Legend Of Sangkuriang

Once 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 deers 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 Tumangs heart to her mother. But Dayang Sumbi knew that it was Tumangs 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. He wandered

Many years passed and Sangkuriang became a strong young man. 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 Sangkuriangs 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.

Malin Kundang
One day, live a family in the coastal area of Sumatra. The family has a son named Malin Kundang. Because their family condition is very worrying, then master father decided to go to the opposite state. Hopefully master and his mother, one day his father returned with a lot of money and it will be able to buy daily necessities. After many months turned out to father master not found, and finally pupuslah Kundang Malin and her mother's expectations. After Malin Kundang shifted adults, it is thought to earn a living in a country far in the hope later when back at home, it has become one of the rich. Finally Malin Kundang follow sailing along with a merchant ship captains in his hometown that is successful. During their stay in the ship, Malin Kundang lot to learn about seamanship on the crew who are already experienced. Malin study hard about shipping at her friends who are more experienced, and eventually he was very skilled in the shipping. Many islands already visited, up to a day in the middle of the trip, suddenly climbed Malin Kundang ship attacked by pirates. All merchandise traders in ship hijacked by pirates. Even most of the crew and people on the ship were killed by the pirates. Malin Kundang very lucky he was not killed by the pirates, because when the event happened, Malin immediately hid in a small space enclosed by wood. Malin Kundang float in the middle of the sea, until finally ditumpanginya ship stranded on a beach. With no waste of energy, Malin Kundang walked to the nearest village from the beach. Arriving at the village, Malin Kundang helped by the community in the village after the incident that happened to him before telling. Malin village stranded place is very fertile countryside. With tenacity and remain determined in work, Malin eventually work into a rich feast. It has lots of ships with a number of children of more than 100 people. After becoming rich, Malin Kundang acquire a girl to be his wife. After a long marriage, Malin and his wife on a voyage with a large and beautiful ship joined the crew as well as a lot of guards. Mother Malin Kundang that were keeping her on a daily basis, looking very beautiful ship, the entrance to the harbor. They see two people who were standing on the deck of a ship. It is confident that it is standing with his wife Malin Kundang. Malin Kundang got down from the ship. It is celebrated by his mother. Once close enough, his mother saw twelve dilengan cuts right person, the more convinced his mother that it was approached Malin Kundang. "Malin Kundang, my son, why did you go so long without sending up?", She said as she hugged Malin Kundang. But Kundang immediately release her mother's arms and led to a fall. "Women do not know myself, just arbitrarily declare as my mother," said Malin Kundang to his mother. Malin Kundang pretended not to recognize her, because shame with his elderly mother and tattered shirt. "She is your mother?", Tanya wife Malin Kundang. "No, it's just a beggar who pretended claims to be mother to get my property," Malin replied to his wife. Hearing statements and arbitrarily treated by his son, Malin Kundang mother very angry. It would not have expected her to be disobedient child.

Due to the mounting anger, Malin mother menengadahkan hands and said "Oh God, if it's true, my son, I sumpahi he became a Not long after, the wind and the storm terrible thundering tempest come destroy the ship Malin Kundang. After that Malin Kundang body slowly becomes rigid and eventually finally shaped into a rock.

The Legend Of Rawa Pening

Once upon a time in old Java there was a village. Pening was its name. Pening was a prosperous village. The land was fertile and the weather was always good all year round. It was on the slope of Mount Merbabu so the climate was cool. People made their living by cultivating rice, vegetables and fruits. The harvest was always satisfying. So all of them lived a happy life. Thats why once a year they held a ceremony called Bersih desa. It was a kind of thanks giving day. It was a day when they express their thankfulness to God for a successful harvest. They would clean their village and then they would pray together. At night they would have a dinner together and held teater performances. One day after a succesful harvest they would celebrate it. That time they wanted something special. They wanted more meat for dinner. So they went hunting in a wood. Just outside of the village there was a wood where there were many animals like deer, buffalo, mouse deer, lamb and many other. But that day there was no animal at all. Animals were nowhere to be seen. They had searched every inch of the wood but still their effort were in vain. When it was almost dark, they were very tired so they took a rest. They sat on something that look like a rock and a big root. Everybody was silent because they were exhausted and disappointed. Then suddenly someone chopped the big root with his sword to relief his disappointment. Amazingly there was blood coming out of the root. They were surprised. Someone tried to chop it deeper. He found meat ! So they chopped more and more. After their bags were full of meat they were satisfied. Then they went home happily. That night the people of Pening were preparing a big dinner. They wanted a special dinner with the meat they got from the wood. Just as they were preparing dinner, a boy came to the village. He looked poor. He begged food to some people. But they refused. Someone said : We are preparing dinner. You may come to our dinner tonight. But not now. But I am very hungry, please. Just come here tonight. But then there was an old widow who took care of him. She was just a poor widow. She gave him food and shelter. You may take a rest here. Join us tonight for dinner. Thank you very much. You are very kind to me. You are the only one who helped me. Thats why I will save you. Tonight there will be a great event here. Yes, there will be a great party. No, I mean something special What do you mean? I cannot say now. But listen to me. Prepare a boat for you Why? What will happen? Just do as I say Please tell me what will happen? OK, you are very kind to me so I will tell you but please promise me you wont tell anyone. OK, I promise I am Naga Baru Klinting. I am a dragon. I was meditating in the slope of Mount Merbabu when your people hurt me. They hurt me by chopping my body. Now they are preparing dinner with meat from my body. So I will take my revenge tonight, but I will save you. Prepare a boat for you. Oh, please dont do that. Forgive my people Whatever will be , will be. Good bye. Then the boy left. Just before the dinner began at the village hall some boys were playing in the yard. Suddenly a boy came to them. Hi guys a have a game for you Then he held a small bamboo and attached it to the ground. If you can pull it, I will give you a special present Oh, thats very easy, a boy said.

He tried to pull it but it was very strong so he could not pull it. Another boy tried but he also failed. Everybody failed. Then this game drew adults attention. One by one they tried to pull but all of them could not make it. When many people gathered then the boy said. O people of Pening. I am Naga Baru Klinting. I am a dragon. I was meditating in the slope of mount Merbabu when you chopped me. Now I will take my revenge. Enjoy your party. Then he pulled the bamboo. Amazingly, water poured from the ground. The water immediately flooded the village. Finally the whole village sank under water. They were all drowned and died in the lake. There was only one survivor. The poor old widow. She had prepared a simple boat so she could survive. Since then on the lake is called Rawa Pening. Rawa means lake in Javanese and Indonesian language. Today the lake is located in the province of central Java, Indonesia.

Toba Lake
In ancient times in a village in North Sumatra, there lived a farmer named Toba alone in a flat and fertile valley. The farmer was working on the farm for the purpose of his life. Besides working on his farm, sometimes he went fishing to the river w hich is not far from his home. Each time he was fishing, it's easy because the fish got in the clear river that is a lot of fish. Pancingannya he cooked the fish to eat. One evening, after returning from the fields he went straight to the river for fishing. But it was quite a long time he did not provoke any iakan gets. Events like that, never experienced before. Because usually fish in the river is easy to hook him. Because already too long no one takes the bait rod, he was so upset and decided to quit fishing. But when he was about to pull rod, fishing rod suddenly was struck by a fish pulled it away ketengah river fishing. His heart had been upset that turned into a happy, Because he knew that the fish grabbed the pole was a big fish. After a while he let the rod is pulled to and fro, then hook it disentakkannya, and there was a big fish hanging and floundered at the end of the rope pole. Quickly the fish was pulled to the ground so as not to loose. Smiling, happy eyes pole he was separated from the fish's mouth. By the time he was off the hook, the fish looked at him meaningfully. Then, after the fish was placed into one where he got into the river to bathe. His feeling elated because he had never had fish that big. He smiled as he imagined how good the fish's meat later when it's baked. When leaving the river to return to his house was getting dusk. Arriving home, he immediately brought a big fish to the kitchen pancingannya results. When he was about to light a fire for grilling fish, firewood in the kitchen turns out her home was gone. He immediately went out to get firewood from the ground under the house. Then, carrying a few pieces of firewood she climbed back into the house and went straight to the kitchen. By the time he arrived in the kitchen, he was surprised at all because the big fish that is not there anymore. But where the fish was placed seemed stretched a few pieces of gold. With shock and surprise experienced a strange situation, he left the kitchen and entered the room. When he opened the door, suddenly tersirap blood because in the room stood a woman with her hair long and curly. The woman was combing her hair as she stood facing the mirror that hung on the bedroom wall. A moment later the woman suddenly turned and looked at the man that stood bewildered at the mouth of the door. The man became very fascinated because the face of the woman who stood before him extraordinary beautiful. He had never seen such a beautiful woman that though formerly he had wandered far into the various countries. Because it was late, she asked that the lights on. After he turned on the lights, he invited her to accompany him go to kitchen because he wanted to cook rice for them. While waiting for the rice is cooked, as told by her that he was an incarnation of the great fish that had gained him when fishing in rivers. Then explain also that some pieces of gold located in the kitchen it was an incarnation scales. After several weeks she states willing to accept his proposal on condition that he must swear that all his life he would never bring up the origin of her

