(INDONESIA)

LEGEND
A LOYAL FARMER

Bookmark and Share A long time ago, there was a small village in Bali. The villagers were
farmers they were very happy. Gods gave them fertile land. They always had great harvest.
There were no poor family in that village.

One day, a young man came to the village. He came from a very far place. He went to the
richest farmer in the village. The richest farmer's name was Jero Pasek. "My name is I
Tundung. I came here to work, Sir. I promise I will work hard." "Hmm...Okay, I will let you
work in my rice field. But remember, I will ask you to leave if you are lazy." said Jero Pasek.

I Tudung was very happy. He did not want to disappoint Jero pasek, his master. He worked
diligently. Jero Pasek was very grateful. The harvest was much better. Besides cultivating, I
Tundung also look care of the animals, such as chickens, ducks, goats and cows. The
number of the animals also increased. Jero Pasek become richer. Jero pasek planned to
ask I Tundung to cultivate his field in Kangin Hill. Unlike the land in the village, the land in
Kangin Hill was not fertile.

However, I Tundung accepted it very happy. He felt that Jero Pasek had already trusted
him. He wanted to repay his trust by giving him great harvest. The land in the hill was arid. It
was very dry. However, I Tundung was never gave up. There was a small spring. I Tundung
made irrigation. He used the water in the spring and flew it through the irrigation. It worked!
The land was not dry anymore. The plants grew very well. And again they had great
harvest. Now the whole hills are green, thanks to I Tundung.

Unfortunately, their happiness did not last long. A thief stole the harvest and the animals.
Sadly, I Tundung was never able to catch the thief. The harvest and the animals kept on
missing, Jero Pasek was angry.

"I'm very disappointed in you. I have lost a lot of harvest and animals!" I Tundung was sad.
He went to a temple to pray. While he was meditating, he heard a voice. "I know your
problem and I can help you."

"Thank you. I'm willing to do anything as long as I can protect my master's harvest and
animals." said I Tundung.

"I will change you into a big black snake. You will live in the hill and you can protect the
harvest and the animals." I Tundung agreed. He did not want to make his master
disappointed and angry at him. Slowly, he changed into a big black snake. Meanwhile, Joko
Pasek was looking for I Tundung. And when he arrived at his field, he saw a big black
snake. He was so surprised when the snake was able to talk!

"Don't be afraid, Sir. It's me, I Tundung. From now on, I will always protect your harvest and
your animals." Jero Pasek was very sad. He never meant to ask I Tundung to do anything.
But it was to late.
NOVEL

BEAUTY IS A WOUND
by Eka Kurniawan, Annie Tucker

The epic novel Beauty Is a Wound combines history, satire, family

tragedy, legend, humor, and romance in a sweeping polyphony. The
beautiful Indo prostitute Dewi Ayu and her four daughters are beset
by incest, murder, bestiality, rape, insanity, monstrosity, and the often
vengeful undead. Kurniawan's gleefully grotesque hyperbole functions
as a scathing critique of his young nation's troubled past: the rapacious
offhand greed of colonialism; the chaotic struggle for independence;
the 1965 mass murders of perhaps a million "Communists," followed by
three decades of Suharto's despotic rule.

Beauty Is a Wound astonishes from its opening line: "One afternoon on

a weekend in May, Dewi Ayu rose from her grave after being dead for
twenty-one years" Drawing on local sourcesfolk tales and the all-
night shadow puppet plays, with their bawdy wit and epic scopeand
inspired by Melville and Gogol, Kurniawan's distinctive voice brings
something luscious yet astringent to contemporary literature
POEM

WITH POEM, I
Taufik Ismail

With poem I sing

Until my late age

With poem Im in love

Bounded by horizon

With poem I remember

Immortality in the future

With poem I cry

Vicious slicing of clock needle

With poem I condemn

Time that breathe smelly

With poem I pray

Let presumably
SHORT STORY

THE COMMANDER AND THE YOUNGMAN

The story of Sekunca and the Youngman is from Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam. This
children stories told about the brave of the Youngman and the tricky of the Commander
Sekunca. There is a moral story in this Indonesian short story for children. An honest
and courageous will win against a foxy plan.

