumbi fine out that Sangkuriang lied to her. She knew Sangkuriang had killed Tumang. So, She angry and hit Sangkuriang head. Sangkuriang got wounded and scar. Sangkuriang cast away from their home.

Years go bye, Sangkuriang had travel many places and on one day, he arrived at a village which is used to be his home. He met a beautiful woman whom actually his mother and felt in love with her. Their love grew naturally and one day, when they were discussing their wedding plans, Dayang Sumbi suddenly realised that the profile of Sangkuriang's head matched that of her only son's who had left twenty years earlier. How could she marry her own son? But she did not wish to dissapointed him by canceling the wedding. So, although she agreed to marry Sangkuriang, she would do so only on the condition that he provide her with a lake and a boat with which they could sail on the dawn of their wedding day.

Sangkuriang accepted
this condition and built a lake
by damming the Citarum river.
With a dawn just moment away
and the boat almost complete,
Dayang Sumbi realised that
Sangkuriang would fulfill the
condition she had set. With a
wave of her supernatural shawl,
she lit up the eastern horizon with flashes of light. Deceived by false dawn, the cock crowed and farmers rose for the new day.

8.     NYI RORO KIDUL

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess named Kadita. Because of her beauty, she was called Dewi Srengenge which mean The beautiful sun. Her father was King Munding Wangi. Although he had a beautiful daughter he always unhappy because he always expected to have a son. The King decided to merry Dewi Mutiara, and he had a son from her. He was very happy. Dewi Mutiara wanted her son to become a king in the future so she must make sure for it. Dewi mutiara came to the king and asked him to send away his daughter. Of course, the king did not agree.
“It is ridiculous, I will not allow any body doing such cruel thing to my daughter”, said King Munding Wangi. When she heard the answer,
Dewi mutiara smiled and said a sweet thing until the king has not anger anymore. However, she kept her bad intention deep in her heart.
In the morning before the sun raised, Dewi Mutiara sent her maid to call a black magician. She wanted the black magician to curse Kadita, her step daughter.
” I want her beautiful body full with scabies and itch.

If you succeeded I will reward you with the present you never thought before”. The black magician did the queen order, in the night Kadita body has been full with scabies and itch.
When She waked up , she found her body was smell stinky and have a ulcer all over her body. The beautiful princess cried and did not know what to do.
When The King heard he was very sad, he invited many physician to cure her daughter illness. Day by the day nobody could cure her daughter. He realized that her daughter illness it was not a ordinary illness someone must send a curse or magic spell. His problem became more difficult when the Queen Dewi Mutiara forced him to send away her daughter. “Your daughter will bring a bad luck to whole country, said Dewi Mutiara. The king did not want her daughter become a bad rumour in whole country. Finally he must agree to send her only daughter to leave the country.

The poor princess went alone, she didn’t know to where
she should go. She almost could not cry anymore. She had
a nobble heart. She did not have any bad feeling with her step mother, instead she always asked the God to accompany her passed her suffer.

Almost seven day and seven night she has walked until she came to south ocean. She looked at the ocean. It was so clean and clear, unlike other ocean which have a blue or green colour. She jumped onto the water and swim. Suddenly when the south ocean water touched her skin there was a miracle happened. Her ulcer has gone and there was no sign that she has ever had a scabies or itch. Even more she became more beautiful than before. Not only that she has a power to command whole of the south ocean. Now she became a fairy called Nyi Roro Kidul or The Queen of South Ocean who lived forever. in Jogja is sayed that she married to Hamenkubuwono VII and that no one eccept afew could see his queen.

Tamansri Waterpalace was builed in honor of nyai Roro Kidul. cause it head a underground tunnel that leads al the way to kraton. and the sultan would go there every night. no one beleefd it but people from kraton say u not see? till know is still big ceremony. There is also a legend that the Jawanees Rhino was granted as a gift by Roro kidul she sayd when all Jawanees Rhino’s are killed she would sink Jawa to the bottem of the Ocean.

9.      Mount Bromo, Joko Seger and Roro Anteng

Mount Bromo, together with Mount Tengger and Mount Semeru, is one of the most beautiful places of interest in East Java. Watching the sun rises from the crest of Mount Bromo is a very exciting experience for the tourists coming to this mountain. To reach the area, which is about 2392 m above sea level, people usually take a bus or a car as far as the village of Ngadisari. From there, a pony ride will take tourists to the rim of the mountain. It is an active volcano, and the people from surrounding areas bring various things as a sacrifice to the fire god, Betoro Bromo. The legend goes as follows:

Hundreds of years ago, during the reign of the last king of Majapahit, Brawijaya, one of the King's wives gave birth to a girl, who was named Roro Anteng. Later this young princess married Joko Seger, who came from a Brahman caste. Because of an unfortunate situation the couple was forced to leave the kingdom. They settled down in the mountain area. They ruled the area and named it "Tengger", which was derived from the couples' names: Roro Anteng and Joko Seger. After several years the region flourished in prosperity, but Roro Anteng and Joko Seger were unhappy because they did not have a child. Frustrated, they climbed the top of the mountain and prayed night and day hoping that the gods would listen. The prayer was heard and Betoro Bromo promised them many children. However, the couple had to promise that they would sacrifice their youngest child in return.

Roro Anteng gave birth to a child, then another,
and another. In the end Roro Anteng and Joko Seger
got 25 children. Soon it was time for them to sacrifice the
youngest child, Kesuma, but the parents just could not
do it. They tried to hide the child, but an eruption happened
and Kesuma fell into the crater. There was silence before
they heard a voice: "I have to be sacrificed so that you will
all stay alive. From now on, you should arrange an annual offering ceremony on the 14th of Kesodo (the twelfth month of Tenggerese calender."It was Kesuma's voice.

Kesuma's brothers and sisters held the offering ceremony every year. Instead of a human being, these people collected fruit, vegetables, rice and meat to be offered to the gods. And this has been done generation after generation until today.

10.          RORO JONGGRANG

ONE upon a time in Java Island , espeially in Prambanan there were two Hindu Kingdoms " Pengging and Kraton Boko. Pengging Kingdom was a prosperous and  welfare kingdoms that was lead by a wise King name Prabu Darma Moyo who had a son name Raden Bandung Bondowoso.

Kraton Boko is part of Pengging Kingdom jurisdiction who was lead by a cruel and fully anger King that is not a man but a giant who was a man eater.  named Prabu Boko , However Prabu Boko had a very beautiful daughter name is Roro Jonggrang. Prabu Boko also had a minister named Patih Gupalo and he was giant too. Prabu Boko had a desire to revolt and has control over Pengging Kindom's.  Therefore, together with Patih Gupalo they gathered the power by training to become soldiers and callect goods from civil people as provisions. After they had enough with all preparation., Prabu Boko and all soldiers and went to Pengging Kingdom to revolt.Then the war between Pengging and Boko soldier happened in Pengging Kindom  Alot people of soldier died from both side. People of Pengging become suffer , hunger and poor. Know that his people were suffering and there were lots of soldier died. Prabu Damar Moyo sent his son , Raden Bandung Bondowoso to had a battle with Prabu Boko. They fighting between Raden Bondowoso and Prabu Boko was very furios. Because of the power of Raden Bondowoso , Prabu Boko can be defeated and died. when Patih Gupalo found out that his King has died he run away from the battle.

Raden Bandung Bondowoso chased him to Kraton Boko, When Patih Gupalo arrive at Kraton Boko he reported about Prabu Boko to Roro Jonggrang that he was killed in the battle by a Pengging knight name is Raden Bandung Bondowoso then Roro Jonggrang cry and she was very sad because her father is death already. finally Raden Bandung Bondowoso arrived at Kraton Boko , he was surprised when he meet Roro Jonggrang because she was very beautiful. so, he could not help himself to proposed her become his wife.

However Roro Jonggrang did not want to marry Raden Bandung Bondowoso because het killed her father, to refuse his propose , Roro Jonggrang had a strategy. she had 2 request should be fulfilled by Raden Bandung Bondowoso, the she would agree to marry him. The first request is that he must make a well name Jalatunda, The second he must make 1000 temple in one night. Raden Bandung Bondowoso accepted both request , Immediately he started to make Jalatunda well and he asked Roro Jonggrang to see it finished.

Then Roro Jonggrang asked Raden Bandung Bondowoso to go into the well, and after that she order Patih Gupolo to pile up the well by stone. Both Roro Jonggrang and Patih Gupolo thought that Raden Bandung Bondowoso died already in the well , however Raden Bandung Bondowoso was still alive. He meditated and finally he could go out from the well safely. Raden Bandung Bondowoso was very angry with her action and he look after her but, because of her beauty then hes angry calm down.

After that Roro Jonggrang was asked Raden Bandung Bondowoso to do the second request which was to make 1000 temple in one night. therefore Raden Bandung Bondowoso commanded genie to make the temple immediately. however Roro Jonggrang intended to foil hes affort to make the temple. She order the girls to pound and burn stubbles so, it look like the bright of sunrise which mean the morning have come and the light plus the noise of cocks crowed loudy. hear the cock crowd and people pounded rice and also saw the brightness in the east , therefore the gines were stop making temple.

 

                      

                The gines reported it to Raden Bandung Bondowoso that they could not continue build the temple because morning have come already. but, Raden Bandung Bondowoso got feeling the morning not come yet.  He asked Roro Jonggrang to count the amount of the temple and she come out as total was only 999 temples, there was still 1 temple left, Therefore Roro Jonggrang refused to marry Bandung Bondowoso. Bandund Bondowoso left deceived the he become very angry and he cursed her " Roro Jonggrang " there is only 1 temple left, to make it complete it was miracel , suddenly Roro Jonggrang transformed to be a stone statue. Bandung Bondowoso also cursed the girl who alive aroung Prambanan temple there would be no man want to marry her.because they already help Roro Jonggrang . Until today the stone statue of Princess Roro Jonggrang is still there in Prambanan Temple. Based on what is believe by old people , the couple who are dating in Prambanan Temple will be broke up.

11.          Lutung Kasarung

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.

12.  Mouse Deer and Tiger

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.

13.  Cindelaras

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.

14.  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.

15.               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

16.           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?’

‘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’

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.

 

17.          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’

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.

18.          Sura And Baya

A long time ago in East Java there were two strong animals, Sura and Baya. Sura was a shark and Baya was a crocodile. They lived in a sea. Actually, they were friends. But when they were hungry, they were very greedy. They did not want to share their food. They would fight for it and never stop fighting until one of them gave up.

It was a very hot day. Sura and Baya were looking for some food. Suddenly, Baya saw a goat.

“Yummy, this is my lunch,” said Baya.

“No way! This is my lunch. You are greedy! I had not eaten for two days!” said Sura.

Then Sura and Baya fought again. After several hours, they were very tired. Sura had a plan to stop their bad behavior.

“I’m tired of fighting, Baya,” said Sura.

“Me too. What should we do to stop fighting? Do you have any idea?” asked Baya.
“Yes, I do. Let’s share our territory. I live in the water, so I look for food in the sea. And you live on the land, right? So, you look for the food also on the land. The border is the beach, so we will never meet again. Do you agree?” asked Sura.

“Hmm... let me think about it. OK, I agree. From today, I will never go to the sea again. My place is on the land,” said Baya.

Then they both lived in the different places. But one day, Sura went to the land and looked for some food in the river. He was very hungry and there was not much food in the sea. Baya was very angry when he knew that Sura broke the promise.

“Hey, what are you doing here? This is my place. Your place is in the sea!”

“But, there is water in the river, right? So, this is also my place!” said Sura.

Then Sura and Baya fought again. They both hit each other. Sura bit Baya's tail. Baya did the same thing to Sura. He bit very hard until Sura finally gave up. He went back to the sea. Baya was very happy. He had his place again.

The place where they were fighting was a mess. Blood was everywhere. People then always talked about the fight between Sura and Baya. They then named the place of the fight as Surabaya, it’s from Sura the shark and Baya the crocodile. People also put their fight as the symbol of Surabaya city.

19.          Lake Maninjau

Long ago, in an area in west sumatra, there is a very active volcano named Mount Tinjau. In one village at the foot of Tinjau's brothers lived ten people consisting of nine men and one woman. Ordinary citizens about their call Bujang Sembilan. These ten brothers are Kukuban, Kudun, Bayua, Malintang, Galapuang, Balok, Batang,Bayang, and the youngest man named Kaciak. While their brother the youngest was a girl named Siti Rasani, nicknamed Sani. Both their parents died long ago, so Kukuban as the eldest son became the head of household. All decisions in his hand.

Tenth brothers lived in a house of their parents' heritage. To make ends meet, they worked on farms large enough legacy of their parents. They are very skilled at farming, because they diligently to help his father and mother when they were alive. In addition, they are also guided by their uncle named Datuk Limbatang, which they called Engku familiar.

Datuk Limbatang is a mamak in the village and has a son named Giran. As a mamak, Datuk Limbatang have great responsibility to educate and watched the life of its citizens, including the nephew's tenth man. For that, every other day, he visited the house Kukuban brothers to teach them farming skills and various customs procedures for the area. Not infrequently Datuk Limbatang also took his wife and son to participate with him.

On one day, when Datuk Limbatang with his wife and visited the house of Bujang Sembilan, Sani accidentally exchanged Giran. Apparently, both boys and girls are equally placed liver. Sani was invited to meet Giran in a field on the riverbank. With hearts pounding, Giran even express his feelings to Sani.

Datuk Limbatang wanted to marry his son with Sani.
But the elder brother Sani, Kukuban, did not agree because
Giran has been embarrass him in the martial arts arena. But
eventually Datuk Limbatang not force.

One day, Giran found treat wounds in the thigh Sani. But people think they do custom distortion. Sani and Garin brought to court. They try to convince citizens that they did not do anything.

After that, of the second Giran lifted his hand to the sky and praying. "My God! Please hear and grant our prayers. If we were really guilty, destroy our bodies in the water hot crater of this mountain. However, if we are not guilty, this mountain letuskanlah and curses Bujang Sembilan to fish!"

It turned out that prayer was answered. Sani and Giran jump down and submerged in the water crater. Mountain erupted, Bujang Sembilan into fish. Over time the crater of Mount View expanded and formed a lake which we now know as Lake Maninjau

20.           The legend of Batu Gantung Kota Parapat

    Once, in a rural village next to Lake Toba North Sumatera, there lived a husband and a wife with a beautiful daughter named Seruni. Not only was she beautiful, Seruni was also very diligent in helping her parents in the field. Every day this family worked in this field on the edge of Lake Toba, and the outcomes are used for their daily needs.

One day, Seruni went to the field alone, because his parents went to a neighboring village. Seruni was only accompanied by her beloved dog named Toki's. Arriving at the farm, she didn’t work but he just sat there looking at the natural beauty of Lake Toba as if she had solved a difficult problem. While the dog, the Toki, came sitting next to her, staring at her face as if he knew what Seruni thought. Once in a while the dog barked to distract Seruni, but she is not teased.

The last few days Seruni looked
glum. He was very sad, because she was
given in marriage by her parents with a
young man who was his cousin. Though
she had chosen his loved man and she had
promised to live together with him. She
was very confused. On the one hand she
did not want to disappoint her parents, and
she could not afford to part with her love.
Because of being unable to bear the heavy
burden, he was getting hopeless.

"Yes, Lord! I am not able to live with this burden, "complained the Seruni.

A few moments later, Seruni moved from his seat. With tears, she walked slowly toward the Lake Toba. Apparently she wanted to end his life by jumping into the lake's and the Toki, followed his master from behind while barking. With a mind raging, Seruni walked toward the cliffs of Lake Toba without paying attention to the road in its path. Unexpectedly, she suddenly fell into a hole. The rocky ground that made the hole was getting dark. Seruni girl is very scared.

"Help.. Help.. Help.., Toki! "Seruni voice asking for help to her beloved dog.

The Toki understood  if Seruni required his help, but he could not do anything except just barking at the hole. Seruni screamed several times for help, but the Toki really could not afford helping her. Finally she was getting desperate.

"Ah, I'd rather die than live a long time to suffer," Seruni resigned.

Rock walls were moving ever closer.

"Parapat...! Parapat Parapat ... "ordered Seruni to press her body withthe stone.

Being unable to help Seruni, Toki immediately ran home to ask for help. Arriving at the master's house, he immediately went to Seruni parents.

"Auggg ...! auggg ...! auggg ... "Toki's barking while clawing at the ground to tell the parents that the Seruni in danger.

"Toki ..., where is Seruni? What happened to her? "Asked the father to the dog's Seruni.

"Auggg ...! auggg ...! auggg ...! "he continued barking and ran back and forth to invite them to a place.

"Sir, it looks like Seruni in danger," said the mother of Seruni.

"Mom was right. The Toki invites us to follow, "said the father of Seruni.

"But how do we get there? "Said the mother.

"You prepare a torch! I'll be looking for help to neighbors, "cried the father.

Soon, the whole neighborhood had gathered at the home page Seruni's father, carrying the torch. After that they followed the Toki to the scene. Once they were in the field, the Toki directly toward the mouth of the hole.

Both parents of Seruni immediately approached the mouth of the hole. What a surprise when they saw a hole big enough rock on the edge of their field. In the pit was heard the faint sound of a woman: "Parapat ...! Parapat Parapat stone ...! "

"Sir, listen to that voice! That voice is of our child! Seruni’s mother cried frantically.

"Yes, ma'am! That sounds Seruni! "Replied the father panic.

"But, why would he shout: Parapat, parapatlah stone?" Asked the mother.

"I do not know, mom! It seems like there's something wrong in there, "said the father anxiously.

A Farmer was trying to light up the hole with a torch, but the bottom of the hole was so deep that it can not be penetrated by torchlight.

"Seruniii ...! Seruniii ...! "Cried the father of Seruni.

"Seruni ... my daughter! The mother and father came to help you! "Her mother shouted.

Several times they yelled, but they did not get a response from Seruni. Only voice drifted Seruni who sent the stone closer to squeezing.

"Parapat ...! Parapatlah stone ...! Parapat! "

"Seruniiii ... my daughter!" Once again the mother screaming and crying hysterically Seruni.

People in attendance at the place were trying to help. One held ropes to the bottom of the hole, but the slap was not touched at all. Seruni's father increasingly concerned with the state of her father. He also decided to follow her foray into the rock pit.

"Mom, hold the torch!" Command of the father.

"Where do you want to go?" Asked the mother.

"I'm following the Seruni into the hole," he replied firmly.

"No dad, it's dangerous!" Prevent the mother.

"Yes sir, the hole was very deep and dark," said people

A moment later, suddenly heard a roar. The earth shook violently as if to an end. Rock hole suddenly closes itself. The cliffs at the edge of Lake Toba was falling. Seruni's father and mother and all the people ran thither to escape. They left the mouth of the hole the rock, so that poor Seruni could not be rescued from the crush of rock.

Some time after the earthquake stopped, suddenly appeared a large rock that resembles a girl's body and as if hanging on the wall of the cliff at the edge of Lake Toba. Local people believe that the stone is the embodiment Seruni oppressed in the hole. By those stones were then given the name "Hanging Rock". (BATU GANTUNG)

A few days later, fame spread the word about the events that befall her. The people flocked to the scene to see the "Hanging Rock" is. Residents who witnessed the incident told other people that before the hole was closed, a voice: "... Parapat Parapat parapat stone ...!"

