Timun Mas | English Version | Versi Bahasa Inggris

Timun Mas is a beautiful girl who is kind-hearted, smart, and brave. She is very dear to his mother, Mbok Srini. One day, an evil giant comes to eat Timun Mas. Why? And do the mother and daughter survive? You had better read the following story.

***

There was a kampong in Central Java wherein a widow lived. She was Mbok Srini. She was childless and after the death of her husband, she lived alone. The hope to have a child faded away with time. She only prayed for a miracle, that someday she could be a mother.

One night, she had a dream. A giant creature told her to go to the jungle where she usually collected firewood. There she would find a package under a big tree. In the morning the widow woke up, not believing what she just dreamt.

“Could it really happen to me?” she asked to herself.

The widow decided to give it a go. Full of hope, she rushed to a place as pointed in her dream. In the jungle, she sought the package and, surprisingly, found it under an enormous tree. It contained a cucumber seed.

“What is this?” murmured her.

She was still in confusion when suddenly a loud laughter broke out behind her. She just realized that there was a giant standing there.

Mbok Srini was taken aback. It was the giant she met in his dream! So frightened she became.

“Have mercy, Mister Giant. Don’t eat me,” begged Mbok Srini with a pale face.

“I won’t, old woman, I won’t. Don’t you want a child?” asked the giant.

“You… You are right, Mister Giant,” answered Mbok Srini.

“Grow that seed and you will have a daughter. But remember this. I will come to you when she grows up and take her. I’m going to taste her delicious flesh,” said the giant.

“That is fine, Mister Giant. I will give her back to you when it’s time.”

The giant vanished. The woman planted the cucumber seed in her yard. Full of hope, she took care of the plant very carefully. Two months later, the cucumber was ripening. It weirdly yielded only one fruit, but it was much bigger than usual cucumbers. Its color was golden and it was very heavy. Mbok Srini cut it off and took it inside her hut. There she cut the cucumber in halves and sound a baby girl so adorable.

“Aaaaa! Aaaaa! Aaaaa!” the baby cried once she was taken out.

Mbok Srini was so happy to hear a baby’s cry she had been wishing for. She named the baby Timun Mas.

“There there… Don’t cry my sweet baby,” Mbok Srini tried to comfort Timun Mas.

The old widow could not be happier. Tears run down on her wrinkled cheeks. She raised Timun Mas with the affection of a real mother. The baby grew up a beautiful girl. She was kind-hearted too. Mbok Srini loved her so much. She forgot her vow that someday the giant would come up to take the girl back.

One night, Mbok Srini dreamed of the giant coming up to her. The dream reminded her of her vow. Since then, she often sat on the porch alone, mourning all day long. She might soon lose her beloved daughter but was bent on to keep her. She just did not know what to do.

Timun Mas noticed that something had been concerning her mother. That day, she chose to spend the afternoon at home and sat beside her.

“Mother, why do you often look sad recently?” asked Timun Mas.

Reluctantly, Mbok Srini revealed everything to her. She told her that she was not really her daughter, that a giant gave her to her and would take her once she grew up.

“I’m sorry, my daughter. All this time I kept this for myself.”

Timun Mas could not speak a word. She was speechless, not believing what she just heard. She looked down for a while, then up again, as if she had taken a decision.

“I don’t want to go with the giant. Whatever happens, I’m staying here with you, mother,” said Timun Mas firmly.

The day finally came. From afar, Mbok Srini and Timun Mas could hear the giant’s steps. In panic, Mbok Srini told Timun Mas to act ill.

“Hey, old widow! Where’s the girl? I suppose she looks very tasty by now. It’s been years. Haha!” said the giant.

The widow came out of her hut. Timidly, she came closer to the giant.

“I’m sorry. She is severely ill at the moment. Her flesh will not be fresh. What if you come back in three days? Let her recover first,” coaxed Mbok Srini. She tried to get more time to find a way to save Timun Mas.

“Is she really? Well, all right then. I will come again in three days. You’d better make sure she is ready,” answered the giant.

After the giant left, Mbok Srini walked out to see a hermit who lived in a mountain. She just recalled about him and wanted to know if he could help.

“I’m going to the mountain. There is a hermit, a friend of my late husband, who probably can help us out. You stay here and don’t go out,” Mbok Srini said to Timun Mas.

“But be careful mother,” said the girl.

Mbok Srini headed for the mountain right away. There, she met the hermit and let him know what she came for.

“Wait a moment. I’ll get you something that might help,” said the hermit.

Not long after, he showed up with four little bundles of things and gave them to Mbok Srini.

“Take these for your daughter. They contain cucumber seeds, needles, salts, and shrimp paste. Use them one at a time while in danger. Let’s hope we could defeat the giant, Mbok Srini,” explained the hermit.

Mbok Srini felt a bit relieved. She came home and handed the bundles to Timun Mas.

Two days later, the giant turned up. He looked so hungry and raring to eat the girl.

“Well, well, old widow. Where’s my girl now?” asked him.

“You again, giant. I believe you are very hungry now,” Mbok Srini answered. Timun Mas came out fearfully and stood beside her mother.

“Don’t be afraid. If he comes to you, you should run. Run as fast as you can. Open the bundles to protect yourself,” Mbok Srini whispered to her daughter.

“Yes, mother,” answered Timun Mas.

The giant could not wait anymore. He was drooling already. But when he stuck out his hand to grab the girl, she ran away. He chased her with far longer steps. Slowly, he could catch up with the girl. Realizing the situation, Timun took one of the bundles and opened it.