Once upon a time in Tamiang land, there was a kingdom ruled by a king and his queen.
Unfortunately, they did not have a daughter. The King and the Queen have been waiting
for the baby for a long time. In their desperation, the King, and the Queen make a
promise. They swore that if the queen born a little girl, they would give the baby to the
King of elephants. Not too long after their promise, the queen pregnant. After nine
months, the Queen born a little girl. The king had forgotten his oath to the king of
elephants. The King makes the biggest mistake he ever did.

After the baby reached the age of forty-four days, the baby must go through a traditional
ceremony. The traditional ceremony usually held in the Tamiang culture. The ceremony
is for the baby to step on the soil for the first time and to cut child's hair for the first time.
Unfortunately, in the middle of the ceremony, came a group of elephants from the
jungle. A group of this elephant took the baby away to the dark forest, the place where
the Elephant King lived.

The king remembered his poor little girls After about fifteen years later. So, he
announced to all the peoples in the country. He said,"for those who could bring the
princess back to the kingdom, would become the next king and the princess as the
queen." There is a well-known commander in the country named Panglima Sekunca.
Panglima means Commander. There is also a handsome Youngman took part in this
contest. Sekunca Commander always underestimated this Youngman. The Commander
thought that he was the strongest man in the country. He feels that the man was nothing
but he is a weak and stubborn man. But this young man was a patient man. He ignored
Sekunca insignificance words. The man followed Commander into the jungle. Sekunca
arrived in the forest first. He found the big trees fell down on the ground. When Sekunca
saw this, he felt afraid. He felt something dangerous could happen to himself. Then, he
decided to wait for the Youngman.

The man arrived next to the Commander. From this location, they walked together. In
the middle of their journey, finally, they found the place. They saw the elephants
gathered themselves. They also saw the princess was sitting in the midst of the
elephant group. Sekunca felt so afraid seeing this situation. He wanted to run away from
this place. To hide Sekunca's fear, then he asked the Youngman to go first. He asks this
man to fight with the elephants first.
FOLKSONG

JANGER
Bali lyrics

Menatap lembayung di langit Bali

dan kusadari
betapa berharga kenanganmu
Di kala jiwaku tak terbatas
bebas berandai memulang waktu

Hingga masih bisa kuraih dirimu

sosok yang mengisi kehampaan kalbuku
Bilakah diriku berucap maaf
masa yang tlah kuingkari dan meninggalkanmu
oh cinta

Teman yang terhanyut arus waktu

mekar mendewasa
masih kusimpan senda tawa kita
kembalilah sahabat lawasku
semarakkan keheningan lubuk

Hingga masih bisa kurangkul kalian

sosok yang mengaliri cawan hidupku
Bilakah kita menangis bersama
tegar melawan tempaan semangatmu itu
oh jingga

Hingga masih bisa kujangkau cahaya

senyum yang menyalakan hasrat diriku
Bilakah kuhentikan pasir waktu
tak terbangun dari khayal keajaiban ini
oh mimpi

Andai ada satu cara

tuk kembali menatap agung surya-Mu
lembayung Bali
(VIETNAM)

LEGEND
LC LONG QUN AND U C: THE LEGEND OF ANCIENT VIETNAM

Thousands of years ago, during the reign of King Kinh Dng Vng, the Xch Qu kingdom was an unknown stretch of a
vast land on the far East, leaning its back on a range of high mountains while looking out facing the oceans from a long
shoreline. He married princess Long N, the daughter of ng nh Vng - sovereign of the ng nh Lake. They
were then blessed with one child, a boy whom they called Sung Lam, popularly known in the kingdom as Lc Long Qun, the
"Dragon Lord of Lc. Because of Long Ns origin, their son was believed to be a descendant from the line of the Dragons.
And indeed, Lc Long Qun had extraordinary strength and supreme intelligence. But his succession from his mothers
underwater world developed in him a strong fascination for the ocean, and the young man is often seen along the
shorelines enjoying the waves and exploring the many sea creatures in sight.

