Gentong Mountain

Gunung Gentong >> Edisi Bahasa Indonesia

Folklore from Yogyakarta

DID you read the story about Raden Patah? The story told us that he was in the jungle and finally he could go back and stay in the palace of Majapahit Kingdom.

Now do you want to know the next story about Raden Patah? Read on, friends!

Raden Patah was so happy. The palace was very much different from the jungle. And the king, his father, taught him everything.

The king hoped that Raden Patah could someday replace him as a king.

Slowly Raden Patah became a great man. When he was adult, he already mastered a lot of skills. People respected him. And it was not only because he was the son of a king, or he was skillful in many things, but it was because he was kind, polite, and helpful.

Lots of people loved him. The king ordered Raden Patah to go to Palembang. Raden Patah was asked to stay and lead the people there. The place was under the power of Majapahit Kingdom. It was a great task for Raden Patah. And he did the task responsibly.

Raden Patah stayed in Palembang for several years. Under his power, the place became prosperous. The people were happy. And Raden Patah also recruited many men to be his soldiers. He built strong army.

Raden Patah missed his father so much. One night he had a dream about his father. He thought there was something wrong with him. Therefore he left Palembang in a hurry. He also brought some soldiers to go with him. When he arrived in Java, a soldier of Majapahit Kingdom saw Raden Patah and his soldiers coming to Majapahit Kingdom.

The soldier immediately reported to the king. The king was surprised to hear the report. He did not know why Raden Patah came with lots of soldiers. One of his advisors told him that Raden Patah might revenge, because the king had left and abandoned him in the jungle.

The king believed what the advisor said. He asked everybody to leave the palace. When Raden Patah arrived in the palace he was so disappointed to see that the palace was empty. He did not see anyone there. He heard that the king had left. So Raden Patah ordered his soldiers to follow the king.

The king heard that Raden Patah followed him. So, he moved to another place. He went to a big hill and stayed there with the queen and some soldiers.

The hill was empty and infertile. There was no any tree. And it was very hot. There was no source of water. They were so thirsty.

Raden Patah finally arrived in the hill. He knew they were so thirsty. He wanted to help them. With his power, he brought a big gentong, it's a large earthenware bowl for water. He lifted the gentong and threw it to the top of the hill.

The gentong landed well on the top of the hill. The king and the rest of the people were grateful. They immediately drank the water. And when Raden Patah arrived, he asked his father why he left the palace.

The father explained and Raden Patah understood that there was misunderstanding. He told his father that he never planned to attack Majapahit. Raden Patah and his father went back to the palace. And the gentong was still on the top of the big hill. Since then people named the hill as Gunung Gentong or Gentong Mountain. ***

Gunung Gentong

Raden Patah

Raden Patah >> Edisi Bahasa Indonesia

Folklore from Yogyakarta

PRABU Brawijaya was the King of Majapahit Kingdom. He had a wife and some concubines. One of the concubines was Ratu Mayangsari. She was the most beautiful concubine. In fact she was more beautiful than the Queen. The King really loved Ratu Mayangsari. He always took care of her very well and that made the Queen jealous. She always told the King bad things about the concubine. The King understood that his wife hated Ratu Mayangsari.

"I have to do something! I don't want her to be here anymore!" said the Queen angrily.

Why was she so upset? Well, Ratu Mayangsari was pregnant and that made the Queen hated her more and more.

The King also knew that Ratu Mayangsari was pregnant. He planned to move her to another place.

He thought that the palace was not safe enough for her. The King brought Ratu Mayangsari to a village. He went to an old man's house. He knew the man very well. His name was Ki Juru Sawah.

"Ki, I need your help. Please take care of her. And when she delivers a baby, please take care of the baby. After all, the baby is my child," said the King.

"I will, Your Majesty," said Ki Juru Sawah.

Since then Ratu Mayangsari lived in the village. When the baby was born, she named him Raden Patah.

Raden Patah grew as a kind and polite kid. Ki juru Sawah loved him like his own son. He also taught him everything, especially martial arts. Raden Patah was the son of the King. Therefore, he inherited the supernatural power that his father had.

One day, Ki Juru Sawah wanted to go to the palace.

"May I join you, please?" asked Raden Patah.

Ki Juru Sawah did not have the heart so he let Raden Patah join him.