21.          Aji Saka and Java Alphabet

A long long time ago in the island of Java there was a kingdom of Medang Kamulan.   The land of Java was very fertile and productive.  Most of the island of Java are arable.  And water are abundant.  Java was very rich with plants.  They had almost all fruits in the world.  All year long the weather is always sunny.  As a result farmers can grow any kinds of fruits, vegetable and all kinds of plant all year long. The land of Java was also very rich with gold and many kinds of mineral.  Many people earned their living by working on gold mine.  Since Java was also rich with mine they also made weapons like sword, lance, trident etc.  They sold those weapons to China, India and many other countries.  But if you think that the Javanese people were prosperous you are wrong.  

At the time Java was ruled by a monster.  His name was King Dewata Cengkar.  He was a very cruel king.  He ordered his people to pay tax on everything they had.  Farmers had to pay tax on their land.  Merchant had to pay high tax for their profit.  Workers had to pay tax on their salary and wages.  Even poor people had to pay tax.  And if they had no money to pay tax then they had to work for the king without any payment.  The money was not for the welfare of the people for for the king’s private matters. Worse still, the king’s official were very corrupt.  When they took one hundred from the people then they gave only eighty for the king.  They took it for themselves.   As a result the king was very very rich while his people were very poor.      Besides that the king also like to eat the flesh of human being!  This habit started when he was a child.  One day his mother made a mistake while she was cooking.  She accidentally cut her thumb and blood spit on the food.  Her maid then continue cooking without knowing that blood and a small piece of her mother’s flesh was in the food.  When Dewata Cengkar ate the food he really like it.  Then he found out the reason.  Since that day  he demanded the flesh of human being as part of his food.  So his army killed people every day for his food.  When he was adult and became king this habit grew.  He ordered every chief of a district to sacrifice young and healthy people for the king to consume.  Consequently the people of Java diminished.  The people were restless but they did not dare to rebel because the king was very cruel and his army was very strong.

Until one day someone named Aji Saka came to Java.  He had two guards.  Their name were Dora and Sembada.  Before coming to Java they landed in a small island in the north of Java, called Pulau Majeti.  After several days there Aji Saka decided to go to Java.  Aji Saka left his weapon, a powerful traditional dagger called Kris there.   He told Dora to stay in the island of Majeti to guard his Kris.  And he told Dora not to give it to any body else.  After that he went to Java with Sembada.

Then he settled in Java as a merchant.  The people of Java told him about his sorrow because of Dewata Cengkar’s cruelty and injustice rule.   Aji Saka was very concerned to the sorrow of Javanese people.  He told the chief of the district where he settled to send him as sacrifice when the king wanted to eat people.  So the chief send him to king Dewata Cengkar.

As his turn came to became sacrifice, Aji Saka asked to say his last words to the king.  The king granted him opportunity to speak.

‘O, great king of Java.  The father of development of Java.  The one who make people live prosperous life.  The richest man in the world.  I am honored to demand your Majesty one last wish before I die’

‘Tell me what  you want’

“Your Majesty the great king of Java, I just want a piece of land, the same size as my turban’

‘I grant it.  Just spread your turban’

Then Aji Saka put off his turban and put it on the ground.  Aji Saka hold one side of it and asked the king to hold the other side.  Amazingly it became larger so Dewata Cengkar had to step back.  And everytime it became larger and larger so Dewata Cengkar finally stood at a beach.   Aji Saka kincked him to the sea and and he died.  The Javanese people were very happy to hear the cruel king had died.  They were very thankful to Aji Saka and elected him as the new king of Java.

Aji Saka remembered that one of his guard, Dora was still in the island of Majeti.  As he was a king, it was impossible for him to go there.  So he told Sembada to go there and bring his kris back.  So Sembada went to Majeti island.  As he got there he told Dora that Aji Saka asked him to take the kris.

‘His Majesty King Aji Saka ordered me to take the kris to Java’

‘Maybe you make mistake.  Aji Saka is our superiot but he is not a king.  And he told me not to give his kris to any boldy else.  It is my duty to guard it here until he came back and take it’

‘It is my duty to take the  kris’.

‘It is my duty to guard it’

The dialogue came to a dead lock so the tension grew.  Then it became on armed conflict.  Finally both of them were killed.   Several days later Aji Saka was shocked to hear the news that they both died.  Since that day he created an alphabet, a Javanese alphabeth based on their story.  Here is the alphabeth.  It is like a poem.  The poem consist of four lines.  Each line consist of one sentence.  Each sentence consist of a combination of characters.  All characters are pronounced like hall.  Here is the poem.

Ho (h) , No (n), co (c), ro (r) ko (k).

Do (d) to (t) so (s) wo (w) lo (l)

Po (p) do (d) jo (j) yo (y) nyo (ny)

Mo (m) go (g)  bo (b)  to (t) ngo (ng)

Hono = there is / there are in English, coroko = envoy

Do to so wolo = bring a letter / matter

Po do jo yo nyo = they are equally powerful

Mogo botongo = they are killed.

           These characters are used widely by the Javanese, Sundanese, Balinese and Madurese.  But today only very few people can read it.  That’s why in the province of Yogyakarta it is taught at schools.

22.           Legend Of Prambanan Temple

In the old days of Java Island, in a region called Prambanan, lies two kingdom. Kingdom of Pengging and Kraton Boko. Pengging kingdom is gifted with a fertile and get prosperous. The kingdom is lead by a wise king named Prabu Damar Moyo and has a male son named Raden Bandung Bondowoso while Kraton Boko is a kingdom that obey under the rules of Pengging. The Boko king is very cruel, he is strong and tall, like a giant. The people of Boko always afraid of the kings anger. Although the king were not handsome, he has a very beautiful daughter called Princess Roro Jongrang.

One day, the king of Boko wants to rebels against the Pengging. Lead by the Boko prime minister, the giant race, Gopolo, the Boko army is prepared to announce the war between Boko and Pengging. They even raid its own people's properties to support the campaign.

Fierce war happens in the borders of
the Pengging teritorial mark. Many victims were
falling on both sides and people Pengging be
suffering because of war, many people hunger
and poverty. Knowing his people suffer and
have many victims soldiers who died in the
borders, then Prabu Damar Moyo sent his son
Raden Bondowoso go to war against King Boko.
The young Bondowoso is able to defeat king
Boko. Seeing the king died, then Prime minister
Gupolo escape. Raden Bondowoso pursue Patih
Gupolo to Kraton Boko.

After reaching Kraton Boko, Patih Gupolo reported on Princess Roro Jonggrang that his father had been lost in the battlefield, by a knight named Raden Bandung Pengging Bondowoso. Princess Loro Jonggrang wept, saddened his heart because his father had been killed on the battlefield. Raden at Kraton Boko Bondowoso arrived, soom he troubled to see Puteri Raden Bondowoso Loro Jonggrang beautiful, so he wanted to marry Princess Loro Jonggrang as his wife.

As the Boko kingdom is lost in the rebels, and o save her fathers kingdom, the Loro Puteri Raden Jonggrang accept the princes, with some request. She did not want to marry Bondowoso because he had killed his father. To reject the proposal Raden Bondowoso, then Princess Loro Jonggrang have a strategy. The first request, Princess Loro Jonggrang asked for Jalatunda wells (very deep well) while the second request, asked for him to make 1000 temples in one night.

Raden Bandung Bondowoso agreed. Raden Bondowoso Immediately make Jalatunda wells and after so he called Princess Roro Jonggrang to see the well. She trick the prince and send him down. She ask Boko's prime minister to close the well with heavy rocks so that the prince could not reach the top of the well. Raden Bondowoso is a tough man, he is also smart. Its not a longtime before he was able to come out from the wells. He was very angry to the princess, but soon after meet the princess, he falls again with the beauty of the princess.

She ask Raden Bondowoso the second request, to make 1000 temples in 1 night. Bondowoso then command his workers from genie tribe to help him build the 1000 temple. The 1000 temples are building up, one by one with the help of the genie tribes. The princess wants to sabotage the building of the temples. She asks her servants to pound the rice pounding tools and also burns lots of paddy's straw .

Because of it, the roosters crowed. The genie take a lookto the sky and its brighter in the east. The leader of the genie reported to Bondowoso that they have stopped to make the temple because the morning has arrived. Princess Roro Jonggrang told to count the temples and its only 999 temples, not 1000.

So, Bondowoso won't be able to marry the princess because he failed to complete the request. Being deceived and tricked, Raden Bondowoso angry and curse Princess Roro Jonggrang. "It's missing one, and you that should fit the numbers". The princess is soon turned into a stone statue; it is exist in the heart of the Prambanan temples until now. 

23.          jasmine flowers and butterflies

jasmine flowers, a beautiful young princess, lived with her old nurse and many serving-women in a palace on the bank of a great river.

Rajah Banjir, the monarch of the rains, lived in his rainbow-colored palace on the other bank of the river. He could cause floods to appear at his will, and his tears made brooks and rivers swell. From his windows he could see the little princess weaving her bridal dress, and he could hear her singing a song for luck. But the princess never looked toward his side of the river.  The monarch of the rains kept gazing at her with great sad eyes. Because he was so sad, he wept many tears, and the river swelled and the wind sighed softly through the high trees around the palace. The princess heard the sighing of the wind, and saw the river rising higher and higher. But she did not know that it was her future husband who was weeping and calling to her.

For many days the monarch of the rains yearned for the princess. Finally, to be near her, he changed himself into a golden butterfly and flew back and forth before her window until at last the princess saw him and opened the window so that she could admire his dazzling wings.

Then the golden butterfly lighted on Kembang Melati’s little hand, kissed her finger tips, and flew out of the window. A few days later the butterfly returned and perched on Kembang Melati’s right ear and whispered to her, "Weave your bridal dress quickly, princess, for soon your bridegroom will come."

The princess heard only the word "bridegroom." She asked, 'Where is my bridegroom?" The butterfly did not answer her, for he had flown out of the window.

But someone else had heard her question. That was Nasiman, the wicked son of the princess's old nurse. He went to his mother at once. "Mother," he said, "I was standing outside the princess's window and I heard her ask, 'Where is my bridegroom?' I want you to go to her and tell her that I am her bridegroom."

'’That you can never be, son/' the old woman said, "because you are not of noble birth."

"Nevertheless, I wish to marry the princess," he answered.

"Go to her, Mother, and tell her that her bridegroom has come”

Nasiman was wicked and cruel, and his mother was afraid of him. So she went to the princess and told her of the bridegroom who had come to claim her hand. Just then the golden butterfly flew back and whispered in the princess's ear, "The real bridegroom has not yet come, princess. The one who is now under your roof is a wicked man. His name is Nasiman, and he is the son of your old nurse, Sarinah. Do not many him. . . . Wait till the true bridegroom comes!"

When the golden butterfly had flown away, the princess said, "I will wait, nurse, till the true bridegroom comes/'

"This is the true bridegroom/' the nurse insisted. She clasped her hands and begged, "Oh, princess, dear princess, marry him at once, for if you do not, we shall both die!”

The princess did not want to die. So finally she said to her nurse, "Tell the bridegroom who has come that I must have seven days to think it over. Tell him to wait on the bank of the river and I will send him my answer there/'. Nasiman found this idea good, and agreed. He took a big basket, filled it with food to last him seven days, and had it carried to a spot on the bank of the river.

On that same day the monarch of the rains called to him a white crow, one of his best and biggest messenger-birds, and gave her a little chest full of costly ornaments and a letter.

"Take these immediately to the Princess Kembang Melati," he ordered, "and make sure that you don't lose anything."

"Don't worry, master," the crow replied. "I myself will take everything to the princess."

The white crow flew off with the little chest bound fast to her back and the letter between 'her claws, and winged her way to the opposite bank of the river. There she saw Nasiman eating the last of a delicious-looking fish. The white crow, who loved fish, flew over swiftly, and cried, "Oh, how good that looks! May I have a little bite?"

"How do you dare ask me that?" Nasiman demanded crossly. "Who are you, and where do you come from, with a letter in your claws and a chest on your back?"

"Well," the crow answered smugly, "I happen to be the messenger of the great magician, the monarch of the rains! And I am to take this letter and this little chest to the Princess Kembang Melati, as my master ordered. What's more, I am to give them to her myself."

"Hmm/' Nasiman said with a false little laugh. "In that case, Til let you eat some of my fish. Put down your letter and take the chest from your back, and fall to!"

The white crow didn't have to be invited twice. She laid the letter and the little chest in the grass, and began to eat greedily of the delicious bit of fish. Nasiman lost no time. He opened the chest, took out the beautiful golden ornaments and in their place put some "big spiders and some gruesome-looking scorpions. Then he hurried to his mother with the letter. "Mother/ 7 he said, "I can't read, but I imagine that this letter must be full of lovely words. Now I want you to change them, at once, into ugly words. Meanwhile I'll hide these ornaments."

The white crow was so busy eating that she did not notice what was going on. She ate the fish, down to the last scrap. Then she went to get a drink at the spring. The spring murmured to her, "Ah, white crow, why didn't you take the letter and the little chest to the princess as Rajah Banjir said?" But the white crow didn't hear. She didn't hear the wind, either, sighing to her, "Ah, white crow, something dreadful will happen because of your greediness!" And something dreadful did happen. When the princess saw the white crow come, bearing the letter and the little chest, she believed that the bird came from her true bridegroom, and in great excitement she decided to read the letter first. As her eyes flew over the words, she could hardly believe what she read: "You are very ugly," the letter said, "and what is in the little chest is foul and old. That goes, too, for your green hair and your blue skin."

She was so angry that she tore the letter into shreds and tossed the little chest, without opening it, through the window. The spiders and the scorpions swarmed over the garden to the great astonishment of the white crow who could not understand how her master could have sent such horrible things to the lovely princess. But Nasiinan laughed to himself. Now the princess would marry him, he thought

But the princess had no thought of marrying anyone now. She was bitterly grieved by the ugly letter. Weeping, she paced back and forth in her chamber. No one could comfort her, and she cried, "Take away my weaving stool! I will never weave again on my bridal gown!" Toward evening of that sad day the golden butterfly came back and flew through the open window. He lit on the princess's ear. "Darling princess," he whispered, "why don't you wear the beautiful ornaments that your bridegroom sent you?"

At that the princess hit at him with an angiy hand. The great monarch of the rains thought surely she was only teasing him. He whispered in her ear again: "Beloved little princess, would you like to see your bridegroom tomorrow morning? He will take you to his rainbow-colored palace where the golden rays of the sun are magnified a thousand times into the most wonderful colors, and where you shall see woven cloth so fine, so dazzling, that it is like moonbeams! Come, darling princess, finish weaving your bridal gown, for tomorrow your bridegroom comes!"

The princess grew even angrier. She called her serving women to her and bade them chase the golden butterfly away and never again to let it come inside. When the great magician heard the princess say these words he became so angry that he caused a mighty flood to come over the land that very night. Everything that was not submerged drifted away, torn loose from the land. The palace with Princess Kembang Melati and her nurse and the wicked Nasiman and all the others who lived in it, drifted on the floodwaters.  The palace drifted farther and farther, until it came near the other bank where the palace of the great monarch of the rains stood. The king was in his doorway, watching, but when he saw the princess's palace floating toward him he pretended not to see it. The princess cried piteously for help, but he pretended not to hear.

They were drifting out of sight when the nurse cried out in despair, "It's my fault! I bear the blame! It was I who changed the beautiful words of the letter into ugly ones! And my son, Nasiman, filled the little chest with spiders and scorpions while the white crow was eating the fish 1 /'

When he heard the nurse's confession, the monarch of the rains understood everything. He leaped down and dragged the princess and all the others out of the drifting palace and brought them into his own. Only her old nurse and the nurse's wicked son were not permitted to enter,

"May great waves engulf you!" he thundered. And at his words mighty waves, as high as the heavens, rose in the water and swallowed up the nurse and her son.

The white crow was punished, too, for her greediness. She was changed into a black bird which could never speak again.  All she could say was, "Kaw . . . kaw . . . kaw . . . kr - kr. . . ." It meant "gold . . . gold/' But though the crow searched, she never could find the gold and jewels with which the little chest had been filled.

When the evildoers were punished, the monarch of the rains caused the flood to subside. In a short time, the whole world was dry once more, and when he had accomplished that he turned to the princess and told her that he was the son of a nobleman and that for days and nights he had yearned for her.  Kembang Melati took pity on him. She knew that he was truly her bridegroom from the way he spoke to her. So she married him and lived the rest of her happy life with him in the rainbow-colored palace on the bank of the river.

24.          Trisna Wati Ratu Gunung Padi

TISNA WATI lived with her father, Batara Guru, in the god's heaven. Now Tisna Wati was a most beautiful and charming little goddess, but she wasn't at all happy in the gods 7 heaven. Sometimes, when she looked down at the earth, far below her, and saw people busy at their various tasks, she would sigh, "Oh, if only I could be an ordinary mortal!" - And when her father had gone forth to do battle with the giants and the demons of the air, she would mourn because she could not go with him. When he came back, she would be pouting and out of humor.

One day, when she was especially surly, her father lost his temper. "Come here!" he ordered in a stem voice. "Your grumbling and your silly whims annoy me, and nothing would please me better than to send you down to earth to become an ordinary mortal. Alas, I cannot do that because you have drunk of the life-water and are immortal. But I have thought of something else for you. Til choose one of the young gods to be your husband, and he will soon teach you to get over your bad moods!"

"Oh, I already know of someone who could be my husband, Father/' the little goddess cried happily.

"Who can that be?" her father demanded. "Not one of those awful air giants, I hope. Because I absolutely forbid you to marry the son of one of my enemies."

"Oh, no, Father, it's not one of the buatas. And he doesn't live in the air, nor in the gods 7 heaven, either. He lives on the earth. Look down . . . you can see him now. He's that handsome young man who is plowing the rice field that lies on the side of the hill."

"But that's the son of a man!" her father said angrily. "He's an ordinary mortal! You can't marry him; you are the daughter of a god! You shall never marry him. I won't permit it!"

"But I will marry him!" Tisna Wati shrieked, stamping her tiny foot. "I will never marry anyone else. He shall be my husband even if I have to leave this place forever."

"And I say that you shall never marry him!" her father stormed. "I'd rather change you into a rice stalk. And let me tell you that just as soon as possible I will choose a son of one of the gods to be your husband. Do you understand?"

When Tisna Wati saw how angry her father was, she was afraid that her fate would be the same as that of Dewi Sri, the lovely wife of the great god Vishnu, who disobeyed her husband and was killed by him and changed into a rice stalk. It was her deathless spirit that lived in the fields of rice, the sawahs.

But Tisna Wati was not as meek as Dewi Sri. She would never let herself be changed into a rice stalk. And certainly she would never, never marry a son of one of the gods! She had set her heart on the handsome young mortal, plowing his fields on the hillside.

Egrly the next day her father left to seek a husband for her. But just as he was setting out, word came to him that the giants of the air and the evil demons were threatening the gods again, and he would have to go to war against them.

"When I come back, however, bring your husband with me," he said to his daughter.

Tisna Wati said meekly, 'Very well, Father." But as soon as he had left, she leaped on the wings of the wind and was floated down to earth. The wind was kind to her and took her close to the hillside where the young man was plowing his rice field.

Tisna Wati said to herself, "Now I can really see him close/' And she sat down on the slope of the hill to wait for the young man to notice her.

When he turned at the end of a row, he saw her. And he thought she was as beautiful as a vision. He came to her and said, wonderingly, ''What are you looking for, lovely maiden?'

"I'm looking for my husband/ Tisna Wati answered, laughing.