incarnate myang of fish. After he had thus sworn, kawinlah them. A year later, they were blessed with a son they named Samosir. Sngat spoiled child that resulted in the boy's mother who is less good tempered and lazy . Once large enough, the boy told his mother drove rice every day for his father who worked in the fields. However, he often refused to do the job that forced her mother to deliver rice to the fields. One day, the boy told his mother again to deliver rice to the farm for his father. At first he refused. However, because of continued forced his mother, with kesl he went to deliver the rice. In the middle of the road, mostly rice and pauknya she eats. Arriving in the fields, the rest of the rice it is only a little he gave to his father. When received, the father was feeling very hungry because the rice was delivered late. Therefore, it is the father became very angry when he saw the rice given to him are the remains. Growing anger when his son confessed that he who takes up most of the rice it. Patience is the father is lost and she beat her son, saying: "Son of insolent. Not ungrateful. Really you're the offspring of women who come from fish! " Sobbing, the boy ran home to find her mother at home. To his mother he complained that he had beaten his father. All the words uttered slur on his father tell him anyway. Listening to his son, the mother was so sad, especially because her husband has violated his oath with the words slur he spoke to his son. The mother told her to immediately go up the hill which is located not so far from their home and climb the highest tree located at the top of the hill. Without asking again, the child's mother immediately take command. He ran toward the hill and climb it. When seen by the mother her son was almost to the top of trees that climb up the hill, he ran toward the river that are not so far away from their homes. When he arrived on the banks of the river is lightning accompanied by thunder, which megelegar. A moment later he jumped into the river and suddenly turn into a big fish. At the same time, the river was flooding and down too heavy downpours. Some time later, the river was already overflowing everywhere and tergenanglah valley where the river flows. Mr. Toba could not save himself, he was drowned by a pool of water. Eventually, it expanded pool of water and turned into a huge lake that later called the Lake Toba. Being a small island in the middle named after the island of Samosir.

The Ugly Duckling

Once upon a time down on an old farm, lived a duck family, and Mother Duck had been sitting on a clutch of new eggs. One nice morning, the eggs hatched and out popped six chirpy ducklings. But one egg was bigger than the rest, and it didn't hatch. Mother Duck couldn't recall laying that seventh egg. How did it get there? TOCK! TOCK! The little prisoner was pecking inside his shell.

"Did I count the eggs wrongly?" Mother Duck wondered. But before she had time to think about it, the last egg finally hatched. A strange looking duckling with gray feathers that should have been yellow gazed at a worried mother. The ducklings grew quickly, but Mother Duck had a secret worry.

"I can't understand how this ugly duckling can be one of mine!" she said to herself, shaking her head as she looked at her last born. Well, the gray duckling certainly wasn't pretty, and since he ate far more than his brothers, he was outgrowing them. As the days went by, the poor ugly duckling became more and more unhappy. His brothers didn't want to play with him, he was so clumsy, and all the farmyard folks simply laughed at him. He felt sad and lonely, while Mother Duck did her best to console him.

"Poor little ugly duckling!" she would say. "Why are you so different from the others?" And the ugly duckling felt worse than ever. He secretly wept at night. He felt nobody wanted him.

"Nobody loves me, they all tease me! Why am I different from my brothers?"

Then one day, at sunrise, he ran away from the farmyard. He stopped at a pond and began to question all the other birds. "Do you know of any ducklings with gray feathers like mine?" But everyone shook their heads in scorn.

"We don't know anyone as ugly as you." The ugly duckling did not lose heart, however, and kept on making inquiries. He went to another pond, where a pair of large geese gave him the same answer to his question. What's more, they warned him: "Don't stay here! Go away! It's dangerous. There are men with guns around here!" The duckling was sorry he had ever left the farmyard.

Then one day, his travels took him near an old countrywoman's cottage. Thinking he was a stray goose, she caught him.

"I'll put this in a hutch. I hope it's a female and lays plenty of eggs!" said the old woman, whose eyesight was poor. But the ugly duckling laid not a single egg. The hen kept frightening him.

"Just wait! If you don't lay eggs, the old woman will wring your neck and pop you into the pot!" And the cat chipped in: "Hee! Hee! I hope the woman cooks you, then I can gnaw at your bones!" The poor ugly duckling was so scared that he lost his appetite, though the old woman kept stuffing him with food and grumbling: "If you won't lay eggs, at least hurry up and get plump!"

"Oh, dear me!" moaned the now terrified duckling. "I'll die of fright first! And I did so hope someone would love me!"

Then one night, finding the hutch door ajar, he escaped. Once again he was all alone. He fled as far away as he could, and at dawn, he found himself in a thick bed of reeds. "If nobody wants me, I'll hid here forever." There was plenty a food, and the duckling began to feel a little happier, though he was lonely. One day at sunrise, he saw a flight of beautiful birds wing overhead. White, with long slender necks, yellow beaks and large wings, they were migrating south.

"If only I could look like them, just for a day!" said the duckling, admiringly. Winter came and the water in the reed bed froze. The poor duckling left home to seek food in the snow. He dropped exhausted to the ground, but a farmer found him and put him in his big jacket pocket.

"I'll take him home to my children. They'll look after him. Poor thing, he's frozen!" The duckling was showered with kindly care at the farmer's house. In this way, the ugly duckling was able to survive the bitterly cold winter.

However, by springtime, he had grown so big that the farmer decided: "I'll set him free by the pond!" That was when the duckling saw himself mirrored in the water.

"Goodness! How I've changed! I hardly recognize myself!" The flight of swans winged north again and glided on to the pond. When the duckling saw them, he realized he was one of their kind, and soon made friends.

"We're swans like you!" they said, warmly. "Where have you been hiding?"

"It's a long story," replied the young swan, still astounded. Now, he swam majestically with his fellow swans. One day, he heard children on the river bank exclaim: "Look at that young swan! He's the finest of them all!"

