2014/06/03

Folklore from Papua

Irian Jaya, or also known as Papua, is a great part of Indonesia which is rich in cultures and
natural beauties. The famous Raja Ampat is there, and many other white sand beaches are
also there.

Basically, you may know the cultures and habits of the society of a place from the old story
from that place, since most of the life value in Indonesian society was told from elder to
younger people. After you hear or read an old story from some places of Indonesia, you will
see that the story is deep and meaningful, even though you may hear some illogical things in
the story, perhaps it was made to activate the creativity of the children, and also the flavor to
make the story become more interesting. So here, I present to you a folklore from Papua..
Enjoy :)

Once upon a time, there was a man named Towjatuwa in Irian jaya (an old name for Papua).
He lived beside Tami River.

He was sad, His wife was pregnant and it was too hard for her to deliver the baby. To help the
baby, Towjatuwa needed surgical operation with a sharp stone he could get from Tami River.

When he was looking for the stone, he heard strange sound from his back. He was surprised
to see a giant crocodile. He was scared. The crocodile slowly moved to Towjatuwa . This
crocodile was different from other crocodiles. It had the feather of Cassowary at its back so it
was scarier than other crocodiles.

Towjatuwa moved back to run, but the crocodile greeted him and asked what he was doing
there. Then Towjatuwa told the condition of his wife. Then the crocodile answered: “don’t
worry. I’ll come to your house tonight. I’ll help you and your wife.” Towjatuwa went home
to see his wife. He told his wife about that crocodile happily.

The other night, the magical crocodile got into Towjatuwa’s house. With its magical power,
the baby could be born safely. The baby got named, Narrowra. The crocodile portended that
the baby would become a great hunter.

The crocodile, named Wawute by the local people who had heard this story and told it to their
children, asked Towjatuwa’s family not to kill and eat any crocodile’s flash, or their entire
family would be die. Towtjatuwa and his family promised that. They became the protector of
river life in Tami River.

Could you find the epic culture which is taught from this story to the younger generation?
You will see why the natural life of Papua is still good right now. Yes, we believe crocodile
might endanger our life, and from the story, we know that it is quite common to see crocodile
in the rivers of Papua. But after all, the kids were taught, indirectly from the story, that even
though the crocodile is scary, they need to be protected as the part of nature. This story may
has changed the image of crocodile in our mind. Smooth way, isn’t it?
(http://indonesiantara.blogspot.com/2014/06/folklore-from-papua.html)
(https://www.slideshare.net/wiewien71/mamle-a-folktale-from-papua-indonesia)
Breaking the Sun

Memecah Matahari | Edisi Indonesia

Rangga and the Magic Spear

Folklore from Papua

A long time ago, the sun did not shine too long. It was only shine for a while then it set to the west.
Earth was in the dark most of the time. People did not like it. There were not many things they could
do during the day. They wished to see the sun shine longer.

There was one man who really hated to be in the dark. His name was Rangga. Everyday he was
thinking how he could make the sun shine long enough. One day he had an idea.

"I think the sun is too big to move. If we can break it into some pieces, the sun can move quickly.
Therefore we can have enough light from the sun," said Rangga to his friend.

"But how can we break the sun?" asked one of his friend.

"We can break it by throwing a spear. But it should be a magic spear," said Rangga.

"How can we get the magic spear?" asked his friend.

"We ask the elf to guide us to find the magic spear," asked Rangga.

Then Rangga and his friends meditated in the jungle. It was not an easy thing to do. They were
disturbed by wild animals. Luckily they had strong concentration. They were save from the animals.
after a while, an elf finally came to them.
"What do you want, my child?" asked the elf.

"We want to break the sun. We need to find a magic spear," explained Rangga.

"Hmm.. the magic spear belongs to the great thief. You have to fight him and grabs the spears from
him, said the elf.

Rangga and his friends understood. They knew about the great thief. They herd that he had a
supernatural power. Luckily the elf had also give them the supernatural power to fight against the
great thief. Rangga and his friends were looking for the great thief. They finally found him. At first
Rangga nicely asked the great thief to give him the spear, but of course the thief refused.

"Why should I give you the spear so you can break the sun? I love darkness. I can steal easily, ha..
ha.. ha.." said the thief.

Rangga and his friend knew that they did not have other choice. Then they were fighting. Thanks to
the supernatural power given by the elf. Rangga and friends won the fight.

Finally Rangga held the magic spear. He held it firmly. he did not want to waste the time. He wanted
to throw the spear and break the sun.

Rangga concentrated and threw the spear with great power towards the sun. and it worked! The sun
was breaking into some pieces. The biggest piece became a moon and the small pieces became the
stars.

Since then, the sun shines long enough. and when it set to the west, the earth was not completely in
the dark. The moon and the stars gave people enough light. ***

(http://indonesianfolklore.blogspot.com/2010/07/breaking-sun.html)
Folktales from Papua with Moral Lessons
January 20, 2017 PapuaNews 0 Comments folktales, papua, papuan folktales, westpapua

Every place has its own story. Papua, is no exception. This magnificent heaven on earth with
its amazing natural beauty is bound to have a rich folktales. The Papuan folktales have been
religiously passed down from one generation to another. Besides being used to amuse
children, it also contains a lot of moral messages. It might be interesting to see these folktales
as an inspiration for Disney movies.

Here are 3 Papuan folktales which contain moral messages:

The Maruwai River

Maruwai river illustration via dongengceritarakyat.com

This folktale is about a strong man named Maruwai who was a very good hunter with his
bow and arrow made from Cassowary bone. Once, the village where he lived had a terrible
drought. He asked his parents to go in order to find water. Unfortunately he couldn’t find
water nor rain. Thus, he went to his neighbor’s house Bodofon to ask for help.

His friend took him to a giant waterfall and gave him an Upih bowl (made from areca nut
leaves) to collect the water. Bodofon gave him one condition before he went home. He shall
not put the bowl carelessly but he didn’t tell Maruwai of the consequences. Maruwai agreed
to obey the condition. Unfortunately, along the way home he couldn’t resist to hunt a big wild
boar and put the upih carelessly on the ground. When he went back to the upih, he realized
that the water has become a river. Thus, the river named Maruwai River.

The moral of the story is, one should keep their promise. It shall ensure the success and their
journey in life in the future.
The Magical Crocodile

Crocodile via kumpulanilmu.com

This folktale is a story about a man named Towjatuwa that has a wife who will soon give
birth. When his wife was about to gave birth, he brought her to a midwife in his village. The
midwife said that she needed a sharp rock to operate his wife since she couldn’t deliver the
baby normally. Afterwards, he went to the Tami river to find the sharp rock. When he was
busy looking for the rock, he heard a voice behind him. He was surprised when he saw a
giant crocodile was staring at him with his sharp teeth. When he was about to run away,
surprisingly the crocodile greeted him.