It was such a strange answer that the young man began to laugh, too, and they laughed together. They laughed because they were happy and in love, and the sound of their laughter rose to the heavens. That was their undoing.

For when their voices reached the place where Tisna Wati's father was battling against the giants and the demons, he heard it. He stopped and listened. That was his daughter's voice! And the voice of a strange young man! He bent and looked toward the earth . . . and there he saw his daughter, sitting beside a handsome young man, and their joyous laughter was louder to him than the noise of battle.

Raving with anger, Batara Guru gave up the battle with his enemies and flew down to earth. When he came to the hillside where his daughter sat beside the young man, he thundered, "Come with me at once! I'm taking you back to the gods' heaven."

But Tisna Wati had no desire to return to the gods' heaven. She was in love with the young man, and her love was stronger than her father's will.

"No," she said firmly, "I am never going back. I'd rather become an ordinary mortal and stay here on earth with my beloved."

"Then stay you shall!" her father roared angrily. "But not as the daughter of a god, and not as a mortal, either! You shall become a rice stalk and your spirit shall become one with this rice field." Even as he spoke, Tisna Wati changed from a goddess into a slim rice stalk.

When the slender rice stalk bent toward the young man, he stroked it with loving fingers. His plowing was forgotten, everything was forgotten, and in his sorrow he could only gaze at the graceful stalk that had been his beloved Tisna Wati.

When Batara Guru saw this, he was overcome with remorse. "I could have left them together," he said. "Now I cannot change her back . . . she must remain a rice stalk forever, for her spirit is already here in this rice field. But perhaps I could change him into a rice stalk, too.

When he had done this, he saw how the two stalks bent toward each other, as if they were telling how much they loved one another. He watched them a while, and shook his great head. "It is well/' he muttered to himself, and flew back to the gods' heaven. And ever since that day, the story says, the spirit of Tisna Wati has been in the mountain rice, just as the spirit of Dewi Sri is in the sawah rice.

But where the spirit of the handsome young man went, no one knows. 

25.          Dongsong And Sepetak Sawah

A STARVING BOY went wearily from village to village. His name was Dongso and he had been dismissed by a rich widow for whom he had worked, because the harvest had been so poor. The widow was known throughout the land as the owner of the most fruitful acres, but after Dongso had come the harvest had been so meager that he alone ate more rice than the fields produced. It happened not once, but twice. The widow herself had seen how well Dongso had prepared the sawah and tended the young rice shoots, but when they had grown tall and ready to be harvested, the stalks were empty of kernels and hung limp in the sun.

After the second harvest, the village people began to whisper that the young man might be a bad spirit. Perhaps he had been sent to earth by Allah to punish the widow because she was so stingy and made such meager offerings to the village-spirit and the sawah-spirit. The widow, of course, heard these whisperings, and in anger she dismissed Dongso, without paying him.

Weak with hunger Dongso came one evening to the outskirts of a village and knocked at the door of the first house he saw. It was a little hut in the midst of a small sawah owned by a poor old woman, Randa Derma. When Dongso knocked, she opened the door to him and he fell across the threshold.

"Please," he said feebly, "give me a handful of rice. I am starving."

"Why do you have to beg?" she asked him. "You look strong and you are young. Why don't you earn your rice? Why don't you work for your food?'*

But she was a goodhearted woman and she pulled her unexpected guest into the room without waiting for his answer. She set rice and coffee in front of him. "Eat and drink, my son/' she said. "And then tell me why you beg rather than work." The boy began to eat without a word, trying to make up for the many days he had gone hungry. When at last he was satisfied, he told the old woman his story. "I did my best/' he said. "I worked hard all the time I took care of the widow's sawahs. And truly I could not help it, it was not my fault, that the ears were almost always empty. I think," he said slowly, "it was because she did not make offerings to the protecting spirits and they were punishing her. And how could I force them to make the ears full of grain?"

"No, of course you couldn't/' the old woman agreed. "But if you will stay with me and work my little sawah, I will give you one fifth of the harvest yield. The trouble is, I have no buffalo. But the field isn't very big. . . ."

"It won't matter/' Dongso said. His eyes shone with gratitude for her offer. "I'll do my best for you."

Early the next morning, he started for the sawah, with only a spade. He turned the earth as if he had a fine plow and a strong buffalo working for him. When the time came for the sowing he did that, too, with speed and skill. Now he must wait with patience for the ripening. Then he would be able to harvest full, fine ears of rice! It was almost as if his wishes were coming true, for the rice stalks grew tall and straight, and the ears turned a beautiful golden yellow.

But then the worst happened, the same thing that had happened when he was working in the fields of the rich widow. The fine-looking stalks carried only empty ears, with not a grain of rice in them! He asked himself, in despair, "Can it be that this woman, too, has made no offering to the spirits? Or can it be that I am the one who brings bad luck to people?"

He couldn't bear to tell the old woman what was troubling him. She would find out for herself soon enough, when she went into the field for the harvest. As the day drew near Dongso grew sadder and sadder. The night before the harvest he couldn't sleep a wink. He lay on his mat, tossing from side to side, thinking of the empty ears of rice in the field and how unhappy the old woman would be. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that he could not face her disappointment when she opened the ears of rice that had been cut. Very early, long before sunup, he would leave the village; he would steal away as he had come, and beg from door to door till he found work again. As quietly as a mouse he crept out of the hut next morning and started for the road. But before he left the village for good, he had to look once more at the little sawah where he had labored so long and faithfully. Walking sadly between the tall stalks, he looked again at the golden-yellow, empty ears. Idly he plucked one off and opened it. As he had thought, there were no rice grains in it.

Then his mouth fell open and he looked again, hardly believing what he saw. There were no grains of rice, but there were grains of gold, pure, glittering gold! He was dazed with astonishment. This couldn't be. Maybe in one ear, but surely not Dongso picked another one, and still another one, and yet another one, and each ear was filled with kernels of gold. He ran back to the little hut, and found the old woman busy with her weaving. She looked up at him in astonishment. "Why are you so happy, Dongso?"

Dongso almost told her. But he wanted her to see the amazing sight herself. He wanted her to find the kernels of gold as he had found them. So he said, "Because today we are going to give a wonderful harvest feast, Randa Derma!"

The old woman's wrinkled face puckered sadly when he said that "No, Dongso/'. she said with a sigh, "I'm sorry, but we can't do that. We can only make a simple meal. I spent the last of my money on offerings to the spirits of the village and of the sawah so that they might bless the har- vest. . . ."

"And so they have!" he shouted. "Wait till you see how they have blessed the harvest!" He took her by the hand and led her to the sawah.

The old woman stumbled in her haste to follow his quick steps as he hurried her to the place where he had made the amazing discovery. Dongso tore off a stalk and gave it to her. "Look inside, Little Mother/' he urged, and he watched as she opened the ear and found the golden kernels. He laughed when she shrieked with joy. "What did I tell you? What did I tell you?"

But the old woman pulled herself together quickly. "Now Allah be praised/' she said, bowing her head. "My little rice field has brought forth more than a hundred great sawahs could bring forth. Allah be praised!"

She had promised Dongso a fifth of the harvest and she gave him a fifth of the harvest. Now he was rich. He could buy himself a sawah, he could buy buffaloes, as many as he needed, as many as he wanted. But Dongso bought neither a rice field nor buffaloes. He was faithful to the old woman who had befriended him, and he took care of the many spreading sawahs she bought with the same zeal that he had taken care of her tiny sawah. And he did to others who came to help him as she had done to him he gave them one fifth of the crop of the lush acres.

It has been so from that day to this: One fifth of each sawah's harvest is divided among the helpers. From that day to this, too, there has never been want or poverty in that district. The people of Derma have lived in peace and plenty all these years.

That's what the village was named Derma, after the old woman who had befriended Dongso and who had been so poor that she could not even offer a harvest feast. But the Javanese do not believe the village's well-being came from the fruitfulness of the countryside. They believe the good fortune of the village and its people is due to the lovely temple Dongso built to the memory of his benefactor, after she died, on the very spot where once the little sawah had been.

26.  Gajah Mada and mistery stief

The kingdom of Majapahit was at its peak in the 13^th century.  The wise king who ruled was King Hayam Wuruk.  He was young, intelligent, and brave.  He had a smart prime minister, his name was Gajah Mada.  Besides that, he had smart and young aides and ministers.  Under Hayam Wuruk Majapahit ruled over most of the present day Indonesia.  Majapahit was very prosperous. 

The palace of Majapahit was very big.  It was very luxurious.  Inside of the palace there is a special building called ‘Gedong Pusaka’.  It was a house or more precisely a luxurious warehouse to store all the treasure of the kingdom.  There were jewelries, gold crown, earrings, gold coins, gold Kris and many other luxurious things.  That’s why the building was heavily guarded.  There was a high wall surrounding it.  Inside and outside the wall soldiers were on duty twenty four hours a day.  All of them were fully armed.  It was almost impossible for anyone at that time to get into the Gedong Pusaka.

One night the situation in the palace was very different.  There was a thick, very thick fog surrounding the whole palace, even the capital.  The temperature which usually warm was cool.  This situation was very rare in Majapahit.  The Javanese people (the people of Majapahit) interpreted this strange phenomenon as a signal from god.  They were sure that a great event would take place.

King Hayam Wuruk immediately called Gajah Mada.  After a shirt discussion they decided to call the army generals.  The king told the generals to put the army in the highest alert.  Soon they ordered all of their boys in highest alert.  The number of soldier who guarded the palace was doubled.  The king and the prime minister stay awoke until midnight.  Every hour they received report that everything was OK.  The night was very quiet.  So at midnight the king and Gajah Mada were asleep.

But when it was almost dawn something happened.  A group of soldier who guarded the front gate of Gedong Pusaka reported to the army general that the door of Gedong Pusaka was opened.  When they checked inside they found that the collection of gold coins was missing.  The army chief immediately reported the event to Prime Minister Gajah Mada.   

Gajah Mada immediately ordered that the commander of the guard was arrested.  Without waiting for the sun to arise he questioned the commander.  Gajah Mada thought that the commander was the one responsible for the lost of the cold coins.  But the commander refused.  He was sure that someone else did the wrong doing.  When the king woke up Gajah Mada reported to him.  But the king was silent.

The following night the situation was very different.  The sky was clear and the temperature was warm.  Although tension had diminished Gajah Mada ordered the army to stay in highest alert.  That time the king was ignorant.  The night was very serene.  Suddenly at midnight the soldiers who guarded at the front gate of Gedong Pusaka was shocked when they saw someone ran very fast from it.  Soon they chased him. But he ran very fast and soon the soldiers lost him.  However they could see that he ran toward the king’s compound.

Their commander soon reported to Gajah Mada who immediately came.  He ordered the soldiers to siege the king’s compound.  He also ordered more soldiers to surround it.  Amazingly the king’s compound was covered with cloud.  Nobody saw where it came from but suddenly thick cloud surrounded it.  The fog was so thick that nobody could see the king’s compound.  The cloud even grew larger that finally the whole palace was covered by cloud.

The next morning the people of Majapahit was shocked to see the strange phenomenon.  The sky was clear and the sun was shining bright but the palace was covered by cloud.  No one could see it.  The king never came out of the palace.

Soon rumors spread that the thief was hiding inside the king’s compound in the palace.  The army kept surrounding it.  They cried to tell the thief to surrender.  Suddenly someone threw stones to the soldiers.  Some of them were hurt.  Then Gajah Mada got in to see the king.  When he came from inside the palace he told soldiers that the king was all right and that the   thief was not there.  After that rumor spread that the thief was ghost, not human being.  Months later the mystery thief had not arrested and the palace was still cloudy.  Years later the thief remained a mystery and he palace remained cloudy.  Majapahit suffered from a great loss.  It was a serious blow to the economy.  Several years later the kingdom of Majapahit collapsed.

Today territory of Majapahit becomes Indonesia.   People miss the glory of Majapahit.  They are dreaming that the glorious Majapahit will return someday.

27.          The legend of situbagendit

Far away in an isolated village there was a young rich woman. The house that she had been living in was very big. Her wealth was plentiful. The young woman lived by herself. She didn’t have any friend at all.

“Wouw, I am very rich! Ha…ha…ha, I am the richest woman in this village!” said the young woman while she was looking at her gold and jewelries. It was so pity, that the young woman was very miserly. Her plentiful wealth never been used to help others.

“All of the wealth is mine, isn’t it? So what am I give it all to other for?” The young woman thought. However, many of villagers were poor. They lived in less condition. Sometimes some villagers were hunger, and didn’t get any food for days.

Because of the young woman miserly, the villagers called her Bagenda Endit. Bagenda Endit meant the miserly rich person. “Bagenda Endit, have mercy on me! My child has not eaten for few days”, said an old woman sadly.

“Hi, you crazy old woman! Get away from me!” yelled Bagenda Endit threw the old woman away. Because the old woman didn’t want to go, Bagenda Endit splashed her with water. Splash!, and all over the old woman body and her baby became wet.

Bagenda Endit was a feeling less woman. She didn’t even have a little bit mercy to the old woman and her baby. She even got more angry. After that, she asked the old woman to get out of her house yard. And then, she was dragging her out of the yard. Although Bagenda Endit was very miserly, the village people kept coming in. The came for the water wheel. “No, I won’t let you to take away the water from my wheel! The water in the wheel is mine!” Bagenda Endit yelled angrily.

“Ha…ha…ha…you’re all stupid! You think you just can take the water from my wheel!” Bagenda Endit said while she was watching the thirst villagers outside the fence. Suddenly, a decrepit man was standing in Bagenda Endit house yard. He was walking tottery to the wheel while holding his stick.

When the old man was trying to take the water, Bagenda Endit saw it. Then, she hit the old man with a founder. “Have mercy on me Bagenda Endit! I want to take the water just for a drink”, said the old man when he was trying to get up. Bagenda Endit kept beating the old man. And then, an astonishing thing happened. Suddenly the old man got up with a healthy body. He walked closer to Bagenda Endit. He pointed his stick at the cruel rich woman’s nose.

“Hi, Bagenda Endit, take the punishment from me!” said the old man loudly. Then he pointed at the wheel with his stick. Wus…byuur, the wheel was sprinkling the water swiftly. Not long enough, the water was flooding up. Bagenda Endit couldn’t save herself. She drawn with all of her wealth.

The village was disappeared. The thing that left was a wide and deep lake. The lake was named Situ Bagendit. Situ means a wide lake. It was named Situ Bagendit, because the wide lake came from a wheel that belongs to Bagenda Endit.

28.                Kursed Sword Keris

The king of Kediri Kingdom in East Java, Kertajaya thought himself as a deity, and he was opposed by the Brahmana (priests) caste. When he threated the Brahmanas, they ran to Tumapel and asked the ruler, Ken Arok, for his protection. Ken Arok thought that Kediri army would attack his territory, and ordered his troops to fortify.

Kediri army came to Tumapel as Arok was expecting. The Battle of Ganter, in 1222, was the end of Kediri Kingdom, then Ken Arok formed his own empire, Singosari. Ken Arok proclaimed himself as the son of Shiva. Historians has been argued on Ken Arok's new dynasty because his origin wasn't clear . Who is he? Why he could forma kingdom? Does he have a dark past?

After Kertajaya lost, the Kediri Kingdom was ruled by Tunggul Ametung.  He had a very beautiful wife, Ken Dedes. A statue in Leiden Museum, Netherlands, shows Ken Dedes as Prajnaparamitha, Goddess of Wise.

One day Ken Arok accidentaly saw Ken Dedes, then a wind hiked her gown. Suddenly Ken Arok got a vision, that he had to have Ken Dedes as his wife, at any risk. Ken Arok decided to kill Tunggul Ametung. He ordered a "keris" (a sacred short sword) to a priest, Mpu Gandring. It took a long time to make a "keris" because only englighted priest could make it, and they had to do some rituals for that. Ken Arok was impatient to wait the keris to be done. His lust to Ken Dedes is getting bigger and bigger. He came up to Mpu Gandring to ask if the keris was completed. When Mpu Gandrig said no, Ken Arok kill him with that incompleted keris.

Before he died, Mpu Gandring cursed the keris. Later, Ken Arok lent the keris to Kebo Ijo, a petty criminal Kebo Ijo was so proud. that he showed the keris to everyone. At night, Ken Arok stole the keris again, and he succesfully kill Tunggul Ametung. Kebo Ijo was framed as the killer, but before he could talk, Ken Arok killed him with the keris.

In the 5th year of his reign, a man called Anusapati wanted the throne of Singosari from Ken Arok. Ken Arok had abandoned Mpu Gandring's keris but Anusapati killed him with that. Ken Arok had a concubine named Ken Umang, and their son, Tohjaya decided the revenge. At the 21th year of Anusapati's rule, Tohjaya invited Anusapati for gambling, and when Anusapati was having fun, Tohjaya killed Anusapati, again with Mpu Gandring's keris.

After Anusapati's death, his son Ranggawuni wanted the throne. Tohjaya sent Lembu Ampal to attack Ranggawuni and his companion, Mahesa Cempaka. Lembu Ampal realized that Ranggawuni was the right person to be the king, and they fought against Tohjaya. Tohjaya was killed with Mpu Gandring's keris.

Ranggawuni and Mahesa Cempaka realized that Mpu Gandring's keris would only make chaos and death, so they threw the keris to the Java Sea. Legend said that the keris turned to be a dragon.

29.                       Mouse Deer and Crocodile

One day, Mouse Deer went down to the river to take a drink. But he knew that the crocodile might be waiting underwater to eat him, so he said out loud. “I wonder if the water’s warm. I’ll put in my leg and find out.” Of course Mouse Deer didn’t put in his leg. He picked up a stick instead and put one end into the water. Chomp…! Crocodile grabbed the stick and pulled it underwater. Mouse Deer laughed. “Ha… ha…ha… Stupid crocodile! Cant you tell the difference between a stick and a leg?” Then Mouse Deer ran off to drink somewhere else.

In the next day, Mouse Deer wanted to cross the river. He wanted to eat the fruits on the other side of the river. He saw a floating log in the river. He knew that Crocodile looked like a log when he floated. Mouse Deer didn’t want to be eaten by Crocodile when he crosses the river. He had an idea. He called out loud, “Crocodile!” Crocodile rose from the water, “Hello, Mouse Deer. Have you come to be my lunch?” Mouse Deer smiled. “Sorry, not today, Crocodile. I have orders from the King. He wants to invite all the crocodiles in this river to a party. He wants me to count all the crocodiles so he could prepare enough meal for you.”

“Really…? Tell us what to do,” said Crocodile. “You must line up from this side of the river to the other side,” said Mouse Deer. Crocodile then got all his friends and family. They lined up across the river. Mouse Deer then jumped onto Crocodile’s back. “One,” he counted. He jumped onto the next crocodile, “Two.” And the next crocodile, “Three.” Mouse Deer kept jumping until he arrived on the other side of the river. “How many are there?” asked Crocodile. “Just enough,” said Mouse Deer. He laughed as he ran to the forest.

30.          Banyuwangi Legend

Long time ago Banyuwangi was called Blambangan. It was a kingdom under a wise king who had a handsome and smart son. Raden Banterang was his name. He liked hunting very much. He often went to forest around Blambangan to hunt for animals. One day when he was in a forest he saw a deer. He chased it and the deer ran deeper into the forest. His horse was so good and strong that he left his guards behind. Unfortunately he lost the deer. As he took a rest under a big banyan tree suddenly a lovely lady appeared in front of him. Raden Banterang was very surprised to see a beautiful girl alone in the forest. He was suspicious that she was not a human being. So he asked her.