Retold from the Panchatantram by Rohini Chowdhury

Once there lived a monkey in a jamun tree by a river. The monkey was alone - he had no friends, no family, but he was happy and content. The jamun tree gave him plenty of sweet fruit to eat, and shade from the sun and shelter from the rain. One day a crocodile came swimming up the river and climbed on to the bank to rest under the monkey's tree. 'Hello', called the monkey, who was a friendly animal. 'Hello', replied the crocodile, surprised. 'Do you know where I can get some food?' he asked. 'I haven't had anything to eat all day - there just don't seem to be any fish left in the river.' 'Well,' said the monkey, 'I don't eat fish so I wouldn't know - but I do have plenty of ripe purple jamuns in my tree. Would you like to try some?' He threw some down to the crocodile. The crocodile was so hungry that he ate up all the jamuns even though crocodiles don't eat fruit. He loved the sweet tangy fruit and shyly asked whether he could have some more. 'Of course', replied the monkey generously, throwing down more fruit. 'Come back whenever you feel like more fruit', he added when the crocodile had eaten his fill. After that the crocodile would visit the monkey every day. The two animals soon became friends - they would talk and tell each other stories, and eat as much of the sweet jamuns as they wanted. The monkey would throw down all the fruit the crocodile wanted from his tree. One day the crocodile began talking about his wife and family. 'Why didn't you tell me earlier that you had a

wife?' asked the monkey. 'Please take some of the jamuns for her as well when you go back today.' The crocodile thanked him and took some of the fruit for his wife. The crocodile's wife loved the jamuns. She had never eaten anything so sweet before. 'Imagine', she said, 'how sweet would be the creature who eats these jamuns every day. The monkey has eaten these every day of his life - his flesh would be even sweeter than the fruit.' She asked her husband to invite the monkey for a meal - 'and then we can eat him up' she said happily.

crocodile was appalled - how could he eat his friend? He tried to explain to his wife that he could not possibly eat the monkey. 'He is my only true friend', he said. But she would not listen - she must eat the monkey. 'Since when do crocodiles eat fruit and spare animals?' she asked. When the crocodile would not agree to eat the monkey, she pretended to fall very sick. 'Only a monkey's heart can cure me', she wailed to her husband. 'If you love me you will get your friend the monkey and let me eat his heart.' The poor crocodile did not know what to do - he did not want to eat his friend, but he could not let his wife die. At last he decided to bring the monkey to his wife. 'O dear friend', he called as soon as reached the jamun tree. ' My wife insists that you come to us for a meal. She is grateful for all the fruit that you have sent her, and asks that I bring you home with me.' The monkey was flattered, but said he could not possibly go because he did not know how to swim. 'Don't worry about that', said the crocodile. 'I'll carry you on my back.' The monkey agreed and jumped onto the crocodile's back. The crocodile swam with him out into the deep wide river. When they were far away from the bank and the jamun tree, he said, 'My wife is very ill. The only thing that will cure her is a monkey's heart. So, dear friend, this will be the end of you and of our friendship.' The monkey was horrified. What could he do to save himself? He thought quickly and said 'Dear friend, I am very sorry to hear of your wife's illness and I am glad that I will be able to help her. But I have left my heart behind on the jamun tree. Do you think we could go back so that I can fetch it for your wife?' The crocodile believed the monkey. He turned and swam quickly to the jamun tree. The monkey leaped off his back and into the safety of his tree. 'False and foolish friend,' he called. 'Don't you know that we carry our hearts within us? I will never trust you again or ever give you fruit from my tree. Go away and don't come back again.' The crocodile felt really foolish - he had lost a friend and a supply of good sweet fruit. The monkey had saved himself because he had thought quickly. He realised that a monkey and a crocodile could never be true friends - crocodiles preferred to eat monkeys rather than be friends with them.

The Fox and the Monkey A Monkey once danced in an assembly of the Beasts, and so pleased them all by his performance that they elected him their King. A Fox, envying him the honor, discovered a piece of meat lying in a trap, and leading the Monkey to the place where it was, said that she had found a store, but had not used it, she had kept it for him as treasure trove of his kingdom, and counseled him to lay hold of it. The Monkey approached carelessly and was caught in the trap; and on his accusing the Fox of purposely leading him into the snare, she replied, "Oh Monkey, and are you, with such a mind as yours, going to be King over the Beasts?"

Aesop's Cube

The Monkey and the Camel The beasts of the forest gave a splendid entertainment at which the Monkey stood up and danced. Having vastly delighted the assembly, he sat down amidst universal applause. The Camel, envious of the praises bestowed on the Monkey and desiring to divert to himself the favor of the guests, proposed to stand up in his turn and dance for their amusement. He moved about in so utterly ridiculous a manner that the Beasts, in a fit of indignation, set upon him with clubs and drove him out of the assembly.

It is absurd to ape our betters.

Aesop's Cube

The Scorpion and the Frog

One day, a scorpion looked around at the mountain where he lived and decided that he wanted a change. So he set out on a journey through the forests and hills. He climbed over rocks and under vines and kept going until he reached a river.

The river was wide and swift, and the scorpion stopped to reconsider the situation. He couldn't see any way across. So he ran upriver and then checked downriver, all the while thinking that he might have to turn back. Suddenly, he saw a frog sitting in the rushes by the bank of the stream on the other side of the river. He decided to ask the frog for help getting across the stream. "Hellooo Mr. Frog!" called the scorpion across the water, "Would you be so kind as to give me a ride on your back across the river?" "Well now, Mr. Scorpion! How do I know that if I try to help you, you wont try to kill me?" asked the frog hesitantly. "Because," the scorpion replied, "If I try to kill you, then I would die too, for you see I cannot swim!" Now this seemed to make sense to the frog. But he asked. "What about when I get close to the bank? You could still try to kill me and get back to the shore!" "This is true," agreed the scorpion, "But then I wouldn't be able to get to the other side of the river!" "Alright then...how do I know you wont just wait till we get to the other side and THEN kill me?" said the frog. "Ahh...," crooned the scorpion, "Because you see, once you've taken me to the other side of this river, I will be so grateful for your help, that it would hardly be fair to reward you with death, now would it?!" So the frog agreed to take the scorpion across the river. He swam over to the bank and settled himself near the mud to pick up his passenger. The scorpion

crawled onto the frog's back, his sharp claws prickling into the frog's soft hide, and the frog slid into the river. The muddy water swirled around them, but the frog stayed near the surface so the scorpion would not drown. He kicked strongly through the first half of the stream, his flippers paddling wildly against the current. Halfway across the river, the frog suddenly felt a sharp sting in his back and, out of the corner of his eye, saw the scorpion remove his stinger from the frog's back. A deadening numbness began to creep into his limbs. "You fool!" croaked the frog, "Now we shall both die! Why on earth did you do that?" The scorpion shrugged, and did a little jig on the drownings frog's back. "I could not help myself. It is my nature." Then they both sank into the muddy waters of the swiftly flowing river.

Self destruction - "Its my Nature", said the Scorpion..

The Ugly Duckling

Once upon a time down on an old farm, lived a duck family, and Mother Duck had been sitting on a clutch of new eggs. One nice morning, the eggs hatched and out popped six chirpy ducklings. But one egg was bigger than the rest, and it didn't hatch. Mother Duck couldn't recall laying that seventh egg. How did it get there? TOCK! TOCK! The little prisoner was pecking inside his shell. "Did I count the eggs wrongly?" Mother Duck wondered. But before she had time to think about it, the last egg finally hatched. A strange looking duckling with gray feathers that should have been yellow gazed at a worried mother. The ducklings grew quickly, but Mother Duck had a secret worry. "I can't understand how this ugly duckling can be one of mine!" she said to herself, shaking her head as she looked at her last born. Well, the gray duckling certainly wasn't pretty, and since he ate far more than his brothers, he was outgrowing them. As the days went by, the poor ugly duckling became more and more unhappy. His brothers didn't want to play with him, he was so clumsy, and all the farmyard folks simply laughed at him. He felt sad and lonely, while Mother Duck did her best to console him. "Poor little ugly duckling!" she would say. "Why are you so different from the others?" And the ugly duckling felt worse than ever. He secretly wept at night. He felt nobody wanted him. "Nobody loves me, they all tease me! Why am I different from my brothers?" Then one day, at sunrise, he ran away from the farmyard. He stopped at a pond and began to question all the other birds. "Do you know of any ducklings with gray feathers like mine?" But everyone shook their heads in scorn. "We don't know anyone as ugly as you." The ugly duckling did not lose heart, however, and kept on making inquiries. He went to another pond, where a pair of large geese gave him the same answer to his question. What's more, they warned him: "Don't stay here! Go away! It's dangerous. There are men with guns around here!" The duckling was sorry he had ever left the farmyard. Then one day, his travels took him near an old countrywoman's cottage. Thinking he was a stray goose, she caught him. "I'll put this in a hutch. I hope it's a female and lays plenty of eggs!" said the old woman, whose eyesight was poor. But the ugly duckling laid not a single egg. The hen kept frightening him. "Just wait! If you don't lay eggs, the old woman will wring your neck and pop you into the pot!" And the cat chipped in: "Hee! Hee! I hope the woman cooks you, then I can gnaw at your bones!" The poor ugly duckling was so scared that he lost his appetite, though the old woman kept stuffing him with food and grumbling: "If you won't lay eggs, at least hurry up and get plump!"

