Sangkuriang

The Three Little PigsOnce upon a time there were three little pigs, who left their mummy and daddy to see the world.

All summer long, they roamed through the woods and over the plains, playing games and having fun. None were happier than the three little pigs, and they easily made friends with everyone. Wherever they went, they were given a warm welcome, but as summer drew to a close, they realized that folk were drifting back to their usual jobs, and preparing for winter. Autumn came and it began to rain. The three little pigs started to feel they needed a real home. Sadly they knew that the fun was over now and they must set to work like the others, or they'd be left in the cold and rain, with no roof over their heads. They talked about what to do, but each decided for himself. The laziest little pig said he'd build a straw hut.

"It will only take a day,' he said. The others disagreed.

"It's too fragile," they said disapprovingly, but he refused to listen. Not quite so lazy, the second little pig went in search of planks of seasoned wood.

"Clunk! Clunk! Clunk!" It took him two days to nail them together. But the third little pig did not like the wooden house.

"That's not the way to build a house!" he said. "It takes time, patience and hard work to build a house that is strong enough to stand up to wind, rain, and snow, and most of all, protect us from the wolf!"

The days went by, and the wisest little pig's house took shape, brick by brick. From time to time, his brothers visited him, saying with a chuckle.

"Why are you working so hard? Why don't you come and play?" But the stubborn bricklayer pig just said "no".

"I shall finish my house first. It must be solid and sturdy. And then I'll come and play!" he said. "I shall not be foolish like you! For he who laughs last, laughs longest!"

It was the wisest little pig that found the tracks of a big wolf in the neighborhood.

The little pigs rushed home in alarm. Along came the wolf, scowling fiercely at the laziest pig's straw hut.

"Come out!" ordered the wolf, his mouth watering. I want to speak to you!"

"I'd rather stay where I am!" replied the little pig in a tiny voice.

"I'll make you come out!" growled the wolf angrily, and puffing out his chest, he took a very deep breath. Then he blew with all his might, right onto the house. And all the straw the silly pig had heaped against some thin poles, fell down in the great blast. Excited by his own cleverness, the wolf did not notice that the little pig had slithered out from underneath the heap of straw, and was dashing towards his brother's wooden house. When he realized that the little pig was escaping, the wolf grew wild with rage.

"Come back!" he roared, trying to catch the pig as he ran into the wooden house. The other little pig greeted his brother, shaking like a leaf.

"I hope this house won't fall down! Let's lean against the door so he can't break in!"

Outside, the wolf could hear the little pigs' words. Starving as he was, at the idea of a two course meal, he rained blows on the door.

"Open up! Open up! I only want to speak to you!"

Inside, the two brothers wept in fear and did their best to hold the door fast against the blows. Then the furious wolf braced himself a new effort: he drew in a really enormous breath, and went ... WHOOOOO! The wooden house collapsed like a pack of cards.

Luckily, the wisest little pig had been watching the scene from the window of his own brick house, and he rapidly opened the door to his fleeing brothers. And not a moment too soon, for the wolf was already hammering furiously on the door. This time, the wolf had grave doubts. This house had a much more solid air than the others. He blew once, he blew again and then for a third time. But all was in vain. For the house did not budge an inch. The three little pigs watched him and their fear began to fade. Quite exhausted by his efforts, the wolf decided to try one of his tricks. He scrambled up a nearby ladder, on to the roof to have a look at the chimney. However, the wisest little pig had seen this ploy, and he quickly said.

"Quick! Light the fire!" With his long legs thrust down the chimney, the wolf was not sure if he should slide down the black hole. It wouldn't be easy to get in, but the sound of the little pigs' voices below only made him feel hungrier.

"I'm dying of hunger! I'm going to try and get down." And he let himself drop. But landing was rather hot, too hot! The wolf landed in the fire, stunned by his fall.

The flames licked his hairy coat and his tail became a flaring torch.

"Never again! Never again will I go down a chimney" he squealed, as he tried to put out the flames in his tail. Then he ran away as fast as he could. 

The three happy little pigs, dancing round and round the yard, began to sing. "Tra-la-la! Tra-la-la! The wicked black wolf will never come back...!"

From that terrible day on, the wisest little pig's brothers set to work with a will. In less than no time, up went the two new brick houses. The wolf did return once to roam in the neighborhood, but when he caught sight of three chimneys, he remembered the terrible pain of a burnt tail, and he left for good.

Now safe and happy, the wisest little pig called to his brothers. "No more work! Come on, let's go and play!"