‘Excuse me lovely lady, do you live around here?’

‘No, I don’t. I’m from Klungkung,
Bali. My name is Surati. I’m a
princess, the daughter of the king
of Klungkung. I need your help’

‘I will gladly help you, but please
tell me what your problem is’

‘I’m in danger. There was a
rebellion in Klungkung. The
rebel killed my father but I could
escape. My guards took me here
but I lose them. Now I’m alone.
I don’t know where to go. I have no relative here. Please help me’

‘You are coming to the right person. I’m prince Banterang from the kingdom of Blambangan. I will protect you. Please come with me.’

Then Raden Banterang took Surati home. He fell in love with her and then several months later he married her. One day when Surati was in the street he met a man. The man called him. ‘Surati, Surati’ She was surprised to realize that the man was her brother Rupaksa. Rupaksa told her that it was Raden Banterang who killed their father. He came to Blambangan to take revenge and asked surati to join him. Surati was shocked but she refused to join.

‘I’m really shocked to hear the news. But I’m not sure. Raden Banterang is now my husband. He’s very kind to me. He never hurts me. He’s protecting me. As a good wife I will never betray him. It is my duty to serve him.’

‘But he killed our father’.

‘It is hard for me to believe it. When I met him he was here, not in Klungkung’
Rupaksa was disappointed with her sister. He was also very angry to her.
‘OK then. I have to go now. But please keep my head dress. Put it under your pillow’
Rupaksa gave his head dress to his sister Surati. To respect her older brother Surati put it under her pillow. Several days later Raden Banterang was hunting in a forest when he met a man that looked like a priest. The man greeted him politely. Then he said something.
‘Your life is in danger. Someone has an evil intention to you’

‘Who is he?’

“Your wife Surati’

“Surati? How do you know?’

‘I am a priest. I have clear spiritual vision. I just want to save you. Search her room. If you find a head dress under her pillow then my words are correct. It is from a man who will help her kill you’

‘Thank you your Holiness’

Raden Banterang was shocked. He was very angry to his wife then he immediately went home. When he got to the palace he immediately searched Surati’s bed room. As he found the head dress under her pillow he was sure that the priest was right.
‘You are unfaithful wife. I know that you want me dead. This is the evidence. This is from a man who will help you kill me. Tell me who he is’

Surati was shocked and cried.

‘It is my brother’s head dress. I met him several days ago when you  went hunting. He gave me his head dress and told me to put it under my pillow. So I put it there to respect him. It is him who want to kill you, not me’

But Raden Banterang did not trust her. He gave her a death sentence. He took his wife to a river bank as he would stab his wife and throw her body into the river.
‘Before I die, let me say a few words’

‘Please do’

‘After I die, just throw my body into the river. If the water become dirty and smelly, it means that I am guilty. But if the water become clear and fragrance come out of it, it means that I am innocence’.

Then as Raden Banterang would stab her wife with a kris Surati threw herself into the river. Amazingly the water became clear and fragrance came out of it. Surati was innocent! Raden Banterang regretted his emotional behavior. Since then on he changed the name of his kingdom into Banyuwangi. Banyu means water and Wangi means fragrance.

31.           Clever Boy

Ts’ao Ch’ong was the son of Ts’ao Ts’ao. He was a very clever boy. One day, Suen Ch’uan, the King of Eastern Wu, gave his father an elephant. Ts’ao Ts’ao wanted to find out its weight. No one was able to tell him how to do so.

Ts’ao Ch’ong suddenly thought of an idea. “Put the elephant in a boat,” he said. “Draw a line on the side of the boat level with the water. Take the elephant out. Then load the boat with stones until the water comes up to the line. You can then weigh the stones to find out the weight of the elephant.”

Everyone praised Ts’ao Ch’ong for being so clever. A few months later some clothes in a store were eaten by rats. The clerk in charge was very frightened, he knew that he would be sent to prison of Ts’ao found out what had happened. He did not know what to do. When Ts’ao Ch’ong heard about it, he sent for him.

“Don’t worry,” he said “ I can help you. But please wait a few days before saying anything to my father.’

Ts’ao Ch’ong then cut some holes in his coat. He took it to
show to his father. His father asked him what had happened.

“My coat has been eaten by rats.” He said “I am very sorry. I must
have been very careless.”
His father laughing at him. “Don’t be silly,” he said, “how can
anyone blame you? It’s not your fault.”

A few days afterwards, the clerk went to tell Ts’ao Ts’ao what had happened to the clothes in the store. Ts’ao Ts’ao listened carefully to what he said. “My son’s coat has also been eaten by rats,” he answered. “How can I be angry with you because the clothes in your store have been eaten?

32.           The Real Story of Pinocchio

Once upon a time, Gepetto, an old woodsman, living in the great Italian pine forest, was lonely. He always dreamed about having a son. Each day, he went cutting woods for the town’s people. One day, an idea illuminated his mind, the idea of crafting a puppet, which he will call it Pinocchio. He crafted that puppet and during the night, the puppet becomes alive!
One year of happiness and thriller passed, on a Sunday morning, Gepetto told Pinocchio:

‘’It’s my birthday soon, my little son! I hope you didn’t forget it!’’

‘’Euh, sure, I didn’t!’’

Pinocchio felt awkward. He didn’t thought about that. Gepetto’s birthday was coming in only three days, and he hadn’t even a present. After a long night of reflecting, Pinocchio finally decided to offer a homemade chocolate cake to him as a present. When the sun rose, Pinocchio was already ready to go outside find the ingredients. The main problem was he didn’t even known the in and the recipe. So after school, he decided to go ask someone for the ingredients to bake a cake. During his walk, Pinocchio, the wooden puppet, met the town’s sorcerer.

‘’Hey, little boy, do you need some help for your chocolate cake?’’

‘’Hum…You can help me?’’, asked Pinocchio.

‘’Sure, I can. Follow me!’’

After walking few minutes so, Pinocchio saw a big, big, big candy
house. They entered together and Pinocchio
got caught by a big cage.

‘’Mouahahaha!!! I finally caught you! You’ll be mine, you’re
gonna work for me!’’, said the evil sorcerer.

Pinocchio was so scared. When the guards came and took him out of the cage, he immediately ran away very fast and he succeeded to escape.
At the same time, the evil sorcerer, calling all his troops with him, ran after him and he took out his magic wand. The evil devil changed the little wooden puppet into a chocolate cake!
When he came back home, he told the entire story to his father and they went to find the god fairy. After a long trip, they finally find the god fairy and they got the magical potion for Pinocchio.

33.          Ciung Wanara Story

Long time ago in west Java there was a kingdom called Galuh.  The ruler was King Barma Wijaya Kusuma.  He had two wives – Pohaci Naganingrum and Dewi Pangreyep.  At that time both of them were pregnant.  The king was very happy when Dewi Pangreyep gave birth to a baby boy.  The king named him Hariang Banga.  He was a handsome boy.

Several months later Pohaci Naganingrum also gave birth.  Dewi Pangreyep helped her during the birth process but she had an evil plan.  She had prepared a baby dog and gave it to Pohaci.  Then she put the baby in a box and had it thrown to a river.  Lengser, the man who received the order to throw the baby in a river, put him in a safe box and gave an egg.  Meanwhile Dewi Pangreyep reported to the king that Pohaci had given birth to a baby dog.

‘Oh, Your Majesty,  Pohaci is an evil woman.  Last night he gave birth but her baby is a dog!  They are sinners.  God had punished them.  This a shame for Your majesty the King and the whole kingdom”

The king was shocked and very angry to hear that.  He
thought it was a shame for the royal family.  So he ordered his
soldier to kill Pohaci and the baby.

‘There is no place here for sinners.  They must go to hell”

Then the king called his servant , Lengser.

“Lengser ! Bring them to the wood and kill them!”

“Yes, Your Majesty”

Lengser, who had to carry out the order, did not dare to do it.  He saved Pohaci instead.  Then  Pohaci lived in a remote village.

Meanwhile in a village by the river lived a couple of husband and wife.  Aki Balangantran lived with his wife Nini Balangantran.  Several years had passed after their marriage but still they had no children.  Day and night they prayed to god to ask for children.  One night Nini was dreaming that she saw a full moon.  Aki interpreted the dream that they would receive provision from god.  The next morning Aki went to a river with his net to fish.  Suddenly something caught his attention.  In the middle of the river there was a wooden box floating on the water.  Then he grabbed it.  He was shocked when he saw a baby inside it.  He brought the baby home and gave him a name of Ciung Wanara.   In Sundanese language Ciung means bird and Wanara means monkey.  They were very happy since they had no children.

Several years later Ciung Wanara grew up to be a handsome and smart boy.  The egg had become a cock.  Ciung loved cock fighting.  He went everywhere to play cock fighting game.  His cock was so quick and strong that it won all of its fights.  Soon he and his cock became famous in Galuh.  Everybody knew them.

Then the king of Galuh who had many cocks and also loved cock fighting heard the news.  So he ordered Lengser, his faithful assistant, to find the boy.  As Lengser got to Ciung’s house he was surprised to see the box.  He realized that it was the box he threw into the river some years earlier.  When he asked Ciung’s father he was sure that Ciung was the king’s son from Pohaci Naganingrum.   That time he wanted to do a good deed for Ciung.  Then he told Ciung that the king invited him to palace for a cock fight.  He also told ciung to ask for the kingdom if his cock win the fight.  Ciung agreed so they went to palace immediately.

Later in the palace of Galuh,  Ciung told the king that he had a condition for the cock fight.  If his cock wins, he wants the king to give him his kingdom.  If he his cock loose,  then he will give his head.  The king agreed because he was sure that his cock would win.  Then in a fierce fight Ciung’s cock won the fight.  Everybody was surprised.  The king had no choice.  He had to keep his words and give his kingdom to ciung Wanara.  Then Lengser told the king that ciung was actually hing own son from Pohaci naganingrum.  He revealed Dewi Pangreyep’s evil action.

The king was shocked and very angry.  He ordered his soldiers to arrest and punish Dewi Pangreyep.  This event made Prince Hariang Banga got very angry.  He quickly attacked Ciung Wanara.  Finally the king decided to divide his kingdom into two parts.  The border was Cipamali river.  The west of the river was given to Hariang Banga while Ciung Wanara ruled the eastern part of the kingdom.

34.          Beauty and the beast

Once upon a time as a merchant set off for market, he asked each of his three daughters what she would like as a present on his return. The first daughter wanted a brocade dress, the second a pearl necklace, but the third, whose name was Beauty, the youngest, prettiest and sweetest of them all, said to her father:  

"All I'd like is a rose you've picked specially for me!"   

When the merchant had finished his business, he set off for home. However, a sudden storm blew up, and his horse could hardly make headway in the howling gale. Cold and weary, the merchant had lost all hope of reaching an inn when he suddenly noticed a bright light shining in the middle of a wood. As he drew near, he saw that it was a castle, bathed in light.   

"I hope I'll find shelter there for the night," he said to himself. 

When he reached the door, he saw it was open, but though he shouted, nobody came to greet him. Plucking up courage, he went inside, still calling out to attract attention. On a table in the main hall, a splendid dinner lay already served. The merchant lingered, still shouting for the owner of the castle. But no one came, and so the starving merchant sat down to a hearty meal. Overcome by curiosity, he ventured upstairs, where the corridor led into magnificent rooms and halls. A fire crackled in the first room and a soft bed looked very inviting. It was now late, and the merchant could not resist. He lay down on the bed and fell fast asleep. 

When he woke next morning, an unknown hand had placed a mug of steaming coffee and some fruit by his bedside.  The merchant had breakfast and after tidying himself up, went downstairs to thank his generous host. But, as on the evening before, there was nobody in sight. Shaking his head in wonder at the strangeness of it all, he went towards the garden where he had left his horse, tethered to a tree. 

Suddenly, a large rose bush caught his eye.  Remembering his promise to Beauty, he bent down to pick a rose. Instantly, out of the rose garden, sprang a horrible beast, wearing splendid clothes. Two bloodshot eyes, gleaming angrily, glared at him and a deep, terrifying voice growled: 

"Ungrateful man! I gave you shelter, you ate at my table and slept in my own bed, but now all the thanks I get is the theft of my favorite flowers! I shall put you to death for this slight!" 

Trembling with fear, the merchant fell on his knees before the Beast.  "Forgive me! Forgive me! Don't kill me! I'll do anything you say! The rose wasn't for me, it was for my daughter Beauty. I promised to bring her back a rose from my journey!" 

The Beast dropped the paw it had clamped on the unhappy merchant.   

"I shall spare your life, but on one condition, that you bring me your daughter!" The terror-stricken merchant, faced with certain death if he did not obey, promised that he would do so. When he reached home in tears, his three daughters ran to greet him. After he had told them of his dreadful adventure, Beauty put his mind at rest immediately.

"Dear father, I'd do anything for you! Don't worry, you'll be able to keep your promise and save your life! Take me to the castle. I'll stay there in your place!" The merchant hugged his daughter.  

"I never did doubt your love for me. For the moment I can only thank you for saving my life." So Beauty was led to the castle. The Beast, however, had quite an unexpected greeting for the girl. Instead of menacing doom as it had done with her father, it was surprisingly pleasant.  

In the beginning, Beauty was frightened of the Beast, and shuddered at the sight of it. Then she found that, in spite of the monster's awful head, her horror of it was gradually fading as time went by. 

She had one of the finest rooms in the Castle, and sat for hours, embroidering in front of the fire. And the Beast would sit, for hours on end, only a short distance away, silently gazing at her. Then it started to say a few kind words, till in the end, Beauty was amazed to discover that she was actually enjoying its conversation. The days passed, and Beauty and the Beast became good friends. 

Then one day, the Beast asked the girl to be his wife.  Taken by surprise, Beauty did not know what to say. Marry such an ugly monster? She would rather die! But she did not want to  hurt the feelings of one who, after all, had been kind to her. And she remembered too that she owed it her own life as well as her father's.   

"I really can't say yes," she began shakily. "I'd so much like to..." The Beast interrupted her with an abrupt gesture.   

"I quite understand! And I'm not offended by your refusal!" Life went on as usual, and nothing further was said. 

One day, the Beast presented Beauty with a magnificent magic mirror. When Beauty peeped into it, she could see her family, far away.   

"You won't feel so lonely now," were the words that accompanied the gift. Beauty stared for hours at her distant family. Then she began to feel worried. One day, the Beast found her weeping beside the magic mirror.   

"What's wrong?" he asked, kindly as always.               

"My father is gravely ill and close to dying! Oh, how I wish I could see him again, before it's too late!" But the Beast only shook its head.  "No! You will never leave this castle!" And off it stalked in a rage. 

However, a little later, it returned and spoke solemnly to the girl.  

"If you swear that you will return here in seven days time, I'll let you go and visit your father!" Beauty threw herself at the Beast's feet in delight.  "I swear! I swear I will! How kind you are! You've made a loving daughter so happy!" In reality, the merchant had fallen ill from a broken heart at knowing his daughter was being kept prisoner. When he embraced her again, he was soon on the road to recovery. 

Beauty stayed beside him for hours on end, describing her life at the Castle, and explaining that the Beast was really good and kind. The days flashed past, and at last the merchant was able to leave his bed. He was completely well again. Beauty was happy at last. However, she had failed to notice that seven days had gone by.  Then one night she woke from a terrible nightmare. She had dreamt that the Beast was dying and calling for her, twisting in agony.   

"Come back! Come back to me!" it was pleading. The solemn  promise she had made drove her to leave home immediately.  "Hurry! Hurry, good horse!" she said, whipping her steed onwards towards the castle, afraid that she might arrive too late. She rushed up the stairs, calling, but there was no reply. Her heart in her mouth, Beauty ran into the garden and there crouched the Beast, its eyes shut, as though dead. Beauty threw herself at it and hugged it tightly.  

"Don't die! Don't die! I'll marry you . . ." At these words, a miracle took place. The Beast's ugly snout turned magically into the face of a handsome young man.  "How I've been longing for this moment!" he said. "I was suffering in silence, and couldn't tell my frightful secret. An evil witch turned me into a monster and only the love of a maiden willing to accept me as I was, could transform me back into my real self. My dearest! I'll be so happy if you'll marry me."  The wedding took place shortly after and, from that day on, the young Prince would have nothing but roses in his gardens. And that's why, to this day, the castle is known as the Castle of the Rose.

35.          Why Crows Are Black

IN THE OLDEN DAYS, when the tigers still lived in peace with other animals, the crow was called "The Bird of Paradise." Her feathers were of purest white; but since then she has lost these beautiful white feathers and in their place wears black ones. How this came about is told in a very old tale:

When Allah had shaped the fishes, the birds, and the four-footed beasts, he called the white crow to him and said, "Bird of Paradise, you are large and handsome, you are strong and swift; therefore you shall be my messenger."

The crow bowed her sleek white head and said, "Great Allah, I will be your messenger. Tell me what you wish me to do. Allah showed the white crow a bit of clay, and said, "From this clay I am going to knead a man." So Allah kneaded a man, and when he had laid the figure near him on the ground he called the animals to admire it.

All of them came the birds, the four-footed beasts, and the fishes. All of them looked on the man made of clay that lay motionless on the ground. And when Allah asked, "Well, how do you like this man?" the fishes began by saying, "It's a very, very strange thing!"

"Is that a man?' cried the birds in amazement. "It's nothing but a piece of clay!"

"Yes, that's all it is just a piece of clay!" the four-footed beasts cried, too.

"And you, my messenger, what do you think of this man?" Allah asked the white crow.

"I say that it has a wonderful shape," answered the crow, "but . . ."

"What else do you want to say?" asked Allah.

"Only this: there is no life in the man," the crow said at last.

"There shall indeed be life in the man," Allah said then.

"And I not only wish to give him life, I want to make
him immortal. Therefore I am
sending you, my messenger, this very day to bring
me the life-water from the fountain of life, that shall make man immortal."

"And in what shall I fetch the water?" asked the white crow. "Will one beak-full be enough to make the man immortal?"

"No," Allah replied. "You must fetch the water in the big vessel that you will find beside the fountain of life. And remember this: do not let any other animal drink of the water, because I want man alone to be immortal. Promise me that you will not drink any of it, either."

"I promise," said the white crow, and she flew away to fetch the life-giving water. The fountain of life was far away, and the white crow became tired and thirsty.

After she filled the vessel and had flown part of the way back, she had a great desire to drink just a few drops of the water. "Allah will never be able to see that there are a few drops missing," she reasoned to herself. "And why shouldn't I slake my thirst with the water? Then I shall be immortal, too."

So thought the white crow. And the more she thought about it, the more she longed for immortality. Finally she drank a few drops . . . and then a few more . . . and, at last, she had almost emptied the vessel.

"Is that the vessel full of life-water that you were to bring me?" asked Allah, when he saw the few drops that still remained in it. "With these few drops I can give man life, but I cannot make him immortal. Why were you unable to fill the vessel, my messenger?"

"There was no more life-water in the fountain/' lied the white crow.

At that moment a magpie, whose feathers also were a beautiful white, flew to Allah, and cried, "The white crow lies, Lord; she herself drank of the life-water that was in the jar. I sat in a tree along the way and I saw her drinking/'

When Allah heard this, he was so angry at the white crow that he took her beautiful white feathers from her and in place of them gave her black ones. And when the black-feathered crow stood before him with her head bowed in shame, Allah spoke to her and to the magpie, "I expel you both from Paradise. You, crow, because you drank the life-water and then lied about it. And you, magpie, because you were a spy and a talebearer, I will take away half of your white feathers and, even as the crow, you shall have black ones in their place!" That is why the magpie has black-and-white feathers, and the crow is entirely black. But whether or not the life-water made the crow immortal the story does not tell.