"Oh, dear me!" moaned the now terrified duckling. "I'll die of fright first! And I did so hope someone would love me!" Then one night, finding the hutch door ajar, he escaped. Once again he was all alone. He fled as far away as he could, and at dawn, he found himself in a thick bed of reeds. "If nobody wants me, I'll hid here forever." There was plenty a food, and the duckling began to feel a little happier, though he was lonely. One day at sunrise, he saw a flight of beautiful birds wing overhead. White, with long slender necks, yellow beaks and large wings, they were migrating south. "If only I could look like them, just for a day!" said the duckling, admiringly. Winter came and the water in the reed bed froze. The poor duckling left home to seek food in the snow. He dropped exhausted to the ground, but a farmer found him and put him in his big jacket pocket. "I'll take him home to my children. They'll look after him. Poor thing, he's frozen!" The duckling was showered with kindly care at the farmer's house. In this way, the ugly duckling was able to survive the bitterly cold winter. However, by springtime, he had grown so big that the farmer decided: "I'll set him free by the pond!" That was when the duckling saw himself mirrored in the water. "Goodness! How I've changed! I hardly recognize myself!" The flight of swans winged north again and glided on to the pond. When the duckling saw them, he realized he was one of their kind, and soon made friends. "We're swans like you!" they said, warmly. "Where have you been hiding?" "It's a long story," replied the young swan, still astounded. Now, he swam majestically with his fellow swans. One day, he heard children on the river bank exclaim: "Look at that young swan! He's the finest of them all!"

King of The Jungle

One day a tiger saw a fox walking alone. Then, he intended to attack the fox. When Tiger jumped on Fox, Fox cried out, "How dare you attack the king of the jungle?" Tiger looked at him in amazement. "Nonsense! You are not King!" "Certainly I am," replied the Fox. "All the animals run from me in terror! If you want proof, come with me." Fox went into the forest with tiger in heels. When they came to a herd of deer, the deer saw Tiger behind the Fox and ran in all direction. They came to a group of monkey, the monkey saw the tiger behind fox and they fled. Fox looked to tiger and said, "Do you need more proof than that? See how the animals flee at the first sight of me?" "I am surprised, but I've seen it with my own eyes. Forgive me attacking you, Great King." Tiger bowed low with great ceremony, he let the fox go.

The Ugly Duckling

Once upon a time down on an old farm, lived a duck family, and Mother Duck had been sitting on a clutch of new eggs. One nice morning, the eggs hatched and out popped six chirpy ducklings. But one egg was bigger than the rest, and it didn't hatch. Mother Duck couldn't recall laying that seventh egg. How did it get there? TOCK! TOCK! The little prisoner was pecking inside his shell.

"Did I count the eggs wrongly?" Mother Duck wondered. But before she had time to think about it, the last egg finally hatched. A strange looking duckling with gray feathers that should have been yellow gazed at a worried mother. The ducklings grew quickly, but Mother Duck had a secret worry.

"I can't understand how this ugly duckling can be one of mine!" she said to herself, shaking her head as she looked at her last born. Well, the gray duckling certainly wasn't pretty, and since he ate far more than his brothers, he was outgrowing them. As the days went by, the poor ugly duckling became more and more unhappy. His brothers didn't want to play with him, he was so clumsy, and all the farmyard folks simply laughed at him. He felt sad and lonely, while Mother Duck did her best to console him.

"Poor little ugly duckling!" she would say. "Why are you so different from the others?" And the ugly duckling felt worse than ever. He secretly wept at night. He felt nobody wanted him.

"Nobody loves me, they all tease me! Why am I different from my brothers?"

Then one day, at sunrise, he ran away from the farmyard. He stopped at a pond and began to question all the other birds. "Do you know of any ducklings with gray feathers like mine?" But everyone shook their heads in scorn.

"We don't know anyone as ugly as you." The ugly duckling did not lose heart, however, and kept on making inquiries. He went to another pond, where a pair of large geese gave him the same answer to his question. What's more, they warned him: "Don't stay here! Go away! It's dangerous. There are men with guns around here!" The duckling was sorry he had ever left the farmyard.

Then one day, his travels took him near an old countrywoman's cottage. Thinking he was a stray goose, she caught him.

"I'll put this in a hutch. I hope it's a female and lays plenty of eggs!" said the old woman, whose eyesight was poor. But the ugly duckling laid not a single egg. The hen kept frightening him.

"Just wait! If you don't lay eggs, the old woman will wring your neck and pop you into the pot!" And the cat chipped in: "Hee! Hee! I hope the woman cooks you, then I can gnaw at your bones!" The poor ugly duckling was so scared that he lost his appetite, though the old woman kept stuffing him with food and grumbling: "If you won't lay eggs, at least hurry up and get plump!"

"Oh, dear me!" moaned the now terrified duckling. "I'll die of fright first! And I did so hope someone would love me!"

Then one night, finding the hutch door ajar, he escaped. Once again he was all alone. He fled as far away as he could, and at dawn, he found himself in a thick bed of reeds. "If nobody wants me, I'll hid here forever." There was plenty a food, and the duckling began to feel a little happier, though he was lonely. One day at sunrise, he saw a flight of beautiful birds wing overhead. White, with long slender necks, yellow beaks and large wings, they were migrating south.

"If only I could look like them, just for a day!" said the duckling, admiringly. Winter came and the water in the reed bed froze. The poor duckling left home to seek food in the snow. He dropped exhausted to the ground, but a farmer found him and put him in his big jacket pocket.

"I'll take him home to my children. They'll look after him. Poor thing, he's frozen!" The duckling was showered with kindly care at the farmer's house. In this way, the ugly duckling was able to survive the bitterly cold winter.

However, by springtime, he had grown so big that the farmer decided: "I'll set him free by the pond!"

Cinderella
Once upon a time... there lived an unhappy young girl. Unhappy she was, for her mother was dead, her father had married another woman, a widow with two daughters, and her stepmother didn't like her one little bit. All the nice things, kind thoughts and loving touches were for her own daughters. And not just the kind thoughts and love, but also dresses, shoes, shawls, delicious food, comfy beds, as well as every home comfort. All this was laid on for her daughters. But, for the poor unhappy girl, there was nothing at all. No dresses, only her stepsisters' hand-me-downs. No lovely dishes, nothing but scraps. No nice rests and comfort. For she had to work hard all day, and only when evening came was she allowed to sit for a while by the fire, near the cinders. That is how she got her nickname, for everybody called her Cinderella. Cinderella used to spend long hours all alone talking to the cat. The cat said,

"Miaow", which really meant, "Cheer up! You have something neither of your stepsisters have and that is beauty."

It was quite true. Cinderella, even dressed in rags with a dusty gray face from the cinders, was a lovely girl. While her stepsisters, no matter how splendid and elegant their clothes, were still clumsy, lumpy and ugly and always would be.

One day, beautiful new dresses arrived at the house. A ball was to be held at Court and the stepsisters were getting ready to go to it. Cinderella, didn't even dare ask, "What about me?" for she knew very well what the answer to that would be:

"You? My dear girl, you're staying at home to wash the dishes, scrub the floors and turn down the beds for your stepsisters. They will come home tired and very sleepy." Cinderella sighed at the cat.