The journey was so fun. Raden Patah had never left his village before. He was amazed by the view and kept on asking things to Ki Juru Sawah. He answered the questions happily. He was glad to see Raden Patah enjoyed the journey.

When they arrived at the palace, Ki Juru Sawah entered the palace and Raden Patah stayed outside of the palace. At first, Raden Patah could stay well, but slowly he was so curious about the palace. He secretly entered the palace. With his power, he could enter the palace and passed the guards.

Raden Patah entered a secret room. It was a room for sacred things. Raden Patah was amazed. He saw a big gong. He hit the gong and that made thunderous sound.

The sound was so loud! Everybody in the palace could hear it. They all were surprised. Not everybody could hit the gong! Only special people, like the King, could hit the gong.

"Guards! Go to the secret room! Find and bring me the person who hit the gong!" ordered the King.

The guard rushed to the room. They saw a little kid near the gong and brought him to the King.

"Who are you? And where is your father?" asked the King.

"My name is Raden Patah and I don't have a father. I'm here with my grandfather, his name is Ki
Juru Sawah," said Raden Patah.

"Really? Ki Juru Sawah, is he your grandson?" asked the King.

"Your Majesty, actually he is your son. His mother is Ratu Mayangsari."

"Really? My son... please forgive me," said the King.

He hugged Raden Patah. He felt so guilty and apologized to his son. He wanted to make up for his mistake. Therefore, he asked Raden Patah and his mother to stay in the palace. Since then Raden Patah and his mother lived in the palace. When he grew up, Raden Patah became a great man and very famous. ***

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The Wild Crocodile

Buaya Liar >> Edisi Bahasa Indonesia

Folklore from South Sumatra

Help!!! Please help me!!!" a man was screaming for help. 

"What's the matter? What's wrong?" 

"The crocodiles are attacking and eating my cows. Please help me!" begged the man.

"Help you? No one can help you. No one dares to handle the crocodiles."

"But all my cows will be gone if no one helps me," the man looked so sad.

"I know.... It happened to me too. The crocodiles ate my cattle. Now I don't have anything left," he said sadly.

"We have to do something. Otherwise the crocodiles will eat all our cattle. And when all the cattle are gone, the crocodiles will eat us!"

"Hey, you are absolutely right. This crocodile problem has bothered us a lot. We have to tell the king about this."

"I agree. Let's go to the palace and talk to the king about these crocodiles."

And those two men were going to the palace. They wanted to tell the king that the crocodiles that lived in the Musi River were dangerous. When they were hungry, the crocodiles always ate people's cattle. The people were upset. But there was nothing they could do. Everybody was scared of the crocodiles.

The two men arrived at the palace. They talked about their problem to the king.

"I understand how you feel. We have to do something to make the crocodiles stop their wild behavior. We have to tame them. We need a tamer," said the king.

The king's advisor talked, "Your Majesty, I know a good tamer. He can tame even the wildest crocodiles. But he lives very far from here."

"Pick him up now. Go with some soldiers and when you meet the tamer, tell that I will give him lots of gold if he can tame the crocodiles," said the king.

The king's advisor and the soldiers then went to the crocodile tamer's house. After spending several days, they finally arrived. The tamer agreed to help. Then they immediately went back. The tamer went to Musi River. He did his job very well. All the crocodiles in Musi River were tamed! They did not attack the cattle anymore. Everybody praised the crocodile tamer.

"It's wonderful. You have done a great job," said the king.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," said the tamer proudly.

"I have another plan. I have promised to give you lots of gold if you can tame the crocodiles in Musi River, and now I will give you more gold if you can tame the crocodiles that live in a swamp in the forest," said the king.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I can tame all crocodiles. Just take me there, and I will tame the crocodiles," said the tamer.

On the way to the forest, the king ordered his soldier a special mission. And when they arrived, the tamer directly did his job. He tamed all the crocodiles successfully.

"I have another request. Can you make the crocodiles to be wild again?" asked the king.

"That's easy. I will make them even wilder than before," said the tamer.

And it worked! The crocodiles were wilder than before.

Suddenly the king said, "Now!" And the soldiers pushed the tamer towards the crocodiles. And the crocodiles immediately attacked and ate the tamer!

