Telaga Warna (ditty)

Long time ago there was a kingdom in West Java. The kingdom was ruled by a king
called Prabu. He was a kind and wise king. Under Prabus leadership, the kingdom
grew into a prosperous kingdom. Theres no hunger in the kingdom. Everybody in
the kingdom loved their king. But, theres one problem. The king and his queen
hadnt got any children. It made the couple very sad. That was why Prabu decided
to go to the jungle. There, he meditated and prayed to God. Everyday he begged for
a child. His dream finally came true. A few months later, the queen got pregnant. All
people in the kingdom felt very happy. They sent many presents to the palace to
express their happiness. Nine months later a baby girl was born. The baby grew as a
beautiful teenager then.
Prabu and his queen loved their daughter so much. They gave what ever she
wanted. It made the princess grew into a spoiled girl. When her wish couldnt be
fulfilled, she would be very angry. She even said bad things often. Even though the
princess behaved badly, her parents still loved her, and so did the people in the
kingdom.
Time passed and the princess grew more beautiful. In a few days, the princess
would be seventeen years old. Thats why people of that kingdom brought many
presents for her. They bring gold and beautiful jewelries. Prabu collected the
presents. Then Prabu stored them in a special room. Some times he would take
them to give to his people who needed it. Prabu only took a few gold and jewels.
Then he brought them to a goldsmith. Please make a necklace for my daughter,
said Prabu. My pleasure, Your Majesty, the goldsmith replied. The goldsmith
worked with all his heart and his ability. He wanted to create the most beautiful
necklace for the princess.
The birthday came. People gathered in the palace field. Then Prabu and the queen
appeared. They waved to their beloved people. Cheers were loud and louder when
the princess appeared. Everybody admired her beauty. Prabu got up from his chair
and took a small pillow. A beautiful necklace was on the pillow. Prabu took that
necklace. My beloved daughter, today I give this necklace to you. This necklace is
a gift from people in this country. They love you so much. They presented it for you
to express their happiness, because you have growing to a woman, said Prabu. The
princess accepted the necklace. She looked at the necklace in a glance. I dont
want this necklace! Its ugly! shouted the princess as she threw the necklace away.
The necklace hit the floor and was broken. The gold and jewels were spread out on
the floor.
No body dared to speak. They never thought that their beloved princess would do
such a cruel thing. In their silence, people heard the queen crying. Every woman felt
sad and began crying too. Then everybody was crying. Suddenly, from the middle of

the field, a spring emerged. It quickly became a pool. The palace was getting
flooded. Soon the place became a big lake.
Nowadays the water on that lake is not as full as before. There is only a small lake
now. People called the lake Telaga Warna (it means lake of colour). On a bright day,
the lake is full of colour. These colors come from the reflections of forest, plants,
flowers, and sky around the lake. But some people said that the colours are from the
princess necklace, which spreads at the bottom of the lake.***
Sangkuriang
Long time ago in West Java, lived a beautiful girl named Dayang Sumbi. She was
also smart and clever. Her beauty and intelligence made a prince from the heavenly
kingdom of Kahyangan desire her as his wife. The prince asked permission from his
father to marry Dayang Sumbi. People from Kahyangan could never live side by side
with humans, but his father approved on one condition, when they had a child, the
prince would transform into a dog. The prince accepted the condition.
They get married and lived happily in the woods until Dayang Sumbi gave birth to a
baby boy. The prince then changed into a dog named Tumang. Their son is named
Sangkuriang. He was very smart and handsome like his father. Everyday, he hunted
animals and looked for fruits to eat. One day, when he was hunting, Sangkuriang
accidentally killed Tumang. His arrow missed the deer he was targeting and hit
Tumang instead. He went home and tells her mother about the dog. What?
Dayang Sumbi was appalled. Driven by sadness and anger, she grabbed a weaving
tool and hit Sangkuriangs head with it. Dayang Sumbi was so sad; she didnt pay
any attention to Sangkuriang and started to cry.
Sangkuriang feel sad and also confused. How can his mother love a dog more than
him? Sangkuriang then decided to go away from their home and went on a journey.
In the morning, Dayang Sumbi finally stopped crying. She started to feel better, so
she went to find Sangkuriang. But her son was no where to be found. She looked
everywhere but still couldnt find him. Finally, she went home with nothing. She was
exhausted. She fell asleep, and in her dream, she meets her husband. Dayang
Sumbi, dont be sad. Go look for my body in the woods and get the heart. Soak it
with water, and use the water to bathe, and you will look young forever, said the
prince in her dream. After bathing with the water used to soak the dogs heart,
Dayang Sumbi looked more beautiful and even younger.
And time passed by. Sangkuriang on his journey stopped at a village and met and
fell in love with a beautiful girl.He didn't realize that the village was his homeland
and the beautiful girl was his own mother, Dayang Sumbi. Their love grew naturally
and he asked the girl to marry him. One day, Sangkuriang was going on a hunt. He
asked Dayang Sumbi to fix the turban on his head. Dayang Sumbi was startled
when she saw a scar on his head at the same place where she, years ago, hit
Sangkuriang on the head.