"Oh dear, I'm so unhappy!" and the cat murmured "Miaow".

Suddenly something amazing happened. In the kitchen, where Cinderella was sitting all by herself, there was a burst of light and a fairy appeared.

"Don't be alarmed, Cinderella," said the fairy. "The wind blew me your sighs. I know you would love to go to the ball. And so you shall!"

"How can I, dressed in rags?" Cinderella replied. "The servants will turn me away!" The fairy smiled. With a flick of her magic wand... Cinderella found herself wearing the most beautiful dress, the loveliest ever seen in the realm.

"Now that we have settled the matter of the dress," said the fairy, "we'll need to get you a coach. A real lady would never go to a ball on foot!"

"Quick! Get me a pumpkin!" she ordered.

"Oh of course," said Cinderella, rushing away. Then the fairy turned to the cat.

"You, bring me seven mice!"

"Seven mice!" said the cat. "I didn't know fairies ate mice too!"

"They're not for eating, silly! Do as you are told!... and, remember they must be alive!"

Cinderella soon returned with a fine pumpkin and the cat with seven mice he had caught in the cellar.

"Good!" exclaimed the fairy. With a flick of her magic wand... wonder of wonders! The pumpkin turned into a sparkling coach and the mice became six white

horses, while the seventh mouse turned into a coachman, in a smart uniform and carrying a whip. Cinderella could hardly believe her eyes.

"I shall present you at Court. You will soon see that the Prince, in whose honor the ball is being held, will be enchanted by your loveliness. But remember! You must leave the ball at midnight and come home. For that is when the spell ends. Your coach will turn back into a pumpkin, the horses will become mice again and the coachman will turn back into a mouse... and you will be dressed again in rags and wearing clogs instead of these dainty little slippers! Do you understand?" Cinderella smiled and said,

"Yes, I understand!"

When Cinderella entered the ballroom at the palace, a hush fell. Everyone stopped in mid-sentence to admire her elegance, her beauty and grace.

"Who can that be?" people asked each other. The two stepsisters also wondered who the newcomer was, for never in a month of Sundays, would they ever have guessed that the beautiful girl was really poor Cinderella who talked to the cat!

When the prince set eyes on Cinderella, he was struck by her beauty. Walking over to her, he bowed deeply and asked her to dance. And to the great disappointment of all the young ladies, he danced with Cinderella all evening.

"Who are you, fair maiden?" the Prince kept asking her. But Cinderella only replied:

"What does it matter who I am! You will never see me again anyway."

"Oh, but I shall, I'm quite certain!" he replied.

Cinderella had a wonderful time at the ball... But, all of a sudden, she heard the sound of a clock: the first stroke of midnight! She remembered what the fairy had said, and without a word of goodbye she slipped from the Prince's arms and ran down the steps. As she ran she lost one of her slippers, but not for a moment did she dream of stopping to pick it up! If the last stroke of midnight were to sound... oh... what a disaster that would be! Out she fled and vanished into the night.

The Prince, who was now madly in love with her, picked up her slipper and said to his ministers,

"Go and search everywhere for the girl whose foot this slipper fits. I will never be content until I find her!" So the ministers tried the slipper on the foot of all the girls... and on Cinderella's foot as well... Surprise! The slipper fitted perfectly.

"That awful untidy girl simply cannot have been at the ball," snapped the stepmother. "Tell the Prince he ought to marry one of my two daughters! Can't you see how ugly Cinderella is! Can't you see?"

Suddenly she broke off, for the fairy had appeared.

"That's enough!" she exclaimed, raising her magic wand. In a flash, Cinderella appeared in a splendid dress, shining with youth and beauty. Her stepmother and stepsisters gaped at her in amazement, and the ministers said,

"Come with us, fair maiden! The Prince awaits to present you with his engagement ring!" So Cinderella joyfully went with them, and lived happily ever after with her Prince. And as for the cat, he just said "Miaow"!

Hansel and Gretel

Once upon a time a very poor woodcutter lived in a tiny cottage in the forest with his two children, Hansel and Gretel. His second wife often ill-treated the children and was forever nagging the woodcutter. "There is not enough food in the house for us all. There are too many mouths to feed! We must get rid of the two brats," she declared. And she kept on trying to persuade her husband to abandon his children in the forest. "Take them miles from home, so far that they can never find their way back! Maybe someone will find them and give them a home." The downcast woodcutter didn't know what to do. Hansel who, one evening, had overheard his parents' conversation, comforted Gretel. "Don't worry! If they do leave us in the forest, we'll find the way home," he said. And slipping out of the house he filled his pockets with little white pebbles, then went back to bed. All night long, the woodcutter's wife harped on and on at her husband till, at dawn, he led Hansel and Gretel away into the forest. But as they went into the depths of the trees, Hansel dropped a little white pebble here and there on the mossy green ground. At a certain point, the two children found they really were alone: the woodcutter had plucked up enough courage to desert them, had mumbled an excuse and was gone. Night fell but the woodcutter did not return. Gretel began to sob bitterly. Hansel too felt scared but he tried to hide his feelings and comfort his sister. "Don't cry, trust me! I swear I'll take you home even if Father doesn't come back for us!" Luckily the moon was full that night and Hansel waited till its cold light filtered through the trees. "Now give me your hand!" he said. "We'll get home safely, you'll see!" The tiny white pebbles gleamed in the moonlight, and the children found their way home. They crept through a half open window, without wakening their parents. Cold, tired but thankful to be home again, they slipped into bed. Next day, when their stepmother discovered that Hansel and Gretel had returned, she went into a rage. Stifling her anger in front of the children, she locked her bedroom door, reproaching her husband for failing to carry out her orders. The weak woodcutter protested, torn as he was between shame and fear of disobeying his cruel wife. The wicked stepmother kept Hansel and Gretel under lock and key all day with nothing for supper but a sip of water and some hard bread. All night, husband and wife quarreled, and when dawn came, the woodcutter led the children out into the forest. Hansel, however, had not eaten his bread, and as he walked through the trees, he left a trail of crumbs behind him to mark the way. But the little boy had forgotten about the hungry birds that

lived in the forest. When they saw him, they flew along behind and in no time at all, had eaten all the crumbs. Again, with a lame excuse, the woodcutter left his two children by themselves. "I've left a trail, like last time!" Hansel whispered to Gretel, consolingly. But when night fell, they saw to their horror, that all the crumbs had gone. "I'm frightened!" wept Gretel bitterly. "I'm cold and hungry and I want to go home!" "Don't be afraid. I'm here to look after you!" Hansel tried to encourage his sister, but he too shivered when he glimpsed frightening shadows and evil eyes around them in the darkness. All night the two children huddled together for warmth at the foot of a large tree. When dawn broke, they started to wander about the forest, seeking a path, but all hope soon faded. They were well and truly lost. On they walked and walked, till suddenly they came upon a strange cottage in the middle of a glade. "This is chocolate!" gasped Hansel as he broke a lump of plaster from the wall. "And this is icing!" exclaimed Gretel, putting another piece of wall in her mouth. Starving but delighted, the children began to eat pieces of candy broken off the cottage. "Isn't this delicious?" said Gretel, with her mouth full. She had never tasted anything so nice. "We'll stay here," Hansel declared, munching a bit of nougat. They were just about to try a piece of the biscuit door when it quietly swung open. "Well, well!" said an old woman, peering out with a crafty look. "And haven't you children a sweet tooth?" "Come in! Come in, you've nothing to fear!" went on the old woman. Unluckily for Hansel and Gretel, however, the sugar candy cottage belonged to an old witch, her trap for catching unwary victims. The two children had come to a really nasty place. "You're nothing but skin and bones!" said the witch, locking Hansel into a cage. I shall fatten you up and eat you!" "You can do the housework," she told Gretel grimly, "then I'll make a meal of you too!" As luck would have it, the witch had very bad eyesight, an when Gretel smeared butter on her glasses, she could see even less. "Let me feel your finger!" said the witch to Hansel every day to check if he was getting any fatter. Now, Gretel had brought her brother a chicken bone, and when the witch went to touch his finger, Hansel held out the bone. "You're still much too thin!" she complained. When will you become plump?" One day the witch

