The end of the Lutung

Posted by confirm under
Lutung is a kind of black monkey in the West Java, Indonesia. One day, Lutung walked limping and shuffling on the sand. He has got an accident falling down from a tree. His body was exhaustedly weak. He was very starving unfortunately the nearest forest was very far from him. He pushed himself to finally come into a mouth of river. He drank a water greedily.

Suddenly, he heard a voice of jungle cock, "Why do you look so pale, monkey?" asked the jungle cock, who was picking shrimp up from the river. "Please, fly me to the forest across this river ," asked Lutung. The jungle cock agreed to flew him to the nearest forest. Lutung held on the jungle cock paw. When they arrived at the forest, the Lutung did not want to held off his hand from jungle cock paw. Even though, he pulled out all of jungle cock feather. The jungle cock became unconsciousness. "He shall be died", though Lutung. So, Lutung hid the jungle cock body in the wood and left him to find a fire in the forest.

The jungle cock woke up and found himself loose all his feather. He cried when the cow came by. "What is the matter with you? Who is very cruel animal pulling up all your feather?" asked cow curiously. The Jungle cock told the whole story. The cow became very angry when he heard what has Lutung done. "He must pay for it", said the cow. He ordered the jungle cock to hide in the shrub.

When Lutung got back with a fire he could find the jungle cock. "Do you see where is the dead body of jungle cock I left here?" asked Lutung. "The jungle cock has not been died, he swam to the sea", said cow.

The Lutung asked cow to bring him to the rock in the centre of the sea. Lutung though that the jungle cock might be hiding in that rock. the cow nicely agreed to send Lutung to the rock. The cow swam and brought the Lutung to the rock where he asked for. Without any suspicious the lutung jump up to the rock happily. The cow left him alone when he was far enough from the cow he said "I hope you will be died eat by the giant octopus". Lutung realised what happened done to himself, he sat on the top of rock and cried.

When the time passed by, Lutung heard a voice from the sea "Why are you cry" asked the turtle. " And I wonder why you may get here". " I come here by a boat, but my boat twisted up and finally I come to this miserable place" answered Lutung. The turtle felt sorry for him and agreed to bring the Lutung back to the beach.

When the they arrived on the beach Lutung said "How can you go swim so fast?". "It because my special feet", answered turtle. "May I see your special feet?" asked Lutung. Lutung turned turtle over his body. However, when the turtle has turned over, the Lutung immediately left him and went on to find a lion the King of the Jungle. He tough that only a lion who could pick out the delicious turtle meat from his hard shell.

Turtle cried and shouted for help. "What is happened with you?" asked a mouse. Turtle told the whole sad happened to himself. The mouse become very angry. He and other mice dug sand below the turtle body. They hoped when the water up and high the turtle shall turn over easily.

Meanwhile, they were waiting for Lutung arrival. The mice covered the turtle body with the body of themselves. And they danced and made a poem sound "Let us be happy .. with the funny Lutung .. who has cheated the King of The Jungle... who though there was a delicious turtle but ..". Lutung who came with the lion become very surprised. He wonder where was the turtle. After heard the poem of mice the lion become very angry because he felt foolish to be cheated.
"Where is the turtle you told me?" asked the lion furiously. The lion caught the lutung with his sharp claw and brought him with his mouth to the jungle.
Continue reading folklore The end of the Lutung

The Golden Snail

Posted by confirm under



Prince Raden Putra and Dewi Limaran were husband and wife. They lived in a palace. Prince Raden Putra's father was the king of the kingdom. One day, Dewi Limaran was walking around in the palace garden.

Suddenly she saw a snail. It was ugly and disgusting. "Yuck!" said Dewi Limaran and then she threw it away into a river. She did not know that the snail was actually an old and powerful witch. She could transform herself into anything. The witch was angry to Dewi Limaran. The witch put a spell on her and changed her into a golden snail. The witch then threw it away into the river. The golden snail was drifting away in the river and got caught into a net. An old woman was fishing and used her net to catch some fish. She was surprised to see a golden snail in her net. She took it and brought it home. When the old woman woke up in the morning, she was surprised that the house was in the good condition. The floor was mopped. And she also had food on the table. She was thinking very hard. "Who did this to me? The person is very kind." It happened again and again every morning. The old woman was very curious. One night she decided to stay up late. She was peeping from her room to know who cooked for her.

Then, she could not believe what she saw. The golden snail she caught in the river turned into a beautiful woman. The old woman approached her. "Who are you, young girl?" "I am Dewi Limaran, Ma'am. A witch cursed me. I can change back as a human only at night," explained Dewi Limaran. "The spell can be broken if I hear the melody from the holy gamelan," continued Dewi Limaran. The old woman then rushed to the palace. She talked to Prince Raden Putra about her wife. Prince Raden Putra was so happy. He had been looking for his wife everywhere.

He then prayed and meditated. He asked the gods to give him the holy gamelan. He wanted to break the witch's spell. After several days praying and meditating, finally gods granted his wish. He immediately brought the holy gamelan to the old woman's house. He played it beautifully. And then amazingly the golden snail turned into the beautiful Dewi Limaran. The couple was so happy that they could be together again. They also thanked the old woman for her kindness. As a return, they asked her to stay in the palace.
Continue reading folklore The Golden Snail



Once upon a time, on the coast of Java in an area called Tanjung Perak, there lived a variety of sea animals. Only an octopus, Indonesian called Cumi, Cumi could not get along with the other sea creatures. Cumi was very cruel. One day Cumi went to the house of a shark named Suro. He told Suro that one of the crocodiles, Boyo, would soon attack Suro. Suro and Boyo, were the best of friends and kind to each other, so of course, Suro does not believe Cumi.


Finally, Cumi goes to the house of Boyo. This time Cumi's lies are so believable that Boyo believes what Cumi says. He gets upset and swims in a hurry to Suro's house. Boyo is very angry and is strong and cruel. He attacks Suro and wounds him. Suro is still calm and does not fight back. But knowing that Boyo would never stop attacking Suro, Suro becomes brave and strong. He fight Boyo bravely until the sea turns red with their blood.

In the place where they fought was built the city called Suroboyo. Suroboyo is a Javanese word derived from Suro and Boyo. (Suro means brave and Boyo means danger). Suroboyo therefore means brave in danger. In Indonesian language Suroboyo is pronounced and spelled Surabaya.
Continue reading folklore The Legend of Surabaya (Book Version)