The giant crocodile introduced himself as Watuwe. He asked what Towjatuwa is looking for
in the river. Towjatuwa told the giant crocodile his story. The crocodile then promised to help
to deliver his baby. On the day of the labor, the crocodile helped his wife. The healthy baby
boy was born and being named as Narrowa.

Later on, the crocodile told him that the baby boy will grow as a great hunter and asked
Towjatuwa to remember one important thing. It is forbidden for his son to kill or eat
crocodile as he was helped by a crocodile. Towjatuwa agreed. Years later, his son and his
descendants have fulfilled the agreement and protect all the crocodiles in Tami river.

The moral of the story is, return the favor to the people who are kind to you. If you are not
able to give the favor back, just remember the good deed.

(http://papuanews.org/folktales-papua-moral-lessons/)
Towjatuwa and the Sacred Crocodile

Towjatuwa dan Buaya Keramat >> Edisi Indonesia

Folklore from Papua

ONCE upon a time in Papua, Towjatuwa and his wife lived by the Tami River. They were very happy.
They had been waiting to have a baby and after some time, his wife got pregnant. The pregnancy
was in the ninth month.

Soon, his wife would give a birth. The days passed by, but his wife was still unable to give birth. She
had a problem that made her in greater pain. To help her give the birth, Towjatuma needed a sharp
stone. He wanted to have an operation to help his wife.

So, he went to the river side to find a sharp stone. While busy looking for the stone, he heard a
noise. He was so scared. He knew the river was full of crocodiles. Just before he left, a big crocodile
was in front of him! The crocodile was different from any other crocodiles. It had feathers. The
feathers were like kasuwari's. Towjatuma was ready to run, suddenly the crocodile talked.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to harm you. What are you doing here?" asked the crocodile politely.

Towjatuma was really scared. He was really amazed to see a crocodile talked like humans. After a
while, he then answered.

"I'm here to find a sharp stone. My wife is pregnant and she has a problem. She cannot give birth.
So, I want to do an operation," explained Towjatuma.

"I will help you. Go home now and I'll come to your house tomorrow," said the crocodile.

Towjatuma immediately went back to his house. When he arrived, he explained about the crocodile
to his wife. On the following day, the crocodile came to Towjatuma's house. With his magical power,
the crocodile helped her to give birth. The baby was a boy. The crocodile named him Narrowra.

"Towjatuma, I already helped you. Now I ask you to help me. Your son Narrowra will grow as a great
hunter. He has great skills in hunting. He can catch many animals. However, don't hunt my friends,
the crocodiles. You have to tell Narrowra not to hunt crocodiles. And not only Narrowra, all your
descendants have to protect crocodiles. If they hunt and eat crocodile meat, all your descendants
will die," said the crocodile.
"Yes, I understand. I will never forget your help. So I will teach my child and all my descendants to
protect you and your friends," said Towjatuma. Since then, Towjatuma and his descendants
promised to protect the crocodiles from other hunters. They also protected other animals that lived
in the river. ***

(http://indonesianfolklore.blogspot.com/2007/12/towjatuwa-and-sacred-crocodile-
folklore.html)

Indonesian Folklore
Indonesian Folklore can be described as Indonesian traditional art, literature, knowledge, and
practices that are passed on in large part through oral communication and example.

Folktales are a part of folklore. Indonesian Folktales were told orally through many
generations. The stories has not been proven to be real or not. These tales are part of their
background and their daily lives. (Read more)

We can find moral of the story of Bawang Merah and Bawang Putih. We can also learn
about the name of Cianjur City come from Ci means water and anjur from the word anjuran.
It means suggestion.

By keeping these old folktales alive, the next generations will know the stories and learn the
wonderful meanings behind them.

(http://winrymarini.com/indonesianfolklore.htm)

Folklore is the traditional art, literature, knowledge, and practice that is disseminated largely
through oral communication and behavioral example. This includes folktales, myths, legends, beliefs,
practices, superstitions, etc. Every group with a sense of its own identity shares, as a central part of
that identity, folk traditions–the things that people traditionally believe (planting practices, family
traditions, and other elements of worldview), do (dance, make music, sew clothing), know (how to
build an irrigation dam, how to nurse an ailment, how to prepare barbecue), make (architecture, art,
craft), and say (personal experience stories, riddles, song lyrics). As these examples indicate, in most
instances there is no hard-and-fast separation of these categories, whether in everyday life or in
folklorists’ work.

The word "folklore” names an enormous and deeply significant dimension of culture. Considering
how large and complex this subject is, it is no wonder that folklorists define and describe folklore in
so many different ways. Try asking dance historians for a definition of "dance,” for instance, or
anthropologists for a definition of "culture.” No one definition will suffice–nor should it.

In part, this is also because particular folklorists emphasize particular parts or characteristics of the
world of folklore as a result of their own work, their own interests, or the particular audience they’re
trying to reach. And for folklorists, as for the members of any group who share a strong interest,
disagreeing with one another is part of the work–and the enjoyment–of the field, and is one of the
best ways to learn. afsnet.org

Key Difference – Folklore vs Folktale

In every culture, folklore and folktales play a significant role. Both are passed down from one
generation to the other through word of mouth. The key difference between folklore and folktale is
that the folklore refers to the traditional beliefs and stories of a community. This usually
encompasses a large variety of components ranging from one’s cultural practices to material culture.
Folktales, on the other hand, refer to the stories that have been passed down from the ancestors of
a particular group of people to the younger generations. This highlights that folktales are a part of
folklore. They include the stories that belong to a group of people that are passed down orally. This
is the main difference between the two words. (source)

Academic Study
The study of folklore is typically termed "folkloristics", although other terms that are sometimes
used include "folklore studies" and "folklife research". Causing some confusion, the study of folklore
has also sometimes itself been termed "folklore".

Folklorists gather data by studying folklore first hand, through what is termed fieldwork. This entails
questioning and interviewing people about their own folklore.

In some cases the folklorist remembers what their interviewees say, allowing them to later recollect
it either orally or in writing. It can also entail making written notes during the interview, or using
mechanical recording methods such as video, photography, and tape recording, the latter of which is
the method most often employed by folklorists. The choice of recording medium is often informed
by the circumstances and nature of that which is being recorded; for instance a folk dance would
best be recorded using video.