36.  A Gold Snail

Once upon a time, there was a couple living in a palace. They were Prince Raden Putra and Dewi Limaran. Prince Raden Putra's father was the king of the kingdom.

One day, Dewi Limaran was walking around in the palace garden. Suddenly she saw a snail. It was ugly and disgusting.

"Yuck!" said Dewi Limaran and then she threw it away into a river.

She did not know that the snail was actually an old and powerful witch. She could transform herself into anything. The witch was angry to Dewi Limaran. The witch put a spell on her and changed her into a golden snail. The witch then threw it away into the river.

The golden snail was drifting away in the river and got caught into a net. An old woman was fishing and used her net to catch some fish. She was surprised to see a golden snail in her net. She took it and brought it home. When the old woman woke up in the morning, she was surprised that the house was in the good condition. 

The floor was mopped. And she also had food on the table. She was thinking very hard.

"Who did this to me? The person is very kind." It happened
again and again every morning.

The old woman was very curious. One night she decided
to stay up late. She was peeping from her room to know
who cooked for her. Then, she could not believe what she
saw. The golden snail she caught in the river turned into a
beautiful woman. The old woman approached her.

"Who are you, young girl?"

"I am Dewi Limaran, Ma'am. A witch cursed me. I can change back as a human only at night," explained Dewi Limaran.

"The spell can be broken if I hear the melody from the holy gamelan," continued Dewi Limaran.

The old woman then rushed to the palace. She talked to Prince Raden Putra about her wife. Prince Raden Putra was so happy. He had been looking for his wife everywhere. He then prayed and meditated. He asked the gods to give him the holy gamelan. He wanted to break the witch's spell. After several days praying and meditating, finally gods granted his wish. He immediately brought the holy gamelan to the old woman's house. He played it beautifully. And then amazingly the golden snail turned into the beautiful Dewi Limaran. The couple was so happy that they could be together again. They also thanked the old woman for her kindness. As a return, they asked her to stay in the palace.

37.          Hansel and Gretel

Once upon a time a very poor woodcutter lived in a tiny cottage in the forest with his two children, Hansel and Gretel. His second wife often ill-treated the children and was forever nagging the woodcutter.

"There is not enough food in the house for us all. There are too many mouths to feed! We must get rid of the two brats," she declared. And she kept on trying to persuade her husband to abandon his children in the forest.

"Take them miles from home, so far that they can never find their way back! Maybe someone will find them and give them a home." The downcast woodcutter didn't know what to do. Hansel who, one evening, had overheard his parents' conversation, comforted Gretel.
"Don't worry! If they do leave us in the forest, we'll find the way home," he said. And slipping out of the house he filled his pockets with little white pebbles, then went back to bed.

All night long, the woodcutter's wife harped on and on at her husband till, at dawn, he led Hansel and Gretel away into the forest. But as they went into the depths of the trees, Hansel dropped a little white pebble here and there on the mossy green ground. At a certain point, the two children found they really were alone: the woodcutter had plucked up enough courage to desert them, had mumbled an excuse and was gone.

Night fell but the woodcutter did not return. Gretel began to sob bitterly. Hansel too felt scared but he tried to hide his feelings and comfort his sister.

"Don't cry, trust me! I swear I'll take you home even if Father doesn't come back for us!" Luckily the moon was full that night and Hansel waited till its cold light filtered through the trees.

"Now give me your hand!" he said. "We'll get home safely, you'll see!" The tiny white pebbles gleamed in the moonlight, and the children found their way home. They crept through a half open window, without wakening their parents. Cold, tired but thankful to be home again, they slipped into bed.

Next day, when their stepmother discovered that Hansel and Gretel had returned, she went into a rage. Stifling her anger in front of the children, she locked her bedroom door, reproaching her husband for failing to carry out her orders. The weak woodcutter protested, torn as he was between shame and fear of disobeying his cruel wife. The wicked stepmother kept Hansel and Gretel under lock and key all day with nothing for supper but a sip of water and some hard bread. All night, husband and wife quarreled, and when dawn came, the woodcutter led the children out into the forest.

Hansel, however, had not eaten his bread, and as he walked through the trees, he left a trail of crumbs behind him to mark the way. But the little boy had forgotten about the hungry birds that lived in the forest. When they saw him, they flew along behind and in no time at all, had eaten all the crumbs. Again, with a lame excuse, the woodcutter left his two children by  themselves.

"I've left a trail, like last time!" Hansel whispered to Gretel, consolingly. But when night fell, they saw to their horror, that all the crumbs had gone.

"I'm frightened!" wept Gretel bitterly. "I'm cold and hungry and I want to go home!"

"Don't be afraid. I'm here to look after you!" Hansel tried to encourage his sister, but he too shivered when he glimpsed frightening shadows and evil eyes around them in the darkness. All night the two children huddled together for warmth at the foot of a large tree.

When dawn broke, they started to wander about the forest, seeking a path, but all hope soon faded. They were well and truly lost. On they walked and walked, till suddenly they came upon a strange cottage in the middle of a glade.

"This is chocolate!" gasped Hansel as he broke a lump of plaster from the wall.
"And this is icing!" exclaimed Gretel, putting another piece of wall in her mouth. Starving but delighted, the children began to eat pieces of candy broken off the cottage.
"Isn't this delicious?" said Gretel, with her mouth full. She had never tasted anything so nice.
"We'll stay here," Hansel declared, munching a bit of nougat. They were just about to try a piece of the biscuit door when it quietly swung open.

"Well, well!" said an old woman, peering out with a crafty look. "And haven't you children a sweet tooth?"

"Come in! Come in, you've nothing to fear!" went on the old woman. Unluckily for Hansel and Gretel, however, the sugar candy cottage belonged to an old witch, her trap for catching unwary victims. The two children had come to a really nasty place.

"You're nothing but skin and bones!" said the witch, locking Hansel into a cage. I shall fatten you up and eat you!"

"You can do the housework," she told Gretel grimly, "then I'll make a meal of you too!" As luck would have it, the witch had very bad eyesight, an when Gretel smeared butter on her glasses, she could see even less.

"Let me feel your finger!" said the witch to Hansel every day to check if he was getting any fatter. Now, Gretel had brought her brother a chicken bone, and when the witch went to touch his finger, Hansel held out the bone.

"You're still much too thin!" she complained. When will you become plump?" One day the witch grew tired of waiting.

"Light the oven," she told Gretel. "We're going to have a tasty roasted boy today!" A little later, hungry and impatient, she went on: "Run and see if the oven is hot enough." Gretel returned, whimpering: "I can't tell if it is hot enough or not." Angrily, the witch screamed at the little girl: "Useless child! All right, I'll see for myself." But when the witch bent down to peer inside the oven and check the heat, Gretel gave her a tremendous push and slammed the oven door shut. The witch had come to a fit and proper end. Gretel ran to set her brother free and they made quite sure that the oven door was tightly shut behind the witch. Indeed, just to be on the safe side, they fastened it firmly with a large padlock. Then they stayed for several days to eat some more of the house, till they discovered amongst the witch's belongings, a huge chocolate egg. Inside lay a casket of gold coins.

"The witch is now burnt to a cinder," said Hansel, "so we'll take this treasure with us." They filled a large basket with food and set off into the forest to search for the way home. This time, luck was with them, and on the second day, they saw their father come out of the house towards them, weeping.

"Your stepmother is dead. Come home with me now, my dear children!" The two children hugged the woodcutter.

"Promise you'll never ever desert us again," said Gretel, throwing her arms round her father's neck. Hansel opened the casket.

"Look, Father! We're rich now . . . You'll never have to chop wood again."

And they all lived happily together ever after.

38.           Little Red Riding Hood

Once upon a time in the middle of a thick forest stood a small cottage, the home of a pretty little girl known to everyone as Little Red Riding Hood. One day, her Mummy waved her goodbye at the garden gate, saying: "Grandma is ill. Take her this basket of cakes, but be very careful. Keep to the path through the wood and don't ever stop. That way, you will come to no harm."

Little Red Riding Hood kissed her mother and ran off. "Don't worry," she said, "I'll run all the way to Grandma's without stopping." Full of good intentions, the little girl made her way through the wood, but she was soon to forget her mother's wise words. "What lovely strawberries! And so red." Laying her basket on the ground, Little Red Riding Hood bent over the strawberry plants. "They're nice and ripe, and so big! Yummy! Delicious! Just another one. And one more. This is the last. Well, this one Mmmm."

The red fruit peeped invitingly through the leaves in the grassy glade, and Little Red Riding Hood ran back and forth popping strawberries into her mouth. Suddenly she remembered her mother, her promise, Grandma and the basket and hurried back towards the path. The basket was still in the grass and, humming to herself, Little Red Riding Hood walked on.

The wood became thicker and thicker. Suddenly a yellow butterfly fluttered down through the trees. Little Red Riding Hood started to chase the butterfly.
"I'll catch you! I'll catch you!" she called. Suddenly she saw some large daisies in the grass.
"Oh, how sweet!" she exclaimed and, thinking of Grandma, she picked a large bunch of flowers.

In the meantime, two wicked eyes were spying on her from behind a tree a strange rustling in the woods made Little Red Riding Hood's heart thump. Now quite afraid she said to herself. "I must find the path and run away from here!" At last she reached the path again but her heart leapt into her mouth at the sound of a gruff voice which said: "Where are you going, my pretty girl, all alone in the woods?"

"I'm taking Grandma some cakes. She lives at the end of the path," said Little Riding Hood in a faint voice.

When he heard this, the wolf (for it was the big bad wolf himself) politely asked: "Does Grandma live by herself?"

"Oh, yes," replied Little Red Riding Hood, "and she never opens the door to strangers!"
"Goodbye. Perhaps we'll meet again," replied the wolf. Then he loped away thinking to himself "I'll gobble the grandmother first, then lie in wait for the grandchild!" At last, the cottage came in sight. Knock! Knock! The wolf rapped on the door.

"Who's there?" cried Grandma from her bed.

"It's me, Little Red Riding Hood. I've brought you some cakes because you're ill," replied the wolf, trying hard to hide his gruff voice.

"Lift the latch and come in," said Grandma, unaware of anything amiss, till a horrible shadow appeared on the wall. Poor Grandma! For in one bound, the wolf leapt across the room and, in a single mouthful, swallowed the old lady. Soon after, Little Red Riding Hood tapped on the door.

"Grandma, can I come in?" she called.

Now, the wolf had put on the old lady's shawl and cap and slipped into the bed. Trying to imitate Grandma's quavering little voice, he replied: "Open the latch and come in!
"What a deep voice you have," said the little girl in surprise.

"The better to greet you with," said the wolf.

"Goodness, what big eyes you have."

"The better to see you with."

"And what big hands you have!" exclaimed Little Red Riding Hood, stepping over to the bed.

"The better to hug you with," said the wolf.

"What a big mouth you have," the little girl murmured in a weak voice.

"The better to eat you with!" growled the wolf, and jumping out of bed, he swallowed her up too. Then, with a fat full tummy, he fell fast asleep. In the meantime, a hunter had emerged from the wood, and on noticing the cottage, he decided to stop and ask for a drink. He had spent a lot of time trying to catch a large wolf that had been terrorizing the neighborhood, but had lost its tracks. The hunter could hear a strange whistling sound; it seemed to be coming from inside the cottage. He peered through the window and saw the large wolf himself, with a fat full tummy, snoring away in Grandma's bed.

"The wolf! He won't get away this time!"

Without making a sound, the hunter carefully loaded his gun and gently opened the window. He pointed the barrel straight at the wolf's head and BANG! The wolf was dead. "Got you at last!" shouted the hunter in glee. "You'll never frighten anyone again.

He cut open the wolf's stomach and to his amazement, out popped Grandma and Little Red Riding Hood, safe and unharmed.

"You arrived just in time," murmured the old lady, quite overcome by all the excitement.
"It's safe to go home now," the hunter told Little Red Riding Hood. "The big bad wolf is dead and gone, and there is no danger on the path. Still scared, the little girl hugged her grandmother. Oh, what a dreadful fright!"

Much later, as dusk was falling, Little Red Riding Hood's mother arrived, all out of breath, worried because her little girl had not come home. And when she saw Little Red Riding Hood, safe and sound, she burst into tears of joy.

After thanking the hunter again, Little Red Riding Hood and her mother set off towards the wood. As they walked quickly through the trees, the little girl told her mother: "We must always keep to the path and never stop. That way, we come to no harm!"

39.  Sleeping Beauty

A long time ago there were a king and queen who said every day, "Ah, if only we had a child," but they never had one. But it happened that once when the queen was bathing, a frog crept out of the water on to the land, and said to her, "Your wish shall be fulfilled, before a year has gone by, you shall have a daughter."

What the frog had said came true, and the queen had a little girl who was so pretty that the king could not contain himself for joy, and ordered a great feast. He invited not only his kindred, friends and acquaintances, but also the wise women, in order that they might be kind and well disposed towards the child. There were thirteen of them in his kingdom, but, as he had only twelve golden plates for them to eat out of, one of them had to be left at home.

The feast was held with all manner of splendor and when it came to an end the wise women bestowed their magic gifts upon the baby - one gave virtue, another beauty, a third riches, and so on with everything in the world that one can wish for.

When eleven of them had made their promises, suddenly the thirteenth came in. She wished to avenge herself for not having been invited, and without greeting, or even looking at anyone, she cried with a loud voice, "The king's daughter shall in her fifteenth year prick herself with a spindle, and fall down dead." And, without saying a word more, she turned round and left the room.

They were all shocked, but the twelfth, whose good wish still remained unspoken, came forward, and as she could not undo the evil sentence, but only soften it, she said, it shall not be death, but a deep sleep of a hundred years, into which the princess shall fall.

The king, who would fain keep his dear child from the misfortune, gave orders that every spindle in the whole kingdom should be burnt. Meanwhile the gifts of the wise women were plenteously fulfilled on the young girl, for she was so beautiful, modest, good-natured, and wise, that everyone who saw her was bound to love her.

It happened that on the very day when she was fifteen years old, the king and queen were not at home, and the maiden was left in the palace quite alone. So she went round into all sorts of places, looked into rooms and bed-chambers just as she liked, and at last came to an old tower. She climbed up the narrow winding staircase, and reached a little door. A rusty key was in the lock, and when she turned it the door sprang open, and there in a little room sat an old woman with a spindle, busily spinning her flax.

"Good day, old mother," said the king's daughter, "what are you doing there?"
 "I am spinning," said the old woman, and nodded her head.

"What sort of thing is that, that rattles round so merrily," said the girl, and she took the spindle and wanted to spin too. But scarcely had she touched the spindle when the magic decree was fulfilled, and she pricked her finger with it.

And, in the very moment when she felt the prick, she fell down upon the bed that stood there, and lay in a deep sleep. And this sleep extended over the whole palace, the king and queen who had just come home, and had entered the great hall, began to go to sleep, and the whole of the court with them. The horses, too, went to sleep in the stable, the dogs in the yard, the pigeons upon the roof, the flies on the wall, even the fire that was flaming on the hearth became quiet and slept, the roast meat left off frizzling, and the cook, who was just going to pull the hair of the scullery boy, because he had forgotten something, let him go, and went to sleep. And the wind fell, and on the trees before the castle not a leaf moved again.

But round about the castle there began to grow a hedge of thorns, which every year became higher, and at last grew close up round the castle and all over it, so that there was nothing of it to be seen, not even the flag upon the roof. But the story of the beautiful sleeping Briar Rose, for so the princess was named, went about the country, so that from time to time kings' sons came and tried to get through the thorny hedge into the castle. But they found it impossible, for the thorns held fast together, as if they had hands, and the youths were caught in them, could not get loose again, and died a miserable death.

After long, long years a king's son came again to that country, and heard an old man talking about the thorn hedge, and that a castle was said to stand behind it in which a wonderfully beautiful princess, named Briar Rose, had been asleep for a hundred years, and that the king and queen and the whole court were asleep likewise. He had heard, too, from his grandfather, that many kings, sons had already come, and had tried to get through the thorny hedge, but they had remained sticking fast in it, and had died a pitiful death.

Then the youth said, "I am not afraid, I will go and see the beautiful Briar Rose." The good old man might dissuade him as he would, he did not listen to his words.

But by this time the hundred years had just passed, and the day had come when Briar Rose was to awake again. When the king's son came near to the thorn hedge, it was nothing but large and beautiful flowers, which parted from each other of their own accord, and let him pass unhurt, then they closed again behind him like a hedge. In the castle yard he saw the horses and the spotted hounds lying asleep, on the roof sat the pigeons with their heads under their wings. And when he entered the house, the flies were asleep upon the wall, the cook in the kitchen was still holding out his hand to seize the boy, and the maid was sitting by the black hen which she was going to pluck.

He went on farther, and in the great hall he saw the whole of the court lying asleep, and up by the throne lay the king and queen. Then he went on still farther, and all was so quiet that a breath could be heard, and at last he came to the tower, and opened the door into the little room where Briar Rose was sleeping.

There she lay, so beautiful that he could not turn his eyes away, and he stooped down and gave her a kiss. But as soon as he kissed her, Briar Rose opened her eyes and awoke, and looked at him quite sweetly.

Then they went down together, and the king awoke, and the queen, and the whole court, and looked at each other in great astonishment. And the horses in the courtyard stood up and shook themselves, the hounds jumped up and wagged their tails, the pigeons upon the roof pulled out their heads from under their wings, looked round, and flew into the open country, the flies on the wall crept again, the fire in the kitchen burned up and flickered and cooked the meat, the joint began to turn and sizzle again, and the cook gave the boy such a box on the ear that he screamed, and the maid finished plucking the fowl.

And then the marriage of the king's son with Briar Rose was celebrated with all splendor, and they lived contented to the end of their days.

40.          Snow white and the seven dwarfs

Once upon a time in a great castle, a Prince's daughter grew up happy and contented, in spite of a jealous stepmother. She was very pretty, with blue eyes and long black hair. Her skin was delicate and fair, and so she was called Snow White. Everyone was quite sure she would become very beautiful. Though her stepmother was a wicked woman, she too was very beautiful, and the magic mirror told her this every day, whenever she asked it.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the loveliest lady in the land?" The reply was always; "You are, your Majesty," until the dreadful day when she heard it say, "Snow White is the loveliest in the land." The stepmother was furious and, wild with jealousy, began plotting to get rid of her rival. Calling one of her trusty servants, she bribed him with a rich reward to take Snow White into the forest, far away from the Castle. Then, unseen, he was to put her to death. The greedy servant, attracted to the reward, agreed to do this deed, and he led the innocent little girl away. However, when they came to the fatal spot, the man's courage failed him and, leaving Snow White sitting beside a tree, he mumbled an excuse and ran off. Snow White was all alone in the forest.

Night came, but the servant did not return. Snow White, alone in the dark forest, began to cry bitterly. She thought she could feel terrible eyes spying on her, and she heard strange sounds and rustlings that made her heart thump. At last, overcome by tiredness, she fell asleep curled under a tree.

