Who was that man? Where did he come from? Many people talked about the man, and many were curious about him. The young man of Tidung lived in a village right on the banks of Sibuku River, an area around Tawau. He was known for his good looks and gallantry. That was how he later came to be known by the name of Betawol, which means “man”, or more precisely, a handsome and gallant young man.…
Once in Minahasa, North Sulawesi, lived an old widow with her two daughters. They lived in a rickety shack beneath a shady tree. They were so poor that they did not have sufficient food, adequate clothing, and other basic necessities. However, poverty did not make them live in despair. They were still eager to fill the days. The old widow and her two daughters never complained and lamented th…
Once upon a time, the Kingdom of Surakarta was led by a just and wise king named Raja Dalem Solo. The king was highly respected and revered by his people. King Dalem Solo had three sons and one daughter; they were all very handsome and beautiful. The children were called by their order of birth, the First Son of Dalem Solo, the Second Son of Dalem Solo, the Third Son of Dalem Solo, and the yo…
The middle-aged man was usually called Polem Mahmud. His thin body made him look like a hungry grasshopper, with thin beard growing on his pointed chin. The white color of the shirt he wore had faded, looking duller than the original color. Several patches of stitches overlapped around the collar and the buttocks of his pants. He walked in between rice fields, occasionally hopping to avoid th…
Once upon a time there was a banjar or hamlet under Tabanan Regency, Bali Province. The hamlet was located six kilometers to the north of Soka Beach. The hamlet was still pristine and the weather was cool because it was surrounded by hills. There were indeed many large trees around the hamlet. The view of the rice field was a feast to the eyes. The villagers lived harmoniously, and they dilig…
Once upon a time, there was a king who had three sons. The eldest son’s name was Rhaden, the second Kiemas, and the third Fayyadh. The three sons were always cheerful. Their bodies were healthy and strong, attracting admiration and pleasure of those beholding them. As the days turned into months and months into years, the theree princes grew into teenagers. On a bright morning, just as the …
Unce upon a time, in East Java, lived a youth, named Bambang Widyaka, the son of an invulnerable resi (ascetic), Resi Jati Pitutur. Being a resi’son, Bambang Widyaka was unquestionably skilfull in martial art and knowledgeable in asceticism. His father brought him up in asceticism, so he frequently and regularly secluded himself as a hermit for his spiritual enlightenment. One early morning…
The wooden raft moved slowly upstream Sungai (River) Kandilo. Small hands rowed the raft with long bamboo poles vaulted on the shallow bottom of the river. The hands belonged to a boy with fair coloured skin and hair falling apart on the shoulder. His body was not a large and well-built one, neither did he seem too powerful to steer the raft. The boy’s name was Pego. Like most children livi…
The lullaby was heard from a small hut on the hill’s foot, sung by a mother to make her child asleep, with a voice hardly heard from a distance. The house was so peaceful with the faint voice as the sun set behind the hill on the west. The child was swayed in the pukungan, a sway made of clothes hung on a hanger, the sway commonly used by the people of Banjar. The mother’s heart is so gen…
In front of the lanting (house on a raft) was a pile of wicker, ready to be used. There were also tanggui, mats, and baskets, well piled up, ready to be marketed. On the sides of the house were seedbeds in lines and various seedlings: tree seedlings, medicinal herb seedlings, and cooking spice seedlings. A young woman was busy separating the roots of water hyacinth from their stems. Beside he…