After the young man left, Dayang Sumbi prayed for guidance. After praying, she
became convinced that the young man was indeed her missing son. She realized
that she had to do something to prevent Sangkuriang from marrying her. But she
did not wish to disappoint him by cancelling the wedding. So, although she agreed
to marry Sangkuriang, she would do so only on the condition that he provides her
with a lake and built a beautiful boat, all in one night.
Sangkuriang accepted this condition without a doubt. He had spent his youth
studying magical arts. After the sun went down, Sangkuriang went to the hill. Then
he called a group of genie to build a dam around Citarum River. Then, he commands
the genies to cut down trees and build a boat. A few moments before dawn,
Sangkuriang and his genie servants almost finished the boat.
Dayang Sumbi, who had been spying on him, realised that Sangkuriang would fulfill
the condition she had set. Dayang Sumbi immediately woke all the women in the
village and asked them to wave a long red scarf. All the women in the village were
waving red scarf, making it look as if dawn was breaking. Deceived by false dawn,
the cock crowed and farmers rose for the new day.
Sangkuriangs genie servants immediately dropped their work and ran for cover
from the sun, which they feared. Sangkuriang grew furious. With all his anger, he
kicked the unfinished boat. The boat flew and landed on a valley. The boat then
became a mountain, called Mount Tangkuban Perahu (Tangkuban means upturned
or upside down, and Perahu means boat). With his power, he destroyed the dam.
The water drained from the lake becoming a wide plain and nowadays became a
city called Bandung (from the word Bendung, which means Dam).***

Aji Saka
A long time ago there was a kingdom called Medang Kamulan. The kingdom of
Medang Kamulan was ruled by Prabu Dewata Cengkar. The people in the kingdom
were very scared by the king. It was because the king liked to eat human flesh.
Once a week, he commanded his messenger, Patih Jugul Muda, to find him a human
to eat.
Far away from the kingdom of Medang Kamulan, there was a village called Medang
Kawit. A young man named Aji Saka lived there. Aji Saka was a brave young man.
He loved to help people who needed help. One day, Aji Saka saw an old man lying
unconscious on the ground. The old man was wounded. Some thieves just hit him
and stole his money. Aji Saka then carried the old man to his hut. Soon after, the old
man started to regain consciousness. Wheream I? he asked. Youre in my
house. Youre safe now, said Aji Saka. It turned out that the old man was from the
kingdom of Medang Kamulan. Everybody was leaving Medang Kamulan, the old
man told Aji Saka. He also told him about Prabu Dewata Cengkars bad habit. We
were terrified, thats why we left, The old man said.
After he heard the explanation from the old man, Aji Saka decided to go meet Prabu
Dewata Cengkar and make him stop the menace. With his magical white turban on
his head, Aji Saka went to the kingdom. The turban was a gift from his Guru that
could be used to fight evil. On his journey to Medang Kamulan, Aji Saka passed
through a very dark forest where he met an evil genie. The genie blocked his path.
If you want to get through this forest, you must be my slave for ten years, the
genie demanded. Aji Saka refused to be the genies slave. The two of them then
fight for seven days and seven nights, until at last Aji Saka came out as winner. The
genie finally allowed Aji Saka to pass through the forest.
When Aji Saka arrived in the kingdom of Medang Kamulan, the king was angry to
Patih Jugul Muda. He was not able to find the king some humans. If you cant find
me any humans, Ill eat you instead, Prabu Dewata Cengkar said to Patih Jugul