Approaches to the study of folklore vary; some folklorists specialise on a specific folklore genre, for
instance becoming a specialist in folk tales, folk songs, or folk art. An alternative approach focuses on
the study of a "folk group", studying the various forms of folklore present within a given group of
people. A third approach incorporates the study of folklore as a sub-field of another discipline, such
as literature studies, anthropology, history, or linguistics.

Increasingly, folkloristics has come to intersect with other disciplines, with which it shares topics of
interest. Much inter-disciplinary research has resulted from this. Courses in folkloristics are widely
available at universities and colleges in the United States, with some also awarding degree programs
in the discipline.
(http://indonesianfolklore.blogspot.com/p/intro.html)
INDONESIAN FOLK TALES AND STORIES

A famous folk story in Sumatra goes: The Javanese came to Sumatra and tried to counquer
them so they could take control of their rich fertile farming land. The West Sumatrans
proposed that they settle the land dispute with a bull fight. The Javan King, knowing he had
many fine bulls accepted the proposal. The Javans went back to select their finest bull and
took it to West Sumatra to fight with their prize bull. Realizing their people could never find
a bull as large as the Javanese, one clever West Sumatran fielded a baby bull with V-shaped
knives attached to its horns. The Javan bull was put into the bull ring and was very surprised
to see a small baby calf come into the ring to fight. When the fight started the baby bull
perceived its opponent as its mother and rushed to suckle the Javanese bull, in the process
ripping out the bull’s belly. The Javanese quickly retreated back to Java allowing the West
Sumatrans to feast on the dead Javanese bull and to keep their land. [Source: sumatra-
indonesia.com >>>]

Explaining why tigers and cats bury their pooh, another Sumatran story goes: Thousands of
years ago, before man had entered the jungles of Sumatra and the animals rule the land the
Sumatran Tiger and cat (before it was domesticated) were proud cousins, always helping each
other out in the big bad jungle. One day a very hungry Sumatran Tiger had been hunting for
food for days. It was loosing energy and not sure if it could catch anything substantial to eat.
As he was loosing all hope he look up into a banana tree and saw one of his cousins high in
the tree, where he couldn't reach, feasting on bananas. Although the Sumatran Tiger didn't eat
bananas he thought that if he had a few it many give him enough energy to catch a tasty deer.
He called to his cousin for him to throw down some bananas to give him more energy so he
could hunt something to eat. >>>

The cat became scared and thought that if the Tiger only had a bit of energy he may become
his second course before he went hunting for some deer. The cat yelled to the Tiger that he
would help him to gain some energy but he wanted the Tiger to open his mouth and close his
eyes, so the cat could feed him but have some time to flee before becoming lunch. The Tiger
agreed, closing his eyes and opening his eyes. The mischievous cat decided to play a trick on
the Tiger, not feeding him bananas to strengthen him but to weaken him to ensure his own
escape. >>>

The cat turned around and pooped off the tree into the Tigers hungry mouth. As the Tiger
started to chew he realised he was not chewing on sweet bananas. He quickly spat his mouth
load out and yelled up into the trees as the cat bolted through the canopy, ' CAT! You may
have fooled me, but now that I have tasted your poo, and know what you poo smells like, I
can track you anywhere in the jungle and will catch you!'. Since that day the cat, and his
ancestors, the domestic cat bury their poo! >>>

Malin Kundang

Once upon a time, on the north coast of Sumatra lived a poor woman and his son. The boy
was called Malin Kundang. They didn’t earn much as fishing was their only source of
income. Malin Kundang grew up as a skillful young boy. He always helps his mother to earn
some money. However, as they were only fisherman’s helper, they still lived in poverty.
“Mother, what if I sail overseas?” asked Malin Kundang one day to his mother. Her mother
didn’t agree but Malin Kundang had made up his mind. “Mother, if I stay here, I’ll always be
a poor man. I want to be a successful person,” urged Malin kundang. His mother wiped her
tears, “If you really want to go, I can’t stop you. I could only pray to God for you to gain
success in life,” said his mother wisely. “But, promise me, you’ll come home.” [Source:
aditya indonesianfolktale.blogspot, August 28, 2010 \=/]

In the next morning, Malin Kundang was ready to go. Three days ago, he met one of the
successful ship’s crew. Malin was offered to join him. “Take a good care of yourself, son,”
said Malin Kundang’s mother as she gave him some food supplies. “Yes, Mother,” Malin
Kundang said. “You too have to take a good care of yourself. I’ll keep in touch with you,” he
continued before kissing his mother’s hand. Before Malin stepped onto the ship, Malin’s
mother hugged him tight as if she didn’t want to let him go. It had been three months since
Malin Kundang left his mother. As his mother had predicted before, he hadn’t contacted her
yet. Every morning, she stood on the pier. She wished to see the ship that brought Malin
kundang home. Every day and night, she prayed to the God for her son’s safety. There was so
much prayer that had been said due to her deep love for Malin Kundang. Even though it’s
been a year she had not heard any news from Malin Kundang, she kept waiting and praying
for him. \=/

After several years waiting without any news, Malin Kundang’s mother was suddenly
surprised by the arrival of a big ship in the pier where she usually stood to wait for her son.
When the ship finally pulled over, Malin Kundang’s mother saw a man who looked wealthy
stepping down a ladder along with a beautiful woman. She could not be wrong. Her blurry
eyes still easily recognized him. The man was Malin Kundang, her son. Malin Kundang’s
mother quickly went to see her beloved son. “Malin, you’re back, son!” said Malin
Kundang’s mother and without hesitation, she came running to hug Malin Kundang,“I miss
you so much.” But, Malin Kundang didn’t show any respond. He was ashamed to admit his
own mother in front of his beautiful wife.“You’re not my Mother. I don’t know you. My
mother would never wear such ragged and ugly clothes,” said Malin Kundang as he release
his mother embrace. \=/

Malin Kundang’s mother take a step back, “Malin…You don’t recognize me? I’m your
mother!” she said sadly. Malin Kundang’s face was as cold as ice. “Guard, take this old
women out of here,” Malin Kundang ordered his bodyguard. “Give her some money so she
won’t disturb me again!” Malin Kundang’s mother cried as she was dragged by the
bodyguard,”Malin… my son. Why do you treat your own mother like this?” Malin Kundang
ignored his mother and ordered the ship crews to set sail. Malin Kundang’s mother sat alone
in the pier. Her heart was so hurt, she cried and cried. “Dear God, if he isn’t my son, please
let him have a save journey. But if he is, I cursed him to become a stone,” she prayed to the
God. In the quiet sea, suddenly the wind blew so hard and a thunderstorm came. Malin
Kundang’s huge ship was wrecked. He was thrown by the wave out of his ship, and fell on a
small island. Suddenly, his whole body turned into stone. He was punished for not admitting
his own mother.” \=/

