Journey of Bravery: Loyalty and the Repercussions of Deceit
Edisi Indonesia: Ular Gaib dan Si Bungsu
Folklore from Bengkulu
At the foot of a lush green mountain in Bengkulu, an old mother lived with her three daughters. They resided in a small house with a thatched roof, surrounded by dense trees and the soothing sound of a flowing river nearby. Their life was simple but filled with love. However, one day, their happiness was shaken when the mother fell gravely ill. Her body grew weak, her breaths became labored, and no ordinary remedy could cure her.
An old shaman from the village came after hearing about the mother’s illness. With a deep and authoritative voice, he said, “The only cure that can save her life is the mystical ember hidden at the mountain’s peak. But it can only be taken and cooked with fire from the mystical serpent that guards the place.”
Upon hearing this, the three daughters exchanged glances, their faces filled with fear. “Unfortunately, the serpent is very fierce,” the shaman warned.
The eldest daughter quickly shook her head. “We don’t dare,” she said, her voice full of anxiety.
The middle daughter swallowed hard, her body trembling. “We’re too afraid,” she whispered, unwilling to look at the towering mountain in the distance.
However, only the youngest daughter had the courage. Though fear filled her heart, she couldn’t bear to see her mother grow weaker each day. With firm resolve, she decided to climb the mountain the next morning.
As she began ascending the rocky and slippery path, the wind howled as if testing her determination. The higher she climbed, the quieter the surroundings became. Birds refused to sing, and only the rustling of leaves could be heard. But as she neared the peak, the earth suddenly trembled violently.
Leaves fell, tree branches swayed, and a deep rumbling sound echoed from within the forest. The youngest daughter staggered, nearly losing her footing. A wave of heat enveloped her, and she knew—the mystical serpent had sensed a human’s presence in its domain.
Her heart pounded, and fear began creeping into her mind. But then, she remembered her mother’s frail, helpless face at home. Holding her breath, she clenched her fists tightly, gathering her courage.
"May I ask for an ember to heal my mother?" the youngest daughter pleaded cautiously, her voice trembling in the midst of the eerie silence.
"I will grant it, but only if you agree to become my wife," the mystical serpent replied in a whispering voice, like the wind slipping through the trees.
The youngest daughter was stunned. She had never imagined that such a request would be made by a creature so terrifying. Her eyes wandered over the massive serpent’s body, its iridescent scales shimmering under the moonlight, its golden eyes gleaming with an intense gaze. Fear crept into her heart, yet the image of her frail mother lying helplessly at home gave her strength. She knew that without the mystical ember, her mother would not survive.
Taking a deep breath, she finally nodded. "I agree," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
The moment the words left her lips, the earth ceased trembling. The wind, which had been howling fiercely, suddenly calmed. The mystical serpent raised its head high and flicked its tail, creating a cascade of sparkling light. From its shimmering scales, a mystical ember emerged, glowing with a bluish-red hue like an eternal flame. Carefully, the youngest daughter took it and rushed home without looking back.
Loyalty and Magic
The dying mother was immediately given the medicine, cooked with the flame of the mystical ember. Slowly, the pallor on her face faded, and her frail body began to regain strength. Within days, she had fully recovered. Joy returned to their small home, yet deep inside, the youngest daughter felt a creeping unease. She knew she had made a promise, and a promise must be kept.
With a heavy heart, she prepared to return to the mountain’s peak, while her mother and two sisters watched her with confusion.
"Why would you go back there?" the eldest sister asked suspiciously.
"I made a promise to the mystical serpent," the youngest daughter answered honestly.
The middle and eldest sisters exchanged glances, feeling both puzzled and secretly relieved. They assumed their youngest sister was walking toward her own misfortune. But what they did not know was that the real adventure was only beginning.
When the youngest daughter arrived at the mountain’s peak, she braced herself to meet the enormous serpent once more. But to her surprise, instead of a snake, she found a handsome young man standing before her, dressed in a black robe embroidered with gold.
"Who are you?" she asked, bewildered.
The young man smiled, his golden eyes gleaming in the darkness. "I am the mystical serpent who made a vow to marry you," he said calmly. "At night, I return to my true form. I was once a prince, cursed to live as a serpent until a maiden willingly accepted my proposal with a sincere heart."
The youngest daughter could hardly believe what she was hearing. The fear that had gripped her heart began to melt away, replaced by a growing warmth. Without realizing it, she started to feel at ease beside the prince.
Jealousy and the Fall of the Greedy Sisters
News of the youngest daughter now living with a handsome young man soon reached the ears of her two older sisters. Jealousy burned in their hearts.
"How is it possible that she, the youngest and the one who never asked for anything, ended up with such happiness?" the eldest sister grumbled.
"We must find out her secret," the middle sister replied.
One night, they secretly followed their youngest sister to her home at the foot of the mountain. Peering through a window, they witnessed a miracle—the large serpent slithering across the floor slowly transformed into a handsome prince.
"He’s only human at night!" the middle sister whispered excitedly. "We can ruin her happiness!"
With their hearts filled with malice, they sneaked inside while their youngest sister slept and found the serpent’s shed skin, neatly folded in the corner of the room. Quickly, they took it outside and set it ablaze, hoping that the serpent would be enraged and attack their sister.
However, the opposite happened. As soon as the serpent’s skin burned, the prince, who had been sleeping, suddenly awoke, his body trembling. A burst of radiant light surrounded him, and for the first time in his life, he felt truly free.
He looked at the youngest sister with deep gratitude and said, "Now I am finally freed from the curse that has bound me for so long. Thank you—without you, I would have never become fully human."
The eldest and middle sisters, who had thought they were destroying their younger sister’s happiness, were instead shocked to realize that their actions had unintentionally freed the prince.
Ashamed that their wicked intentions had been revealed, they refused the prince’s offer to grant them a place in his kingdom. Overcome with regret, they returned to their village, carrying nothing but the hollow emptiness of their envy.
Meanwhile, the prince took the youngest daughter and her mother to his grand palace. There, they lived in unexpected joy—a destiny born from courage, loyalty, and a pure heart.
Moral Message: Valor and Integrity
This tale underscores the essence of bravery and staying true to commitments. The youngest displayed exceptional courage in the face of adversity, driven by love for her mother. Her unwavering dedication to promises echoes the importance of integrity and accountability for words spoken. Conversely, the actions of deceit and envy by the Eldest and Middle illuminate the repercussions of dishonesty and malice, bearing undesirable outcomes.
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