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Gentong Mountain
Raden Patah
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Wringinlawang Temple |
The Wild Crocodile
"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. ***
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Ampera Bermandikan Cahaya |
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Jembatan Ampera |
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Jembatan Ampera tempo dulu |
Indramayu
Datu Kalaka
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. ***
The Legend of Sawah Lunto
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. ***
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Sawahlunto Old City |
The Blind and the Hunchback
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. ***
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Situ Gunung lake, Sukabumi, West Java, Indonesia |
Gundala-Gundala Dance
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.***
A Monkey and a Bird
🌞 It was a scorching day in the forest.
A young duck waddled through the dry earth, looking for water—not just to drink, but to swim and play. It hadn’t rained for months, and the heat made his feathers sticky and his feet ache.
But the duck didn’t give up.
“I just need to keep going,” he whispered, “there must be water somewhere!”
And he was right!
From a distance, he spotted a small pond glistening in the sun. His tired legs suddenly felt strong again. Filled with excitement, he rushed forward, splashing joyfully into the cool water.
“Yippee!” the young duck cheered.
He drank deeply, swam in circles, and sang a little tune—his voice bright and happy.
But nearby, a large monkey sleeping in a tree stirred.
“HEY! What’s all that noise?!” the monkey growled, glaring down from the branch above. “You’re disturbing my nap!”
Startled, the duck stopped singing. “Oh! I’m so sorry, Mr. Monkey. I didn’t know—”
“Sorry? Bah! This is my pond! I don’t want any ugly little ducks swimming in it!” the monkey yelled, throwing branches at the duck.
“Ouch!” cried the duck, tears welling up in his eyes. “Okay, okay... I’ll leave.”
Heartbroken, the duck climbed out of the water and walked away, sobbing quietly.
Up in the sky, a small bird saw him and flew down.
“What’s wrong, friend?” asked the bird kindly.
The duck told him everything—the pond, the joy, the monkey, the hurtful words.
The bird narrowed his eyes. “Ah, I know that monkey. He never shares the pond. He thinks he owns everything. But he’s wrong.”
The bird paused, then smiled. “I have an idea. It might be a bit gross... but I think it will work.”
🌿
The bird flew to the pond and perched on a branch.
“Hello, Mr. Monkey! May I have a sip of water, please?” he chirped politely.
The monkey huffed. “No! Go away, little pest! I don’t allow small animals at my pond!”
“What if I don’t go?” asked the bird.
“Then I’ll EAT you!”
With a sudden leap, the monkey grabbed the bird and shoved him into his big mouth.
But the bird stayed calm. He knew exactly what to do.
He... pooped. Right on the monkey’s tongue.
“BLECH!!” The monkey gagged and spat the bird out. “That’s disgusting!”
Desperate to clean his tongue, the monkey grabbed a piece of bamboo and scrubbed hard—too hard. The bamboo was sharp. It cut his tongue.
“Aaaargh! My tongue! Help! HELP!” he cried in pain.
The bird fluttered nearby. “I’ll help you,” he said, “but only if you promise to be kind to others... and to share the pond.”
“I promise! I promise!” whimpered the monkey.
The bird brought him leaves and herbs, helping soothe the wound.
From that day on, the monkey kept his word. He no longer chased others away. He welcomed every animal—ducks, frogs, birds, even turtles—to rest and drink by the pond.
The forest felt cooler and kinder.
And the duck? He returned often—not just to swim, but to sing... with friends.
💖 Moral Message: Share, Be Kind, and Don’t Let Pride Get in the Way
This story reminds us that being kind is more powerful than being selfish. The monkey thought he could keep everything to himself, but in the end, he learned that sharing brings peace and friendship.
The bird stood up for what’s right—not by hurting, but by teaching a lesson. And the duck’s honest tears helped change a heart. We all deserve kindness, no matter how big or small we are. 🌈
🐦 Fun Fact Expansion: Java Sparrow
Did you know?
The Java sparrow (Lonchura oryzivora), also known as the Java finch or rice bird, is a charming little songbird native to the islands of Java, Bali, and Bawean in Indonesia. With its pink beak, sleek gray feathers, and white cheeks, it’s easily recognizable. Although endangered in the wild due to habitat loss and trapping, it remains one of the most beloved cage birds around the world. Surprisingly, this bird was once considered a rice field pest because of its fondness for grains—especially rice! That’s why it’s sometimes nicknamed the "rice finch." 🍚🌾💖
🐒 Fun Fact: Javan Langur
Did you know?
The Javan langur (Trachypithecus auratus), also known as the ebony lutung, is an elegant leaf-eating monkey native to the rainforests of Java and nearby Indonesian islands. These primates are famous for their silky black coats—though some babies are born bright orange! 🌈🍼 This color change helps adults keep track of their young in the dense jungle. Javan langurs live in social groups and love hanging out in treetops, where they groom each other and munch on leaves, flowers, and unripe fruit. They're shy and peaceful, and like the Java sparrow, they’re threatened by habitat loss—making them a precious part of Indonesia’s rich biodiversity. 🌿💚
✨Although the Javan langur is known to be shy and gentle in the wild, in this story, he becomes a character who learns from his mistakes and grows wiser. Every creature can change when given kindness and a second chance. 💚
⚠️ While Javan langurs are usually shy and peaceful, like all living beings, individuals may show different personalities. This story imagines a rare case—a curious langur who learns the importance of kindness.
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Javan Langur |
🌱✨ Conservation Message
Let’s protect our forest friends!
The Java sparrow and Javan langur are both native to Indonesia, but their homes are getting smaller because of deforestation and the illegal pet trade. 🌳💔
By learning their stories and caring about their world, we can become guardians of nature. Every tree we protect, every kind choice we make, helps our animal friends live safely and happily in the wild. 💚🐦🐒
Together, we can keep the forests full of songs, laughter, and leafy adventures! 🌿🎶🌈
📝 Author’s Note
This story is inspired by an old Indonesian fable passed down through generations.
Traditionally, the characters are simply referred to as “the bird” and “the monkey,” without mentioning specific species.
In this version, I chose the Java sparrow (Gelatik Jawa) and the Javan langur (Lutung Jawa) because they are adorable and fascinating animals native to Indonesia.
Although Javan langurs are known to be shy and gentle in the wild, in this story, the langur becomes a character who learns from his mistakes and grows wiser.
Every creature can change when given kindness and a chance. ❤️🌿