Sangkuriang

Long time ago in West Java, lived a beautiful girl named Dayang Sumbi. She was also smart
and clever. Her beauty and intelligence made a prince from the heavenly kingdom of
Kahyangan desire her as his wife. The prince asked permission from his father to marry
Dayang Sumbi. People from Kahyangan could never live side by side with humans, but his
father approved on one condition, when they had a child, the prince would transform into a
dog. The prince accepted the condition. They get married and lived happily in the woods until
Dayang Sumbi gave birth to a baby boy. The prince then changed into a dog named Tumang.
[Source: aditya indonesianfolktale.blogspot, June 21, 2010 ^~^]

Their son is named Sangkuriang. He was very smart and handsome like his father. Everyday,
he hunted animals and looked for fruits to eat. One day, when he was hunting, Sangkuriang
accidentally killed Tumang. His arrow missed the deer he was targeting and hit Tumang
instead. He went home and tells her mother about the dog.“What?” Dayang Sumbi was
appalled. Driven by sadness and anger, she grabbed a weaving tool and hit Sangkuriang’s
head with it. Dayang Sumbi was so sad; she didn’t pay any attention to Sangkuriang and
started to cry. Sangkuriang feel sad and also confused. How can his mother love a dog more
than him? ^~^

Sangkuriang then decided to go away from their home and went on a journey. In the morning,
Dayang Sumbi finally stopped crying. She started to feel better, so she went to find
Sangkuriang. But her son was no where to be found. She looked everywhere but still couldn’t
find him. Finally, she went home with nothing. She was exhausted. She fell asleep, and in her
dream, she meets her husband.“Dayang Sumbi, don’t be sad. Go look for my body in the
woods and get the heart. Soak it with water, and use the water to bathe, and you will look
young forever,” said the prince in her dream. After bathing with the water used to soak the
dog’s heart, Dayang Sumbi looked more beautiful and even younger.

And time passed by. Sangkuriang on his journey stopped at a village and met and fell in love
with a beautiful girl.He didn’t realize that the village was his homeland and the beautiful girl
was his own mother, Dayang Sumbi. Their love grew naturally and he asked the girl to marry
him. One day, Sangkuriang was going on a hunt. He asked Dayang Sumbi to fix the turban on
his head. Dayang Sumbi was startled when she saw a scar on his head at the same place
where she, years ago, hit Sangkuriang on the head. After the young man left, Dayang Sumbi
prayed for guidance. After praying, she became convinced that the young man was indeed her
missing son. She realized that she had to do something to prevent Sangkuriang from marrying
her. But she did not wish to disappoint him by cancelling the wedding. So, although she
agreed to marry Sangkuriang, she would do so only on the condition that he provides her with
a lake and built a beautiful boat, all in one night. Sangkuriang accepted this condition without
a doubt. He had spent his youth studying magical arts. After the sun went down, Sangkuriang
went to the hill. Then he called a group of genie to build a dam around Citarum River. Then,
he commands the genies to cut down trees and build a boat. A few moments before dawn,
Sangkuriang and his genie servants almost finished the boat. ^~^

Dayang Sumbi, who had been spying on him, realised that Sangkuriang would fulfill the
condition she had set. Dayang Sumbi immediately woke all the women in the village and
asked them to wave a long red scarf. All the women in the village were waving red scarf,
making it look as if dawn was breaking. Deceived by false dawn, the cock crowed and
farmers rose for the new day. Sangkuriang’s genie servants immediately dropped their work
and ran for cover from the sun, which they feared. Sangkuriang grew furious. With all his
anger, he kicked the unfinished boat. The boat flew and landed on a valley. The boat then
became a mountain, called Mount Tangkuban Perahu (Tangkuban means upturned or upside
down, and Perahu means boat). With his power, he destroyed the dam. The water drained
from the lake becoming a wide plain and nowadays became a city called Bandung (from the
word Bendung, which means Dam). ^~^

Mouse Deer and Tiger

One upon a time, there was a mouse deer living in a forest. Although he was small, he wasn’t
afraid of the other bigger animals who wanted to eat him. He was so smart; he always
managed to ditch them. One day, a tiger was wandering around for food. He hadn’t been
eating for days. He was really hungry. While he was walking in the forest, he saw Mouse
Deer. The tiger wanted to eat him. Tiger slowly ducked, crawled, approaching Mouse Deer,
then…”Gotcha!” said Tiger. He caught Mouse Deer. “Hello, Mouse Deer! I’m really hungry
right now. You’ll be my lunch!” said Tiger. [Source: aditya indonesianfolktale.blogspot,
April 21, 2010 <^>]

Mouse Deer didn’t want to be his lunch. He tried to be calm. He looked around and saw some
buffalo’s dung. He had an idea. “I’m sorry, Tiger. I can’t be your lunch now. The King has
ordered me to guard his cake,” said Mouse Deer calmly. “His cake?” said Tiger curiously.
“Yes, there it is. It’s very delicious. The King doesn’t want anyone else to eat it, so he
ordered me to guard it,” Mouse Deer pointed the buffalo’s dung. “Can I taste it?” Tiger
asked. “Of course you can’t. The King would be very angry,” said Mouse Deer refused. “Just
one little bite, Mouse Deer! The King will never know,” said Tiger. “Well, okay, Tiger. But
first let me run far away, so the King won’t blame me,” said Mouse Deer. “All right, Mouse
deer. You can go now.” Mouse Deer ran quickly out of sight. Tiger then took a big mouthful
of the ‘cake’. “Phoooey!” He spit it out. “Yuck, that’s not cake. That’s buffalo’s dung.” <^>

Tiger ran through the forest. He caught up with Mouse Deer.“Mouse Deer, you tricked me.
But now you will be my lunch.” Mouse Deer looked around and saw a wasp nest in a
tree.“I’m sorry, Tiger. I can’t be your lunch now. The King has ordered me to guard his
drum,” said Mouse Deer calmly. “His drum?” said Tiger curiously. “Yes, there it is. It has the
best sound in the world. The King doesn’t want anyone else to hit it,” Mouse Deer pointed
the wasp nest. “Can I hit the King’s drum?” Tiger asked. “Of course you can’t. The King
would be very angry,” said Mouse Deer refused. “Just one little hit, Mouse Deer! The King
will never know,” said Tiger. ”Well, all right, Tiger. But first let me run far away, so the King
won’t blame me,” said Mouse Deer. “All right, Mouse Deer. You can go now.” Mouse Deer
ran quickly out of sight. Tiger then reached up and hit the wasp nest. Bzzzzzzz…!
“Ouch…ouch! That’s not a drum. That a wasp nests!” Tiger ran away. But the wasps keep
following him. He came to the river. He jumped in and stayed underwater as long as he
could. At last the wasps went away. Then he jumped out. <^>