Danau TobaOnce upon a time there was a prosperous village in a far away island called Sumatra. In northern part of the island, lived a farmer whose name was Toba. He lived alone in a hut by a small forest. He worked on his farmland to grow rice and vegetables that he sells to local market. Once day he wanted to catch some fish so he went to a river and fished there. He was very surprised when he got a big fish. The fish was as big as human being. Soon he went home and put the fish in his kitchen. He planned to cook the fish for his dinner that night. When he got to his house that afternoon he took a bath. Then as he walked into his bedroom after taking a bath Toba was very shocked. Do you want to know what happened?

There stood in his living room a very beautiful girl. The girl greeted him nicely. For a moment Toba was speechless. When he could control his emotion he asked her.

‘Who are you? What’s your name? Why suddenly you are here in my house?’

‘Pardon me if I surprised you Mr. Toba, but you took me here. I was the fish that you caught in the river. Now that I become a human being again, I would like to thank you and I will be your servant to express my thankfulness’

‘Were you the fish?’

‘Yes, I was the fish. Look at your kitchen’.

Toba immediately rushed to his kitchen and the fish was nowhere to be seen. He saw some gold coins instead.

‘Whose coins are these? Why there are some coins here?’‘Those coins are mine. As I changed into human being my scales changed into gold coins’

‘Ok you can live here and work for me. Your room is over there’

‘Thank you very much Mr. Toba’

Since that day the beautiful girl lived in Toba’s house. Since she was very beautiful Toba fell in love with her and not long after that they got married. The girl married to Toba on one condition that he would never tell anybody about her past. Toba agreed to the condition. Several months later Toba’s wife delivered to a baby boy. Their son was healthy. Soon he grew up into a handsome boy. Toba named him Samosir. Unfortunately Samosir was a lazy boy. He did not want to work at all. When his father worked hard in his rice field and farm, Samosir just slept. When he was awake he talked a lot and he ate a lot. Toba was very disappointed with his son’s nature. He hoped that one day Samosir would change into a diligent boy. Day in and day out but Samosir never changed.

Toba used to go to his farm and rice field early in the morning. Then at midday his wife would bring him food. They used to eat lunch at their farm. As he was a teenager Toba and his wife tried to change his behavior. They ordered Samosir to bring food for his father for lunch while her mother stayed at home to do household chores. But Samosir never did his duty well. He always woke up very late. He woke up after midday. Then one day his mother forced him to bring the food.

‘Sam, wake up. Go to the farm and bring the food for your father. He must be very tired and hungry now’.But Mom, I am tired and hungry too’

‘What makes you tired? You just wake up. Go now. You father needs the food’

Toba reluctantly went to the farm. But he did not go to the farm immediately. He stopped somewhere in the street and ate the food. It was already late afternoon when he got to the farm. His father was disappointed. Then he was angry as he realized that his son had eaten his food. He said sarcastically.

‘O, you are stupid lazy boy. You are son of a fish!’

Samosir was hurt. He went home right away and as he got home he told his mother about his father’s words. Samosir’s mother was shocked. She was also deeply hurt.

‘O Toba. You break your promise so I cannot live with you here anymore. Now you have to accept to consequence of what you did. Samosir, now go to the hill, find the tallest tree and climb it’

‘Why mom? What will happen?’

‘Just do it, never ask any question. Good bye’

As soon as she finished saying that suddenly the weather changed. Sunny day suddenly turned into cloudy day. Not long after that the rain poured heavily. The rain last for several days. Consequently the area was flooded. The whole area became a big lake. Then it was called Lake Toba and in the middle of the lake there is an island called Samosir Island. Meanwhile Toba’s wife disappeared.

Lake Toba is located in the province of North Sumatra, Indonesia. Today it becomes a tourist destination.

SangkuriangOnce upon a time in west Java, Indonesia lived a wise king who had a beautiful daughter.   Her name was Dayang Sumbi.  She liked weaving very much.  Once she was weaving a cloth when one of her tool fell to the ground.  She was very tired at the time so she was too lazy to take it.  Then she just shouted outloud.

‘Anybody there?  Bring me my tool.  I will give you special present.  If you are female,  I will consider you as my sister.  If you are male, I will marry you’

Suddenly a male dog, its name was Tumang, came.  He brought her the falling tool.  Dayang Sumbi was very surprised.  She regretted her words but she could not deny it.  So she had to marry Tumang and leave her father.  Then they lived in a small village.  Several months later they had a son.  His name was Sangkuriang.  He was a handsome and healthy boy.

