#084 Ungrateful Tortoise

Once upon a time, there was a big feast in the sky; all the birds were invited to a feast by the people of the sky. Tortoise was very clever and very hungry. As soon as he heard about the great feast, it began to plan how it would travel to the sky.

Tortoise went to the birds’ home and asked if he could go with them. The birds agreed and they each give him a feather, with which they made a pair of wings for the Tortoise.

The great day came, Tortoise and the birds set off on their journey to the sky.

Finally, the birds and Tortoise arrived at the party. The people of the sky invited the birds to eat the delicious food they had prepared, but then Tortoise asked, “For whom have you prepared this feast?”

“For you, because you are special animals,” replied the people on the sky.

Tortoise turned towards the birds and said, “Remember I am is the most special animal, cause I am the only on Tortoise who can fly. You will eat after me.”

The birds waited angrily as Tortoise ate and drank most of the feast. Then they came forward to eat, but a few of them were too angry to eat. Before flying home, each bird took back the feather they had lent Tortoise without the Tortoise noticing. So, there Tortoise stood full of food and drink, but without any wings to fly home.

When the feast was over, birds and Tortoise jumped back to go home, but the tortoise was surprised because he lost his wings. So, the Tortoise fell and landed with a great crash on the ground. He wasn’t hurt but its shell broke into pieces. Fortunately, there was a good doctor in the neighbourhood. Tortoise’s wife sent him to the doctor and she collected all the bits of Tortoise’s shell and stuck them together. That is why Tortoise’s shell is not smooth.

-FIN-

Read the Indonesian translation HERE

Author: Unknown

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#081 The Legend Of Rawa Pening

Once upon a time, there was a little boy, who was poor, dirty, and smelly, came into a little village. He was very hungry and weak. He knocked at every door and asked for some food, but nobody cared about him. Nobody wanted to help the little boy. Finally, a generous old woman helped him. She gave him shelter and a meal. When the boy wanted to leave, the old woman gave him a “lesung”, a big wooden mortar for pounding rice.

She reminded him, “Please remember, if there is a flood you must save yourself. Use this “lesung” as a boat”.

The little boy was happy and thanked the old woman. The little boy continued his journey. While he was passing through the village, where he had asked for food, he saw many people gathering on the field. The boy came closer and saw a stick stuck in the ground. People challenged each other to pull out that stick. Everybody tried, but nobody succeeded.

“Can I try?” asked the little boy.

The crowd laughed mockingly. The boy wanted to try his luck so he stepped forward and pulled out the stick. He could do it very easily. Everybody was dumbfounded. Suddenly, from the hole left by stick, water spouted out. It did not stop until it flooded the village. And no one was saved from the water except the little boy and the generous old woman who gave him shelter and meal. As she told him, he used the “lesung” as a boat and picked up the old woman. The whole village became a huge lake.

It is now known as Rawa Pening Lake in Salatiga, Central Java, Indonesia.

-FIN-

Read the Indonesian translation HERE

Author: Unknown

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#071 Apai Gumok And A Witch

Once there was a man named Apai Gumok, which meant “'fat man”. Apai Gumok and his wife, who was also fat, lived in a small village near a river. Unfortunately, Apai Gumok's wife was a scold, but she had her reasons to be like that. Her husband was not a very good hunter. He often came home after hunting all day with only a small bird. And he was not a good fisherman either be­cause he usually caught only a few small fishes. All the villagers laughed at Apai Gumok, and his wife always shouted at him because he never brought home enough food to eat.

One day, when he was out hunting in the jungle, Apai Gumok met a witch. He tried to escape, he ran at every direction, but wherever he turned, he saw the witch again. What a frightening witch. She had long dirty hair, long dirty fingernails, and broken teeth.

When Apai Gumok was tired of running, he spoke to the witch. “Why are you following me?” he asked.

The witch laughed, “I want to help you, Apai Gumok. I want to make you a rich and powerful man. I want you to have the respect of the villagers so they won't laugh at you anymore.”

Apai Gumok could barely believe his ears. “But surely you won't help me just out of the kindness of your heart,” he said. “What do you want?”

Again the witch laughed. It was an evil laugh. “Simple,” she said. “When you are rich, powerful and respected, I want you to marry me.”

“But I'm already married,” said Apai Gumok.

“No problem,” said the witch, “I'll change your wife into a little pink pig with black spots on its head. Then you can be­come a famous hunter and marry me.”

Apai Gumok wanted to be rich and respected. He also wanted to be a famous hunter. And his wife wasn't very kind to him. Still, the witch frightened him, and he did not want to marry such a dirty woman. He ran back to the village.

“Where are you, Wife?” he cried when he reached the house.

“Oink.”

“Wife?” he called again.

“Oink.”

In the house there was a little pink pig with black spots on its head! From that day onwards, nobody saw Apai Gumok's wife. He said she had gone to another village to visit her aunt. They all noticed his new friend because the little pig fol­lowed him everywhere.

Soon strange things began to happen to Apai Gumok. He became a fine hunter, and a very good fisherman. Before long, he was famous as the best hunter in the village. Then, one day he found gold beneath his house, and Apai Gumok became a rich man.

One month later, Apai Gumok came across the witch in the jungle.

“We must be married soon,” she said.

But Apai Gumok tried to make some excuses.

Finally the witch insisted. “I've been waiting a long time, Apai Gumok.”

“You have what you want, and now you must give me what I want. I want a husband.”

Apai Gumok looked at the ugly old witch, and then he looked down at the pig.

“One wife is enough,” he said. “I don't want another wife.”

At that time the pig squealed and the witch shouted. They were both very angry. Apai Gumok did not know what to do. All he could think of was a nice cool swim in the river.