Snow White slept fitfully, wakening from time to time with a start and staring into the darkness round her. Several times, she thought she felt something, or somebody touch her as she slept. At last, dawn woke the forest to the song of the birds, and Snow White too, awoke. A whole world was stirring to life and the little girl was glad to see how silly her fears had been. However, the thick trees were like a wall round her, and as she tried to find out where she was, she came upon a path. She walked along it, hopefully. On she walked till she came to a clearing. There stood a strange cottage, with a tiny door, tiny windows and a tiny chimney pot. Everything about the cottage was much tinier than it ought to be. Snow White pushed the door open.

"l wonder who lives here?" she said to herself, peeping round the kitchen. "What tiny plates! And spoons! There must be seven of them, the table's laid for seven people." Upstairs was a bedroom with seven neat little beds. Going back to the kitchen, Snow White had an idea.
"I'll make them something to eat. When they come home, they'll be glad to find a meal ready." Towards dusk, seven tiny men marched homewards singing. But when they opened the door, to their surprise they found a bowl of hot steaming soup on the table, and the whole house spick and span. Upstairs was Snow White, fast asleep on one of the beds. The chief dwarf prodded her gently.

"Who are you?" he asked. Snow White told them her sad story, and tears sprang to the dwarfs' eyes. Then one of them said, as he noisily blew his nose:

"Stay here with us!"

"Hooray! Hooray!" they cheered, dancing joyfully round the little girl. The dwarfs said to Snow White:

"You can live here and tend to the house while we're down the mine. Don't worry about your stepmother leaving you in the forest. We love you and we'll take care of you!" Snow White gratefully accepted their hospitality, and next morning the dwarfs set off for work. But they warned Snow White not to open the door to strangers.

Meanwhile, the servant had returned to the castle, with the heart of a roe deer. He gave it to the cruel stepmother, telling her it belonged to Snow White, so that he could claim the reward. Highly pleased, the stepmother turned again to the magic mirror. But her hopes were dashed, for the mirror replied: "The loveliest in the land is still Snow White, who lives in the seven dwarfs' cottage, down in the forest." The stepmother was beside herself with rage.

"She must die! She must die!" she screamed. Disguising herself as an old peasant woman, she put a poisoned apple with the others in her basket. Then, taking the quickest way into the forest, she crossed the swamp at the edge of the trees. She reached the bank unseen, just as Snow White stood waving goodbye to the seven dwarfs on their way to the mine.

Snow White was in the kitchen when she heard the sound at the door: KNOCK! KNOCK!
"Who's there?" she called suspiciously, remembering the dwarfs advice.
"I'm an old peasant woman selling apples," came the reply.

"I don't need any apples, thank you," she replied.

"But they are beautiful apples and ever so juicy!" said the velvety voice from outside the door.

"I'm not supposed to open the door to anyone," said the little girl, who was reluctant to disobey her friends.

"And quite right too! Good girl! If you promised not to open up to strangers, then of course you can't buy. You are a good girl indeed!" Then the old woman went on.

"And as a reward for being good, I'm going to make you a gift of one of my apples!" Without a further thought, Snow White opened the door just a tiny crack, to take the apple.

"There! Now isn't that a nice apple?" Snow White bit into the fruit, and as she did, fell to the ground in a faint: the effect of the terrible poison left her lifeless instantaneously.

Now chuckling evilly, the wicked stepmother hurried off. But as she ran back across the swamp, she tripped and fell into the quicksand. No one heard her cries for help, and she disappeared without a trace.

Meanwhile, the dwarfs came out of the mine to find the sky had grown dark and stormy. Loud thunder echoed through the valleys and streaks of lightning ripped the sky. Worried about Snow White they ran as quickly as they could down the mountain to the cottage. There they found Snow White, lying still and lifeless, the poisoned apple by her side. They did their best to bring her around, but it was no use.

They wept and wept for a long time. Then they laid her on a bed of rose petals, carried her into the forest and put her in a crystal coffin. Each day they laid a flower there. Then one evening, they discovered a strange young man admiring Snow White's lovely face through the glass. After listening to the story, the Prince (for he was a prince!) made a suggestion.

"If you allow me to take her to the Castle, I'll call in famous doctors to waken her from this peculiar sleep. She's so lovely I'd love to kiss her!" He did, and as though by magic, the Prince's kiss broke the spell. To everyone's astonishment, Snow White opened her eyes. She had amazingly come back to life! Now in love, the Prince asked Snow White to marry him, and the dwarfs reluctantly had to say good bye to Snow White.

From that day on, Snow White lived happily in a great castle. But from time to time, she was drawn back to visit the little cottage down in the forest.

41.  The three little pig

Once upon a time there were three little pigs, who left their mummy and daddy to see the world.

All summer long, they roamed through the woods and over the plains, playing games and having fun. None were happier than the three little pigs, and they easily made friends with everyone. Wherever they went, they were given a warm welcome, but as summer drew to a close, they realized that folk were drifting back to their usual jobs, and preparing for winter. Autumn came and it began to rain. The three little pigs started to feel they needed a real home. Sadly they knew that the fun was over now and they must set to work like the others, or they'd be left in the cold and rain, with no roof over their heads. They talked about what to do, but each decided for himself. The laziest little pig said he'd build a straw hut.

"It will only take a day,' he said. The others disagreed.

"It's too fragile," they said disapprovingly, but he refused to listen. Not quite so lazy, the second little pig went in search of planks of seasoned wood.

"Clunk! Clunk! Clunk!" It took him two days to nail them together. But the third little pig did not like the wooden house.

"That's not the way to build a house!" he said. "It takes time, patience and hard work to build a house that is strong enough to stand up to wind, rain, and snow, and most of all, protect us from the wolf!"

The days went by, and the wisest little pig's house took shape, brick by brick. From time to time, his brothers visited him, saying with a chuckle.

"Why are you working so hard? Why don't you come and play?" But the stubborn bricklayer pig just said "no".

"I shall finish my house first. It must be solid and sturdy. And then I'll come and play!" he said. "I shall not be foolish like you! For he who laughs last, laughs longest!"

It was the wisest little pig that found the tracks of a big wolf in the neighborhood. The little pigs rushed home in alarm. Along came the wolf, scowling fiercely at the laziest pig's straw hut.

"Come out!" ordered the wolf, his mouth watering. I want to speak to you!"

"I'd rather stay where I am!" replied the little pig in a tiny voice.

"I'll make you come out!" growled the wolf angrily, and puffing out his chest, he took a very deep breath. Then he blew with all his might, right onto the house. And all the straw the silly pig had heaped against some thin poles, fell down in the great blast. Excited by his own cleverness, the wolf did not notice that the little pig had slithered out from underneath the heap of straw, and was dashing towards his brother's wooden house. When he realized that the little pig was escaping, the wolf grew wild with rage.

"Come back!" he roared, trying to catch the pig as he ran into the wooden house. The other little pig greeted his brother, shaking like a leaf.

"I hope this house won't fall down! Let's lean against the door so he can't break in!"

Outside, the wolf could hear the little pigs' words. Starving as he was, at the idea of a two course meal, he rained blows on the door.

"Open up! Open up! I only want to speak to you!"

Inside, the two brothers wept in fear and did their best to hold the door fast against the blows. Then the furious wolf braced himself a new effort: he drew in a really enormous breath, and went ... WHOOOOO! The wooden house collapsed like a pack of cards.

Luckily, the wisest little pig had been watching the scene from the window of his own brick house, and he rapidly opened the door to his fleeing brothers. And not a moment too soon, for the wolf was already hammering furiously on the door. This time, the wolf had grave doubts. This house had a much more solid air than the others. He blew once, he blew again and then for a third time. But all was in vain. For the house did not budge an inch. The three little pigs watched him and their fear began to fade. Quite exhausted by his efforts, the wolf decided to try one of his tricks. He scrambled up a nearby ladder, on to the roof to have a look at the chimney. However, the wisest little pig had seen this ploy, and he quickly said.

"Quick! Light the fire!" With his long legs thrust down the chimney, the wolf was not sure if he should slide down the black hole. It wouldn't be easy to get in, but the sound of the little pigs' voices below only made him feel hungrier.

"I'm dying of hunger! I'm going to try and get down." And he let himself drop. But landing was rather hot, too hot! The wolf landed in the fire, stunned by his fall.

The flames licked his hairy coat and his tail became a flaring torch.

"Never again! Never again will I go down a chimney" he squealed, as he tried to put out the flames in his tail. Then he ran away as fast as he could. 

The three happy little pigs, dancing round and round the yard, began to sing. "Tra-la-la! Tra-la-la! The wicked black wolf will never come back...!"

From that terrible day on, the wisest little pig's brothers set to work with a will. In less than no time, up went the two new brick houses. The wolf did return once to roam in the neighborhood, but when he caught sight of three chimneys, he remembered the terrible pain of a burnt tail, and he left for good.

Now safe and happy, the wisest little pig called to his brothers. "No more work! Come on, let's go and play!"

42.          The Wise little Girl

Once upon a time in the immense Russian steppe, lay a little village where nearly all the inhabitants bred horses. It was the month of October, when a big livestock market was held yearly in the main town. Two brothers, one rich and the other one poor, set off for market. The rich man rode a stallion, and the poor brother a young mare.

At dusk, they stopped beside an empty hut and tethered their horses outside, before going to sleep themselves on two heaps of straw. Great was their surprise, when, next morning they saw three horses outside, instead of two. Well, to be exact the newcomer was not really a horse. It was a foal, to which the mare had given birth during the night. Soon it had the strength to struggle to its feet, and after a drink of its mother's milk, the foal staggered its first few steps. The stallion greeted it with a cheerful whinny, and when the two brothers set eyes on it for the first time, the foal was standing beside the stallion.
"It belongs to me!" exclaimed Dimitri, the rich brother, the minute he saw it. "It's my stallion's foal." Ivan, the poor brother, began to laugh.

"Whoever heard of a stallion having a foal? It was born to my mare!"

"No, that's not true! It was standing close to the stallion, so it's the stallion's foal. And therefore it's mine!" The brothers started to quarrel, then they decided to go to town and bring the matter before the judges. Still arguing, they headed for the big square where the courtroom stood. But what they didn't know was that it was a special day, the day when, once a year, the Emperor himself administered the law. He himself received all who came seeking justice. The brothers were ushered into his presence, and they told him all about the dispute.

Of course, the Emperor knew perfectly well who was the owner of the foal. He was on the point of proclaiming in favor of the poor brother, when suddenly Ivan developed an unfortunate twitch in his eye. The Emperor was greatly annoyed by this familiarity by a humble peasant, and decided to punish Ivan for his disrespect. After listening to both sides of the story, he declared it was difficult, indeed impossible, to say exactly who was the foal's rightful owner. And being in the mood for a spot of fun, and since he loved posing riddles and solving them as well, to the amusement of his counselors, he exclaimed.

"I can't judge which of you should have the foal, so it will be awarded to whichever of you solves the following four riddles: what is the fastest thing in the world? What is the fattest? What's the softest and what is the most precious? I command you to return to the palace in a week's time with your answers!" Dimitri started to puzzle over the answers as soon as he left the courtroom. When he reached home, however, he realized he had nobody to help him. "Well, I'll just have to seek help, for if I can't solve these riddles, I'll lose the foal!" Then he remembered a woman, one of his neighbors, to whom he had once lent a silver ducat. That had been some time ago, and with the interest, the neighbor now owed him three ducats. And since she had a reputation for being quick-witted, but also very astute, he decided to ask her advice, in exchange for canceling part of her debt. But the woman was not slow to show how astute she really was, and promptly demanded that the whole debt be wiped out in exchange for the answers.

"The fastest thing in the world is my husband's bay horse," she said. "Nothing can beat it! The fattest is our pig! Such a huge beast has never been seen! The softest is the quilt I made for the bed, using my own goose's feathers. It's the envy of all my friends. The most precious thing in the world is my three-month old nephew. There isn't a more handsome child. I wouldn't exchange him for all the gold on earth, and that makes him the most precious thing on earth!"

Dimitri was rather doubtful about the woman's answers being correct. On the other hand, he had to take some kind of solution back to the Emperor. And he guessed, quite rightly, that if he didn't, he would be punished.

In the meantime, Ivan, who was a widower, had gone back to the humble cottage where he lived with his small daughter. Only seven years old, the little girl was often left alone, and as a result, was thoughtful and very clever for her age. The poor man took the little girl into his confidence, for like his brother, he knew he would never be able to find the answers by himself. The child sat in silence for a moment, then firmly said.
"Tell the Emperor that the fastest thing in the world is the cold north wind in winter. The fattest is the soil in our fields whose crops give life to men and animals alike, the softest thing is a child's caress and the most precious is honesty."

The day came when the two brothers were to return before the Emperor. They were led into his presence. The Emperor was curious to hear what they had to say, but he roared with laughter at Dimitri's foolish answers. However, when it was Ivan's turn to speak, a frown spread over the Emperor's face. The poor brother's wise replies made him squirm, especially the last one, about honesty, the most precious thing of all. The Emperor knew perfectly well that he had been dishonest in his dealings with the poor brother, for he had denied him justice. But he could not bear to admit it in front of his own counselors, so he angrily demanded:

"Who gave you these answers?" Ivan told the Emperor that it was his small daughter. Still annoyed, the great man said.

"You shall be rewarded for having such a wise and clever daughter. You shall be awarded the foal that your brother claimed, together with a hundred silver ducats... But... but..." and the Emperor winked at his counselors.

"You will come before me in seven days' time, bringing your daughter. And since she's so clever, she must appear before me neither naked nor dressed, neither on foot nor on horseback, neither bearing gifts nor empty-handed. And if she does this, you will have your reward. If not, you'll have your head chopped off for your impudence!"

The onlookers began to laugh, knowing that the poor man would never to able to fulfill the Emperor's conditions. Ivan went home in despair, his eyes brimming with tears. But when he had told his daughter what had happened, she calmly said.
"Tomorrow, go and catch a hare and a partridge. Both must be alive! You'll have the foal and the hundred silver ducats! Leave it to me!" Ivan did as his daughter said. He had no idea what the two creatures were for, but he trusted in his daughter's wisdom.

On the day of the audience with the Emperor, the palace was thronged with bystanders, waiting for Ivan and his small daughter to arrive. At last, the little girl appeared, draped in a fishing net, riding the hare and holding the partridge in her hand. She was neither naked nor dressed, on foot or on horseback. Scowling, the Emperor told her.
"I said neither bearing gifts nor empty-handed!" At these words, the little girl held out the partridge. The Emperor stretched out his hand to grasp it, but the bird fluttered into the air. The third condition had been fulfilled. In spite of himself, the Emperor could not help admiring the little girl who had so cleverly passed such a test, and in a gentler voice, he said.
"Is your father terribly poor, and does he desperately need the foal."
"Oh, yes!" replied the little girl. "We live on the hares he catches in the rivers and the fish he picks from the trees!"

"Aha!" cried the Emperor triumphantly. "So you're not as clever as you seem to be! Whoever heard of hares in the river and fish in the trees! To which the little girl swiftly replied.
"And whoever heard of a stallion having a foal?" At that, both Emperor and Court burst into peals of laughter. Ivan was immediately given his hundred silver ducats and the foal, and the Emperor proclaimed.

"Only in my kingdom could such a wise little girl be born!"

43.           Repaunzel considers her hair is long

There was once a couple who had long in vain wished for a child. At length the woman hoped that God was about to grant her desire. They had a little window at the back of their house from which a splendid garden could be seen, which was full of beautiful flowers and herbs. It was, however, surrounded by a high wall, and no one dared to go into it because it belonged to an enchantress, who had great power and was dreaded by all the world.

One day the woman was standing by this window and looking down into the garden, when she saw a bed which was planted with the most beautiful rampion - rapunzel, and it looked so fresh and green that she longed for it, and had the greatest desire to eat some. This desire increased every day, and as she knew that she could not get any of it, she quite pined away, and began to look pale and miserable. Her husband was alarmed, and asked, "what makes you sad, dear wife." "Ah", she replied, "if I can't eat some of the rampion, which is in the garden behind our house, I shall die". The man, who loved her, thought, sooner than let your wife die, bring her some of the rampion yourself, let it cost what it will. At twilight, he clambered down over the wall into the garden of the enchantress, hastily clutched a handful of rampion, and took it to his wife. She at once made herself a salad of it, and ate it greedily. It tasted so good to her - so very good, that the next day she longed for it three times as much as before.

If he was to have any rest, her husband must once more descend into the garden. In the gloom of evening, therefore, he let himself down again. But when he had clambered down the wall he was terribly afraid, for he saw the enchantress standing before him. "How dare you", said she with angry look, "descend into my garden and steal my rampion like a thief. You shall suffer for it". He answered, "let mercy take the place of justice, I only made up my mind to do it out of necessity. My wife saw your rampion from the window, and felt such a longing for it that she would have died if she had not got some to eat". Then the enchantress allowed her anger to be softened, and said to him, if the case be as you say, I will allow you to take away with you as much rampion as you will, only I make one condition, you must give me the child which your wife will bring into the world. It shall be well treated, and I will care for it like a mother.

The man in his terror consented to everything,
and when the woman was brought to bed, the
enchantress appeared at once, gave the child the name
of Rapunzel, and took it away with her. Rapunzel grew
into the most beautiful child under the sun.

When she was twelve years old, the enchantress
shut her into a tower, which lay in a forest, and had
neither stairs nor door, but quite at the top was a little
window. When the enchantress wanted to go in, she
placed herself beneath it and cried, "Rapunzel,
Rapunzel, let down your hair to me".

Rapunzel had magnificent long hair, fine as spun gold, and when she heard the voice of the enchantress she unfastened her braided tresses, wound them round one of the hooks of the window above, and then the hair fell twenty ells down, and the enchantress climbed up by it.

After a year or two, it came to pass that the king's son rode through the forest and passed by the tower. Then he heard a song, which was so charming that he stood still and listened. This was Rapunzel, who in her solitude passed her time in letting her sweet voice resound. The king's son wanted to climb up to her, and looked for the door of the tower, but none was to be found. He rode home, but the singing had so deeply touched his heart, that every day he went out into the forest and listened to it. 

Once when he was thus standing behind a tree, he saw that an enchantress came there, and he heard how she cried, "If that is the ladder by which one mounts, I too will try my fortune". thought he, and the next day when it began to grow dark, he went to the tower and cried, "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair". Immediately the hair fell down and the king's son climbed up. At first Rapunzel was terribly frightened when a man, such as her eyes had never yet beheld, came to her. But the king's son began to talk to her quite like a friend, and told her that his heart had been so stirred that it had let him have no rest, and he had been forced to see her. Then rapunzel lost her fear, and when he asked her if she would take him for her husband, and she saw that he was young and handsome, she thought, he will love me more than old dame gothic does. And she said yes, and laid her hand in his. She said, I will willingly go away with you, but I do not know how to get down. Bring with you a skein of silk every time that you come, and I will weave a ladder with it, and when that is ready I will descend, and you will take me on your horse. They agreed that until that time he should come to her every evening, for the old woman came by day. The enchantress remarked nothing of this, until once Rapunzel said to her, tell me, how it happens that you are so much heavier for me to draw up than the young king's son - he is with me in a moment. Ah. You wicked child, cried the enchantress. What do I hear you say. I thought I had separated you from all the world, and yet you have deceived me. In her anger she clutched rapunzel's beautiful tresses, wrapped them twice round her left hand, seized a pair of scissors with the right, and snip, snap, they were cut off, and the lovely braids lay on the ground. And she was so pitiless that she took poor rapunzel into a desert where she had to live in great grief and misery.