Muda. After Patih Jugul Muda left, Aji Saka revealed himself. Prabu Dewata Cengkars
eyes suddenly widened upon seeing Aji Saka. He could already imagine how
delicious his meat would taste. Who are you? asked Prabu Dewata Cengkar. I am
Aji Saka from the village of Medang Kawit, Aji Saka answered. Ha...ha...ha.... Im
glad you came here. You would be my meal. I'm starving, said the king.
I would gladly let you eat me, but I want something in return. Aji Saka said. What
is it that you want? asked Prabu Dewata Cengkar. I want a land as large as my
turban, said Aji Saka. He then took off his turban and threw it on the ground. Prabu
Dewata Cengkar agreed. He himself would measure the land with Aji Sakas turban.
Suddenly the turban grew bigger and bigger. It just kept on stretching until it finally
covered the whole kingdom. Prabu Dewata Cengkar was angry. He then attacked Aji
Saka. But, then the turban wrapped itself around him and began to strangle him.
The turban then threw the kings body to the South Sea. The waves carried Prabu
dewata Cengkar away until he finally drowned and died.
Aji Saka then asked the people of Medang Kamulan to come back to the kingdom.
They all thanked the brave Aji Saka. They also agreed to make Aji Saka to be their
king. Aji Saka then ruled the kingdom wisely. Under the leadership of Aji Saka,
Medang Kamulan become a peaceful and prosperous kingdom.***
Mouse Deer and Tiger
One upon a time, there was a mouse deer living in a forest. Although he was small,
he wasnt afraid of the other bigger animals who wanted to eat him. He was so
smart; he always managed to ditch them. One day, a tiger was wandering around
for food. He hadn't been eating for days. He was really hungry. While he was
walking in the forest, he saw Mouse Deer. The tiger wanted to eat him.
Tiger slowly ducked, crawled, approaching Mouse Deer, then..."Gotcha!" said Tiger.
He caught Mouse Deer. Hello, Mouse Deer! Im really hungry right now. Youll be my
lunch! said Tiger. Mouse Deer didnt want to be his lunch. He tried to be calm. He
looked around and saw some buffalos dung. He had an idea. Im sorry, Tiger. I
cant be your lunch now. The King has ordered me to guard his cake, said Mouse
Deer calmly. His cake? said Tiger curiously. Yes, there it is. Its very delicious. The
King doesnt want anyone else to eat it, so he ordered me to guard it, Mouse Deer
pointed the buffalos dung. Can I taste it? Tiger asked. Of course you cant. The
King would be very angry, said Mouse Deer refused. Just one little bite, Mouse
Deer! The King will never know, said Tiger. Well, okay, Tiger. But first let me run
far away, so the King wont blame me, said Mouse Deer. All right, Mouse deer. You
can go now. Mouse Deer ran quickly out of sight. Tiger then took a big mouthful of
the cake. Phoooey! He spit it out. Yuck, thats not cake. Thats buffalos dung.
Tiger ran through the forest. He caught up with Mouse Deer. Mouse Deer, you
tricked me. But now you will be my lunch. Mouse Deer looked around and saw a
wasp nest in a tree. Im sorry, Tiger. I cant be your lunch now. The King has

ordered me to guard his drum, said Mouse Deer calmly. His drum? said Tiger
curiously. Yes, there it is. It has the best sound in the world. The King doesnt want
anyone else to hit it, Mouse Deer pointed the wasp nest. Can I hit the Kings
drum? Tiger asked. Of course you cant. The King would be very angry, said
Mouse Deer refused. Just one little hit, Mouse Deer! The King will never know, said
Tiger. Well, all right, Tiger. But first let me run far away, so the King wont blame
me, said Mouse Deer. All right, Mouse Deer. You can go now. Mouse Deer ran
quickly out of sight. Tiger then reached up and hit the wasp nest. Bzzzzzzz!
Ouchouch! Thats not a drum. That a wasp nests!
Tiger ran away. But the wasps keep following him. He came to the river. He jumped
in and stayed underwater as long as he could. At last the wasps went away. Then he
jumped out. He ran through the forest till he found Mouse Deer. Mouse Deer, you
tricked me again. But now you will be my lunch. Mouse Deer looked around and
saw a cobra. The snake was coiled asleep on the ground. Im sorry, Tiger. I cant be
your lunch now. The King has ordered me to guard his belt, said Mouse Deer
calmly. His belt? said Tiger curiously. Yes. There it is. Its the best belt in the
world. The King doesnt want anyone else to wear it, Mouse Deer pointed the
cobra. Can I wear it? Tiger asked. Of course you cant. The King would be very
angry, said Mouse Deer refused. Just for one moment, Mouse Deer! The King will
never know, said Tiger. Well, all right, Tiger. But first let me run far away, so the
King wont blame me, said Mouse Deer. All right, Mouse Deer. You can go now.
Mouse Deer ran quickly out of sight. Tiger then took the snake and started to warp it
around himself. The cobra woke up. It squeezed Tiger and bit him. SSssssstt!
Oouch! Ow! Ooow! Thats not a belt! Thats a cobra! Help! Mouse Deer! Help! But
Mouse Deer was already far away. He laughed aloud. Mouse Deer was safe from
Tiger now.***