She untied a bundle, which turned out to contain cucumber seeds. She poured the seeds on the ground and in a very short time the area became a cucumber garden. The plants grew thickly, wrapping around the giant. Timun took her time to take off. The giant could free himself of the plants shortly. He had not given up.

The giant forced Timun to open another bundle, containing needles. She scattered it everywhere and they magically turned into tall and sharp bamboo. They wounded the giant’s feet but he did not stop his run.

Timun opened a bundle for the third time. It was salt inside. The girl spread the salt out, turning the ground into a lake. The giant stepped in it and roared as his wounds touched the salt water. It held him back, but only for a while. The giant forced his way across the lake. Timun Mas began to be very anxious. She had only one bundle left. Knowing that the giant had reached the land, she opened the bundle. Shrimp paste spread all over the ground and formed a muddy quicksand. The giant stepped on it and got trapped. He vainly struggled to get up. A moment later, he lost his strength. He was sucked down and died. Timun had made it. She got rid of the giant forever.

With all her strength left, Timun walked home. Mbok Srini hugged her right away. She cried in happiness to see her sole daughter safe. They were so grateful to God the Almighty. There was no giant anymore. From then on, they lived together peacefully and happily.

***

The above story shows us that bad intentions lead to misfortunes. The giant character conveys this message. Besides, Timun Mas holds that one must work hard and be fearless and optimistic to get through the obstacles and problems of life. Mbok Srini and Timun Mas need to take the risk and put aside their fear to free themselves from the giant.

Untung Suropati | English Version | Versi Bahasa Inggris

Untung Suropati is a brave soldier who fights the Dutch colonial government in Nusantara. The story of his legendary struggle has been written in many forms of prose, such as historical prose, novel, and also folktale. How his struggle goes? Find out in the following story.

***

Long ago, there was a seven year old boy who only Heaven knew his original name. He was a slave from Bali that was found by Captain van Beber, a VOC official, while he was on duty in Makassar, South Sulawesi. Because lacking money, the captain sold the boy to Mur, a military officer who worked in Batavia. Since having the boy with him, Officer Mur’s carrier and wealth climbed up fast. He thought the boy had brought him luck, so he called him Si Untung, the Lucky Boy.

Officer Mur was a widower. He had a beautiful daughter of the same age with Untung. Her name was Suzanne. When he bought the boy, Officer Mur thought that maybe with another kid in the house, Suzanne would not get so lonely anymore. Untung was an amiable boy that shortly after his arrival he already got close to his master’s daughter. They spent time together, in sadness and happiness. Love flourished unhurriedly between them. As they grew up, they had been involved in a romantic relationship at the back of Officer Mur.

At 20, Untung and Suzanne secretly got married. But their togetherness did not last long as the girl’s father found out everything. Officer Mur was angered, inflamed. He expelled his daughter to an isle off Batavia and put the boy in jail. It was when Untung’s hatred towards the Dutch government sparked and got more and more intense as days went by. Behind the railings, he was rounding up followers from fellow prisoners.

Untung had been contriving an escape plan for some time now. That day, he thought it was time to tell his fellows about it.

“Brothers, my fellow countrymen! We have come to a situation where we should no longer be soft to the Dutch. It is time for us to get out and boot them out of our beloved motherland!” shouted Untung.

They were all dumbfounded. For them, such an idea had never crossed their mind. It was nearly a dream.

“Young men! How is that possible? They have guns and we have nothing,” said one of the prisoners.

“No need to worry,” answered Untung. “I will give you guns too. I have savings for that.”

With a hope came up, they all agreed. One by one they got guns and pistols. Finally, the revolt broke out on one night in the jail. Holding weapons on their hands, Untung and his friends ran amuck and smashed the gate. The guards could not handle the tumult so they called for support. As the Dutch military troops joined them, Untung and friends were cornered and forced to run off to the jungle. There, deep inside the woods, they mustered up power to launch another devastating attack on the Dutch.

Untung and friends then began to make problems at night in one place and another. They kept moving until one day reached Banten Sultanate. Untung appeared before the ruler, Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa, and told him about his struggle and that he would appreciate his supports. The sultan consulted him to go to the Sultan of Cirebon.  

“Go to Cirebon and to the sultan. Tell him I send you. You’ll get help from him,” said the sultan.

Untung took off to Cirebon soon. On their way, they bumped into Raden Suropati, a foster child of the Sultan of Cirebon. 

“Who are you?” asked Raden Suropati.

Untung spoke to the young man that he came to see the Sultan of Cirebon for help. Raden Suropati seemed to understand the importance of his coming. He was willing to lead him to the palace.

“Well, in that case, we will take you to the sultan. But first you have to relinquish your weaponry to us,” said Raden Suropati.

They gave up all their weapons. Untung himself handed his guns, but not his patrem. The small dagger was the only thing that he would not give to anyone. Raden Suropati was insulted with the refusal. He wanted the dagger too. Untung’s insistence eventually led to a battle between Untung’s men and the prince’s troop. Untung’s men walked away with a victory. The prince Raden Suropati was killed in Untung’s hand.

The resurgent group continued their walk to Cirebon Royal Palace. Untung told the sultan honestly what happened in the jungle when he and his friends confronted Raden Suropati. The sultan surprisingly did not get insulted as he knew that it was his forster child that was too suspicious and arrogant. He welcomed Untung warmly. He even gave the name “Suropati” to his guest. Since then, the young man’s name became Untung Suropati.

Some time later, the sultan told Untung to go to Mataram and served Sunan Mangkurat II who resided in Kartasura. Untung did everything he was told.