He ran through the forest till he found Mouse Deer.“Mouse Deer, you tricked me again. But
now you will be my lunch.” Mouse Deer looked around and saw a cobra. The snake was
coiled asleep on the ground.“I’m sorry, Tiger. I can’t be your lunch now. The King has
ordered me to guard his belt,” said Mouse Deer calmly. “His belt?” said Tiger curiously.
“Yes. There it is. It’s the best belt in the world. The King doesn’t want anyone else to wear
it,” Mouse Deer pointed the cobra. “Can I wear it?” Tiger asked. “Of course you can’t. The
King would be very angry,” said Mouse Deer refused. “Just for one moment, Mouse Deer!
The King will never know,” said Tiger. ”Well, all right, Tiger. But first let me run far away,
so the King won’t blame me,” said Mouse Deer. “All right, Mouse Deer. You can go now.”
Mouse Deer ran quickly out of sight. Tiger then took the snake and started to warp it around
himself. The cobra woke up. It squeezed Tiger and bit him. SSssssstt!“Oouch! Ow! Ooow!
That’s not a belt! That’s a cobra! Help! Mouse Deer! Help!” But Mouse Deer was already far
away. He laughed aloud. Mouse Deer was safe from Tiger now. <^>

Cindelaras
Raden Putra was the king of Jenggala kingdom. He had a beautiful queen and concubine.
Unlike the queen, the concubine had bad personalities. She was envious and jealous with the
queen, so she planned to make the queen leave the palace. The concubine then asked the
royal healer to help her in her plan. One day, the concubine pretended to be ill. Raden Putra
called the royal healer to give the concubine treatments.“What is her disease?” Raden Putra
asked the royal healer. “I’m very sorry, My Majesty. She is sick because the queen put poison
in her meal,” the royal healer lied. Raden Putra was shock and angry to hear the explanation.
He called the queen and asked her if the story was true. Of course the queen denied, but
Raden Putra won’t listen. “Please Your Majesty, have mercy. I really didn’t do anything,”
cried the queen in her tears. [Source: aditya indonesianfolktale.blogspot, March 28, 2010 |::|]

Raden Putra’s anger ended in a decision. The queen should be banished to the woods and
terminated. He did not know that the queen was already pregnant. Raden Putra commanded
one of his general to do the punishment. The queen was banished to the woods, but the wise
general didn’t have the heart to kill her. He built a simple house in the woods for her. On his
way back to the palace, he smeared his sword with rabbit blood, so Raden Putra would
believe that he had killed the queen. After the general left, the queen lived by herself in the
woods. Several months later, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy. The baby was named
Cindelaras. He grew up as a nice, healthy, and handsome boy. One day, while Cindelaras
helped her mother to collect some fire woods, an eagle dropped an egg. Cindelaras brought
the egg to be brooded by a chicken behind their house. The egg hatched into a chick and then
it slowly became a strong rooster. The rooster is no ordinary rooster. |::|

The rooster could sing. Every morning, the rooster woke Cindelaras up with its beautiful
song, “My master is Cindelaras. His house is in the woods. He’s the son of Raden Putra.” The
rooster often sang that song. Cindelaras always woke up early in the morning and listen
happily to his rooster’s song. He didn’t realize the meaning of the song until one day, he
started to think.“Who is Raden Putra?” he asked his mother. The queen then told him the
whole story. She also told him why they were banned from the kingdom and lived in the
woods. Cindelaras was very surprised. He decided to go to the palace to meet the king, his
father. Cindelaras asked her mother’s permission to go to the kingdom and to tell the king
what really happened. He also brought his rooster that grew bigger and stronger each day. On
his way, Cindelaras stopped at a village. There, he met some people who were involved in
cockfighting. They challenge him to see how strong his rooster was.“If your rooster wins,
you’ll get a reward,” said the man who challenged him. Cindelaras accepted the challenge. In
a few minutes, his rooster defeated the opponent’s rooster. He was challenged again by other
man, and one more time, his rooster won. He won again and again. |::|

The news about Cindelaras’ rooster quickly spread to the whole Jenggala kingdom and made
Raden Putra curious. So, he invited Cindelaras to the palace.“What is your name, boy?”
Raden Putra asked as Cindelaras arrived in the palace.“My name is Cindelaras, Your
Majesty,” Cindelaras answered. He felt both thrilled and happy to see Raden Putra. Raden
Putra challenged Cindelaras with one condition. If Raden Putra’s rooster won, Cindelaras’
head would be cut off. But if Cindelaras’ rooster won, Raden Putra would share half of his
wealth. Cindelaras accepted the condition. The competition was held in the front yard of the
palace. The two roosters fought bravely. But in just a few minutes, Cindelaras’ rooster won
the fight! Raden Putra shook his head and stared at Cindelaras from his seat,“That rooster is
no ordinary rooster, and the boy is not an ordinary boy either. Who is he exactly?” he
thought. Raden Putra was about to asked when suddenly Cindelaras’ rooster sang the song,
“My master is Cindelaras. His house is in the woods. He’s the son of Raden Putra.” Raden
Putra was surprised. “Is it true?” he asked. “Yes, My Majesty. My name is Cindelaras and my
mother was the queen,” said Cindelaras. Raden putra called the general who had banished the
queen. The general then confessed that he never killed the queen. Later, the royal healer also
admitted his mistake. Raden Putra was so shocked. He immediately went to the woods to
pick up the queen. Ever since, Cindelaras and his parents lived happily together. As for the
concubine, she was sent to the jail as punishment. |::|