The Origin of Landak River(giga)

Long time ago, lived a farmer and his wife in a village by the side of a forest. They
lived simply and they like to help other people, especially one who in afflictions. One
night, the farmer and his wife were resting in their house. The farmer was sitting
beside his sleeping wife. Suddenly, a white centipede came out from the wifes
head. The farmer was amazed. He then followed the centipede until they reach a
small pond not far from their house. Then the centipede suddenly disappeared. The
farmer went home and found his wife still soundly asleep.
In the morning, the wife told his husband about the dream she had last night. I was
walking through a vast field, and I came to a lake. I saw a giant hedgehog in the
lake. It was glaring at me, so I ran away. After he heard his wifes dream, the
farmer went back to the small pond. In the pond, he saw something very shiny. He
came to the shiny object and took it. It was a golden hedgehog statue. It was very
beautiful. Its eyes were made of diamond. The farmer then brought the statue
home.
At night, the farmer had a dream. A giant hedgehog came to him, Please let me
stay in your home. As return, I will give you everything you want. Just caress the

statues head and say the prayer. There are two kinds of prayers, one is to start
your wish and the second is to stop your wish. Now memorize the prayers.
In the next day, the farmer told his wife about his dream. They really wanted to
prove it. The farmer slowly caressed the statue's head. He said the prayer and
asked for rice. Suddenly, rice came out of the mouth of the statue. The rice kept on
coming out from the statue's mouth. The farmer immediately said the prayer to
stop it. The rice then stopped coming out from the statue.
The farmer and his wife then asked for other things, jewelry and other stuff they
needed. They became very rich. But they still like to help other people. A lot of poor
came to them for help. Unfortunately, a thief found out about the secret of the
golden hedgehog statue. Pretending to be a poor asking for help, he stole the statue
from the farmers house.
The thief blurred to the district area of Ngabang. There was a drought in the area.
The thief wanted sympathy from the people, so he said to them that he would
provide them with water. The thief then caressed the hedgehog statue and said the
prayer. Water came out of the statues mouth. All the people were so happy. But the
water kept on coming out. The thief didnt know the prayer to stop the wish. People
who saw the incident were really scared. They ran away to avoid the water as it was
started to flood the area. The thief also wanted to run away, but he cannot move his
legs. In his vision, there was a giant hedgehog holding both his legs. Water kept
coming from the statue and slowly it became a river. The thief was drowned in the
river. People then named the river as Hedgehog River or Sungai Landak.***

Legend of Gunung Batu Bangkai

Many years ago, in Loksado, lived a young man with his mother. He was called
Andung Kuswara. He was a smart young man. He had medical skill that he learned
from his late father. Andung Kuswara worked hard everyday to fulfill their daily
needs. One day, Andung Kuswara went to the forest alone, searching for fruits and
vegetables. On his way home, he found an old man squeezed badly between two
big trees. Andung Kuswara immediately helped him. He then healed his wound
perfectly. Dear young man, I thank you for your help, the old man said and took
something hanging on his neck. As my gratitude, I give you this necklace. Hopefully
it would bring good fortune for you, said the old man. Andung Kuswara took the gift
and went home.
Both Andung Kuswara and his mother passed their times happily. But Andung
Kuswara wanted a better life for him and his mother. Maybe it is better to leave my