“I will take you as my servant. But you have to prove what you’re worth. Go to Banyumas, let’s see if you can subdue the revolt there,” said Sunan Mangkurat.

Untung Suropati took the challenge. He headed for Banyumas right away and stopped the rebellion in a very short time. Coming back with a success, Untung was appointed army commander of Mataram. At the same time, the Dutch heard about Untung and at once sent their troop to Kartasura.

That day, a Mataram spy rushed in the palace and appeared before Sunan Mangkurat II. “My king, I saw the Dutch heading here. They came fully armed,” reported him.

The king quickly called Untung Suropati. “Handle them. Make sure they don’t get here alive!”

“Right away!” answered Untung Suropati, bowing his body towards the king.

Untung led his soldiers to the far-flung border of Kartasura. The Dutch troop got in but the Mataram army had been waiting for them. They came to blows. Untung got help from Prince Puger, another commander sent by Sunan Mmangkurat II. Prince Puger had in his hand, the royal heirloom kris called Kanjeng Kyai Plered. To deceive the Dutch, he wore the same wardrobe with Untung.  The strategy made Captain Tar, the Dutch commander, confused. He could not tell which of them was Untung Suropati, the fugitive. At long last, Prince Puger could slay Captain Tar. The rest of the troop was exterminated by Untung and his soldiers.

After that, Sunan Mangkurat instructed Untung to go to seize Pasuruan. He accomplished the task successfully again, defeating the duke, Anggajaya. Later on, the king appointed him to take control of Pasuruan. During his time in the office, Untung never stopped encouraging his people to fight the Dutch. It had been many times that the Dutch tried to quell him, all came to nothing.

Meanwhile back in Kartasura, Sultan Amangkurat II just passed away. His death brought in power struggle between Prince Puger and Amangkurat III. To assume the throne, Prince Puger betrayed his kingdom and sided with the Dutch. With such a support, he soon shoved Amangkurat III away. He was later enthroned and bore the title Pakubuwana I. As for Amangkurat III, he fled to Pasuruan and sought shelter from Untung Suropati.

A year later, an ally of the Dutch army, Kartasura, Madura, and Surabaya under the command of Goovert Knole assaulted Pasuruan. A fierce war broke out in Bangil Fortress. In the battle, Pasuruan was crushed. Untung Suropati was severely wounded and eventually died.

It was the end of his struggle, but not the people’s. After his death, his sons and the people continued opposing the Dutch bravely.

***

Thus ends the historical tale of Untung Suropati. People say, before breathing his last, Untung Suropati said to his men to keep his death in secret. That is probably why no one knows for sure where he is buried. But there is a cave in Mancilan, Pasuruan, East Java, which people believe to be his hideout during the struggle.

Untung Suropati was a true, brave hero. He devotes himself for his country and people, to free them from colonialism. For his service, Untung Suropati receives a posthumous title as hero of Indonesian struggle for independence from the Indonesian government in 1975. His gallantry is what people need in life. In Tunjuk Ajar Melayu (Malay Verses of Guidance), it is said that one must bravely fight for something right and for justice.

Wahai ananda bunda berwasiat (O son, mother has said)

Elok berani dikandung adat (that it is good to be brave)

Membela kebenaran sampai ke lahat (to fight for the right until your grave)

Semoga hidupmu beroleh berkat (may God bless you in your life)

Roro Jonggrang : The Legend Of Prambanan Temple | English Version | Versi Bahasa Inggris

Rara Jonggrang is the charming daughter of King Baka who rules in Prambanan Kingdom. Once upon a time, a warrior from Pengging Kingdom named Bandawasa comes to propose her. Rara answers that she will accept his proposal on one condition: he must first build her no less than a thousand temples and two wells in a night. Can Bandawasa make it? Find out in the following story of Rara Jonggrang!

***

A long time ago in the kingdom of Prambanan, there lived an ogre king named Baka. He looked scary yet possessed godlike supernatural power. With small surrounding kingdoms all submitting to him, he ruled an immense size of territory. Despite his ghastly physical appearance, King Baka had a very beautiful human daughter. Rara Jonggrang was her name and she was so dear to the king.

Far away from Prambanan, there was also a kingdom as big called Pengging. The kingdom had been known to have a strong warrior named Bandawasa. His power came mainly from his weapon, a club called Bandung. Besides, he had the ability to call a troop of spirits in a blink of an eye whenever he needed help.

There came a time when the king of Pengging wanted an expansion. He commanded Bandawasa together with other warriors to conquer Prambanan.

“Bandawasa! Ready your soldiers to attack Prambanan!” instructed the king.

“Yes, King! I will do it right away," answered Bandawasa with a bow.

Bandawasa was heading to Prambanan along with his soldiers. They ran amuck into the palace right away after they arrived. King Baka reacted instantly by ordering his military to block Bandawasa’s troop. A blood-shedding war was inevitable with Prambanan troop massacred. King Baka himself got killed by Bandawasa’s weapon. Since the great victory, the cold-blooded commander was given a new calling, Bandung Bandawasa.

After the war, the king of Pengging trusted the new conquest to Bandawasa. He was assigned to take care of Prambanan and whatever in it, including King Baka’s family. “This is my gratitude to you, Bandawasa. I hope you’re happy,” said the king.

“It’s an honor, my King, thank you for your generosity. I promise to do my best to keep it for you,” answered the commander.

Bandung Bandawasa now resided in the royal palace of Prambanan. On the very first day of his occupation he was already mesmerized by the beauty of Rara Jonggrang. He wanted her to be his wife.

“O, Princess Rara Jonggrang! You are a goddess. I want you to be my wife,” said Bandung Bandawasa.