Origin of the Landak River

Long time ago, lived a farmer and his wife in a village by the side of a forest. They lived
simply and they like to help other people, especially one who in afflictions. One night, the
farmer and his wife were resting in their house. The farmer was sitting beside his sleeping
wife. Suddenly, a white centipede came out from the wife’s head. The farmer was amazed.
He then followed the centipede until they reach a small pond not far from their house. Then
the centipede suddenly disappeared. The farmer went home and found his wife still soundly
asleep. In the morning, the wife told his husband about the dream she had last night.“I was
walking through a vast field, and I came to a lake. I saw a giant hedgehog in the lake. It was
glaring at me, so I ran away.” After he heard his wife’s dream, the farmer went back to the
small pond. In the pond, he saw something very shiny. He came to the shiny object and took
it. It was a golden hedgehog statue. It was very beautiful. Its eyes were made of diamond.
The farmer then brought the statue home. [Source: aditya indonesianfolktale.blogspot, March
28, 2010 |~|]

At night, the farmer had a dream. A giant hedgehog came to him,“Please let me stay in your
home. As return, I will give you everything you want. Just caress the statue’s head and say
the prayer. There are two kinds of prayers, one is to start your wish and the second is to stop
your wish. Now memorize the prayers.” In the next day, the farmer told his wife about his
dream. They really wanted to prove it. The farmer slowly caressed the statue’s head. He said
the prayer and asked for rice. Suddenly, rice came out of the mouth of the statue. The rice
kept on coming out from the statue’s mouth. The farmer immediately said the prayer to stop
it. The rice then stopped coming out from the statue. The farmer and his wife then asked for
other things, jewelry and other stuff they needed. They became very rich. But they still like to
help other people. A lot of poor came to them for help. |~|

Unfortunately, a thief found out about the secret of the golden hedgehog statue. Pretending to
be a poor asking for help, he stole the statue from the farmer’s house. The thief blurred to the
district area of Ngabang. There was a drought in the area. The thief wanted sympathy from
the people, so he said to them that he would provide them with water. The thief then caressed
the hedgehog statue and said the prayer. Water came out of the statue’s mouth. All the people
were so happy. But the water kept on coming out. The thief didn’t know the prayer to stop the
wish. People who saw the incident were really scared. They ran away to avoid the water as it
was started to flood the area. The thief also wanted to run away, but he cannot move his legs.
In his vision, there was a giant hedgehog holding both his legs. Water kept coming from the
statue and slowly it became a river. The thief was drowned in the river. People then named
the river as Hedgehog River or Sungai Landak. |~|

Origin of Lake Toba

History shows that Lake Toba was produced from a huge volcanic eruption, creating a crater
which filled with water over thousands of years but the Batak people have a different story to
tell: Thousands of years ago before Lake Toba was a lake, this regions was lush farm land.
One solitary farmer discovered the Toba valley and decided to make it his home. He found a
nice stretch of land he could farm for his own existence, along side a small lake. As well as
the fine produce his farm produced, the lake provided him with ample fish to eat. [Source:
sumatra-indonesia.com >>>]

One day, while farming his land he noticed a fish poking it's head out of the water watching
him. Thinking this could be lunchtime he moved closer to the lake to see if he could catch the
fish. As he came close to the fish ready to pounce, the fish spoke to him. He froze, amazed
that the fish could speak. The fish said that she could take human form and be with him as his
wife and bear him a son. >>>

Although he was happy on his land, with all the food he could eat he had been lonely so he
quickly agreed. Before she took human form she said to him that he could tell no-one that she
was really a fish from the lake, otherwise she would return to the lake as a fish and could
never be with him again. He was not bothered by this as he had not seen anyone else in the
valley since he discovered it, so knew he would not tell anyone. They became man and wife,
and she bore him 2 sons. He enjoyed many happy years with his beautiful wife and 2 sons.
After several years the boys were strong enough to help their father farming their food. >>>

Each day the father and 2 sons would set off across the farm attending to all it's needs. It was
hard work in the hot conditions of Sumatra but each day his faithful wife would bring him
and her sons lunch and cool water to drink, spending time talking and laughing with her
family. Late one morning, while she was preparing the lunch for her boys and husband, she
had an accident in the kitchen and had to attend to her wounds before heading off to take the
food and water to her family. >>>

The husband noticed that his wife has not appeared at the usual time of day when they most
needed food and water. They worked on knowing she would not be far. As the time passed,
the husband become more tired from the work, hungry and dehydrated from the sun. Soon the
husband erupted into a rage, believing his wife had betrayed her family. He quickly yelled to
his sons that he was stupid for marrying a fish. As soon as he said that she transformed back
to a fish, returning to the lake. She realised why she had returned and was stricken with grief
as she would never see her children or husband again. For the rest of her life tears fell down
her face which eventually filled the Toba valley creating the huge Lake Toba of today. >>>

Kesuma and the Volcano

Once upon a time there was a husband and a wife named Joko Seger and Roro Anteng. They
had been married for years but they did not have any children yet. They dearly wanted to
have children and prayed to gods everyday. One day Joko Seger had a vision: his wife would
be pregnant if he meditated in a cave. However, a lion lived in the cave. Joko Seger fought
with the lion. He won! [Source: by Maman Soleman, folktaleszone.blogspot May 5, 2012 ~~]

Later, when Joko Seger was meditating he heard a voice:“Joko Seger, all the Gods agreed to
give you children, lots of children.” “Really? Thank you very much,” said Joko Seger
happily. “But there is one condition you have to do.” “Say it. I will do anything as long as
you give me lots of children,” said Joko Seger. “You will have 25 children. But you have to
sacrifice one of them when they are adult.” “I agree,” said Joko Seger without any doubts. He
was so happy that Gods would give them 25 children. He thought sacrificing one of them
would not to be a problem. He would still have 24 children. ~~

At home, Joko Seger told his wife about his conversation with the god. And Roro Anteng
could not say anything. After all, her husband had promised to Gods. She just hoped that they
would never have to sacrifice one child. Later, Roro Anteng was pregnant. They had a baby!
Joko Seger and Roro Anteng were very happy. The first baby was followed by others babies.
Sometimes, the babies were born twins and other times the babies were born triplets. And the
couple finally had 25 children! They were extremely happy. ~~

And when the children were grown up, Joko Seger had a dream. He talked to the God. “Joko
Seger, remember your promise. I want you to bring one of your children to the crater of
Bromo Mountain. Sacrifice your child there. If you don”t keep you promise, the mountain
will erupt and destroy everything.” Joko Seger wake up from his sleep. He was restless. He
then talked to all his children about his promise. “No, father. I don’t want to die,” said the
oldest. “I don’t either, Father,” said another child. All the children refused to be sacrificed.
Joko Seger did not have the heart to force them. He loved all his children. Suddenly, the
youngest child talked. His name was Kesuma. “Please let me do it, Father. I love our family
and the people of Tengger. But please, commemorate my sacrifice. Every year, please hold a
ceremony and provide some offerings to the creator of Bromo Mountain,” said Kesuma. ~~