home to another country and practice my medical skill, he thought. However, he

had not enough courage to tell his intention to his mother. He knew his mother
would be alone if he left. After a month passed, finally Andung Kuswara told his
mother about his intention. Mother, I want to make our life better. I want to go to
other country and find a better job, he said to his mother. Andung my son. If it is
your final decision, I wont stop you. All I can do is pray for you to find what youre
searching for, his mother said wisely. Thank you, Mother, Andung Kuswara smiled
happily.
The next morning, Andung Kuswara left his homeland to pursue his dream. He went
overseas. He walked for weeks until he reached the kingdom of Basiang. On his
way, he met a farmer whose body was full of ulcers and scabies. Andung Kuswara
tried to help him. He cured the farmer with his medical skill.
The farmer was so happy. He offered Andung Kuswara to stay at his home. He also
told Andung Kuswara that almost all inhabitants of the country were suffering from
the same diseases. The news about Andung Kuswaras medical skill quickly spread
throughout the whole country. All sick people come to him to be cured from their
sickness.
The king of Basiang also heard the news about Andung Kuswaras excellent medical
skill. The king then ordered his guard to brought Andung Kuswara to cure the
princess who was also been sick. My daughter has been on her bed for two weeks.
She can not do anything. Many healers had attempted to recover her, but they
failed. Will you cure her? asked the king to Andung Kuswara. My Majesty, I am just
a poor wanderer and I have minimal medical skill. So, please forgive me if I also fail
in recovering the princess, Andung Kuswara replied.
Andung Kuswara was then allowed to enter the princesss room. The princess was
very pale and weak. However, her beauty clearly seemed through her wonderful
face. Andung Kuswara was amazed looking at her, Ah, the princess is so beautiful,
he said to himself. He then tried to cure the princess with all his skill, but the
princess did not move at all. Andung Kuswara then thought of another way. He took
the necklace hanging on his neck. The necklace was soaked in the cup of water for
a moment. After reading some prayers upon the water, Andung Kuswara spattered
it on the princesss face for several times. Suddenly, the princess could move her
body. Her eyes and lips opened, and her face turned bright. The princess was
eventually able to sit on her bed.
The king was very grateful for Andung Kuswaras help to his only daughter. To
express his gratefulness, he allowed Andung Kuswara to marry his daughter. The
princess was happy to welcome Andung as her husband. The same was felt by
Andung who fell in love with the princess.
A year passed, and the princess was pregnant. She told her husband that she
desired to eat kasturi fruit that only grew in Kalimantan Island. Andung Kuswaras

accompanied by several kingdom troops went to search the fruit. After arriving at
the Kalimantan Island, Andung Kuswara headed to Loksado to find the kasturi tree
which, according to local people, was bearing fruit. Andung Kuswara stood
surprisingly after knowing that the tree grew exactly in front of his mothers small
hut. Andung Kuswara immediately commanded the troops to return to the kingdom
without taking the fruit to avoid meeting his own mother.
But suddenly Andung Kuswaras mother went out from the hut. She saw her son
among the troops in front of her home. AndungAndungmy son, she tried to
call her son. Andung Kuswara and the troops continuously walked to keep away
from the old woman. However, she ran after them and kept calling for his son.
Feeling ashamed in front of the troops, Andung Kuswara said angrily to his own
mother, Stop calling me as your son, old woman. I am a nobility of the Basiang
Kingdom. I never know an old woman like you. After that, Andung kuswara
continued walking.
Andung Kuswaras mother was shocked to hear those words from her beloved son.
She cried and prayed with trembling lips, Oh my God, show your power and
justice. Her tears had not been drying when the sky suddenly turned dark and
thunder stroke repeatedly. After that, a sudden storm smashed and heavy rain fell
dementedly. Suddenly Andung Kuswaras body slowly turned into stone.
Since the time, the locals called the mountain as Gunung Batu Bangkai (mountain of
decease stone), because the stone that lays on it resembles human body. The
mountain located in the sub district of Loksado, South Kalimantan .***

Legend of Batu Bagga

Long time ago in Sulawesi Island, lived a man named Intobu. He lived alone with his
only son, named Impalak. They were poor. Everyday they work as fishermen. They
went to the sea every night to catch fish, even in bad weather. Intobu always

advised his son, Being fishermen is our only income. Do not take the bad weather
as our enemy. Impalak nodded. Yes, Father, he replied.
Intobu and Impalak worked as fishermen for years. But, Impalak started to feel
bored with the job. He wanted to try something new. He wanted to make a better
living for his father and himself. One day, Impalak tried to talk to his father about
his desire. Father, please forgives me, Impalak felt hesitated. What is it, my
son? Intobu was curious seeing his sons strange attitude. Father, actually I want
to quit working as fisherman. I want to go abroad and try working something else,
explained Impalak.
Intobu was sad hearing his sons decision, but he also wanted Impalak to be a
successful person. If that is your decision, I couldnt do anything else but to allow
you. I can only pray for your safety and success said Intobu. But I want you to
always remember your homeland. Always remember your father, he continued.
Yes, Father. I will remember. Thank you, said Impalak happily.
In the next day, Impalak went to the harbor. He saw a bagga (sailboat) and went to
see the owner. Excuse me, Sir. Im wondering if I can sail with you? asked Impalak.
The baggas owner was silent for a moment. Its not a problem for me. But why do
you want to sail with me, and have you asked permission from your parents? asked
the baggas owner then. I worked here as fishermen with my father, but I want to
try my luck abroad. My father already agreed with my plan, said Impalak. All right,
I will set sail tomorrow. Come met me here in the morning. And by the way, whats
your name? asked the baggas owner. Thank you, Sir. My name is Impalak, Sir,
Impalak answered happily.
Back in his house, Impalak told his father about the bagga boat. When do you
depart? asked Intobu. Tomorrow, Father, answered Impalak. The next morning,
impalak went to the harbor together with his father. The bagga was ready to set
sail. Hurry, Impalak! shout the baggas owner. Impalak kissed his fathers hand,
Im going, Father. Take care, said Impalak. Go, Son. My blessing is with you, said
Intobu. There were tears in his eyes as he saw the bagga leaving the harbor.
A few years passed. Every time Intobu saw a bagga boat, he always hoped that his
son is coming home. But theres no news at all from Impalak. One day, Intobu went
fishing as usual. He used his small sampan and headed to the open water near the
harbor. But then he saw a bagga heading to the harbor.
When the bagga was getting close to Intobus sampan, he saw a handsome young
man standing in front of the baggas deck. The young man was accompanied by his
beautiful wife. Intobu recognized the young man. He was Impalak, his son.
Impalak! Impalak, my son! Intobu shout happily.
Impalak heard his fathers shouting, but he ignored him. Honey, theres someone
down there calling your name. Is that your father? asked his wife. No, hes not my