Instead of answering him, Rara sat in silence, panic, and fear. The truth was she hated Bandung Bandawasa so much for murdering her father. At the same time, she was too timid to refuse the proposal because however strong she was, the man was no match for her. After a while, an idea popped up in the princess’ head.

“Well, Bandung Bandawasa, I will marry you. But I have a condition,” said Rara Jonggrang.

“What is it, my dear princess?” asked Bandung Bandawasa.

“Before you can marry me, I want you to build me a thousand temples and two wells. I will give you one night to do all that,” answered Rara Jonggrang.

Sure he was able, Bandung Bandawasa agreed with the princess. When the night fell, he called on his unseen troop of spirits to help him out. Shortly after, thousands of them came up to build the temples and wells like Rara Jonggrang wanted. They worked very quickly that by the middle of the night there were nearly a thousand temples done; only three temples and two wells left to build.

Rara Jonggrang had been watching them working and now started to feel uneasy. “They are almost done by now. What do we do?” asked Rara Jonggrang to one of her lady-in-waiting.

“Poise, Princess. There must be a way-out," cheered the maid.

Rara Jonggrang went on thinking strenuously and finally found an idea. She would make it like it was daybreak to make the spirits stop working before completing the temples. 

“Wake up your friends, maid! Quick! Tell them to burn the hay and pound the rice! Oh, and pour flowers in the streets too!” Rara Jonggrang shouted.

“Right away, Princess!” answered the maid whilst rushing into the palace to get her friends up.

The royal servants did their princess’s command well. Before long, a reddish beam shone from the east where they burnt the hay. Some of them then began to pound the rice—something people usually did in the morning. The smell of the flowers could be felt faintly and meanwhile, the roosters started crowing.

Bandung Bandawasa’s troops were taken aback to realize that the sun was about to rise. Afraid of getting burnt by the sunshine, they hurried to get off and leave the work. They were all gone whereas there was only one temple more to a thousand. Few big rocks were scattered at the place.

“Hey!! Where are you going!? It wasn’t morning yet!" shouted Bandung Bandawasa at his troop.

The spirits did not care about the work anymore. Left alone, Bandawasa tried to build the last temple himself. However, he failed because the morning really came when he had not finished it. Rara Jonggrang was relieved. She went up to him and said, “What happened, Bandawasa? It seems you have fallen short.”

Bandawasa realized that the princess had cheated him. He was furious that he released his anger by turning Rara Jonggrang into a statue.

“You’ve been unfair to me, young lady. Now you’ll be the thousandth temple,” said Bandawasa wrathfully.

Rara Jonggrang became a statue, a very beautiful one. Until today, the statue is still there in a big room inside Rara Jonggrang Temple in Prambanan Temples Complex. The other temples around it are known as Sewu Temple.Sewu is a Javanese word for a thousand.

***

Thus the story of Rara Jonggrang ended. The above tale is a folklore legend that bears morals for daily life. A major message in the story is cheating and deceitfulness will cause misery for the doer. This is shown by Rara Jonggrang’s effort to fail Bandung Bandawasa’s work to avoid marrying him. Consequently, she is turned into a statue.

A Malay word of wisdom says:

Apa tanda orang yang licik (What shows a deceitful)
Janji mungkir cakap berbalik (Promises broken, word not walked)
Kalau suka bersifat curang, (If you like to cheat on others)
Alamat kepala dimakan parang (You’ll suffer like your head chopped with a knife)

Ande-Ande Lumut | English Version | Versi Bahasa Inggris

Ande-Ande Lumut is a pseudonym of a prince of Jenggala Kingdom whose real name is Panji Asmarabangun. According to the story, Panji hides his true identity to find his wife who leaves the palace. Why does she go? Can the prince find her? Read the following story.

***

Long ago in East Java, there stood twin kingdoms namely Jenggala, which was ruled by King Jayengnegara, and Kediri, whose king was Jayengrana. The kingdoms were once united under Kahuripan. The king of Kahuripan, Airlangga, before his death had a will that whatever happened, they had to be together as one. So to avoid war, the kingdoms decided to reunite through a marriage of the kings’ children. Panji Asmarabangun, son of Jayengnegara, was married to Dewi Sekartaji, daughter of Jayengrana.

Once upon a time, Jenggala was attacked by a large number of people. When the war broke out, Princess Dewi Sekartaji ran away and hid out in a desolate village. She went in disguise as a village girl and then served a wealthy widow called Nyai Intan. Nyai Intan had three beautiful daughters, Kleting Abang, Kleting Ijo, and Kleting Biru. After a while, she fostered Dewi Sekartaji and gave her the name of Kleting Kuning.

Kleting Kuning did all the housekeeping and cooking in the house. She was more like a servant than a child. Nyai Intan and her daughters often scolded her and treated her badly. It was good enough if the girl had only one meal a day.

In the meantime in Jenggala, Panji Asmarabangun together with his troop managed to drive out the enemies. The victory was just a short relief for him as he could not find his beloved wife. Heaven knew where she was.

With the kingdom restoring its security, the prince devoted his time to seek his wife. Right away he commanded his soldiers to gather as much information as could be. Then, in one fine afternoon, a soldier came up to him.

“I have good news for you, Your Highness,” reported the man.

“Did you find anything?” asked the prince eagerly.

“I saw a woman that looked like the princess, Your Highness, in a small village. But I’m not sure yet that she was her because she was only a village woman who worked for a rich widow.”

In the next few days, Panji decided to pass himself off as a prince who was looking for a wife. He was headed for Dadapan, a village at the bank of Bengawan Solo River, with some guards. The village was not far from where Kleting Kuning lived.