"Your Majesty, I still don't understand why we pushed and let the crocodiles ate the tamer," asked one soldier.

"Well, with his great ability in controlling the crocodiles, I'm afraid the tamer will use it to attack us. We don't have to worry, because the crocodiles in Musi River are tamed now," said the king. ***

Ampera Bermandikan Cahaya

Jembatan Ampera

Jembatan Ampera tempo dulu

Indramayu

Indramayu >> Edisi Bahasa Indonesia

The origin of Indramayu

Folklore from West Java

WIRA Lodra was a young and handsome man. He had supernatural power. Lots of girls liked him. And one of them was Putri Kedasih. She really loved him and had tried to persuade him to marry her.

However, Wira Lodra rejected her love. He already loved a girl, her name was Darma Ayu. She was not just an ordinary girl. She was a goddess from heaven. She was so beautiful.

Wira Lodra and Darma Ayu were in dilemma. All the gods and the goddesses did not approve the couple's relationship.

"You know you cannot have a relationship with a human," said one god.

"I know.. . but I really love him," said Darma Ayu.

"Your relationship with a human has made you sinned. You have to purify yourself from the sin," said one goddess.

"What should I do?" asked Darma Ayu.

"We will put you in one place. There you have to lead the people. You will become their queen. And after the people live prosperously, you can go back to heaven."

Darma Ayu was sad. She really loved Wira Lodra although she knew it was wrong.

Then the gods and goddess put Darma Ayu in the riverside of Cimanuk River. There she became a queen. She led the people wisely. Slowly more and more people came. The people were prosperous.

Meanwhile, Wira Lodra was looking for Darma Ayu everywhere. He really lost her. And when he heard that lots of people lived in the sides of Cimanuk River, he went there. He heard that the place was led a by a very beautiful woman. She hoped that woman was Darma Ayu.

And he was right! The woman was Darma Ayu. The couple finally met again. They were really happy, And this time Darma Ayu forgot her punishment. She just wanted to live with Wira Lodra.

They would get married. However, before the marriage started, something happened. Putri Kedasih, the woman who really loved Wira Lodra, came. Apparently she still loved him although Wira Lodra had already rejected her.

She came and told Darma Ayu that Wira Lodra was her husband. She pointed her big belly. Well, it was just a lie. She pretended to be pregnant just to make Darma Ayu angry.

"Wira Lodra is my husband. Look, I'm pregnant. He is the father of my baby," said Putri Kedasih.

She succeeded. Darma Ayu was so angry.

"You said that you really love me. But why did you marry someone else?" asked Darma Ayu.

She was so sad that she left Wira Lodra. She came back to heaven.

"No, please, don't leave me.... I still love you. I never marry her. Please come back to me!" cried Wira Lodra.

Wira Lodra was so sad. And he was also very angry at Putri Kedasih. He asked her to leave and stay away from him forever.

People were always talking about the tragedy. They always talked about Darma Ayu, which slowly changed into Indramayu. ***

Indramayu Regency is a regency (kabupaten) of West Java, Indonesia. Indramayu is its capital. This regency is located on the northeastern part of West Java.

Tugu Kujang Indramayu

Datu Kalaka

Datu Kalaka >> Edisi Bahasa Indonesia

Folklore from South Kalimantan

DATU kalaka... Datu Kalaka, the Dutch are coming!"

"Really? Where did you see them?"

"Over there! They are about to enter our village."

"Now, tell all the villagers to go inside their houses. Don't go out. They're looking for me, so tell them not to worry!"

"Alright Datu, I'll tell the villagers now!" the man immediately ran and told the villagers to stay inside their houses.

Who was Datu Kalaka and why were the Dutch looking for him? Well, Datu Kalaka was a leader. People named him 'Datu' as a symbol of respect to him. Datu Kalaka was a strong man.

He mastered great martial art skills. Also, he had a supernatural power. People said he could change himself into anything! And Datu Kalaka used all his power to protect the people.

Recently, their lives were disturbed by the dutch. At first they came in peace. They wanted to do some business with the local people. The area was fertile. All kinds of trees grew very well. And the Dutch were interested in buying the harvest. The business ran well.

However slowly the Dutch tried to cheat the business, they wanted to steal and occupy the area. They wanted to have all the harvest!