father. Just ignore him, honey Impalak was embarrassed to acknowledge his old
father in front of his beautiful wife.
Intobu tried to row his sampan closer to the bagga, but suddenly theres a big
waves in the sea. Intobus sampan was hit by the waves and almost drowned.
Help Help me Impalak, help! Intobu was shouting, asking help from his son.
But Impalak ignored his father. He even turned his bagga into the opposite direction
from Intobus sampan.
Intobus heart was broken to see his sons ignorance. His felling is mixed with
sadness and anger. He looked into the sky and prayed, Oh, God. Please hear my
prayer. I curse that rebellious sons bagga into stone. Not long after Intobu said the
prayer, a storm came and struck Impalaks bagga. The wind blew so hard, pushing
the bagga to the shore. Suddenly, the bagga and Impalak turned into stone. The
stone still exist until now. People called it Batu Bagga (Bagga Stone).***

The Golden Watermelon

Long time ago, at the north area of West Kalimantan, lived a wealthy merchant. He
had two sons. The older one is named Muzakir and the younger one is named
Dermawan. The two brothers were so different in their attitudes. Muzakir had a very
mean and greedy character. On the contradictory, Dermawan was a caring and kind
person. He was not greedy and always tried to help those in needs.
Before he passed away, the merchant divided all of his money equally to both of his
sons. He did it so that both of his sons will not envious at each other. Muzakir then
bought a big cash-box. He put his entire share inside the cash-box and locked it.
When a poor came to Muzakirs house, he laughs at them instead of giving them
something. If the poor dont want to leave, Muzakir would summon his servants to
chase them away.
Many of the poor in that area had heard about Muzakirs rude attitude, therefore
they preferred to come to Dermawan. When Dermawan saw those peoples coming,
he sincerely welcome them to his house and shared money with those who needed
it. It was almost every day a poor came for his help that f inally he ran out of money.
Dermawan then moved to a smaller house. He also worked as a foreman. His salary
was not much, only enough to buy his own daily meals. But Dermawan was happy
with his simple life.
His elder brother laughed when he heard the news about Dermawan. He always
thought that Dermawan was a fool to share his money with other people. He himself
has just bought a large new house. There is no one who as stupid as my younger
brother, he said.
One day, when Dermawan was sitting and relaxing in his house yard, a sparrow
suddenly fell off in front of him. The sparrow twittered in pain. Poor bird, did you
broke your wing? He took the bird and examines its wings. Hes right. One of the
sparrows wings is broken. Let me take care of you, he said. Dermawan bandaged
the sparrows wing and then he took some rice to feed the poor bird. After some
time, the bird gradually tamed and was no longer afraid to Dermawan. Few days
later, its wings were completely healed. After a while, it flew to the sky. The
following day, the sparrow came to visit Dermawan. It held a seed with its beak, and
then it put the seed in front of Dermawan. It was an ordinary seed, but Dermawan
accepted it with a big smile on his face. He then planted the seed in the back yard
of his house.
Three days later, the seed started to grow. It was a watermelon tree. Dermawan
took good care of the tree. He thought the tree would bear many fruits since it was