Sangkuriang liked hunting very much.  He often went hunting to the wood using his arrow.  When he went hunting Tumang always with him.  In the past there were many deer in Java so Sangkuriang often hunted for deer.

One day  Dayang Sumbi wanted to have deer’s heart so she asked Sangkuriang to hunt for a deer.   Then Sangkuriang went to the wood with his arrow and his faithful dog Tumang.  But after several days in the wood Sangkuriang could not find any deer.  They were all disappeared.  Sangkuriang was exhausted and desperate.  He did not want to disappoint her mother so he killed Tumang.  He did not know that Tumang was his father.  At home he gave Tumang’s heart to her mother.

But Dayang Sumbi knew that it was Tumang’s heart.  She was so angry that she could not control her emotion.  She hit Sangkuriang at his head.  Sangkuriang was wounded.  There was  a scar in his head.    She also repelled her son.   Sangkuriang left her mother in sadness.

Many years passed and Sangkuriang became a strong young man.  He wandered  everywhere.     One day he arrived at his own village but he did not realized it.  There he met Dayang Sumbi.  At the time Dayang Sumbi was given an eternal beauty by God so she stayed young forever.  Both of them did not know each other.  So they fell in love and then they decided to marry.

But then Dayang Sumbi recognized a scar on his Sangkuriang’s head.  She knew that Sangkuriang was his son.  It was impossible for them to marry.  She told him but he did not believe her.  He wished that they marry soon.  So Dayang Sumbi gave a very difficult condition.  She wanted Sangkuriang to build a lake and a boat in one night!  She said she needed that for honeymoon. 

Sangkuriang agreed.  With the help of genie and spirits Sangkuriang tried to build them.  By midnight he had finished  the lake by building a dam in Citarum river.  Then he started building the boat.  It was almost dawn when he nearly finished it.  Meanwhile Dayang Sumbi kept watching on them.  She was very worried when she knew this.  So she made lights in the east.  Then the spirits thought that it was already dawn.  It was time for them to leave.  They left Sangkuriang alone.  Without their help he could not finish the boat. 

Sangkuriang was very angry.  He kicked the boat.  Then the boat turned out to be Mount Tangkuban Perahu.  It means boat upside down.  From a distant it looks like a boat upside down.

Candi PrambananIn the old days of Java Island, in a region called Prambanan, lies two kingdom. Kingdom of Pengging and Kraton Boko. Pengging kingdom is gifted with a fertile and get prosperous. The kingdom is lead by a wise king named Prabu Damar Moyo and has a male son named Raden Bandung Bondowoso while Kraton Boko is a kingdom that obey under the rules of Pengging. The Boko king is very cruel, he is strong and tall, like a giant. The people of Boko always afraid of the kings anger. Although the king were not handsome, he has a very beautiful daughter called Princess Roro Jongrang.

One day, the king of Boko wants to rebels against the Pengging. Lead by the Boko prime minister, the giant race, Gopolo, the Boko army is prepared to announce the war between Boko and Pengging. They even raid its own people's properties to support the campaign.

Fierce war happens in the borders of the Pengging teritorial mark. Many victims were falling on both sides and people Pengging be suffering because of war, many people hunger and poverty. Knowing his people suffer and have many victims soldiers who died in the borders, then Prabu Damar Moyo sent his son Raden Bondowoso go to war against King Boko. The young Bondowoso is able to defeat king Boko. Seeing the king died, then Prime minister Gupolo escape. Raden Bondowoso pursue Patih Gupolo to Kraton Boko.

After reaching Kraton Boko, Patih Gupolo reported on Princess Roro Jonggrang that his father had been lost in the battlefield, by a knight named Raden Bandung Pengging Bondowoso. Princess Loro Jonggrang wept, saddened his heart because his father had been killed on the battlefield. Raden at Kraton Boko Bondowoso arrived, soom he troubled to see Puteri Raden Bondowoso Loro Jonggrang beautiful, so

he wanted to marry Princess Loro Jonggrang as his wife.

As the Boko kingdom is lost in the rebels, and o save her fathers kingdom, the Loro Puteri Raden Jonggrang accept the princes, with some request. She did not want to marry Bondowoso because he had killed his father. To reject the proposal Raden Bondowoso, then Princess Loro Jonggrang have a strategy. The first request, Princess Loro Jonggrang asked for Jalatunda wells (very deep well) while the second request, asked for him to make 1000 temples in one night.