Soon, he succeeded his fathers throne and governed the Lac-Viet tribe. Meanwhile, another kingdom rules the highlands in
the north. Their king, Lai, has a beautiful daughter named u C. Wanting to unite his northern tribe with Lc Long
Quns kingdom; he agreed to give his daughters hand for marriage with the young man. And a lavish feast was prepared
as princess u C was wed with Lc Long Qun. The two kingdoms then celebrated their unity.

Time went by, u C gave birth to a pouch filled with one hundred eggs, which soon hatched into one hundred beautiful
children. The children grew up strong and smart like their father, and as kind-hearted and skilful like their mother. They
were taught well how to cultivate their lands and live nobly. But soon after, the couple started to grow unhappy. Lc Long
Qun always finds his heart longing for the coasts while u C constantly yearns for the highlands.

The couple decided to divide their children, of whom fifty will live with Lc Long Qun along the coasts. u C will lead the
other fifty to dwell with her in the highlands. However, they made a promise that despite the distance and separation, they
must look after each other and always be there to lend a hand should one be in need.

So, Lc Long Qun took fifty children to the coast and divided the areas for them to govern. He taught them the skills of
fishing and the art of tattoos to scare off sea creatures as they dive and hunt for food. He also trained them to plant and
harvest rice, as well as how to cook them in bamboo tubes. u C, who took fifty children to the highlands, also divided her
areas for them to govern. They were taught to live in the jungles and mountains, breed animals and cultivate the soil to
grow fruit trees for food. They learned to build houses raised on bamboo stilts to keep themselves safe from wild animals.

The children of Lc Long Qun and u C are believed to be the ancestors of Vietnam. Today, Vietnamese people call
themselves the children of the Dragon and the Fairy referring to Lc Long Quns lineage from the world of the Dragons
and u Cs Fairy Clan from the highlands. Therefore, whichever part of the country one hails from, he belongs to one
origin. Just as Lc Long Qun and u C promised to each other, all Vietnamese should love, honor and protect one
another. This legend, then, has become the pride and bond of unity for all Vietnamese.

According to many authors, also from Wikipedia: This legendary story is very important to many Vietnamese people for
numerous reasons. Some interpret the story to imply a strong national unity and cultural tolerance. Other women and
historians interpret the story to mean that matriarchal societies did exist and are equal to patriarchal societies.
Vietnamese women view her as a heroine and as a symbol to fight for their nation and their rights.
NOVEL

THE QUIET AMERICAN

by Graham Greene, Robert Stone

Graham Greene's classic exploration of love, innocence, and morality in

Vietnam

"I never knew a man who had better motives for all the trouble he caused,"
Graham Greene's narrator Fowler remarks of Alden Pyle, the eponymous
"Quiet American" of what is perhaps the most controversial novel of his
career. Pyle is the brash young idealist sent out by Washington on a
mysterious mission to Saigon, where the French Army struggles against
the Vietminh guerrillas. As young Pyle's well-intentioned policies blunder
into bloodshed, Fowler, a seasoned and cynical British reporter, finds it
impossible to stand safely aside as an observer. But Fowler's motives for
intervening are suspect, both to the police and himself, for Pyle has stolen
Fowler's beautiful Vietnamese mistress.

Originally published in 1956 and twice adapted to film, The Quiet American
remains a terrifiying and prescient portrait of innocence at large. This
Graham Greene Centennial Edition includes a new introductory essay by
Robert Stone.
POEM
I DREAMED A DREAM IN VIETNAM

Oh what secrets have been weaved from the monastery within my mind.
I see great things of colors for everyone
Soft against the sky.
Hallways of eternities have broken nights
to advance to the very gates of hell.
I have been to the prison door too many times.
Miracle and mystery of truth, where will I find you?
How great is the heart
when it gives all that it possesses in a riot of emotions,
when the beast rages
between a blizzard of tears and the rhythm of my soul screaming,
when one crushes love to ride the pain of ecstasy.
The bloodstain from my hands cannot be washed away.
My eyes are bleeding.
Kneeling my tears fall naked beneath my essence.
In my mind are the legions I have seen left behind.
Let this season in hell disappear if only for a moment in time.
This moment in time.
Let me forget the firestorm of nightmares.
Touch my hand from another time and place I forgot.
Dance with me.
Hug me in the silence of your reverence.
SHORT STORY

FOLKSONG

(INDIA)

LEGEND

NOVEL
THE WHITE TIGER
by Aravind Adiga

Balram Halwai is a complicated man. Servant. Philosopher. Entrepreneur. Murderer.