so blossomy. But, from all the flowers, only one turned to fruit. Day by day, the fruit
grows bigger, bigger than any watermelon Dermawan ever see. Harvesting time
finally came and he decided to take the watermelon. Oh my God, it is so heavy,
he uttered while trying hardly to carry it into the house to put on the table. He took
a knife and started to cut the watermelon. Dermawan was shocked. Inside the
watermelon is some kind of yellow sand. What could this be? Dermawan
wondered. Then he realized that the strange yellow sand was actually a pile of pure
golden sand. Holy God, its gold. Im rich, he danced happily. He heard bird
twittered and he looked outside. He saw the sparrow on a tree. Thank you, he
shouted. Thank you, he shouted again, and then the sparrow flew away.
Dermawan then bought a big house with a very big garden the next day. All of the
poor came to his house and were welcomed for meals. This time, Dermawan would
not run out of money. He had so much money, and his fields produced plants with
good fruits as well.
The news about Dermawans fortune was heard by Muzakir and made him envy. He
went to Dermawan house, and Dermawan honestly told his brother about the
sparrow. Muzakir immediately commanded his servants to find a bird with broken
wings as he heard the story from his brother. A week passed, but Muzakirs servants
still couldnt find such bird. He was so angry and even couldnt sleep during the
nights. The next day, he asked one of his servants to catch a bird using chopsticks.
Of course, the chopsticks hurt the bird and broke its wings. Muzakir then pretended
to pity the bird and took care of it. Days passed and the bird was completely healed
and let to fly. The following day, the bird came back to Muzakir and brought a seed
for him. He was very happy. I will be very rich soon, even richer than Dermawan,
he said to himself.
Muzakir planted the seed at the back yard of his house and it grew to a fine
watermelon tree after several days. It also bore only one fruit, which was much
bigger than that once owned by Dermawan. As the harvesting time approached,
Muzakir asked his servants to take the fruit into his house. He couldnt wait to find a
pile of golden sand inside. He cut the watermelon himself and was very shocked
when black mud mixed with dirt flushed out to his face. It smelled very bad.
Muzakirs clothes and also the room were terribly dirty because of it. He ran to the
street because he couldnt stand the rotten smell from the watermelon. All the
people on the street laughed at him for what they saw.***

Lau Kawar
Once upon a time, there was a very fertile land at the Karo Regency. It was known
as the Kawar Village. Its people were mostly farmers, and the land did produce
wonderful harvest. It is said that one day the harvest was doubled compared to the
previous year. The barns were extremely full with rice. For this reason, the people
agreed to have a celebration party. On one beautiful day, all the villagers gathered
in a field. They wore beautiful dresses and made delicious food. Everybody was
having good times. They were singing, laughing, and of course, eating delicious
food.
All of the villagers attended the party except an old woman who was paralyzed. Her
son, her daughter-in-law, and her grandson all went to the party. The old woman lay
on her bed alone. I really want to be at the party but I cannot even stand on my
feet, sobbed the old woman. She could only see the merry party from distance.
The lunch time came and all of the people at the party gathered around the table
for the foods that had been prepared. All of them enjoyed the foods happily.
Contradictory to what was going on at the party, the old woman was starving in the
house. She didn`t eat even a bite since morning. My goodness, I am so hungry.
Why any of my family didn`t come to bring me something to eat? sighed her with
her body shivering for hunger. She forced herself up from the bed and searched for
something to eat in the kitchen, but theres nothing. Her daughter in law did not to
cook that day, realizing that foods would be prepared in the feast. The poor old
woman came back to her bed. She was so disappointed and sad that her tears
dropped. She cried for her poor life.
At the party, the son asked her wife, "Why don't you take some food from the party
and give it for my mom. Ask our son to deliver it. Alright, said the woman while
hurriedly wrapping the foods for the mother. After that, she asked her son to take

the foods home for her as her husband told her previously, My son, please take
these foods for your grandmother.
The old woman was very happy for the foods. Finally, she got something to eat. But
her happiness turned into sadness when she saw find only leftovers. It just had little
rice and there were only some bones of beef and lamb which were almost without
any meat to eat. What is this!? Do they think Im an animal? Why did they give me
leftovers and bones! moaned her furiously.
The mother stored complete grilled meat into the package in fact. However, the
grandson ate the foods on his way to his grandmother that only bones were left.
The old woman didn`t know anything about this that she thought her son and
daughter in law did it on purpose. She felt so disappointed and humiliated that she
hardly held her tears to fall down. She then prayed to God to curse both her son and
daughter in law. My God, they were sinful to me. I beg You to punish them! said
the woman in her prayer.
Suddenly, there was a very strong earthquake not even a minute when the woman
completed her prayer. The sky was turned dark and cloudy, and there was a great
thunder followed by heavy rain. All the villagers were so scared. They wanted to
save themselves. They tried to find shelters. The village was drowned in a short
time and there was not even a single person survived. The drowned village turned
into a big crater and flooded by water. The people in the surroundings later on call it
Lau Kawar.***