Luckily, the Dutch's plan to occupy the place was stopped by Datu Kalaka. He used all his power to make sure that the Dutch would not set their feet in their place.

The Dutch knew that Datu Kalaka lived in the village. But they were never able to find him. Why? It was because Datu Kalaka was always hiding and moving from one place to another place. And the villagers always let him hide in their houses. They helped him because Datu Kalaka also helped the villagers.

The Dutch had lost their patience against Datu Kalaka. And they came to the village with a full force. They came with lots of soldiers equipped with their guns! They came to the village and asked the villagers about Datu Kalaka. And when the villagers said they did not know where he was, the Dutch hit them!

"Hey, look! It's Datu Kalaka!! Get him now!" said one soldier.

Datu Kalaka ran very fast. He did not want to fight in the village. He was afraid that the villagers would become the victims.

"Hey stop! Or we'll shoot you!" said the Commander.

"Ha ha ha... catch me if you can!" said Datu Kalaka.

He ran very fast and the Dutch followed him. They did not want to lose him. They knew how dangerous he was. And that was why they brought guns! They were ordered to catch Datu Kalaka dead or alive.

Datu Kalaka was cornered. All the Dutch were everywhere.

"Ha ha ha... We will catch you now. You cannot go anywhere else," said one soldier.

"I don't want to give up!" said Datu Kalaka.

He climbed a big tree and later jumped from that tree. The soldiers chased him. They saw the direction where Datu Kalaka jumped. And when they arrived they did not see anyone. Instead they found a swing.

When they approached the swing they found a baby inside the swing. But the baby was different from any other babies. The baby was so big. It was a giant a baby! The soldiers were scared.

"Hey look! The baby is so big. If the baby is big like this one, how about the parents? They must be giants! "

They did not know that Datu Kalaka had changed himself into a giant baby. The soldiers ran away and they did not come back to the village.

When Datu Kalaka was dead, he was buried in the village. The village was then named as Kalaka village. Until now, the tomb is still in Kalaka South Kalimantan. The grave is so big. The local people believe that Datu Kalaka is buried there. ***

Moral Message:

The story of Datu Kalaka teaches us that true leadership involves self-sacrifice and courage. Datu Kalaka, despite his supernatural powers and martial arts skills, prioritizes the safety of his people over his own. His willingness to use his abilities to mislead the enemies and protect the villagers from harm highlights the importance of using one's strengths for the greater good. Ultimately, the story reminds us that the essence of leadership lies in putting the well-being of others first and standing up against oppression, even at great personal risk.

Dayak, Kalimantan

Dayak Culture for Total Solar Eclips

Floating market, South of Borneo

The Legend of Sawah Lunto

Legenda Sawah Lunto >> Edisi Bahasa Indonesia

Folklore from West Sumatra

ONCE upon a time in Lunto, West Sumatra, there was a kingdom. It was Sitambago Kingdom. The people lived happily. Their land was fertile. And the weather was always great. And that made people from other kingdoms become jealous.

King Sitambago knew that he had to protect his kingdom. He asked all the men in his kingdom to join as soldiers. And the king prepared them to be strong soldiers.

They trained every day, days and nights. They trained a lot of skills, martial arts, and also how to use weapons. They had to be ready to fight when other kingdoms attacked them. And what King Sitambago feared finally came true. One of his soldiers told him that the soldiers of Silungkang Kingdom were going to attack them.

"Your Majesty, I saw that the King of Silungkang is preparing his soldiers," explained his soldier.

"Are you sure?" asked the King.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I also heard that they will attack us soon."

"Hmm... I know sooner or later we will have to fight. Now, I want all soldiers to be ready. They can attack us at any time," said the King.

The King of Silungkang wanted to expand his kingdom. And he was really interested in Sitambago's kingdom. He had heard that the kingdom was so fertile. He hoped by conquering the kingdom he would be very rich! Silungkang was a big kingdom. It had a lot of soldiers, and they were very brave and strong. The King was greedy. He never felt enough or satisfied.

The King of Silungkang kingdom prepared the attack. And he gave his soldiers deadly weapons. The King could not wait any longer! Early in the morning they attacked Sitambago's Kingdom.

The soldiers of Sitambago's Kingdom were ready. The King led his soldiers bravely. And that made the soldiers also fearless. They fought bravely! The King of Silungkang was shocked. He thought Sitambago's Kingdom did not have many soldiers. And he also thought that the soldiers were coward! Well... he was wrong!