“Look,” he said, “why don't we go swimming in the river? We can talk about the wedding later.”

This idea seemed to please the witch and the pig, so off they all went. When they had swum into the deepest part of the river, Apai Gumok took hold of the witch's ears and held her head under the water. In a few minutes she was drowned and died. He swam back to shore thinking that his troubles were over.

“Husband, here you are at last,” said a familiar voice.

Apai Gumok's wife was standing in the shallow water. The little pink pig was nowhere to be seen. Apai Gumok was relieved. He looked at his fat wife and thought how pretty and clean she was. Together they walked back to the village where they then lived happily ever after.

-FIN-

Read the Indonesian translation HERE

Author: Unknown

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#069 The Giant Snake Of Yamata

Long, long ago there was a powerful spirit, called Prince Susano. Once when he was travelling across the mountains, he heard some people crying. The crying came from a house where an old couple lived. He asked them what made them cry.

“A giant snake with eight heads lives near us. Every year the snake comes here and takes one of our daughters away. It has already taken seven of our daughters and we have only one left. Tonight the giant snake will come again and take her too,” sobbed the old man.

“Don’t worry anymore,” said the prince. “I’ll kill the giant snake. I have a good plan. Please ask all the villagers to come here.”

The prince told the villagers to build a very strong fence with eight doors. In the front of each door, they put a huge jar and filled it with strong wine. Everyone worked hard and soon the smell of wine filled the air.

The prince Susano then spoke to the young girl, “Nothing will happen to you. He quickly changed her into a small comb and put the comb into his hair. When everything was ready, he hid the old couple and the villagers in a safe place. Then he stood alone with his sword, waiting for the snake.

At midnight, he heard a strange sound and saw a giant snake with eight heads. Then the snake smelled the wine. It stretched its eight heads through the eight gates and drank from the eight jars. Because the wine was so strong, the snake soon became dizzy.

The prince was watching from behind a tree. “Now is the right moment,” he thought. He jumped out and cut off the snake’s eight heads one by one, until the snake was dead. The prince also cut off the snake’s tail so that it could not come alive again.

When he was sure that snake was dead, the prince took the comb from his hair and breathed on it. At once the old couple’s daughter came alive again and stood before him. She knelt down and thanked the prince. The old couple and all villagers also thanked the prince for killing the horrible snake.

“Now we can all live in peace again. We would be very happy if you stayed and lived with us,” said the old man.

The prince then decided to stay and live in the mountains. He asked the daughter to be his bride and live with him in a beautiful palace at Izume. They lived happily together there for a long time.

-FIN-

Read the Indonesian translation HERE

Author: Lise Pordes

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#065 Six Girls And A Witch

Many years ago in Serawak, there were six girls who were good friends. The most beautiful one was Gayah. She was the cleverest too. One day they went to the jungle to collect some wild fruit. They lost their way.

“Don’t be afraid”, said Gayah. “I shall be able to find the way back.”

When night came, they saw a bright fire not far away. They walked towards it. There was a little old woman sitting in front of it.

“I know you have lost your way,” the old woman said. “You must be hungry, although you certainly look quite fat and well fed. Ha, ha, ha! It is lucky that you found me. Have some of these cakes, my dears.”

“Don’t take any!” whispered Gayah. “Let me talk to her. She’s a witch.”

“I’m sorry we can’t eat without first having something to drink,” she said to the old woman. “How far is the nearest river from here?”

“I can’t tell you,” replied the old woman. “If I tell you, you’ll run away. No my dears, I’ll fetch some water for you.”

“Thank you, madam,” Gayah answered.

She thought that the old woman was stupid to leave them alone while she went to fetch some water. However, the old woman was not as stupid as Gayah thought. She waved a magic wand. All the girls felt weak and they had to sit down. In a flash, the old woman tied them up with a long rope.

“I’ll carry one end of the rope with me. If I pull it, I can easily find out whether you’re still tied to the other end,” She said.

Then she went to fetch some water. After a while, she tugged the rope, “Ha, ha, ha my little ones, don’t try to run away! You can’t escape from me!”

A little while later, she pulled the rope again, “Good, you’re still there! Don’t think you can trick me!”

But Gayah had untied the rope and had fastened it to a tree. So when the witch pulled the rope the next time, she thought that the girls were still there. The girls ran back into the jungle as fast as they could. When the witch returned, the girls were nowhere to be seen.

She waved her magic wand and cried, “Let there be a wide river with a big crocodile in it to stop the girls running away.”

In a second, the witch pursued the girls. She saw the girls talking to the crocodile, “Stop! Stop!” she cried. She was afraid that the girls will be eaten by the crocodile.

Gayah heard her and saw her quite far away behind them. Gayah spoke quickly to the crocodile. “Please take us across the river one by one,” she begged.

“How much will you pay me?” asked the crocodile.

“Mr. crocodile, you know we don’t have any money. But you may eat the sixth one.”

The crocodile agreed. He took the first girl on his back and swam across the river. Then he went back and carried the second girl across. And the third and fourth and the fifth.

“Now I shall eat the sixth,” the crocodile thought as he was swimming back.

The witch ran down to the edge of the river. The crocodile shouted at her, “quick get into my back.”

The witch thought that the crocodile will help her so the witch sat on the crocodile’s back

“Ha, this must be the sixth,” the crocodile laughed in his mind. He took her to the middle of the river. Suddenly, he threw her high into the air and caught her in his mouth.

“Ugh, ugh, she’s a bit hard and bony! Not at all like the other five,” he said.

Actually, Gayah had crossed the river at the same time as the fifth girl by hanging on to the crocodile’s tail. All the girls agreed that they would never go alone into the jungle again. 

-FIN-

Read the Indonesian translation HERE

Author: Unknown

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