On the same day that she cast out rapunzel, however, the enchantress fastened the braids of hair, which she had cut off, to the hook of the window, and when the king's son came and cried, rapunzel, rapunzel, let down your hair, she let the hair down. The king's son ascended, but instead of finding his dearest rapunzel, he found the enchantress, who gazed at him with wicked and venomous looks. Aha, she cried mockingly, you would fetch your dearest, but the beautiful bird sits no longer singing in the nest. The cat has got it, and will scratch out your eyes as well. 

Rapunzel is lost to you. You will never see her again. The king's son was beside himself with pain, and in his despair he leapt down from the tower. He escaped with his life, but the thorns into which he fell pierced his eyes. Then he wandered quite blind about the forest, ate nothing but roots and berries, and did naught but lament and weep over the loss of his dear wife. Thus he roamed about in misery for some years, and at length came to the desert where Rapunzel, with the twins to which she had given birth, a boy and a girl, lived in wretchedness. He heard a voice, and it seemed so familiar to him that he went towards it, and when he approached, Rapunzel knew him and fell on his neck and wept. Two of her tears wetted his eyes and they grew clear again, and he could see with them as before. He led her to his kingdom where he was joyfully received, and they lived for a long time afterwards, happy and contented.

44.          Lion consider his self goat

Once upon a time. In a jungle far away. There is a lion baby, his mother died after he born to the world. Baby lions are weak without the protection of its mother's inside, hungry and colds, the lion ask for help with his last strength. Meanwhile, a group of goats came across the place. A goat mother heard the baby lion's cry. He felt pity to see a weak lion baby and live alone.

The mother instinct to care for and protect the baby appears. The goat mother approached and tenders the lion baby with great warmth and affection. Having the warmth of affection that he needs, the lion baby does not want to part with the female goats. He continued to follow the mother goat to go anywhere. The baby lion is accepted as a part of the goat big family.

Day by day and children grow and big lion in the care of mother goats and sheep live in the community. He was feeding, eating, drinking, and playing with the kids the other goat. His behavior is like a goat. Even the young lion make a sound like a bleating goat that is not the roar! He felt that he was the goat, not unlike the other goats. He did not ever feel that he is a lion.

One day, there was a tremendous noise. A wolf goes hunting wild goats for prey. Goats panic. All fear. Older goat who also fears the lion asked the child to face the wolves.
"You're a lion, you could face the wolf! Give him a huge roar and he will definitely running scared!" the elder goat said to the lion baby. The baby lion is already looks great and sturdy, but since the little lion lives in the middle of the goat community, he did not have learn about how to became a lion, nobody teach him. The lion scared to the wolf and took shelter behind the biggest goat. He screamed bloody murder and what came out of his mouth is bleat sound, just like the other goat was not roaring. The lion could not do something when one young goat is attacked by the wolf and taken away.

The elder goat is very sad because one of her children were taken by wolves. He looked the young lion with suppuration and angry feelings, "You should be defending us! You should save your brother! Should be able to drive out the evil wolf!

Son of the lion can only be lowered his head. He does not understand why they blame him for the wolf. He was already afraid of the wolf as the other goats. The young lion felt so sad because he could not do anything.

The next day the wolf came again. Back hunt the goats to eat. This time the mother goat was caught and has been gripped by a wolf. All goats were brave enough to help. The young lion was angry to see his goat mother had been gripped by a wolf. A wolf is very surprised to see there is a lion in front of him. He let go his grip. The wolf was trembling with fear! Guts out! He resigned; he felt that day was the end of his life! With great anger the lion boy cried aloud, it's just a goat sound with strange accent. Then he retreated to the rear.

Viewing behavior of young lion, the wolf is ferocious and cunning immediately knew that that was before him was a mentally lion goat. It makes no difference with the goats. Immediately his fear disappeared. He growled angrily, and planned to eat the lion first.

Feeling that he was goat, the young lion crash his head like a goat, the wolf has been prepared with strong horses. With a little twisted the wolf tore the lion boy's face with its claws. The young lion fell and woe, such as goat moaning. The mother goat witnessed the event with great anxiety. Parent goat wondered why a stocky lion was defeated by a wolf. Is not the lion is the king of the jungle?

Without giving the slightest mercy the wolf attacking the young lion, who are still moaning. The wolf was ready to finish off the lion. At that critical moment, the mother goat who did not have the heart, with all his might hit the wolf. The wolf darted off. Lion awake. And at that moment, an adult lion's roar came up with a vengeance.

All goats scared and docked! The young children also fear the lion and come closer. While the wolf run. As an adult lion about to pounce on the goat herd, he was surprised in the midst of the goat herd there is a young lion. Some goats flee, others ran away. The young lion ran away too. The lion was still stunned. He wondered why children join lion ran away following the goat? He pursued young lion and said, "Hey you do not run! You're a lion, not a goat! I will not prey on young lion!

But the young lion were kept running and running. Adult lions continue to pursue. He did not chase a herd of goats, but instead pursue cubs. At last the lion was caught. The young lion who think he was goat fear the lion.

"Do not kill me, please...!"

"You're a lion, not a goat. I did not kill the young lion! "

With a struggling young lion said, "No I am a goat! Please release me! "

Lion child struggled and cried out loud. His voice was not a roar but bleat sound, just like the sound of goats. The lion adult wonder. How any young lion could voice goats and sheep mentality? With a furious lion he dragged the boy into the lake. He must show who actually the lion child is. Once in the clear lake water, he asked the young lion saw his own shadow. Then compare with the adult lions.

When he saw the shadow of himself, the son of the lion was shocked, "Oh my god, my face and body is same with you. Same with the lion, the king of the jungle! "

"Yes, because you actually cubs. Not the goat!

"So I'm not a goat? I was a lion!

"Yes you are a lion, king of the forest is authoritative and feared by the whole forest! Let me teach how to become a king of the jungle! " Lion adults said

Adult lion then lifted his head with dignity and with a loud roar. The young lion imitate the lion then, and with a loud roar. Yes roaring, vibrating throughout the forest. Not far from there vicious wolf that ran faster and faster, he fears the lion roars from the young children Son of the lion was again shouted triumphantly, "I was a lion! Forest king gallant! "

45.          Banyuwangi

Banyuwangi is a name of a district in the province of east Java, Indonesia. It is located in the earternmost part of the island of Java, next to Bali. Bali strait is between Banyuwangi and the island of Bali. The culture of Banyuwangi is unique because it is a blend of Javanese, Balinese and Madurese influence. Here is a well known legend about Banyuwangi.

Long time ago Banyuwangi was called Blambangan. It was a kingdom under a wise king who had a handsome and smart son. Raden Banterang was his name. He liked hunting very much. He often went to forest around Blambangan to hunt for animals. One day when he was in a forest he saw a deer. He chased it and the deer ran deeper into the forest. His horse was so good and strong that he left his guards behind. Unfortunately he lost the deer. As he took a rest under a big banyan tree suddenly a lovely lady appeared in front of him. Raden Banterang was very surprised to see a beautiful girl alone in the forest. He was suspicious that she was not a human being. So he asked her.

'Excuse me lovely lady, do you live around here?'

'No, I don't. I'm from Klungkung, Bali. My name is Surati. I'm a princess, the daughter of the king of Klungkung. I need your help'

'I will gladly help you, but please tell me what your problem is'

'I'm in danger. There was a rebellion in Klungkung. The rebel killed my father but I could escape. My guards took me here but I lose them. Now I'm alone. I don't know where to go. I have no relative here. Please help me'

'You are coming to the right person. I'm prince Banterang from the kingdom of Blambangan. I will protect you. Please come with me.'

Then Raden Banterang took Surati home. He fell in love with her and then several months later he married her. One day when Surati was in the street he met a man. The man called him.

'Surati, Surati'

She was surprised to realize that the man was her brother Rupaksa. Rupaksa told her that it was Raden Banterang who killed their father. He came to Blambangan to take revenge and asked surati to join him. Surati was shocked but she refused to join.
'I'm really shocked to hear the news. But I'm not sure. Raden Banterang is now my husband. He's very kind to me. He never hurts me. He's protecting me. As a good wife I will never betray him. It is my duty to serve him.'

'But he killed our father'.

'It is hard for me to believe it. When I met him he was here, not in Klungkung'

Rupaksa was disappointed with her sister. He was also very angry to her.

'OK then. I have to go now. But please keep my head dress. Put it under your pillow'
Rupaksa gave his head dress to his sister Surati. To respect her older brother Surati put it under her pillow. Several days later Raden Banterang was hunting in a forest when he met a man that looked like a priest. The man greeted him politely. Then he said something.
'Your life is in danger. Someone has an evil intention to you'

'Who is he?'

"Your wife Surati'

"Surati? How do you know?'

'I am a priest. I have clear spiritual vision. I just want to save you. Search her room. If you find a head dress under her pillow then my words are correct. It is from a man who will help her kill you'

'Thank you your Holiness'

Raden Banterang was shocked. He was very angry to his wife then he immediately went home. When he got to the palace he immediately searched Surati's bed room. As he found the head dress under her pillow he was sure that the priest was right.

'You are unfaithful wife. I know that you want me dead. This is the evidence. This is from a man who will help you kill me. Tell me who he is' Surati was shocked and cried.
'It is my brother's head dress. I met him several days ago when you went hunting. He gave me his head dress and told me to put it under my pillow. So I put it there to respect him. It is him who want to kill you, not me'

But Raden Banterang did not trust her. He gave her a death sentence. He took his wife to a river bank as he would stab his wife and throw her body into the river.
'Before I die, let me say a few words'

'Please do'

'After I die, just throw my body into the river. If the water become dirty and smelly, it means that I am guilty. But if the water become clear and fragrance come out of it, it means that I am innocence'.

Then as Raden Banterang would stab her wife with a kris Surati threw herself into the river. Amazingly the water became clear and fragrance came out of it. Surati was innocent! Raden Banterang regretted his emotional behavior. Since then on he changed the name of his kingdom into Banyuwangi. Banyu means water and Wangi menas fragrance.

46.          Sawung Galing

A long, long time ago Surabaya was already a busy harbor in the eastern part of Java Island in present day Indonesia. The ruler of Surabaya was a wise man, named Tumenggung Jayengrono. He liked hunting very much. Wiyung was the name of an area where he usually went hunting with his men. There was a small forest there where he could hunt for deer and other animals.

One day he saw a beautiful girl named Dewi Sangkrah in the village of Wiyung. Jayengrono instantly fell in love with her. Dewi Sangkrah could not refuse his love and they became lovers. Several months later she gave birth to a baby boy. The baby boy was named Joko Bereg. Jayengrono told his girlfriend to keep his son and gave the girl a beautiful pendant.

Day by day passed by and Joko Bereg grew as a handsome and smart boy who looked like his father. Unfortunately he did not have a father so he often heard people gossiping about his mother. Joko Bereg was hurt by the gossip so one day he asked his mother about it.
‘Mom, may I ask you something?’

‘Yes, of course’

‘I’ve been thinking about this problem over the past few months. Actually I do not dare to ask you about this. 

I am afraid I will hurt your feeling’

‘What is it about? ‘

‘People are gossiping about us’

Her mother was shocked. She was speechless for a moment. She tried very hard to control her emotion.

‘I would like to report about the latest situation in my village, Wiyung’
‘You have to wait for several days because his Excellency is very busy’.

So Joko Bereg had to wait for several days. Then one day the guard called his name and he was allowed to get in. Tumenggung Jayengrono was a kind man. He was not arrogant at all. When he saw Joko he warmly welcomed him.

‘Excuse me your Excellency, may I come in?’

‘Hi young man, come in, sit here. What’s your name? Why do you want to see me?’
‘I am Joko Bereg from Wiyung. Before telling you about my reason to see you, let me beg your pardon if my words will make you angry’

‘What is it about?

‘About my family’

‘Your family? Do you have family problems?

‘Yes, your Excellency, actually I am the son of Dewi Sangkrah from the village of Wiyung. She told me that I have to see you and to show you this pendant. She said this pendant is from you’.

Ten thunders strike at the same time was lighter than the words of Joko Bereg for Tumenggung Jayengrono. He never expected those words. He thought that Joko was an ordinary village chief who wanted to report something. As he could control his emotion he asked further.

‘What did she tell you?’

‘She said that she met you in Wiyung twenty years ago then you told her that you will marry her. When I was born you gave her this pendant. She said that I am your son. But you never came back.’

‘Did she marry another man after that?’

‘No, she did not. She has been expecting you for a long time’

Tumenggung Jayengrono was silent. He looked at his yard without saying a word. Meanwhile Joko Bereg was also silent. He did not dare to say anything. He just looked at the floor.

‘Joko, this is very surprising for me, but I must admit that I have neglected you and your mother. It is my fault. Forgive me for my faults. I must also ask forgiveness to your mother. She must have been deeply hurt. So, here is my decision. From now on you are my legitimate son from your mother Dewi Sangkrah and you will live here with me. I will give you a new name – Sawung Galing. Tomorrow you must go home to Wiyung and tell your mother about it. She is also my legitimate wife but she lives there in Wiyung’.

The news that Tumenggung Jayengrono had a new wife and a son spread quickly throughout the country. Everybody was shocked especially Jayengrono’s family. He had already a wife and two sons – Sawung Rono and Sawung Sari. They were very disappointed and very upset. So they prepared a plan to eliminate Sawung Galing.

The first day Sawung Galing lived in his father’s house was the hardest for him. Many eyes stared suspiciously at him. Jayengrono’s wife and sons hated him very much but they did not dare to show their hatred to Jayengrono. One day when Jayengrono was busy they met him. Jayengrono’s wife could not control her emotion when she met him.
‘Hey, you are not supposed to be here. You are just a stupid village boy!’
‘Excuse me? ‘

‘Get out of my house!’

‘I am afraid that’s not right. I am here on the order of his Excellency Jayengrono. Besides, I am also his son. Please be just’

Sawungrono and Sawungsari also very angry.

‘Hey, you stupid village boy, you have no right to debate my mother. She is a respected woman and you are just a son of a bitch!’

Sawung Galing could not control his emotion when he heard sarcastic words of his step brothers. The tension mounted and so they fought. Sawung Galing was outnumbered but he was a strong and smart boy while his step brothers were just spoiled boys who never worked hard. Finally Sawung Galing could beat his step brothers. Meanwhile the servants were very happy to see Sawung Galing could defeat them. Actually they did not like Sawungrono and Sawungsari who were arrogant and sarcastic.

Sawung Galing was a polite boy. Although he had a high position by then, he remained friendly to everybody. Soon he won the respect of many people.
Meanwhile the Dutch colonial ruler did not like Tumenggung Jayengrono. They thought that Jayengrono was an obstacle to their colonial ambition. So they tried to find away to overthrow him from power. Then they held a competition. In the field of Surabaya they put a flag and asked people to shoot at it with an arrow. Anybody who could shoot it would be promoted as the ruler of Surabaya. Many people came to take part in the competition including the sons of Jayengrono. Sawung Rono and Sawung Sari could not make it since they were just spoiled boys who could do nothing. Sawung Galing soon took his turn. His shot was good; he could shot at the flag. The colonial ruler soon promoted him as the successor of Jayengrono. They were sure that they could dictate the new young ruler.

The assumption of the colonial ruler was wrong. Sawung Galing proved to be a good leader. He knew from first hand experience of his people’s suffering so when he was in power he fought for them. He did not want to be dictated by the colonialist. He built a strong army and he could resist the Dutch military attack. Today people still remember him as a hero and a legend of Surabaya. His tomb is located in the district of Wiyung in the city of Surabaya, the second biggest city in Indonesia. He was buried there with his mother, his grand father and his relatives. Many people come to pray for him in his tomb.

47.          The Faithful John

There was once upon a time an old king who was ill and thought to himself 'I am lying on what must be my deathbed.' Then said he 'tell faithful John to come to me.' Faithful John was his favorite servant, and was so called, because he had for his whole life long been so true to him.  

When therefore he came beside the bed, the king said to him 'most faithful John, I feel my end approaching, and have no anxiety except about my son.  He is still of tender age, and cannot always know how to guide himself.  If you do not promise me to teach him everything that he ought to know, and to be his foster-father, I cannot close my eyes in peace.' Then answered faithful John 'I will not forsake him, and will serve him with fidelity, even if it should cost me my life.' 

At this, the old king said 'now I die in comfort and peace.' Then he added 'after my death, you shall show him the whole castle - all the chambers, halls, and vaults, and all the treasures which lie therein, but the last chamber in the long gallery, in which is the picture of the princess of the golden dwelling, shall you not show.  If he sees that picture, he will fall violently in love with her, and will drop down in a swoon, and go through great danger for her sake, therefore you must protect him from that.' And when faithful John had once more given his promise to the old king about this, the king said no more, but laid his head on his pillow, and died.

When the old king had been carried to his grave, faithful John told the young king all that he had promised his father on his deathbed, and said 'this will I assuredly keep, and will be faithful to you as I have been faithful to him, even if it should cost me my life.' When the mourning was over, faithful John said to him 'it is now time that you should see your inheritance.  I will show you your father's palace.' Then he took him about everywhere, up and down, and let him see all the riches, and the magnificent apartments, only there was one room which he did not open, that in which hung the dangerous picture.  The picture, however, was so placed that when the door was opened you looked straight on it, and it was so admirably painted that it seemed to breathe and live, and there was nothing more charming or more beautiful in the whole world. 

The young king noticed, however, that faithful John always walked past this one door, and said 'why do you never open this one for me.' 'There is something within it, he replied,  'which would terrify you.' But the king answered 'I have seen all the palace, and I want to know what is in this room also, and he went and tried to break open the door by force.  Then faithful John held him back and said 'I promised your father before his death that you should not see that which is in this chamber, it might bring the greatest misfortune on you and on me.'

'Ah, no, replied the young king,  'if I do not go in, it will be my certain destruction.  I should have no rest day or night until I had seen it with my own eyes.  I shall not leave the place now until you have unlocked the door.'

Then faithful John saw that there was no help for it now, and with a heavy heart and many sighs, sought out the key from the great bunch. When he opened the door, he went in first, and thought by standing before him he could hide the portrait so that the king should not see it in front of him.  But what good was this.  The king stood on tip-toe and saw it over his shoulder.  And when he saw the portrait of the maiden, which was so magnificent and shone with gold and precious stones, he fell fainting to the ground.  Faithful John took him up, carried him to his bed, and sorrowfully thought 'the misfortune has befallen us, Lord God, what will be the end of it.'

Then he strengthened him with wine, until he came to himself again. The first words the king said were 'ah, the beautiful portrait. Whose it it.' 'That is the princess of the golden dwelling, answered faithful John.  Then the king continued 'my love for her is so great, that if all the leaves on all the trees were tongues, they could not declare it.  I will give my life to win her.  You are my most faithful John, you must help me.

48.  The girl without hands

A certain miller had little by little fallen into poverty, and had nothing left but his mill and a large apple-tree behind it.  Once when he had gone into the forest to fetch wood, an old man stepped up to him whom he had never seen before, and said, why do you plague yourself with cutting wood, I will make you rich, if you will promise me what is standing behind your mill.  What can that be but my apple-tree, thought the miller, and said, yes, and gave a written promise to the stranger.  He, however, laughed mockingly and said, when three years have passed, I will come and carry away what belongs to me, and then he went.  When the miller got home, his wife came to meet him and said, tell me, miller, from whence comes this sudden wealth into our house.  All at once every box and chest was filled, no one brought it in, and I know not how it happened.  He answered, it comes from a stranger who met me in the forest, and promised me great treasure.  I' in return, have promised him what stands behind the mill - we can very well give him the big apple-tree for it.  Ah, husband, said the terrified wife, that must have been the devil.  He did not mean the apple-tree, but our daughter, who was standing behind the mill sweeping the yard.