The King of Silungkang then ordered his soldiers to retreat. He was planning another attack. They would attack Sitambago's Kingdom from many gates. Moreover, he asked his soldiers to use their deadly weapons.

On the following day, again the soldiers of Silungkang Kingdom attacked Sitambago. It was a terrible war. And that made many soldiers died. They had been in war for many days but still no sign that the war would be over.

"C'mon! don't give up! We have to defend our kingdom!" said the King of Sitambago.

The soldiers heard their King. And that motivated them to fight. Meanwhile the King of Silungkang also ordered his soldiers not to give up!

"It's time to use our deadly weapons! Use now!" said the King.

Then the soldiers of Silungkang used the deadly weapons. In just a minute, soldiers of Sitambago were killed. The King did not give up. Sadly, he was also killed.

Silungkarrg's Kingdom won the war. However, they lost a lot of soldiers. The war had made them suffer. And the kingdom was in a big mess. Later they went back to their kingdom.

After the war, the people of Sitambago tried to rebuild their place. They made a living by farming. They made a lot of rice fields. And because their kingdom is in Lunto, their place is then known as Sawah Lunto. Sawah means rice fields. ***

Sawahlunto Old City

The Blind and the Hunchback

Si Buta dan Si Bungkuk >> Edisi Bahasa Indonesia

Folklore from West Java

TWO men were walking. They were going to the forest to collect some firewood. They were best friends and they always helped each other. Both of them were disabled. One was blind and the other one was hunchback.

"Hey... slowly. Don't walk too fast. Do you forget that I'm blind?" asked the Blind.

"Sorry, my friend. I will walk more slowly now," said the Hunchback.

The Blind was walking behind the Hunchback. He always listened to the Hunchback whatever he saw. Yes, the Hunchback became his 'eyes' to see.

And how about the Blind? Well, although he could not see, he had a great skill in cooking. The food he cooked was so delicious, and the Hunchback was so grateful to eat the food.

And one day, they went to a party. As always, the Blind always followed the Hunchback. That day, the Blind did not cook. They planned to eat at the party. They were really starving.

They walked very slowly. The Hunchback could not walk fast like a normal person and every time he walked with the Blind he walked more slowly.

And when they arrived, the party was over. There was no food left They were very disappointed. The Hunchback blamed the Blind.

"You make us walk very slowly. If we walk faster, we could arrive earlier," said the Hunchback.

"What?! Are you blaming me? If you really wanted to go there, why you didn't leave me and ran there?" asked the Blind.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt your feeling. Okay, I had an idea. Why don't we go to the jungle and hunting an animal? Maybe we can catch a deer," asked the Hunchback.

"Good idea!" said the Blind.

They prepared a rope and planned to make a trap. They waited and finally a big deer approached their trap.

Then .... Aha! The deer was trapped.

"Hooray!" said the Hunchback.

"What happened?" asked the Blind.

"We caught a deer," explained the Hunchback

"Now, it's your job to cook."

"Don't worry, I will cook the most delicious food for you. I hope the deer is fat and has a lot of meat," said the Blind.

They both started to work.

The Hunchback collected some fire wood. He was so happy that he could catch a deer. He was so starving.

And finally the Blind finished cooking. The Hunchback was so hungry, and he thought that he wanted to eat the whole meat.

He had a bad idea. He wanted to make good use of his friend's weakness. His friend could not see, so he would not know where the meat was.

The Hunchback hid the meat and he gave some bones to the Blind.

"Oh my God! It's so hard! What's this?" asked the Blind.

"It's the meat. The deer is old so the meat is hard," said the Hunchback. He was lying.

"Really?" said the Blind.

He did not believe the Hunchback. Because when he cooked the food, he felt that the meat was tender. But he ate the bone anyway. And he bit very hard and that made his eyes bugged out. And amazingly that made him able to see clearly.

The Blind was so happy, he was not blind anymore. But then he was angry when he saw that his best friend was enjoying the meat while he only got the bone!

He took the bone and he hit his friend's back.

The Hunchback was screaming in pain. But amazingly the hit made his back cured. He no longer had the Hunchback.