Raden Bandung Bondowoso agreed. Raden Bondowoso Immediately make Jalatunda wells and after so he called Princess Roro Jonggrang to see the well. She trick the prince and send him down. She ask Boko's prime minister to close the well with heavy rocks so that the prince could not reach the top of the well. Raden Bondowoso is a tough man, he is also smart. Its not a longtime before he was able to come out from the wells. He was very angry to the princess, but soon after meet the princess, he falls again with the beauty of the princess

She ask Raden Bondowoso the second request, to make 1000 temples in 1 night. Bondowoso then command his workers from genie tribe to help him build the 1000 temple. The 1000 temples are building up, one by one with the help of the genie tribes. The princess wants to sabotage the building of the temples. She asks her servants to pound the rice pounding tools and also burns lots of paddy's straw .

Because of it, the roosters crowed. The genie take a lookto the sky and its brighter in the east. The leader of the genie reported to Bondowoso that they have stopped to make the temple because the morning has arrived. Princess Roro Jonggrang told to count the temples and its only 999 temples, not 1000.

So, Bondowoso won't be able to marry the princess because he failed to complete the request. Being deceived and tricked, Raden Bondowoso angry and curse Princess Roro Jonggrang. "It's missing one, and you that should fit the numbers". The princess is soon turned into a stone statue; it is exist in the heart of the Prambanan temples until now. 

Si Tupai PintarONE DAY a man was walking through a dense forest. In one hand he carried a kris, and in the other a long lance, in case he met any tigers and snakes along the way.

He had reached the edge of the forest and was congratulating himself that he had not had to use either his kris or his lance, when all at once he heard, just above his head, a most frightful noise. He looked up into the branches from where it seemed to come, and he saw

an enormous snake that had caught its tail in a split of one branch.

The snake was doing everything it could to free its tail. Suddenly it saw the man and called out to him, "Oh, help me, help me! Make the split in the branch a little wider with your lance, so that I can get my tail out and be on my way/'

"Til gladly do that/' said the man, "if you'll first promise me that you will do me no harm after I have freed you/'

"Well now, why should I do you harm?" asked the snake. "You have nothing to fear from me/*

So the man made the split in the branch a little wider with his lance and the snake pulled its tail out,

"Reach your lance up to me/ the snake said then, "so that I can crawl along it down to the ground/ This the man did. The snake curled itself around the lance but, instead of creeping along it to the ground, it stopped at the man's shoulder and twined itself fast around his neck.

"Ho, what are you doing?" the man cried out in terror. "Why are you twining yourself around my neck? Why don't you crawl down to the ground?"

"Because I want to slay you/' hissed the snake.

"But you promised that you would do me no harm/ the man said.

"Well, so I did," the snake replied "But when I promised that, I was still in the tree. Now, I am on earth, and on earth good is always repaid with evil."

The man thought frantically of a way to escape. "Very well/' he said, "you may kill me. But first I want to hear the opinion of three others, whom we may meet here in the woods, as to the truth of what you say." "Good; said the snake. "Let us go."

The first thing they came to was a palm tree. "Ask the palm tree/* ordered the snake.

"Palm tree," the man explained, "just a little while ago I saved the life of this snake, and now it wants to kill me because, it says, here on earth good is always rewarded with evil. Is that true?"

"Certainly it is true," the palm tree said. "Look at me. With my waving fronds I refresh the wanderers who creep to me, tired and worn out; I let them sleep in my shade. And after they are refreshed, they hack me into little pieces with their sharp axes and throw me into the fire."

"Do you hear what the palm tree says?" asked the snake, twisting itself still tighter about the man's throat.

They went a little farther, until they came to a brook. The man told the brook how he had saved the life of the snake and how it wanted to kill him because on earth good is always repaid with evil.

"The snake is right," chattered the brook. "Just look at me. With my water, I revive all who come to me tired and thirsty. And after they have quenched their thirst, they repay me by throwing into my crystal-clear water all kinds of unclean things. You will have to let yourself be throttled by the snake, because here on earth good is always rewarded with evil."

And to the snake, "Go ahead, snake, and throttle the man who saved your life!"

The snake twined itself still tighter around the man's neck, until he almost suffocated. Gasping for breath, he cried, "Don't kill me yet, O snake! Ask a third opinion. Then you may kill me."

"Very well/' said the snake, looking at a little squirrel that sat on one of the branches of a tree.

The man also saw the squirrel. "Let us ask him what he thinks/' he said to the snake.