Kesuma was a very good son. He was obedient to his parents and very kind to the other
people. All the villagers loved him. He was kind and always helped other people. Kesuma
went to the crater. He jumped and he was swallowed by fire. Everybody was sad. And they
all were very thankful to Kesuma. Because of him, their place was safe from the eruption of
Bromo Mountain. Even today, once a year the people of Tengger always hold a ceremony to
commemorate Kesuma. They bring offerings to the crater of Bromo Mountain. ~~

Simalungun

Once upon a time in North Sumatra, there were three small kingdoms: the Silou Kingdom,
Tanah Djawo Kingdom, and Raya Kingdom. Those three kingdoms lived happily and
peacefully. They got along very well and harmoniously. They knew by sticking together they
would be very strong. Those three kingdoms lived in very fertile land. The people were
prosperous. They never lacked any food. Other kingdoms were jealous with those three
kingdoms. They planned to attack them. However they knew that those three kingdoms were
very strong. They wanted just to attack the kingdoms one by one. [Source: by Maman
Soleman, folktaleszone.blogspot May 5, 2012]

The first kingdom that wanted to attack was Majapahit Kingdom. The kingdom tried to attack
Tanah Djawo Kingdom. One soldier reported to the King of Tanah Djawo Kingdom. “Your
Majesty, I have a bad news. Majapahit Kingdom is going to attack us.” “I know Majapahit is
such a great kingdom. We cannot fight them alone, we need to ask our best friends to help
us,” said the king of Tanah Djawo Kingdom. Then he sent message to the kings of Silou
Kingdom and Raya Kingdom. The two kings responded the request. They sent their best
soldiers to help the Tanah Djawo’s Kingdom. They did it! The three kingdoms were able to
unite to fight the Majapahits. They made the Majapahit to leave their land.

Sadly, their problems did not stop. It seemed that other kingdom was ready to attack. Nobody
knew who they were. One thing for sure lots of soldiers were ready to attack the three
kingdoms. They did it simultaneously. They attacked the three kingdoms at one time, and that
made the three kingdoms could not help each other. They were saving their own lives!
Slowly the three kingdoms lost the fight. They had to leave their places. They had to flee to
find a safe place. They found a good place. The people built houses for them to stay. They
did not know when they would go back home.

Time passed by, their hiding place slowly became a small village. They have built houses,
and they also had rice fields. One of them said that he missed his hometown. He asked some
people to go back home. “I miss our hometown. Who wants to go back home with me?” “I
don’t. I love this place, this is already my home. Besides that, I’m afraid our enemies were
still there.” Well, some people also wanted to go back home. “I will join you. I miss my
hometown.” Some people went back home. They brought some weapons, just in case the
enemies were still there. After spending months on the journey, they finally arrived. Some of
them were crying. Their hometown looked completely different. There were no any one
there. The enemies already left the place. It was full of bushes. They said,”Sima-sima
nalungun.” They all kept on saying that. It means the quiet place. Slowly the place was
named Simalungun, which is from the words sima-sima nalungun.

Image Sources:

Text Sources: New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Times of London, Lonely Planet
Guides, Library of Congress, Compton’s Encyclopedia, The Guardian, National Geographic,
Smithsonian magazine, The New Yorker, Time, Newsweek, Reuters, AP, AFP, Wall Street Journal, The
Atlantic Monthly, The Economist, Global Viewpoint (Christian Science Monitor), Foreign Policy,
Wikipedia, BBC, CNN, and various books, websites and other publications.

© 2008 Jeffrey Hays

Last updated June 2015

(http://factsanddetails.com/indonesia/Arts_Culture_Media_Sports/sub6_4a/entry-4044.html)
THE BLOWPIPER STORY

A long time ago in a small village on the island of Bangka, lives

a young man who is an expert in using the blowpipe, especially for hunting. That is why
people in the village called him blowpiper. He also has a very good medical skill inherited
from his late father. One day, the village chief Pak Raje, came to the house blow piper,
asking him to expel the wild boar that enter and damage his rice fields. Pak Raje told blow
piper, that his father had owed money. Thus, blowpiper have to work for it voluntarily. blow
piper take the job, though he will not get paid.

On the next day, blowpiper go to Pak Raje this field. He watched the field and do some
patrols to each side of the field. He witnessed the everyday field, but he still has not found
any suspicious movement. Entering his seventh day, blowpiper who saw suspicious
movements from a distance. He walked slowly to the sound source where he saw a group of
wild boars tried to enter the field. blowpiper then hid behind a large tree with a blowpipe in
his hand. When the fold of pigs damaging paddy, blowpiper blowgun pointing towards one
boar closest to him. He blew his blowpipe. an arrow hit the boar, but the boar was not
paralyzed like blowpiper expected. A group of wild boar and then walked off the field and
out of sight this blowpiper.

"Hmm ... my arrow had hit one of them, it must hurt," said blowpiper the curious.

In the morning, blowpiper going to follow in the footsteps of pig's blood he shot last night.
The trail took him to the forest and eventually ended up in front of a large cave. Cautiously,
blowpiper enter the cave. He was surprised to find a beautiful woman bloody in a soft bed,
surrounded by several other beautiful women. One of them was an old woman, the mother of
the woman fainted.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Asked the old woman.

"Sorry to bother you. I'm looking for my lost arrow, it stuck boar," blowpiper explained
to the old woman.

"The things that you are looking for is on my daughter," the old woman said angrily.

"Why was your daughter?" Tanya blowpiper surprising.

"It's because ... pigs that you shoot with your blowgun last night actually a
manifestation of my daughter," said the old woman sadly.
Explanation old woman made a shocked blowpiper.

"So ... you are all boar that I saw last night?" He asked.

"What you say is true youth," the old woman said softly.

"I did not mean .... I'm very sorry to hear that. I would not do it if I knew that pigs were
you," blowpiper apologized.

"Never mind," said the old woman.

"Forget
all about it. The most important thing now is to release the arrow from the body of my
daughter," added the old woman sadly.

"I can help you with that," said the blowiper.

He came closer to a beautiful woman and found a blanket. He then took the arrows from his
body and with his medical skills to immediately stop the bleeding.

In a short time, the wound healed, leaving no trace.

"Now, she has recovered. Let me go home now. Maybe we'll meet again someday," said
blowpiper politely.

"Yes, young man ... But before you leave, I have something to give to you as my
gratitude," said the old woman while giving blowpiper a wooden box.

"Do not open the box until you are at home," added the old woman.