They were happy. They were normal! And the Hunchback apologized to the Blind.

He promised that he would never cheat on him again. The Blind forgave the Hunchback and they still had their friendship. ***

Situ Gunung lake, Sukabumi, West Java, Indonesia

Gundala-Gundala Dance

The Bird's Beak: A Lesson in Consequences

Asal Mula Tari Gundala-Gundala >> Edisi Indonesia

Folklore from North Sumatra

THERE was a kingdom in Karo, North Sumatra. The king and the queen had a daughter. She was a very beautiful princess. She was kind, polite, and helpful to others. The king and the queen loved her very much.

The princess was in love with a young soldier. And the soldier also loved the princess. He was a great man. He mastered great martial arts. He was also skillful with weapons. And he was a handsome man. He treated the princess very well. He had a dream that he could marry and be her husband.

The king and the queen knew about their daughter's relationship with the soldier. They agreed and blessed the relationship. The soldier, asked a permission to see the king. He wanted to propose the princess.

"Your Majesty, as you know I have a special relationship with your daughter. I love her very much, and I'd like to ask your permission to marry her," said the soldier.

The king was silent. Actually he had been waiting for this moment to come.

He thought $at his daughter was adult enough to get married.

The king then spoke, I will give you my permission. But you have to promise that you will always love her, treat her well, and protect her."

"I will, Your Majesty ... I will," said the soldier happily.

Soon the wedding was held. The king and the queen invited all the people in the kingdom to come and have fun at the party.

The king loved hunting. And one day he asked the soldier, who was his son-in-law to accompany him go hunting.

And while they were hunting, suddenly a big bird came to them. The bird was very big. And they had never seen a big bird like that.

Well, it was not an ordinary bird. The bird was a transformation of a holy man. Because of that he was able to talk with humans.

The king liked the bird. He asked the bird to stay at the palace. The bird agreed. The princess was also happy with the bird. She had a new friend that she could ask to play with her. And the princess was not the only person who loved the bird.

Everybody in the kingdom also loved the bird. And one day the princess was playing with the bird. She was so happy that she accidentally touched the bird's beak.

"Don't touch my beak! I don't like it!" said the bird.

Since then the bird acted strangely. He attacked the princess!

The soldier protected his wife. He attacked back the bird. He used his martial art skill to fight the bird. However, the bird did not give up. He used his claws to fight the soldier. The soldier was cornered.

The king saw the fight and he was really worried.

He then screamed, "Use your sword!"

The soldier grabbed his sword and with one slash he killed the bird. The princess was sad. She lost her friend. The soldier was also sad. He did not intend to kill the bird but he had to protect his wife.

The people in the kingdom were also sad. They were crying. And it seemed that the Mother Nature was also sad. It started to rain heavily.

To remember the bird, people then created a dance. It was called Gundala-Gundala dance. Until now, people perform the dance when they are expecting to have rain during the drought season.***

Moral Messages:

1. Respect Boundaries: The bird's reaction to the princess touching its beak highlights the importance of respecting others' boundaries, even when they are our friends.

2. Bravery and Protection: The soldier's bravery in defending his wife shows the importance of protecting loved ones, even in difficult and dangerous situations.

3. : The sadness that followed the bird's death emphasizes that actions, even those taken in defense, can have unintended and sorrowful consequences.

4. Cultural Heritage: The creation of the Gundala-Gundala dance illustrates how communities can turn their experiences into traditions that carry on their history and lessons to future generations.

Gundala-gundala Dance, Toba Lake

A Monkey and a Bird

Monyet dan Burung | Edisi Bahasa Indonesia

Folklore from West Java

IT was a very hot day. A young duck was looking for some water. He did not only want to drink, but also wanted to swim. Rain had not fallen down for months and the duck terribly needed some water.

The duck did not give up. He knew he would find some water soon. He was right! From a distance he saw a small pond! He ran very fast.








Previously, he felt very weak, but when he saw the pond he felt very strong. He felt he had some extra energy to run. When he was standing at the side of the pond, he jumped and swam.

"Yippee!" the young duck screamed happily.

He drank, swam, and sang some songs. His voice made a big monkey woke up from his sleep. The monkey was sleeping on a branch of a tree. The tree was exactly at the side of the pond. The monkey could hear the duck clearly.

The monkey was angry.