"Ask him, then/' the snake said, "because I'm in a hurry to throttle you before I take the squirrel as my prey."

"Little squirrel/' the man said, "I saved the life of this snake, and now it wants to kill me because, as it says, here on earth good is always rewarded with evil. Is that true?"

The squirrel looked first at the snake and then at the man.

"Well, that is very difficult to decide. I ought to see first how the whole thing happened. For I really don't know just how you saved the life of the snake. You must show me that first.

Only then can I give you my decision."

"I'll certainly let you see how it went/' said the snake.

They all returned to the tree where the man had first seen the snake, and while it crept up the trunk toward the split branch the man took his lance and struck the snake dead! 

Penjahit Kecil Gagah BeraniOne summer's morning a little tailor was sitting on his table by the window, he was in good spirits, and sewed with all his might.  Then

came a peasant woman down the street crying, good jams, cheap.  Good jams, cheap.  This rang pleasantly in the tailor's ears, he stretched his delicate head out of the window, and called, come up here, dear woman, here you will get rid of your goods.  

The woman came up the three steps to the tailor with her heavy basket, and he made her unpack all the pots for him.  He inspected each one, lifted it up, put his nose to it, and at length said, the jam seems to me to be good, so weigh me out four ounces, dear woman, and if it is a quarter of a pound that is of no consequence.  The woman who had hoped to find a good sale, gave him what he desired, but went away quite angry and grumbling.  Now, this jam shall be blessed by God, cried the little tailor, and give me health and strength.  So he brought the bread out of the cupboard, cut himself a piece right across the loaf and spread the jam over it.  This won't taste bitter, said he, but I will just finish the jacket before I take a bite.

He laid the bread near him, sewed on, and in his joy, made bigger and bigger stitches.  In the meantime the smell of the sweet jam rose to where the flies were sitting in great numbers, and they were attracted and descended on it in hosts.  HI, who invited you, said the little tailor, and drove the unbidden guests away.  The flies, however, who understood no german, would not be turned away, but came back again in ever-increasing companies.  The little tailor at last lost all patience, and drew a piece of cloth from the hole under his work-table, and saying, wait, and I will give it to you, struck it mercilessly on them. 

When he drew it away and counted, there lay before him no fewer than seven, dead and with legs stretched out.  Are you a fellow of that sort, said he, and could not help admiring his own bravery.  The whole town shall know of this.  And the little tailor hastened to cut himself a girdle, stitched it, and embroidered on it in large letters, seven at one stroke.  What, the town, he continued, the whole world shall hear of it.  And his heart wagged with joy like a lamb's tail.  The tailor put on the girdle, and resolved to go forth into the world, because he thought his workshop was too small for his valor.  

Before he went away, he sought about in the house to see if there was anything which he could take with him, however, he found nothing but an old cheese, and that he put in his pocket.  In front of the door he observed a bird which had caught itself in the thicket.  It had to go into his pocket with the cheese.  Now he took to the road boldly, and as he was light and nimble, he felt no fatigue.  The road led him up a mountain, and when he had reached the highest point of it, there sat a powerful giant looking peacefully about him.  The little tailor went

bravely up, spoke to him, and said, good day, comrade, so you are sitting there overlooking the wide-spread world.  I am just on my way thither, and want to try my luck.  Have you any inclination to go with me.  The giant looked contemptuously at the tailor, and said, you ragamuffin.  You miserable creature.

Oh, indeed, answered the little tailor, and unbuttoned his coat, and showed the giant the girdle, there may you read what kind of a man I am.  The giant read, seven at one stroke.  And thought that they had been men whom the tailor had killed, and began to feel a little respect for the tiny fellow.  Nevertheless, he wished to try him first, and took a stone in his hand and squeezed it together so that water dropped out of it.  Do that likewise, said the giant, if you have strength.  Is that all, said the tailor, that is child's play with us, and put his hand into his pocket, brought out the soft cheese, and pressed it until the liquid ran out of it.  Faith, said he, that was a little better, wasn't it.  The giant did not know what to say, and could not believe it of the little man.  Then the giant picked up a stone and threw it so high that the eye could scarcely follow it.  Now, little mite of a man, do that likewise.  Well thrown, said the tailor, but after all the stone came down to earth again, I will throw you one which shall never come back at all.  And he put his hand into his pocket, took out the bird, and threw it into the air.  The bird, delighted with its liberty, rose, flew away and did not come back.  How does that shot please you, comrade, asked the tailor.