"Thank you for your kindness," said the blowpiper.

He then left the cave and back home. At his home, blowpiper opened the wooden box.
Surprisingly, the young man was found jewelry, gold and diamonds in the box.

"Wow ...! I am rich," said the youth happy.

On the next day, blowpiper sell all valuables and use the money he had to buy the field,
garden, home, and pay all his debts owed to Pak Raje.

News about the fate blowpiper rapidly spread throughout the

village. Everyone knows, including Pak Raje. It was meant to be like blowpiper, so he went
to borrow from blowpiper blowgun to hunt wild boar in his own field. On the way, he met a
wild boar, and shoot with a blowpipe. Then he followed the trail of blood left by the boar
until he entered the cave. It's like what happened with the blowpiper. Pak Raje asked to heal
the bloody woman, but he could do it because he does not have the skill. Suddenly, dozens of
pigs attacked him, causing him to bleed and hurt. With all his strength, he escaped from the
cave. He fainted when arrived in front of his own house.

Pak Raje's daughter tell what happened to his father for the blowpiper. Hearing the bad news,
blowpiper immediately went to thePak Raje's house to help him. With his medical skills, he is
trying to heal the wounds of this Pak Raje. Finally, Pak Raje could make and recover from
serious injuries. After thinking about what he had been through, Pak Raje realize his own evil
intentions. He felt sorry for greedy.

"Thank you, young man. You've helped me once again. As my gratitude, I would like to
appoint you as the head of the village. Will you accept?" Asked Pak Raje.

"Of course, sir Raje. Thank you," replied blowpiper happy.

After a week, blowpiper ask Pak Raje daughter to be his wife. They lived happily as a couple.
blowpiper is a gentleman and good, and daughter Pak Raje is a beautiful woman. Under the
leadership of blowpiper, all the villagers live in peace and harmony.
(http://folklore-lover.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-blowpiper-story-from-Bangka-Belitung.html)
WANEBAKA | THE SON OF TUNDE

In Bali, there was a man called Tunde. He had been married for 10 years but had no child. So
he was very happy when his wife got pregnant. But after a few months, his wife's belly
returned to its normal size. It happened many times and he asked a shaman for a help but the
shaman could not do anything about it.

One day, when he’s pregnant wife was washing at

the river, she felt something falling down from her body to the river, but she ignored it and
kept washing. After that, her belly resized to the normal size.
At home, she told it to her husband. “Maybe gods don’t want us to have a child,” Tunde said.
As usual, they let it pass, and for the next 10 years Tunde’s wife didn’t get pregnant anymore.
10 years later, women who were washing at the river heard somebody’s singing but they
didn’t look anyone around.
"O.. washing women..

Tell my father Tunde..

That Wanebaka has grown up..
And want to be circumcised soon"
The scared women told Tunde what they had experienced. First Tunde ignored it. It occurred
again and finally he attended a simple circumcising ritual, with no boy is actually
circumcised.
15 years later, the washing women heard somebody’s singing again. This time they didn’t get
afraid.
"O.. washing women..
Tell my father Tunde..
That Wanebaka has grown up..
And want to be married"
ustify;">
Tunde then looked for a girl who would be a bride for his unexisting son. He paid for the
bride and arranged the marriage. He came to the river and said, “Whoever you are, if you’re
really my son, come on the day of your wedding.”
 At the wedding ceremony, a guest saw a snake crawling to Tunde’s house
and everyone ran away in a panic. The snake got so disappointed and disappeared in the bush.
A few years later, the song was heard again at the river and Tunde did the same thing as
before but this time he threatened the bride that he would kill her if she ran away.

At the ceremony, the snake appeared

again and everyone ran away including Tunde and his wife. The bride stood where she was,
waiting for her death. The snake’s tail touch her toe, and it went to a room. The bride
followed the snake. The snake drank a bottle of tuak and got drunk. While it was sleeping, its
skin removed from the body. The bride gathered it and burned it outside the house. The ash
was buried. When she returned to the room she found a handsome man sleeping in the bed.
“Now you won’t become a snake anymore, and I’ll be your loyal wife,” she said.
THE STORY of BLIND BACHELOR

Once upon a time in Riau, lived a mother with her three sons. The oldest was Bujang Perotan, the
middle child was Bujang Pengail, and the youngest child was Bujang Buta. He was named Bujang
Buta, because he was blind.

Those three children had different personalities. Although he was blind, Bujang Buta was the kindest
child.

While his older brothers were busy playing, Bujang Buta always helped his mother.

One day, their mother asked them to go to the jungle to collect some fire woods. Bujang Perotan
and Bujang Pengail agreed to help. The mother and Bujang Buta did not know that Bujang Perotan
and Bujang Pengail planned something bad. They wanted to leave Bujang Buta alone in the jungle!

“Bujang Buta, stay here under this tree. Bujang Pengail and I will look for the woods in other
areas. Wait for us and we’ll go home together,” said Bujang Perotan.

Then, Bujang Buta waited and waited for hours. But his brothers did not show up! Bujang Buta was
so scared. He tried to walk. He could not find his stick. His brothers had hid it. Suddenly, he stepped
on something.

“What is this? I think this is a fruit. Hmm..it’s mango. Yummy!” Bujang Buta then enjoyed the fruit.

He was really happy to eat the mango. He was very hungry. He ate the mango very fast until he
made a mistake. He accidentally swallowed the pip
fruit! His eyes were wide open. Amazingly the incident made his eyes able to see. He was no longer
blind!

However, his happiness soon ended after he saw there were a monkey and a tiger in font of him. He
was so scared. He wanted to run away.

“Don’t be afraid, my friend. We’re not going to hurt you,” said the tiger.

“We know everything. We know you are a good kid. We want to help you. Take these ropes and
stick. You will need them someday to help you,” said the monkey.

Bujang Buta received those things. After saying thank you, Bujang Buta then continued walking. He
wanted to go home.

On the way home, he met some people. They told him that the king’s daughter was arrested by the
king of elephants. Nobody dared to release her because the king had big elephants as his soldiers,
which are why he was named as king of elephants.

Bujang Buta wanted to release the princess. With the ropes and the stick, he was fighting bravely
against the elephants. He won! He then released the princess and brought her back to the palace.

The king was so happy, he then asked Bujang Buta to stay in the palace and marry his daughter.
Bujang Buta was so happy; he immediately went home to ask his mother to stay with him in the
palace.

Bujang Buta did not have a hard feeling towards his brothers. He forgave them and also asked them
to stay in the palace. His brothers really regretted their bad behaviours. They promised to be nice.