It was a fine day. The sun shone brightly and the sea water was blue and clear. The white sands on the beach were greeted by the rolling waves, whose sound mixed with the cries of the seagulls. It was such a beautiful scene. However, the group of men could not enjoy such beauty. They were busy felling coconut trees and cutting mangroves. They did not fell randomly; instead, they selected onl…
On a fine morning, as the winds blew softly touching the leaves and the colourful flowers in the garden at Kadipaten (a region ruled by an adipati) Surabaya, some flowers were red, some yellow, and some others white, increasing the beauty and coolness of the garden, the cheerful voices of the princess and her maids could be heard from a distance. That fine morning, they were busy making crow…
This is the graceful land they speak of, the land surrounded by a vast and clear, turquoise ocean. The sands are yellowish white like shiny pearls under the sun light, with the sea waves gently breaking on the shore. On one side of the island is a stretching ridge of towering rocks, while the other side is a lush mangrove forest, home to spawning crabs and fish. Along the coast, windswept co…
The amber glow of twilight dimmed as it bade farewell to the dusk, ushering the coming of night. Leaves were bowed and limp, as if exhausted from having spent the day in the company of the sun. The birds had stopped chirping, retiring one after the other to their nests. Once in a while the flapping of bat wings could be heard as they flew over the house where Sasandewini and Suntre lived. The…
It was almost dusk, and the sun had just greeted the western horizon. Buffaloes and cows over the dried rice paddies were approaching a hamlet in the Priangan realm. Shepherds played merrily in the vast rice paddies. The squeal and the moos of the buffaloes and cows described the serenity and peace of the village. Smoke puffed from the roofs of the houses that looked like a giant’s cigaret…
Jaka Prabangkara was the son of the King of Majapahit, Prabu Brawijaya V, born to a commoner. The king had met Prabangkara’s mother when he was in disguise as a commoner in order to know the lives of his subjects beyond the palace’s walls. When he was disguised in commoner outfit, he was accompanied by his two most loyal aides, Semut and Gatel. After some tour to inspect the real situation …
There was once a kingdom in the depth of a forest named the Jungle Kingdom. It was inhabited by all creatures but the human beings. Despite the fact that it had been inhabited by beasts and plants, the inhabitants acted as though they were human. Though each kind of animals had its own king, the highest power of the kingdom was invested in their Supreme Ruler, King Mouse-deer.
Once upon a time, long, long ago, there was a kingdom in Babolo ruled by King Babolo. The King lived with his wife and they had a pair of boy and girl. The elder, the boy, was named Madianggalang, and the younger, was named Vulangnembua. King Babolo was very much revered by his people for his just leadership. King Babolo cared about his people so much. If he found out his people were sick or…
Once upon a time, in Kampung Timbulon, there was an old woman who lived in a small shack. The shack was made of wooden boards and roofed with palm leaves. There were only guest room, bed room and a very cramped space one might call kitchen. The lawn of the shack was adorned by various kinds of colourful flowers. Tall trees grew next to the shack. Between those trees grew feral grass. From th…
There was once a boy named Ijo who lived with his grandmother, Nana Tupu, in Kampung Tanjung Babia, Mandar Pattae. When he was five, his parents set off for the Island of Borneo, leaving him behind. Ijo was much too young to remember any of it and he had never once asked Nana Tupu about his parents’ whereabouts. Though it was usually just the two of them, Ijo was never lonely. And neither was…