Balram tells us the terrible and transfixing story of how he came to be a success in life -
having nothing but his own wits to help him along.

Introducing a major literary talent, The White Tiger offers a story of coruscating wit,
blistering suspense, and questionable morality, told by the most volatile, captivating,
and utterly inimitable narrator that this millennium has yet seen.

Balram Halwai is a complicated man. Servant. Philosopher. Entrepreneur. Murderer.

Over the course of seven nights, by the scattered light of a preposterous chandelier,
Balram tells us the terrible and transfixing story of how he came to be a success in life --
having nothing but his own wits to help him along.

Born in the dark heart of India, Balram gets a break when he is hired as a driver for his
village's wealthiest man, two house Pomeranians (Puddles and Cuddles), and the rich
man's (very unlucky) son. From behind the wheel of their Honda City car, Balram's new
world is a revelation. While his peers flip through the pages of Murder Weekly ("Love --
Rape -- Revenge!"), barter for girls, drink liquor (Thunderbolt), and perpetuate the Great
Rooster Coop of Indian society, Balram watches his employers bribe foreign ministers
for tax breaks, barter for girls, drink liquor (single-malt whiskey), and play their own role
in the Rooster Coop. Balram learns how to siphon gas, deal with corrupt mechanics,
and refill and resell Johnnie Walker Black Label bottles (all but one). He also finds a
way out of the Coop that no one else inside it can perceive.
Balram's eyes penetrate India as few outsiders can: the cockroaches and the call
centers; the prostitutes and the worshippers; the ancient and Internet cultures; the water
buffalo and, trapped in so many kinds of cages that escape is (almost) impossible, the
white tiger. And with a charisma as undeniable as it is unexpected, Balram teaches us
that religion doesn't create virtue, and money doesn't solve every problem -- but
decency can still be found in a corrupt world, and you can get what you want out of life if
you eavesdrop on the right conversations.

Sold in sixteen countries around the world, The White Tiger recalls The Death of Vishnu
and Bangkok 8 in ambition, scope, and narrative genius, with a mischief and personality
all its own. Amoral, irreverent, deeply endearing, and utterly contemporary, this novel is
an international publishing sensation -- and a startling, provocative debut.

POEM

ADDICTED TO LOVE
a poem by Sowmya Vidyadhar V, India

I know not how I can see you

Even in the bleakest nights;
I know not how I can feel you
Oh, everything around you is such a delight!
I think of you lying on that bed
The bed we slept in, together, just a few clocks ago,
And I wonder should I have said something more
before the time stretched and I had to go.
You are my love, nonetheless such a fierce pain
You are mine; still, you, I shall never gain
If there is another life, I choose not to be born in vain
I cannot bear the grief, to be separated from you again
I have forgotten what I was before you
Those years were not mine, so much is true
My dreams and desires are with you now
I know I am truly and deeply, addicted to love.

SHORT STORY

BENEATH THE DARKENING SKY

by Majok Tulba
On the day that Obinnas village is savagely attacked by the rebel
army and his father murdered, he witnesses violence beyond his
imagination. Along with his older brother he finds himself thrown
into a truck when the soldiers leave, to be shaped into an agent of
horror a child soldier. Marched through minefields and forced
into battle, enduring a brutal daily existence, Obinna slowly works
out which parts of himself to save and which to sacrifice in this
world turned upside down.

Beneath the Darkening Sky is a terrifyingly powerful, brilliantly

insightful portrait of how a human being copes when forced to
become inhuman. Like all great fiction, it imagines the unimaginable,
and announces the arrival of a searing new voice from the heart of
Africa.

FOLKSONG