Under the name of Ande-Ande Lumut, Panji stayed in a modest house of an old widow called Mbok Randa. He soon announced to the people that he was holding a contest to find a wife. In a very short time, it spread out to all corners of the village and to the neighboring villages.

Kleting Abang, Kleting Ijo, and Kleting Biru were so happy to hear that. They dressed up as beautiful as possible to win the prince’s heart. They were sure he would fall for one of them.

“We should always look pretty, sister. Mother will be glad if one of us becomes a princess,” said Kleting Abang.

On the due day, the girls seemed ready. They put on their best dresses and jewelry. When they were wearing their make up, Kleting Kuning came up to them.

“Wow, you guys are so beautiful!” she said.

“Hi, Kleting Kuning! Do you want to take part in the contest too?” asked Kleting Abang.

“That’s unlikely. You don’t even have a dress. You certainly can’t go out there in such a terrible look,” mocked Kleting Ijo.

“Hahaha! That’s right. You can’t go to the contest. You’d better stay home and finish your job. Go, do the laundry!” shouted Kleting Biru while pointing at a pile of their dirty clothes.

Kleting Kuning took the dirty clothes and went to a nearby river. She actually did not want to go to the contest since a memory of her husband was still in his mind. She would not see anyone else as long as the prince was still alive. Whilst at the riverbank, suddenly a heron approached her. It weirdly talked like a human and grabbed a whip in its feet.

“O princess! Pray, care to go to the contest in Dadapan. There you will meet your husband. Take this whip, you may need it,” said the heron, putting the whip on a stone next to Kleting Kuning.

The lady barely said anything when the mysterious bird flew up high in the sky and got out of sight. Without hesitating, Kleting Kuning rushed back home and dressed up for the contest.

By that time, Nyai Intan and her three daughters had left. They reached the bank of Bengawan Solo River. But they could not get across a river that deep and wide. It happened that not a single boat was seen around there.

“Mother, how can we get across?” asked Kleting Ijo in confusion.

“Yes, mother. What do we do now?” added Kleting Biru.

“Wait, wait. Look at that! What is that?” said Kleting Abang.

They were taken aback to see a giant crab floating upon the stream. They did not know that the crab was Yuyu Kangkang, Ande Ande Lumut’s henchman assigned to test the participants.

“Do you need help, ladies?” asked the crab.

“Can you really get us across?” asked Kleting Abang back.

Yuyu Kangkang laughed.

“Ha… ha… ha!! I can do that, but I have a condition,” the crab said.

“What is it? Tell us quick!” urged Kleting Ijo. “Whatever it is, we will do that as long as you can take us to the other side of the river.”

“Well, then. I want all of you to kiss me,” said Yuyu Kangkang in teasing fashion.

Kleting Abang and her two sisters agreed. One by one, they stuck out their neck and kissed the crab. After that, Yuyu Kangkang told them to get on his back and took them across.

Not very long afterwards, Kleting Kuning showed up at the river bank. Like before, Yuyu Kangkang offered a help under the same condition: she had to give him a kiss. Kleting Kuning refused it. She did not want to kiss anyone while still having a husband. But she begged for help anyway. The crab turned away. He did not want to lend a hand until he got a kiss. Kleting Kuning began to lose patience. She lashed the stream with her whip, making the river water dwindle. Witnessing such a power, Yuyu Kangkang was petrified. He quickly took her across and even to Dadapan Village.

In Mbok Randa’s house, Kleting Kuning met her sisters and mother. Not long after, Ande-Ande Lumut came out. The ladies showed off their beauties in front of the prince. But he did not seem impressed by any of them. Nyai Intan started to feel worried. She went forward and got on her knees before the prince.

“Take one of my daughters, prince. They are all beautiful, aren’t they?” the widow begged.

Ande-Ande Lumut only smiled.

“They are indeed charming. But I am not going to pick any of them,” said Ande Ande Lumut.

“Guards! Lead that lady in yellow dress here!” commanded him, referring to the girl sitting on the back row. She was Kleting Kuning.

“I will take you as wife. Will you say yes?” the prince asked the modest looking lady.

Everyone in the place was surprised, moreover Nyai Intan and her daughters.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness! Why do you pick that rakish woman instead of my daughters?” asked Nyai Intan.

Again, Ande-Ande Lumut smiled, and then said, “Nyai Intan! Just so you know why I don’t choose your daughters. It is because they have been disgraced by Yuyu Kangkang, the giant crab. I pick this lady because she is still clean. She refused to kiss the crab.”

Afterwards, Ande-Ande Lumut revealed to Kleting Kuning who he really was. The husband and wife finally reunited again. As for Nyai Intan and her daughters, they walked home with disappointment and embarrassment.

***

The characters of Kelting Abang, Kleting Ijo, and Kleting Biru represent greedy girls who cannot keep their honor. They dream to be a wife of a prince and are willing to do anything for that, even sacrificing their purity. In the end, they tragically get nothing.

Ande-Ande Lumut and Kleting Kuning both represent a faithful lover. Despite everything that befalls them, they remain firm on their love to each other. As a result, after a long separation, they reunite with each other. It is a clear example of where faithfulness could lead people to.

Jaka Tarub And Seven Angels | English Version | Versi Bahasa Inggris

A long time ago in the village of Tarub, there lived a widow called Mbok Randha Tarub. Since the death of her husband, she took a boy as a son. Years passed by, the boy was now a man. People called him Jaka Tarub.