"Hey, you! What are you doing here? You are disturbing me!"

"I'm so sorry, Mr Monkey. I did not know I'm disturbing you. Please forgive me."

"Forgive you? No way, you ugly duck! You don't deserve here! I own this place. I don't want to see an ugly duck like you hanging around here. Go away!"

The monkey threw some branches at the duck. Some of them hit the duck.

"Okay, okay. I'm leaving now," said the duck sadly. He was crying.

The duck left the pond. He was so sad when the monkey said that he was ugly.

A small bird was flying. He was so curious when a duck was walking and crying below him. He flew down and stopped in front of the duck.

"What's the matter my friend? Why do you look so sad?" asked the bird.

The duck stopped crying. He then told the bird about the monkey.

"Hmm... I know that monkey. You know what? That monkey does not have any friends because he is arrogant  and he always thinks that he owns that pond. He doesn't want to share the pond. I think it's time for me to give him a lesson," said the bird.

Later the bird flew to the pond. He was thinking of an idea. It was dangerous, but he was sure that his plan could stop the monkey from being arrogant.

"Hey, Mr Monkey! May I drink some water here?" asked the bird.

"No! Leave my pond now You are a small animal and I don't want to see small animals here!" said the monkey.

"What will happen if I don't want to leave this pond?" asked the bird.

"I will eat you!" The monkey was so angry. He jumped and grabbed the bird.

Monkey, West Java

He put the bird inside his big mouth. The bird tried to calm down. He had a plan and he would do it. He defecated and left the feces on the monkey's tongue. The monkey felt there was something strange on his tongue. It tasted so disgusting.

"Yuck!" He opened his mouth and the bird did not waste the opportunity to fly away. The monkey tried to clean his tongue, but the feces stuck very hard. He was looking for something and then he grabbed a piece of bamboo to clean his tongue. However, he did not know that the bamboo was sharp.

His tongue was bleeding! The monkey was screaming in pain.

"Help!!! Please help me!"

The bird responded, "I will help you, but you have to promise to be kind to other animals and also you have to share the pond."

"I promise," said the monkey.

The bird later helped the monkey. When the monkey was cured, he kept his promises. He was kind and shared the pond with other animals.***

Did you know ?

The Java sparrow (Lonchura oryzivora), also known as Java finch, Java rice sparrow or Java rice bird, is a small passerine bird. This estrildid finch is a resident breeding bird in Java, Bali and Bawean in Indonesia. It is a popular cage bird, and has been introduced in a large number of other countries. (wiki)

Read more: The Java Sparrow

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Mandangin

Mandangin >> Edisi Indonesia

Folklore from Central Kalimantan

ONCE upon a time, there were a husband and a wife. The husband's name was Sangkajang and the wife's name was Nyai Rangkas. It was not easy for them to get married. Nyai Rangkas was not a human. She was a goddess. She loved Sangkajang very much. She was willing to leave the heaven and lived on earth with her husband. The couple had been married for a long time and they did not have any children yet. Nyai Rangkas really wanted to have her own children. And in one night she had a dream. She was meditating on a big stone near the river. After she finished meditating, she would be pregnant.

Nyai Rangkas was sure that the dream was the guidance for her to have her own children. She told her husband about her dream and asked his permission to meditate. Her husband did not agree. It was not a safe place. There were lots of wild animals there. However Nyai Rangkas had already made up her mind. So when her husband was sleeping, she secretly left.

She went to the river to find the big stone. She found it! She immediately sat on it and began her meditation. Meanwhile, Sangkajang woke up in the morning and did not find his wife next to him. He was looking for her but he could not find her. Then he remembered about her wife's dream. He was sure that his wife was meditating on a big stone near the river.

He went to the river. Suddenly some wild wolves stopped him. The wolves were grinning, showing their sharp teeth just a minute the wolves attacked Sangkajang. He ran fast but sadly the wolves ran faster. They jumped and attacked him. Sangkajang died instantly.

In the meantime, Nyai Rangkas was meditating. Then she heard a voice telling her that she would be pregnant soon. She was asked to take care of the baby very well, because he would be a great man someday.

It was the voice of the God of Wind. Nyai Rangkas was very happy. She finished meditating and went home. However she could not find her husband. She was looking for him everywhere. She kept on calling her husband's name. Then she found some blood on the ground. She followed the blood trail and she was shocked! She found her husband lying on the ground. He was dead.