grew tired of waiting. "Light the oven," she told Gretel. "We're going to have a tasty roasted boy today!" A little later, hungry and impatient, she went on: "Run and see if the oven is hot enough." Gretel returned, whimpering: "I can't tell if it is hot enough or not." Angrily, the witch screamed at the little girl: "Useless child! All right, I'll see for myself." But when the witch bent down to peer inside the oven and check the heat, Gretel gave her a tremendous push and slammed the oven door shut. The witch had come to a fit and proper end. Gretel ran to set her brother free and they made quite sure that the oven door was tightly shut behind the witch. Indeed, just to be on the safe side, they fastened it firmly with a large padlock. Then they stayed for several days to eat some more of the house, till they discovered amongst the witch's belongings, a huge chocolate egg. Inside lay a casket of gold coins. "The witch is now burnt to a cinder," said Hansel, "so we'll take this treasure with us." They filled a large basket with food and set off into the forest to search for the way home. This time, luck was with them, and on the second day, they saw their father come out of the house towards them, weeping. "Your stepmother is dead. Come home with me now, my dear children!" The two children hugged the woodcutter. "Promise you'll never ever desert us again," said Gretel, throwing her arms round her father's neck. Hansel o

Roro jonggrang
Inside the northern chamber Shiva temple in Prambanan temple in Central Java, Indonesia, there is a stone statue of a beautiful woman. She stands on a bull. She wears a crown and jewelry. Her body is slim. Who is she? There is no doubt that she is Durga Mahisasuramardini, a Hindu goddess. But the Javanese people have their own story about her. Here is the story. A long long time ago in central Java lived a wise king. His name was Prabu Boko. He had a beautiful daughter whose name was Roro Jonggrang. They lived in a palace on top of a hill. At present we can visit the ruins of the palace that is located about two miles south of Prambanan temple. The palace is called kraton Boko. His country was so prosperous that another king was jealous. There was a neighboring kingdom under king Bandung Bondowoso. One day king Bandung attacked Prabu Boko. In a fierce fight King Boko was killed and his kingdom was conquered. The young Bandung Bondowoso fell in love with Roro Jonggrang when he saw her beauty. He wanted to marry her so he proposed her. But Roro Jonggrang definitely did not want to marry someone who had murdered her father. So she gave a difficult condition. She told Bandung that she would marry him if he could build one thousand temples in one night. Bandung was surprised but he was optimistic he could meet the condition. He was a powerful king and he had many friends among the genie and spirits. So he asked them for help. With the help of those invisible beings Bandung built the temples. Meanwhile Roro Jonggrang and her people kept an eye on Bandung. When it was almost dawn Bandung and the genie had built nine hundred ninety nine temples. Roro Jonggrang was very worried. If Bandung could meet her condition, she had to marry him. Then she had a bright idea. She ordered her people to make noise and lights. Women were ordered to cook and make noise by hitting kitchen utensils. Men were also ordered to make noise around the temples. Then the genie thought that daylight had come. They were afraid of the sunlight so they left immediately. Without their help Bandung was unable to finish the temple. Bandung was very angry. He knew that it was a dirty trick from Roro Jonggrang. Then he cursed Roro Jonggrang into a statue. The statue of Roro Jonggrang is now inside the northern chamber of the main temple which was dedicated to Shiva in Prambanan temple.

Dandaung snack
Once upon a time, lays a great kingdom. The region of the kingdom are rich in natural resources the people of the kingdom are prosperous, because the kingdom is lead by a wise king. Many people coma to the kingdom and lives there. The prosperity is well spread among the people of the kingdom. The other kingdoms are amazed and respect the kingdom because of the prosperity. They are getting some benefits too with fair trades with the kingdom. Unfortunately, peace did not last long. Unexpected disaster came upon them. They are not attacked by enemies who envied the prosperity and harmony of the kingdom, but by a giant bird that suddenly appeared. The sky became pitch black as the bird's body is very big. Flap wings deafening. Because the invasion of giant bird was so sudden, the people of the kingdom of extraordinary panic. They are confused and do not know what to do deal with that atmosphere. They thought doomsday had arrived. In the blink of an eye, the kingdom was destroyed perish with everything in it. Building razed to the ground. Trees fall. People met death by falling trees or buried in the rubble of their homes and buildings. Like a lost country, which previously fertile prosperous kingdom into an open field. No plants, animals and humans there, accept the king with the empress and the seventh daughter. They are confused and scared, perhaps came the second attack. If that happened, this is the end their history. With the giant bird is easy to see them because not even a leaf weeds can be a place for shelter. However, they remain thankful to God because they have survived the catastrophe. In the uncertain situation, they were surprised again by events that made them increasingly desperate. I do not know where it came from; all of a sudden a giant snake is appears in front of them. The snake opened its mouth so big and venomous tongue moving in and out of her mouth. King along with the empress and the seven daughters gathered into one group. The king thought, if they should die, at least they die together although as a giant snake prey. Snake dandaung "Your majesty needs not be afraid," suddenly the snake speak the human language. "I'm not going to interfere with His Excellency, the empress, and the daughters of your majesty, if your majesty granted one of my requests. The king is surprised to hear the giant snakes could speak human language "Who are you? What is your wish? "The king asked "My name is Dandaung"said the giant snake. "I want to marry one of his Majesty's daughters."

The king stunned for a moment, after hearing the request of Dandaung Snake. A giant snake wanted to marry his daughter? It makes no sense to marry a human with a snake. But he did not dare to refuse for fear of consequences. "I do not deny, but did not receive your proposal," said the king. "I must ask this to my daughter one by one!" The king asked his daughter one by one. The eldest daughter until the sixth one, refused to marry the Dandaung Snake. The king gets worry about the consequences they will receive if his entire daughter refused. "I'm willing to be his wife," youngest daughter said to his father The youngest daughter decision made her older sister mocking her. But her decision is already set and cannot be changed. They soon married. In their first night, the youngest daughter woke up from sleep. She was very surprised because it was not Snake Dandaung lying on his side but a handsome man. The man said to his wife, "I'm not someone else, I'm your husband, the Snake Dandaung. I am a king who was freed from the curse. " The king and queen were surprised to see the incident. However, they were proud to him, who is very handsome, and a royal degree. The other princess feels regrets and wondering why they would not want to accept the marriage proposal. The man also have great skill, a giant bird that destroys the royal can be conquered and killed. He also builds up a new empire, complete with all equipment and buildings. The people come again and live in the kingdoms territory, they believe that living in the new kingdom will make them feel comfort and guarded from the giant birds attack. They also have heard about the king's wisdom and the prosperity of the kingdom in the past. The king now ruled the new kingdom once again. He is replaced by the snake Dandaung in the later time and live happily ever after with his wife.