Jaka Tarub was a good guy. He liked to help other people. Every day he assisted his mother to cultivate their farm, from which they earned a living. Despite only a foster child, Jaka Tarub was much dear to Mbok Randha. She loved him like her own son.

Time was fleeting very fast. Jaka Tarub turned up a handsome and well-mannered man. Many girls dreamt to be his wife but the young man had never had a thought about starting a family. He wanted to make his mother happy first. Jaka worked very hard that the farm yielded abundant crops. Mbok Randha, who was very generous, shared them with her neighbors.

One day, Jaka and his mother were sitting around on the porch. “Jaka, my son. I see you have grown up very well. You have come to an age at which you should begin thinking of marrying someone. Go find a girl, Son, I want a grandchild," said the old widow with a smile.

“But I don’t want to get married yet, Mbok,” answered Jaka.

"Who will take care of you after I die? You'll need a woman, young man,” said Mbok Randha again.

“Don’t say that, Mbok. You’ll live long enough,” Jaka responded shortly.

Several days later, Jaka Tarub was taking a rest when he realized that he had not seen his mother that day. “It’s midday, but mother hasn‘t woke up. Strange…,” murmured Jaka Tarub. He went to his mother’s room. “Mother, are you sick?” asked Jaka while touching his mother’s forehead softly.

“I think so,” Mbok Randha answered weakly.

“You’ve got fever, Mother,” Jaka was surprised.  He rushed out to find some leaves to compress his mother. Sadly, Mbok Randha could not hang on. She breathed her last not long after.

The death of his mother left Jaka Tarub alone. He was often seen daydreaming. His farm was neglected. “It would be useless I’m working. Who will I share the rice with when it crops?” said Jaka to himself.

One night, Jaka dreamt of himself eating a deer meat. When awake in the morning, he found himself craving for the same meat he ate in his dream. That morning, Jaka went to the wood carrying a blowpipe. He strolled through big trees but there was no deer. He wondered where the animals went that he saw none of them. He was in a jungle where not many people had gone so it was really weird.

Jaka sat below a tree near a pond to take a rest. The cool breeze quickly sent him to sleep.

Then, faintly Jaka heard some women laughing from the pond. He opened his eyes, wondering who were there. He looked upon the pond. There were seven gorgeous women playing around in the water, having a good time. The young man Jaka was astounded by their extraordinary beauties. “They must be fairies,” Jaka thought. At the edge of the pond, Jaka saw their shawls and clothes. Without having a long thought, he took one of the shawls and hid it.

“Sisters, it’s afternoon already. We have to get back to heaven,” said a fairy. They all got out of the water and put their clothes back on. Unfortunately, one of them—apparently the youngest fairy—did not find her shawl, without which she would not be able to fly.

“Sisters, I couldn’t find my shawl!” she cried.

They sought the shawl together until dusk and found nothing. “Nawang Wulan, we could not wait for you any longer. It is probably your fate to stay here on Earth,” said a fairy. “We should leave you here,” she added.

Nawang Wulan was weeping alone. Jaka Tarub, who had been there all along, came out pretending to know nothing. He said he wanted to help her. He took Nawang Wulan to his house and soon married her. Jaka Tarub’s life was back cheerful. They lived happily as a couple, moreover after the birth of their daughter, Nawangsih.

One day in the kitchen, Nawang Wulan said to Jaka Tarub, “My husband, I’m cooking rice. Would you watch it for me while I’m taking a bath at the river? But don’t open the pan. Just don’t.” Jaka was alone in the kitchen. He grew curious about what was inside the pan. Despite what his wife had said, he opened it. There was only a single grain of rice in it. “This is why the rice in the barn never decreased. Nawang only needs a single grain to cook a full pan of rice,” he muttered.

Nawang Wulan got home and found that there was still a grain in the pan. She was disappointed by her husband for not doing what she told. It resulted in her losing her power, too, so she had to pound and wash the rice as other people did. Since then, the amount of rice in the barn decreased. With the floor was slowly uncovered, Nawang finally found her lost shawl under the heap of rice. She revealed that it was her husband that stole and hid her shawl all this time. Immediately, she put on the shawl and went to see her husband.

“My husband, I had to go back to heaven. Take care of Nawangsih and make her a small hut near our house. Take her there every night then I will come to breastfeed her. But you should stay away,” said Nawang Wulan. She soared into the sky afterwards.

Jaka Tarub knew he could do nothing but following Nawang’s command. Every night, he could only look at his wife and daughter from afar. When Nawangsih fell asleep, Nawang Wulan would go back to heaven. It went on like this until Nawangsih grew up.

Jaka Tarub and Nawangsih could feel that Nawang Wulan was watching them all the time. They believed in every trouble they faced, she would help them out in mysterious ways.

*Mbok : Mother

Lutung Kasarung | English Version | Versi Bahasa Inggris

Lutung Kasarung is a poem well known in Sundanese society in West Java, Indonesia. The poem tells about the journey of Sanghyang Guruminda from heaven to earth in which he turns into a lutung, a long-tailed black monkey. On earth, he gets lost in a jungle, thus the name Lutung Kasarung (The Lost Monkey). There he meets Purbasari, an expelled princess. Despite his monkey form, Lutung Kasarung gets married with the princess. How does it come? Find out in the following story of Lutung Kasarung. 

***

In ancient time in West Java, there lived a wise king called Prabu Tapa Agung who reigned in Pasir Batang Kingdom. The king fathered seven daughters; each of them had an unbearably beautiful look. They were Purbararang, Purbadewata, Purbaendah, Purbakancana, Purbamanik, and the youngest, Purbasari. Of the princesses, five of them were already married and being queens for other kingdoms. Only Purbararang and Purbasari were yet to get married. Purbararang, however, had already had a fiancé, a well-built and agreeable man called Raden Indrajaya. He was a son of one of the king’s ministers.