Nyai Rangkas was crying terribly. She felt so sorry. But it was too late. After she buried her husband's body, she continued walking. Nyai Rangkas was completely clueless. She did not know where to go. She was lost. Nyai Rangkas arrived at a cave. She wanted to stay inside the cave. And when she was inside the cave, she met an old woman. Nyai Rangkas asked her permission to stay in the cave.

The old woman gave her permission. She felt very sorry after she heard that Nyai Rangkas just lost her husband. Time passed by and Nyai Rangkas still lived in the cave with the old woman. And finally a baby boy was born. Nyai Rangkas was extremely happy. She named him Mandangin.

Mandangin grew as a good son. He loved his mother very much. He always helped her. And when he was adult, he told his mother that he wanted to wander. His mother knew he could not stop his son's wish. She remembered the God of Wind's voice when she meditated that her son would be a great man.

Mandangin arrived in a village. Some people tried to rob him. They were thieves! Mandangin fought them bravely! And, remember, Mandangin was not an ordinary man. His mother was a goddess. So he was a half human and a half god. He possessed the half power that gods had. And it was easy for him to beat those thieves.

The people were happy. They had been living in danger because those thieves always ruined their lives. The villagers asked Mandangin to stay. And because the villagers had no a leader they asked him to be their leader. Mandangin agreed. And later he just did not become the head of the village. He became a king!***

Iruang Wundrung Dance

The Seven Brothers

Tujuh Anak Lelaki Bersaudara >> Edisi Indonesia

Folklore from Aceh

THERE was a village in Aceh. The people were farmers. They lived happily. Their land was fertile. All types of trees grew very well. However, their happiness soon ended. The area suffered a long drought.

Their fertile land and their trees dried. Everybody was so sad and worried. And that included a family with seven children. The parents were so worried that their children would be starving. They were planning to put their children in a safe place.

"Do you know a good place for our children?" asked the wife.

"I'm thinking to put them in a jungle. I know it's far from here but at least our children can eat fruits. I'm sure they won't be starving," explained the husband.

"But please bring them back home if the drought is over," asked the wife.

"I will, honey. I will," promised the husband.

They did not know that the oldest son overheard their conversation. On the following day, the father asked all of his seven sons to go with him to the jungle. He told them that they would take some firewood.

All the children joined their father. And when they arrived, the father asked them to build a tree house. And when it was finished, they rested. And while all the children were sleeping, the father left.

The youngest son was crying. He was looking for his father. The oldest son tried to console his brother. He then told his brothers about the conversation he heard.

"Our parents did not want us to be hungry. You know our village is suffering the long drought they want us to have enough food. There are so many fruits here, don't worry."

The seven brothers then lived in the jungle. They waited and waited for their father to pick them back. But he never came. They got bored, and they decided to go back home. Sadly, they were lost!

They were walking and stopped at a very big house. It was a giants house!

While they were amazed with the size of the house, the door was opened! They were scared! They were ready to run away and suddenly they heard a voice.

"Don't worry, please come in," it was a female giant.

Her husband was not at home.

The seven brothers entered the house. They were so amazed everything was so big. They sat down on big chairs. In front of them there was a big table. And the female giant served them food on big plates. Those children had difficulty eating using big spoon and forks. But they were happy.

They finally could eat delicious food. They almost fed up eating fruits in the jungle.

After they finished eating, the female giant asked them to leave.

Her husband would go home soon and he liked eating humans. The female giants then gave them lots of gold and jewelries. The seven brothers continued their journey. They were still lost and did not know where to go home. They arrived in a small village.

They decided to stay and bought a house for them to live. And they also bought a piece of land to cultivate. They were really grateful with the fold given by the female giants. Thanks to the gold they could buy all the things they needed.

The seven brothers worked hard. They soon became rich. They missed their parents every day. They saved lots of money for their journey to go back home. And when they thought their money was much enough, they started to go back home. They were adults then.

They started their journey. They spent lots of money for the transportation. And after spending days of travelling, they finally got home! Their parents were very old. And they looked very weak. The parents were extremely happy. They thought they would never see their children again. Then the family reunited. They were rich and they lived happily.***

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