Nyi Roro Kidul

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess named Kadita. Because of her beauty she was called Dewi Srengenge which mean The beautiful sun. Her father was King Munding Wangi. Although he had a beautiful daughter he always unhappy because he always expected to have a son. The King decided to merry Dewi Mutiara, and he had a son from her. He was very happy. Dewi Mutiara wanted her son to become a king in the future so she must make sure for it. Dewi mutiara came to the king and asked him to send away his daughter. Of course, the king did not agree. "It is ridiculous, I will not allow any body doing such cruel thing to my daughter", said King Munding Wangi. When she heard the answer, Dewi mutiara smiled and said a sweet thing until the king has not anger anymore. However, she kept her bad intention deep in her heart. In the morning before the sun raised, Dewi Mutiara sent her maid to call a black magician. She wanted the black magician to curse Kadita, her step daughter. " I want her beautiful body full with scabies and itch. If you succeeded I will reward you with the present you never thought before". The black magician did the queen order, in the night Kadita body has been full with scabies and itch. When She waked up , she found her body was smell stinky and have a ulcer all over her body. The beautiful princess cried and did not know what to do. When The King heard he was very sad, he invited many physician to cure her daughter illness. Day by the day nobody could cure her daughter. He realized that her daughter illness it was not a ordinary illness someone must send a curse or magic spell. His problem became more difficult when the Queen Dewi Mutiara forced him to send away her daughter. "Your daughter will bring a bad luck to whole country, said Dewi Mutiara. The king did not want her daughter become a bad rumour in whole country. Finally he must agree to send her only daughter to leave the country. The poor princess went alone, she didn't know to where she should go. She almost could not cry anymore. She had a nobble heart. She did not have any bad feeling with her step mother, instead she always asked the God to accompany her passed her suffer. Almost seven day and seven night she has walked until she came to south ocean. She looked at the ocean. It was so clean and clear, unlike other ocean which have a blue or green colour. She jumped onto the water and swim. Suddenly when the south ocean water touched her skin there was a miracle happened. Her ulcer has gone and there was no sign that she has ever had a scabies or itch. Even more she became more beautiful than before. Not only that she has a power to command whole of the south ocean. Now she became a fairy called Nyi Roro Kidul or The Queen of

South Ocean who lived forever. This is the most spectacular legend until now in the modern life even when you read this story, many people from Indonesia or from other country has admitted that they have met the beautiful fairy queen wear a traditional dress of Java. One of the famous beach hotel has made a suit room specially for her.

IN THE NORTHEASTERN PART of the Tengger mountains lies the Lake of Grati, the so-called Crocodile Lake. The lake got its name from the many crocodiles which, centuries and centuries ago, mysteriously appeared in its waters; then, after living there a while, they as mysteriously disappeared, leaving in their stead the ikan leleh, a long, dark-grey fish something like an eel. These fish were really the reason why the crocodiles are now the enemies of man. How this came about is told in the following legend: Long, long ago, when the villagers were simple, kindly folk, the crocodiles that lived in the Lake of Grati were on friendly terms with the people of the neighborhood. The oldest pair of crocodiles, who were called Kyai and Nyai Buaja, were the great-great-great-great-great-grandparents of the youngest crocodiles. Because they were so old, the gods had given Kyai and Nyai Buaja the power to change themselves, as soon as twilight fell, into human beings; but as soon as day broke they had to become crocodiles again. Now Kyai and Nyai Buaja owned a gamelan which they had safely hidden away in their home on the bottom of the lake. This gamelan, which made very beautiful music, was always being borrowed by the villagers whenever they had a marriage or a harvest feast to celebrate. In order to get in the good graces of the old crocodiles, those who wanted to hold a feast would send a little raft out on the water to the place where Kyai and Nyai Buaja came to the surface every day. On the raft would be burning incense and a fine duck or perhaps a chicken. When the old pair appeared, the people would cry, "Kyai and Nyai Buaja, my daughter is going to be married," or "We are going to have a harvest feast; our rice is ripe. May we please borrow your gamelan? And we hope you will come to the feast, too/' When the people had said this, the two crocodiles would dive down to the depths of the lake, and it wasn't long before the raft, with the gamelan on it, would reappear on the shore. And, shortly before midnight on the evenings when the celebrations were being held and the soft, lovely music of the gamelan was drifting over the lake, Kyai and Nyai Buaja would appear in their human forms and would take part in the festivities. They would stay until just an hour before sunrise, because they were afraid that if they stayed longer and were turned back into their crocodile shapes, they would frighten the people, and they didn't want that to happen.

This went on for many years. The people often asked for the loan of the gamelan, and as often as they asked for it they would put a duck or a chicken or a little wild pig or perhaps a deer on the raft, in return. All this, of course, made the crocodiles feel more and more friendly toward the villagers. But everything was changed when a woman called Leleh came to live in a nearby village. Leleh was a wicked woman. People said that she was a witch, and that her charms could call forth the evil spirits, and that was why she had been banished from the village where she was born. They even said that she knew a charm that could make her turn into a tiger, but this was not true. She was, however, a sly and cunning woman, and a thief. She stole the chickens and the eggs of the villagers, and she chased away the wild ducks that came to the shores of the lake to lay their eggs. And, what was worst of all, she plagued the crocodiles. She grew so daring in her plaguing that one day she tied a fat duck to the end of a rope and put it on the raft, and then cried in a loud voice, "Kyai and Nyai Buaja, I'm sending you something delicious for your meal. Come up and see what it is; it's all ready for you on the raft!" The two big heads of the old crocodiles had hardly appeared on the surface of the water, and they had hardly looked around with their knowing eyes, before the wicked Leleh pulled the little rope that was attached to the leg of the duck and drew it back to the shore. And she cried tauntingly, "I, too, like a tasty tidbit! Find something else for yourselves, old ones!" And thereupon she built a fire, roasted the duck to a delicate brown, and sat down and ate every last crumb of it. After this had happened again and again, the old crocodiles began to tire of it. They said nothing to anyone, neither to Leleh herself nor to the villagers, but they decided between themselves that Leleh must be punished and soon. So the next time she put a duck on the raft and called out, 'Tm sending you a delicious morsel for your meal, old ones!" Kyai Buaja called back, "Send the raft a little nearer, Leleh. My wife is sick and I cannot leave her." Leleh pushed the raft a little farther, but at the same time she pulled the duck off. And no sooner had she done this than from all sides the crocodiles shot out of the water and, led by Kyai Buaja himself, dragged Leleh with them down to the depths of the lake. There Kyai changed her into a fish which he called the leleh fish, or ikan leleh. He told her that from now on she would have to take care of all his great

great-great-grandchildren, the young crocodiles. But when she tried to do this, the young crocodiles bit her so fiercely that her fins became weak (and from that time to this the leleh fish has been a weak-finned fish) . She was forbidden ever to leave the lake again. She could not have done so anyhow, because her many descendants put her in a narrow cleft in the rocks and forced her to stay there. There were so many of these fish, her descendants, that soon there were more leleh fish than crocodiles. Kyai and Nyai Buaja finally had to call on the villagers to help them. The villagers fished day and night for the wicked lelehs and they caught them by the netfuls. But the more they caught, the more there were left in the lake. Kyai and Nyai Buaja thought that the villagers were in league with the fish and merely caught them and then threw them back into the lake. And so they and all the other crocodiles became angry with people. They became so angry that they swore eternal enmity. Kyai Buaja himself said that whenever he met a human being he would kill him immediately. And one day, when the water in the lake was higher than usual, Kyai and Nyai Buaja and all the other crocodiles left the place where they had lived so happily before the coming of Leleh. They left the lake in such a mysterious manner that none of the village people noticed their going. They only knew that the next day ? when they went down to the lake and called, the crocodiles were gone. And they never came back.

Three snacke leaves

of the Tengger mountains lies the Lake of Grati, the so-called Crocodile Lake. The lake got its name from the many crocodiles which, centuries and centuries ago, mysteriously appeared in its waters; then, after living there a while, they as mysteriously disappeared, leaving in their stead the ikan leleh, a long, dark-grey fish something like an eel. These fish were really the reason why the crocodiles are now the enemies of man. How this came about is told in the following legend: Long, long ago, when the villagers were simple, kindly folk, the crocodiles that lived in the Lake of Grati were on friendly terms with the people of the neighborhood. The oldest pair of crocodiles, who were called Kyai and Nyai Buaja, were the great-great-great-great-great-grandparents of the youngest crocodiles. Because they were so old, the gods had given Kyai and Nyai Buaja the power to change themselves, as soon as twilight fell, into human beings; but as soon as day broke they had to become crocodiles again. Now Kyai and Nyai Buaja owned a gamelan which they had safely hidden away in their home on the bottom of the lake. This gamelan, which made very beautiful music, was always being borrowed by the villagers whenever they had a marriage or a harvest feast to celebrate. In order to get in the good graces of the old crocodiles, those who wanted to hold a feast would send a little raft out on the water to the place where Kyai and Nyai Buaja came to the surface every day. On the raft would be burning incense and a fine duck or perhaps a chicken. When the old pair appeared, the people would cry, "Kyai and Nyai Buaja, my daughter is going to be married," or "We are going to have a harvest feast; our rice is ripe. May we please borrow your gamelan? And we hope you will come to the feast, too/' When the people had said this, the two crocodiles would dive down to the depths of the lake, and it wasn't long before the raft, with the gamelan on it, would reappear on the shore. And, shortly before midnight on the evenings when the celebrations were being held and the soft, lovely music of the gamelan was drifting over the lake, Kyai and Nyai Buaja would appear in their human forms and would take part in the festivities. They would stay until just an hour before sunrise, because they were afraid that if they stayed longer and were turned back into their crocodile shapes, they would frighten the people, and they didn't want that to happen.