In the last few days, Prabu Tapa Agung often sat alone looking mourning on his throne. There seemed to be a big problem in his mind. So the queen tried to talk to him.

“My husband, you’ve been looking sad for days. What is it bothering you? Maybe I can help,” asked the queen in a soothing voice.

“Oh, honey, I am getting old. I could no longer lead this kingdom well. I've been thinking of stepping down. But..." said Prabu Tapa Agung.

“But what, my husband?” asked the queen again.

Prabu Tapa Agung told her that he could not yet decide which one of Purbabarang and Purbasari would succeed him. According to the reigning traditional law, the most rightful successor would be Princess Purbabarang as she was the oldest daughter. But the king himself did not think she would fit the position, knowing her traits. She was an arrogant, boastful, and sly woman. Purbabarang frequently made a tactless decision that caused bad situations. The king preferred his youngest daughter to replace him. Contrary to her sister, she was kind, wise, and clever. In the end, the king made up his mind. Purbasari would be queen once he retired.

Purbabarang refused the decision. She could not accept that her father favored Purbasari over her. Feeling she deserved to be queen, Purbabarang lamented the bad news to her fiancé.

“My father is being unfair. He is planning to crown Purbasari instead of me. I am his oldest child for God’s sake,” moaned the princess.

Raden Indrajaya, Purbabarang’s fiancé, became angry at once.

“It can’t happen that way. You’re the real queen!” shouted him.

“What do we do?” Purbabarang panicked.

“We need to get rid of your impudent sister,” said Indrajaya.

After a long discussion, they decided to see a psychic, Ni Ronde. They asked her for help to cast a spell on Purbasari.

Several days later, Pasir Batang Palace burst into a tumult. All of a sudden, Princess Purbasari was struck by a bizarre illness. She felt itchy all over her body and there were black spots on her skin. The king was surprised to see his dearest princess' condition. He called a few medicine men right away but she did not get better. Purbabarang, meanwhile, took advantage of the adversity. She urged her father to send Purbasari into exile.

“Father, maybe this is what we get when we don’t comply with our tradition. The ancestors must be offended and cursing Purbasari. I’m afraid our entire kingdom will get the curse too,” reasoned Purbabarang.

Prabu Tapa Agung was coaxed. Reluctantly, he moved his youngest daughter to the forest to ensure that the kingdom would stay safe. Purbasari realized she did not have any other choices than to accept everything.

The king commanded his prime minister, Uwak Batara Lengser, to take Purbasari to the jungle. After making a hut for the princess deep in the wood, the kind-hearted prime minister advised the princess, “Be patient, Princess. This hardship shall end soon, may God protect you. I will come here every now and then to deliver food and drink. You’d better take a rest now.”

“Thank you, Uncle. Your word calms me down,” said Purbasari.

Since then, Purbasari lived alone in the jungle. To amuse herself, every morning she took a stroll around to see the landscape and have fun with the animals. In only a few days, she had already made a lot of friends. The animals were so kind to her. They helped the princess to get fruits.

One day, while Purbasari was playing around with the animals, someone was staring from afar. It turned out that he was a lutung, black monkey. He came over to the hut before long. The princess was taken aback when she realized a scary creature standing beside her.

“What are you doing, monkey? Please leave!” Purbasari looked scared.

“Don’t be afraid of me, Princess. I won’t do any harm,” answered the monkey.

Purbasari was even more frightened to know that the monkey could speak like human.

“Who are you?” she asked timidly.

“My name is Guruminda, the son of Sunan Ambu who dwells in heaven. I did something bad that I was expelled to earth in this body,” the monkey explained.

The princess calmed down. Asking no more questions, she smiled and introduced herself. Their situation was almost similar as both were expelled to the jungle. They soon became good friends. Since then, Purbasari called the monkey Lutung Kasarung, meaning the lost monkey. Wherever the princess went, the monkey was behind her. He helped her pick fruits every time she felt hungry.

On a full-moon night, quietly Lutung Kasarung went to a tranquil place to meditate. There, he begged God to help Princess Purbasari get rid of her illness. Not long after that, the ground on which he sat turned into a pond. The water was so pure, fresh, and fragrant. When the sun beamed its light at daybreak, Lutung rushed to see Purbasari to take her to the pond.

“Hey, Tung!” Purbasari was confused.

“Where are you taking me to? Oh, here. What a beautiful pond that is.”

“Get in the water, Princess. It will cure you,” said Lutung Kasarung.

Purbasari slowly walked into the water. Miraculously, just a moment after she soaked herself in the pond, the black spots on her skin disappeared, leaving no traces whatsoever. Her skin was back clean and immaculate as it had used to. She was speechless, being amazed and happy at the same time.

“Thank you, Tung. Very kind of you,” said her gratefully.

What happened that morning only made Purbasari love the monkey more. Never did she complain about living with him and other animals in the jungle. Her heart had meld with the jungle life, forgetting her real home.

One day, Prime Minister Uwak Batara Lengser visited her and got taken aback to know that the princess had got rid of her illness. He then tried to take her back to the palace.

“My Princess, for the sake of your father, would you come back to our palace?” said the prime minister.

Deep inside her heart, Purbasari felt so hard to leave the jungle. But then she realized that it was not her place to be with the animals and that she was more needed in the palace.

“Well, Uncle, let's go back home. But on one condition, you have to let me bring Lutung along. He has helped me greatly that I won’t be able to thank him enough,” said the princess.