The miller's daughter was a beautiful, pious girl, and lived through the three years in the fear of God and without sin.  When therefore the time was over, and the day came when the evil one was to fetch her, she washed herself clean, and made a circle round herself with chalk.  The devil appeared quite early, but he could not come near to her.  Angrily, he said to the miller, take all water away from her, that she may no longer be able to wash herself, for otherwise I have no power over her.  The miller was afraid, and did so.  The next morning the devil came again, but she had wept on her hands, and they were quite clean.  Again he could not get near her, and furiously said to the miller, cut her hands off, or else I have no power over her.  The miller was shocked and answered, how could I cut off my own child's hands.  Then the evil one threatened him and said, if you do not do it you are mine, and I will take you yourself.

The father became alarmed, and promised to obey him.  So he went to the girl and said, my child, if I do not cut off both your hands, the devil will carry me away, and in my terror I have promised to do it.  Help me in my need, and forgive me the harm I do you.  She replied, dear father, do with me what you will, I am your child.  Thereupon she laid down both her hands, and let them be cut off.  The devil came for the third time, but she had wept so long and so much on the stumps, that after all they were quite clean.  Then he had to give in, and had lost all right over her.

The miller said to her, I have by means of you received such great wealth that I will keep you most handsomely as long as you live.  But she replied, here I cannot stay, I will go forth, compassionate people will give me as much as I require. Thereupon she caused her maimed arms to be bound to her back, and by sunrise she set out on her way, and walked the whole day until night fell.  Then she came to a royal garden, and by the shimmering of the moon she saw that trees covered with beautiful fruits grew in it, but she could not enter, for it was surrounded by water.

And as she had walked the whole day and not eaten one mouthful, and hunger tormented her, she thought, ah, if I were but inside, that I might eat of the fruit, else must I die of hunger.  Then she knelt down, called on God the Lord, and prayed.  And suddenly an angel came towards her, who made a dam in the water, so that the moat became dry and she could walk through it.  And now she went into the garden and the angel went with her.  She saw a tree covered with beautiful pears, but they were all counted.  Then she went to them, and to still her hunger, ate one with her mouth from the tree, but no more.  The gardener was watching, but as the angel was standing by, he was afraid and thought the maiden was a spirit, and was silent, neither did he dare to cry out, or to speak to the spirit.  When she had eaten the pear, she was satisfied, and went and concealed herself among the bushes.  The king to whom the garden belonged, came down to it next morning, and counted, and saw that one of the pears was missing, and asked the gardener what had become of it, as it was not lying beneath the tree, but was gone.  Then answered the gardener, last night, a spirit came in, who had no hands, and ate off one of the pears with its mouth.  The king said, how did the spirit get over the water, and where did it go after it had eaten the pear.  The gardener answered, someone came in a snow-white garment from heaven who made a dam, and kept back the water, that the spirit might walk through the moat. And as it must have been an angel, I was afraid, and asked no questions, and did not cry out.  When the spirit had eaten the pear, it went back again.  The king said, if it be as you say, I will watch with you to-night.

When it grew dark the king came into the garden and brought a priest with him, who was to speak to the spirit.  All three seated themselves beneath the tree and watched.  At midnight the maiden came creeping out of the thicket, went to the tree, and again ate one pear off it with her mouth, and beside her stood the angel in white garments.  Then the priest went out to them and said, "Do you come from heaven or from earth?  Are you a spirit, or a human being?"  She replied, "I am no spirit, but an unhappy mortal deserted by all but God."  The king said, "If you are forsaken by all the world, yet will I not forsake you."  He took her with him into his royal palace, and as she was so beautiful and good, he loved her with all his heart, had silver hands made for her, and took her to wife.

After a year the king had to go on a journey, so he commended his young queen to the care of his mother and said, if she is brought to child-bed take care of her, nurse her well, and tell me of it at once in a letter.  Then she gave birth to a fine boy.  So the old mother made haste to write and announce the joyful news to him.  But the messenger rested by a brook on the way, and as he was fatigued by the great distance, he fell asleep.  Then came the devil, who was always seeking to injure the good queen, and exchanged the letter for another, in which was written that the queen had brought a monster into the world.  When the king read the letter he was shocked and much troubled, but he wrote in answer that they were to take great care of the queen and nurse her well until his arrival.

The messenger went back with the letter, but rested at the same place and again fell asleep.  Then came the devil once more, and put a different letter in his pocket, in which it was written that they were to put the queen and her child to death.  The old mother was terribly shocked when she received the letter, and could not believe it.  She wrote back again to the king, but received no other answer, because each time the devil substituted a false letter, and in the last letter it was also written that she was to preserve the queen's tongue and eyes as a token that she had obeyed.

But the old mother wept to think such innocent blood was to be shed, and had a hind brought by night and cut out her tongue and eyes, and kept them.  Then said she to the queen, "I cannot have you killed as the king commands, but here you may stay no longer.  Go forth into the wide world with your child, and never come here again."  The poor woman tied her child on her back, and went away with eyes full of tears.  She came into a great wild forest, and then she fell on her knees and prayed to God, and the angel of the Lord appeared to her and led her to a little house on which was a sign with the words, here all dwell free.  A snow-white maiden came out of the little house and said, welcome, lady queen, and conducted her inside.  Then she unbound the little boy from her back, and held him to her breast that he might feed, and laid him in a beautifully-made little bed.  Then said the poor woman, "From whence do you know that I was a queen?"

The white maiden answered, "I am an angel sent by God, to watch over you and your child."  The queen stayed seven years in the little house, and was well cared for, and by God's grace, because of her piety, her hands which had been cut off, grew once more.

At last the king came home again from his journey, and his first wish was to see his wife and the child.  Then his aged mother began to weep and said, "You wicked man, why did you write to me that I was to take those two innocent lives," and she showed him the two letters which the evil one had forged, and then continued, "I did as you bade me, and she showed the tokens, the tongue and eyes."  Then the king began to weep for his poor wife and his little son so much more bitterly than she was doing, that the aged mother had compassion on him and said, "be at peace, she still lives, I secretly caused a hind to be killed, and took these tokens from it, but I bound the child to your wife's back and bade her go forth into the wide world, and made her promise never to come back here again, because you were so angry with her."  Then spoke the king, "I will go as far as the sky is blue, and will neither eat nor drink until I have found again my dear wife and my child, if in the meantime they have not been killed, or died of hunger."

Thereupon the king traveled about for seven long years, and sought her in every cleft of the rocks and in every cave, but he found her not, and thought she had died of want.  During the whole time he neither ate nor drank, but God supported him.  At length he came into a great forest, and found therein the little house whose sign was, here all dwell free.  Then forth came the white maiden, took him by the hand, led him in, and said, "Welcome, lord king," and asked him from whence he came.  He answered, "Soon shall I have traveled about for the space of seven years, and I seek my wife and her child, but cannot find them."  The angel offered him meat and drink, but he did not take anything, and only wished to rest a little.  Then he lay down to sleep, and laid a handkerchief over his face.

Thereupon the angel went into the chamber where the queen sat with her son, whom she usually called Sorrowful, and said to her, go out with your child, your husband has come.  So she went to the place where he lay, and the handkerchief fell from his face.  Then said she, "Sorrowful, pick up your father's handkerchief, and cover his face again."  The child picked it up, and put it over his face again.  The king in his sleep heard what passed, and had pleasure in letting the handkerchief fall once more.  But the child grew impatient, and said, "Dear mother, how can I cover my father's face when I have no father in this world.  I have learnt to say the prayer – Our Father, which art in heaven - you have told me that my father was in heaven, and was the good God, and how can I know a wild man like this.  He is not my father."  When the king heard that, he got up, and asked who they were.  Then said she, "I am your wife, and that is your son, Sorrowful".  And he saw her living hands, and said, "My wife had silver hands."  She answered, "The good God has caused my natural hands to grow again," and the angel went into the inner room, and brought the silver hands, and showed them to him.  Hereupon he knew for a certainty that it was his dear wife and his dear child, and he kissed them, and was glad, and said, "A heavy stone has fallen from off my heart."  Then the angel of God ate with them once again, and after that they went home to the king's aged mother.  There were great rejoicings everywhere, and the king and queen were married again, and lived contentedly to their happy end.

49.          The White Snake

A long time ago there lived a king who was famed for his wisdom through all the land.  Nothing was hidden from him, and it seemed as if news of the most secret things was brought to him through the air.  But he had a strange custom, every day after dinner, when the table was cleared, and no one else was present, a trusty servant had to bring him one more dish.  It was covered, however, and even the servant did not know what was in it, neither did anyone know, for the king never took off the cover to eat of it until he was quite alone.

This had gone on for a long time, when one day the servant, who took away the dish, was overcome with such curiosity that he could not help carrying the dish into his room.  When he had carefully locked the door, he lifted up the cover, and saw a white snake lying on the dish.  But when he saw it he could not deny himself the pleasure of tasting it, so he cut off a little bit and put it into his mouth.  No sooner had it touched his tongue than he heard a strange whispering of little voices outside his window.  He went and listened, and then noticed that it was the sparrows who were chattering together, and telling one another of all kinds of things which they had seen in the fields and woods.  Eating the snake had given him power of understanding the language of animals.

Now it so happened that on this very day the queen lost her most beautiful ring, and suspicion of having stolen it fell upon this trusty servant, who was allowed to go everywhere.  The king ordered the man to be brought before him, and threatened with angry words that unless he could before the morrow point out the thief, he himself should be looked upon as guilty and executed. In vain he declared his innocence, he was dismissed with no better answer.

In his trouble and fear he went down into the courtyard and took thought how to help himself out of his trouble.  Now some ducks were sitting together quietly by a brook and taking their rest, and, whilst they were making their feathers smooth with their bills, they were having a confidential conversation together.  The servant stood by and listened.  They were telling one another of all the places where they had been waddling about all the morning, and what good food they had found, and one said in a pitiful tone, something lies heavy on my stomach, as I was eating in haste I swallowed a ring which lay under the queen's window.  The servant at once seized her by the neck, carried her to the kitchen, and said to the cook, here is a fine duck, pray, kill her.  Yes, said the cook, and weighed her in his hand, she has spared no trouble to fatten herself, and has been waiting to be roasted long enough.  So he cut off her head, and as she was being dressed for the spit, the queen's ring was found inside her.

The servant could now easily prove his innocence, and the king, to make amends for the wrong, allowed him to ask a favor, and promised him the best place in the court that he could wish for. The servant refused everything, and only asked for a horse and some money for traveling, as he had a mind to see the world and go about a little.  When his request was granted he set out on his way, and one day came to a pond, where he saw three fishes caught in the reeds and gasping for water. 

Now, though it is said that fishes are dumb, he heard
them lamenting that they must perish so miserably, and, as
he had a kind heart, he got off his horse and put the three
prisoners back into the water.  They leapt with delight, put
out their heads, and cried to him, we will remember you and
repay you for saving us. He rode on, and after a while it
seemed to him that he heard a voice in the sand at his feet. 
He listened, and heard an ant-king complain, why cannot
folks, with their clumsy beasts, keep off our bodies.  That
stupid horse, with his heavy hoofs, has been treading down my people without mercy.  So he turned on to a side path and the ant-king cried out to him, we will remember you – one good turn deserves another.

The path led him into a wood, and here he saw two old ravens standing by their nest, and throwing out their young ones. Out with you, you idle, good-for-nothing creatures, cried they, we cannot find food for you any longer, you are big enough, and can provide for yourselves.  But the poor young ravens lay upon the ground, flapping their wings, and crying, oh, what helpless chicks we are.  We must shift for ourselves, and yet we cannot fly.  What can we do, but lie here and starve.  So the good young fellow alighted and killed his horse with his sword, and gave it to them for food.  Then they came hopping up to it, satisfied their hunger, and cried, we will remember you - one good turn deserves another.

And now he had to use his own legs, and when he had walked a long way, he came to a large city.  There was a great noise and crowd in the streets, and a man rode up on horseback, crying aloud, the king's daughter wants a husband, but whoever seeks her hand must perform a hard task, and if he does not succeed he will forfeit his life.  Many had already made the attempt, but in vain, nevertheless when the youth saw the king's daughter he was so overcome by her great beauty that he forgot all danger, went before the king, and declared himself a suitor.

So he was led out to the sea, and a gold ring was thrown into it, before his eyes, then the king ordered him to fetch this ring up from the bottom of the sea, and added, if you come up again without it you will be thrown in again and again until you perish amid the waves.  All the people grieved for the handsome youth, then they went away, leaving him alone by the sea.

He stood on the shore and considered what he should do, when suddenly he saw three fishes come swimming towards him, and they were the very fishes whose lives he had saved.  The one in the middle held a mussel in its mouth, which it laid on the shore at the youth's feet, and when he had taken it up and opened it, there lay the gold ring in the shell.  Full of joy he took it to the king, and expected that he would grant him the promised reward.

But when the proud princess perceived that he was not her equal in birth, she scorned him, and required him first to perform another task.  She went down into the garden and strewed with her own hands ten sacks-full of millet-seed on the grass, then she said, tomorrow morning before sunrise these must be picked up, and not a single grain be wanting.

The youth sat down in the garden and considered how it might be possible to perform this task, but he could think of nothing, and there he sat sorrowfully awaiting the break of day, when he should be led to death.  But as soon as the first rays of the sun shone into the garden he saw all the ten sacks standing side by side, quite full, and not a single grain was missing.  The ant-king had come in the night with thousands and thousands of ants, and the grateful creatures had by great industry picked up all the millet-seed and gathered them into the sacks.

Presently the king's daughter herself came down into the garden, and was amazed to see that the young man had done the task she had given him.  But she could not yet conquer her proud heart, and said, although he has performed both the tasks, he shall not be my husband until he has brought me an apple from the tree of life.  The youth did not know where the tree of life stood, but he set out, and would have gone on for ever, as long as his legs would carry him, though he had no hope of finding it.  After he had wandered through three kingdoms, he came one evening to a wood, and lay down under a tree to sleep.  But he heard a rustling in the branches, and a golden apple fell into his hand.

At the same time three ravens flew down to him, perched themselves upon his knee, and said, we are the three young ravens whom you saved from starving, when we had grown big, and heard that you were seeking the golden apple, we flew over the sea to the end of the world, where the tree of life stands, and have brought you the apple.  The youth, full of joy, set out homewards, and took the golden apple to the king's beautiful daughter, who had no more excuses left to make.  They cut the apple of life in two and ate it together, and then her heart became full of love for him, and they lived in undisturbed happiness to a great age.

50.          The riddle

There was once a king's son who was seized with a desire to travel about the world, and took no one with him but a faithful servant. One day he came to a great forest, and when darkness overtook him he could find no shelter, and knew not where to pass the night.

Then he saw a girl who was going towards a small house, and when he came nearer, he saw that the maiden was young and beautiful. He spoke to her, and said, dear child, can I and my servant find shelter for the night in the little house.  Oh, yes, said the girl in a sad voice, that you certainly can, but I do not advise you to venture it.  Do not go in.  Why not, asked the king's son.

The maiden sighed and said, my step-mother practises wicked arts.  She is ill-disposed toward strangers. Then he saw very well that he had come to the house of a witch, but as it was dark, and he could not go farther, and also was not afraid, he entered.  The old woman was sitting in an armchair by the fire, and looked at the stranger with her red eyes.  Good evening, growled she, and pretended to be quite friendly.  Take a seat and rest yourselves.  She fanned the fire on which she was cooking something in a small pot.  The daughter warned the two to be prudent, to eat nothing, and drink nothing, for the old woman brewed evil drinks.  They slept quietly until early morning. 

When they were making ready for their departure, and the king's son was already seated on his horse, the old woman said, stop a moment, I will first hand you a parting draught.  Whilst she fetched it, the king's son rode away, and the servant who had to buckle his saddle tight, was the only one present when the wicked witch came with the drink.  Take that to your master, said she.  But at that instant the glass broke and the poison spirted on the horse, and it was so strong that the animal immediately fell down dead.  The servant ran after his master and told him what had happened, but as he did not want to leave his saddle behind, he ran back to fetch it.  When he came to the dead horse, however, a raven was already sitting on it devouring it.  Who knows whether we shall find anything better to-day, said the servant.

So he killed the raven, and took it with him.  And now they journeyed onwards into the forest the whole day, but could not get out of it.  By nightfall they found an inn and entered it. The servant gave the raven to the innkeeper to prepare for supper.

They had stumbled, however, on a den of murderers, and during the darkness twelve of these came, intending to kill the strangers and rob them.  But before they set about this work, they sat down to supper, and the innkeeper and the witch sat down with them, and together they ate a dish of soup in which was cut up the flesh of the raven.  Hardly had they swallowed a couple of mouthfuls, before they all fell down dead, for the raven had communicated to them the poison from the horse-flesh.  There was no no one else left in the house but the innkeeper's daughter, who was honest, and had taken no part in their godless deeds.  She opened all doors to the stranger and showed him the store of treasures.  But the king's son said she might keep everything, he would have none of it, and rode onwards with his servant.

After they had traveled about for a long time, they came to a town in which was a beautiful but proud princess, who had made it known that whosoever should set her a riddle which she could not guess, that man should be her husband.  But if she guessed it, his head must be cut off.  She had three days to guess it in, but was so clever that she always found the answer to the riddle given her before the appointed time.  Nine suitors had already perished in this manner, when the king's son arrived, and blinded by her great beauty, was willing to stake his life for it.  Then he went to her and laid his riddle before her.  What is this, said he.  One slew none, and yet slew twelve.  She did not know what that was.  She thought and thought, but she could not solve it.  She opened her riddle-books, but it was not in them - in short, her wisdom was at an end.  As she did not know how to help herself, she ordered her maid to creep into the lord's sleeping-chamber, and listen to his dreams, and thought that he would perhaps speak in his sleep and reveal the riddle.  But the clever servant had placed himself in the bed instead of his master, and when the maid came there, he tore off from her the mantle in which she had wrapped herself, and chased her out with rods. 

The second night the king's daughter sent her maid-in-waiting, who was to see if she could succeed better in listening, but the servant took her mantle also away from her, and hunted her out with rods.  Now the master believed himself safe for the third night, and lay down in his own bed.  Then came the princess herself, and she had put on a misty-grey mantle, and she seated herself near him.  And when she thought that he was asleep and dreaming, she spoke to him, and hoped that he would answer in his sleep, as many do, but he was awake, and understood and heard everything quite well.  Then she asked, one slew none, what is that.  He replied, a raven, which ate of a dead and poisoned horse, and died of it.  She inquired further, and yet slew twelve, what is that.  He answered, that means twelve murderers, who ate the raven and died of it.

When she knew the answer to the riddle she wanted to steal away, but he held her mantle so fast that she was forced to leave it behind her.  Next morning, the king's daughter announced that she had guessed the riddle, and sent for the twelve judges and expounded it before them.  But the youth begged for a hearing, and said, she stole into my room in the night and questioned me, otherwise she could not have discovered it.  The judges said, bring us a proof of this.

Then were the three mantles brought thither by the servant, and when the judges saw the misty-grey one which the king's daughter usually wore, they said, let the mantle be embroidered with gold and silver, and then it will be your wedding-mantle.