This went on for many years. The people often asked for the loan of the gamelan, and as often as they asked for it they would put a duck or a chicken or a little wild pig or perhaps a deer on the raft, in return. All this, of course, made the crocodiles feel more and more friendly toward the villagers. But everything was changed when a woman called Leleh came to live in a nearby village. Leleh was a wicked woman. People said that she was a witch, and that her charms could call forth the evil spirits, and that was why she had been banished from the village where she was born. They even said that she knew a charm that could make her turn into a tiger, but this was not true. She was, however, a sly and cunning woman, and a thief. She stole the chickens and the eggs of the villagers, and she chased away the wild ducks that came to the shores of the lake to lay their eggs. And, what was worst of all, she plagued the crocodiles. She grew so daring in her plaguing that one day she tied a fat duck to the end of a rope and put it on the raft, and then cried in a loud voice, "Kyai and Nyai Buaja, I'm sending you something delicious for your meal. Come up and see what it is; it's all ready for you on the raft!" The two big heads of the old crocodiles had hardly appeared on the surface of the water, and they had hardly looked around with their knowing eyes, before the wicked Leleh pulled the little rope that was attached to the leg of the duck and drew it back to the shore. And she cried tauntingly, "I, too, like a tasty tidbit! Find something else for yourselves, old ones!" And thereupon she built a fire, roasted the duck to a delicate brown, and sat down and ate every last crumb of it. After this had happened again and again, the old crocodiles began to tire of it. They said nothing to anyone, neither to Leleh herself nor to the villagers, but they decided between themselves that Leleh must be punished and soon. So the next time she put a duck on the raft and called out, 'Tm sending you a delicious morsel for your meal, old ones!" Kyai Buaja called back, "Send the raft a little nearer, Leleh. My wife is sick and I cannot leave her." Leleh pushed the raft a little farther, but at the same time she pulled the duck off. And no sooner had she done this than from all sides the crocodiles shot out of the water and, led by Kyai Buaja himself, dragged Leleh with them down to the depths of the lake. There Kyai changed her into a fish which he called the leleh fish, or ikan leleh. He told her that from now on she would have to take care of all his great

great-great-grandchildren, the young crocodiles. But when she tried to do this, the young crocodiles bit her so fiercely that her fins became weak (and from that time to this the leleh fish has been a weak-finned fish) . She was forbidden ever to leave the lake again. She could not have done so anyhow, because her many descendants put her in a narrow cleft in the rocks and forced her to stay there. There were so many of these fish, her descendants, that soon there were more leleh fish than crocodiles. Kyai and Nyai Buaja finally had to call on the villagers to help them. The villagers fished day and night for the wicked lelehs and they caught them by the netfuls. But the more they caught, the more there were left in the lake. Kyai and Nyai Buaja thought that the villagers were in league with the fish and merely caught them and then threw them back into the lake. And so they and all the other crocodiles became angry with people. They became so angry that they swore eternal enmity. Kyai Buaja himself said that whenever he met a human being he would kill him immediately. And one day, when the water in the lake was higher than usual, Kyai and Nyai Buaja and all the other crocodiles left the place where they had lived so happily before the coming of Leleh. They left the lake in such a mysterious manner that none of the village people noticed their going. They only knew that the next day ? when they went down to the lake and called, the crocodiles were gone. And they never came back.

The seven Gagak

There was once a man who had seven sons, and still he had no daughter, however much he wished for one. At length his wife again gave him hope of a child, and when it came into the world it was a girl. The joy was great, but the child was sickly and small, and had to be privately baptized on account of its weakness. The father sent one of the boys in haste to the spring to fetch water for the baptism. The other six went with him, and as each of them wanted to be first to fill it, the jug fell into the well. There they stood and did not know what to do, and none of them dared to go home. As they still did not return, the father grew impatient, and said, they have certainly forgotten it while playing some game, the wicked boys. He became afraid that the girl would have to die without being baptized, and in his anger cried, I wish the boys were all turned into ravens. Hardly was the word spoken before he heard a whirring of wings over his head, looked up and saw seven coal-black ravens flying away. The parents could not withdraw the curse, and however sad they were at the loss of their seven sons, they still to some extent comforted themselves with their dear little daughter, who soon grew strong and every day became more beautiful. For a long time she did not know that she had had brothers, for her parents were careful not to mention them before her, but one day she accidentally heard some people saying of herself, that the girl was certainly beautiful, but that in reality she was to blame for the misfortune which had befallen her seven brothers. Then she was much troubled, and went to her father and mother and asked if it was true that she had had brothers, and what had become of them. The parents now dared keep the secret no longer, but said that what had befallen her brothers was the will of heaven, and that her birth had only been the innocent cause. But the maiden took it to heart daily, and thought she must save her brothers. She had no rest or peace until she set out secretly, and went forth into the wide world to search for her brothers and set them free, let it cost what it might. She took nothing with her but a little ring belonging to her parents as a keepsake, a loaf of bread against hunger, a little pitcher of water against thirst, and a little chair as a provision against weariness. And now she went continually onwards, far, far to the very end of the world. Then she came to the sun, but it was too hot and terrible, and devoured little children. Hastily she ran away, and ran to the moon, but it was far too cold, and also awful and malicious, and when it saw the child, it said, I smell, I smell the flesh of men. At this she ran swiftly away, and came to the stars, which were kind and good to her, and each of them sat on its own particular little chair. But the morning star arose, and gave her the drumstick of a chicken, and said, if you have not that drumstick you can not open the glass mountain, and in the glass mountain are your

brothers. The maiden took the drumstick, wrapped it carefully in a cloth, and went onwards again until she came to the glass mountain. The door was shut, and she thought she would take out the drumstick. But when she undid the cloth, it was empty, and she had lost the good star's present. What was she now to do. She wished to rescue her brothers, and had no key to the glass mountain. The good sister took a knife, cut off one of her little fingers, put it in the door, and succeeded in opening it. When she had gone inside, a little dwarf came to meet her, who said, my child, what are you looking for. I am looking for my brothers, the seven ravens, she replied. The dwarf said, the lord ravens are not at home, but if you will wait here until they come, step in. Thereupon the little dwarf carried the ravens' dinner in, on seven little plates, and in seven little glasses, and the little sister ate a morsel from each plate, and from each little glass she took a sip, but in the last little glass she dropped the ring which she had brought away with her. Suddenly she heard a whirring of wings and a rushing through the air, and then the little dwarf said, now the lord ravens are flying home. Then they came, and wanted to eat and drink, and looked for their little plates and glasses. Then said one after the other, who has eaten something from my plate. Who has drunk out of my little glass. It was a human mouth. And when the seventh came to the bottom of the glass, the ring rolled against his mouth. Then he looked at it, and saw that it was a ring belonging to his father and mother, and said, God grant that our sister may be here, and then we shall be free. When the maiden, who was standing behind the door watching, heard that wish, she came forth, and on this all the ravens were restored to their.

The cliver squiller

ONE 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!