“As you wish, my Princess. I think the king would love to see that monkey,” said the prime minister.

Princess Purbasari went back to the palace with Prime Minister Uwak Batara Lengser and Lutung Kasarung. There they were welcomed cheerfully by the whole palace, except Princess Purbararang and Raden Indrajaya. While the others were laughing and crying in happiness, the mean couple was busy devising another plan.

“Father, I don’t agree with your decision to enthrone Purbasari. I am your most rightful heir. For justice, Father, I urge you to hold a contest. The winner will get the throne, the loser will get hanged,” said Purbararang.

No matter how he did not like the idea, for justice Prabu Tapa Agung granted Purbararang’s wish. There was going to be two contests: cooking contest and long-hair contest. Urged by her father, Purbasari accepted the challenge.

“Don’t you worry, Princess! I sure will help you,” whispered Lutung Kasarung.

“Thanks, Lutung. I hope you will,” answered Purbasari.

On the given day, the people of Pasir Batang gathered in the palace court to see the contest. Not long after, the two daughters of Prabu Tapa Agung came up. The first was cooking contest, in which the tastier food would determine the winner.

When ready, a gong was hit to start the contest. Purbararang promptly prepared the spices, helped by tens of royal servants. Purbasari, on the contrary, tried to do things as quick as she could with only Lutung Kasarung lending her a hand. Soon after, Purbararang was almost done. She seemed happy to see her sister start panicking. But then, Lutung used his supernatural power. He called some heaven's fairies to get down to earth and help Purbasari. Nobody could see them. Aided by the fairies, Purbasari finished cooking in time with much tastier food. She finally came out as the winner.

Going on to the second contest, in which their hair-lengths would be compared, Purbabarang was confident. She untied her hair to show how long it was. The princess’ hair was dark and thick and hung to below her knees.

“Come on, Purbasari! Show me your hair! You won’t win again this time!” said Purbararang arrogantly.

Purbasari bowed her head, speechless. Her hair was no more than waist long.

“Why quiet, Princess?” asked Lutung Kasarung who stood beside her.

“Well I’m losing this one, Lutung,” whispered Purbasari.

“Don’t you worry, Princess. I will call some fairies to make your hair longer,” said the monkey.

Not long after Lutung Kasarung meditated, another flock of fairies came to lengthen Purbasari’s hair without anybody noticing. When the princess untied her hair, everyone was amazed. It was a dark, sparkling, soft hair hung loose to her heels. Purbararang could not believe what she just saw. She was embarrassed and shocked as her sister got the better of her again. But she did not run out of ideas at all. She called on his father for another contest: which one was handsomer between the princess’ men.

“If Purbasari wins again, I won’t mind to get hanged,” said Purbararang in front of the people.

Prabu Tapa Agung was not sure about the contest as Purbasari had not had any men with her yet. If some random man was commanded to be her fiancé at the time, he could not be handsomer than Indrajaya. Purbasari, however, was willing to take the challenge. The king nodded his head.

Proudly, Purbabarang came out on the stage holding Indrajaya’s arm. “O, people of Pasir Batang! Have a look at my fiancé, Indrajaya! I will sure be queen of this kingdom, won’t I?” exclaimed Purbararang.

Everyone would agree that Indrajaya was indeed a charming man. Nobody could match his look. They were sure that Purbasari would lose this time, moreover when she awkwardly got on the stage with Lutung Kasarung.

“This is my future husband!” said Purbasari proudly.

“Yes, this monkey is my fiancé!” she yelled again.

Purbararang, Indrajaya, and the rest of people laughed at the seemingly disturbed princess.

“Hey, Purbasari! Isn’t there any handsomer monkey than that one?” mocked Purbararang.

Lutung Kasarung was insulted. He could not stand seeing Purbasari being a subject of despising laughter. He tried to gather power to turn into his original form. Apparently, after what he did to Purbasari, heaven forgave all his wrongdoings. A moment later, he changed into the charismatic and handsome Guruminda. Everybody was mesmerized by his look, including Purbasari herself.

With Purbasari winning the contest, she inherited the throne of the kingdom. Purbasari and Indrajaya should be hanged for losing but Purbasari did not have the heart to do that. She did not want to kill her own sister. She cancelled the punishment and let her sister stay in the palace with her.

Purbasari became the Queen of Pasir Batang Kingdom. She was known to be a wise leader in his prosperous and peaceful homeland.

***

Lutung Kasarung, like normally folklore stories, contains morals. There are at least two things we could learn from the above story: 1) we should never look down on other people, and 2) we should be willing to forgive and give up grudges.

Purbararang challenges Purbasari to fight for the kingdom’s throne, thinking her younger sister will not be able to do anything to beat her. Surprisingly, Purbasari does with the help of Lutung Kasarung. As a result, Purbararang is threatened with hanging.  Indeed, we should not look down on anybody. Here is a passage from the Malay verses of wisdom:

Kalau suka merendahkan orang, (If you like to hold others in disdain)
Alamat badan dimakan parang. (You might get a blade trouncing your body)

Later on, Purbasari does not hold a grudge for her sister, even after she gets hurt. She forgives Purbararang, sets her free from hanging, and lets her stay with her in the palace. It is with forgivingness like this that a family should keep themselves from disputes and enmity. As said in the Malay verses of wisdom:

Kalau suka memaafkan orang, (Forgive others)
Kusut selesai sengketa pun hilang. (Over be dispute, quarrel no more)
Kalau suka bermaaf-maafan, (Apologize to each other)
Hidup rukun hati pun nyaman. (Live peacefully, feel serenity)