The Greedy Man (oop)

Once upon a time in Riau, lived a pair of husband and wife. They were very poor.
The wife was very diligent, while the husband was very lazy. He just slept and slept
everyday. He did not want to help his wife to earn a living. The wife was helpless,
she often prayed to God to help her husband.
One night the husband had a dream. In his dream, an old man came to him. He told
the husband to take his sampan and went to river. "Go to the middle of the river and
wait until a rope appears from the river. Take the rope slowly, and then you will find
a golden chain. You can cut and take it, but don't take the chain too long," said the
old man. The husband then woke up from his dream.
In the next day, the husband took his sampan and went to river. He wanted to do
the old man's advice as said in his dream last night. "Where are you going?" asked
the wife. She was so surprised to see her husband was busy preparing the sampan.
"I want to go fishing, Honey. See you later!" the husband didnt want to tell his wife
about his dream. He knew his wife would think he was crazy by following up a
dream.
After the husband arrived in the river, he rowed his sampan until he reached the
middle of the river. He then looked around the water surface very carefully.
Suddenly a rope appeared from the river. "The old man was right!" said the husband
to himself. He then slowly pulled the rope and at the end of the rope he saw a
golden chain! The chain was sparkling and glowing. It was made from pure gold.

"Wow! Its really made of gold. Im rich. Im rich," the husband said happily. He kept
pulling the chain. He forgot the old man's advice to take only short chain because it
was enough for him. The poor man became greedy. He wanted to take the golden
chain as long as possible.
While he was busy pulling out the golden chain, a bird came to him. It talked,
"Remember the old man's advice. Take only a short golden chain." But the poor man
ignored the bird and kept on pulling out the chain. Slow but sure, his sampan was
full of the golden chain. It was so full that finally the sampan could not hold the
weight any more. The sampan started to drown. The golden chain was sinking and
went to the bottom of the river creating a big wave in the river. The wave almost
swallowed the poor man. He was so panicked. He swam as fast as possible to the
river side.
When he arrived on the river side, he felt sorry to himself. He blamed himself for
being a greedy man. But it was already too late. But then he realized that it was a
lesson for him to work hard if he wanted to earn money.***

Nai Manggale (yaya)

Once upon a time in Tapanuli, lived a famous sculptor named Datu Panggana. When
he got an order, he went to the forest to look for the most suitable wood and carved
it according to the order. One day, he got an inspiration to carve a wood he found.
He worked all day in his workshop to carve the wood into a statue of a beautiful
woman. Then, he put the statue in front of his house.
Later, a young merchant passed by and saw the statue. His name was Bao
Partigatiga. He was very impressed by the beauty of the statue. He then put
beautiful clothes and jewelries on the statue. Its so beautiful, he said to himself
proudly. The statue looked like a real human. Then he left Datu Pangganas house.
After that, a priest named Datu Partoar and his wife passed by. They were also
impressed by the beauty of the statue. "I want to pray to God to make her live like a
real human. I want to make her as our daughter," said Datu Partoar to his wife. The
couple didnt have any children yet. The statue changed into a very beautiful girl.
Datu Partoar and his wife then took the girl home. They named her Nai Manggale.

The news about Nai Manggales beauty spread throughout the village. All the
villagers came to Datu Partoars house to see Nai Manggale. Among them were
Datu Panggana and Bao Partigatiga. Nai Manggale honestly told the villagers that
she was actually a statue which became a living woman by the grace of God.
Datu Panggana went after Datu Partoar to claim his own creation and Bao
Partigatiga also claimed his right for the living statue. It was me who carved her
from a wood. So, she is mine, said Datu Panggana. She is wearing my clothes and
jewelries. So, she should go with me, said Bao Partigatiga. "Remember, I am the
one who made her live like a human. So, she stays here," Datu Partoar also join in
the argument.
Those three men were arguing. They claimed to have the rights of Nai Manggale. To
calm them, an elderly of the village gave a solution. His name was Aji Bahir. "You all
can have her and have a relationship with her. Datu Panggana, youre her uncle.
Bao Partigatiga, youre her brother. And Datu Partoar, youre her father." The three
men accepted Aji Bahir's advice. And they were happy because now they were
related.***