Contoh Narrative Text dari Indonesia Dan Luar Negri ; Bahasa Inggris

BAWANG MERAH AND BAWANG PUTIH

One day at a house there lived Bawang Putih lived with her step mother and her step sister, Bawang Merah. Bawang Putih's mother died when she was a baby. Her father remarried another woman and later her step sister was born. Unfortunately, not long after that her father died. Since then, Bawang Putih's life was sad. Her step mother and her step sister treated Bawang Putih badly and always asked her to do all the household chores.

One morning, Bawang Putih was washing some clothes in a river. Accidentally, her mother's clothes were washed away by the river. She was really worried so she walked along the river side to find the clothes. Finally she met an old woman. She said that she kept the clothes and would give them back to Bawang Putih if she helped the old woman do the household chores. Bawang Putih helped her happily. After everything was finished, the old woman returned the clothes. She also gave Bawang Putih a gift. The old woman had two pumpkins, one pumpkin was small and the other one was big. Bawang Putih had to choose one.

Bawang Putih was not a greedy girl. So she took the small one. After thanking the old woman, Bawang Putih then went home. When she arrived home, her step mother and Bawang Merah were angry. They had been waiting for her all day long. Bawang Putih then told about the clothes, the old woman, and the pumpkin. Her mother was really angry so she grabbed the pumpkin and smashed it to the floor. Suddenly they all were surprised. Inside the pumpkin they found jewelries. "Bawang Merah, hurry up. Go to the river and throw my clothes into the water. After that, find the old woman. Remember, you have to take the big pumpkin," the step mother asked Bawang Merah to do exactly the same as Bawang Putih's experience. Bawang Merah immediately went to the river. She threw the clothes and pretended to search them. Not long after that, she met the old woman. Again she asked Bawang Merah to do household chores. She refused and asked the old woman to give her a big pumpkin. The old woman then gave her the big one. Bawang Merah was so happy. She ran very fast. When she arrived home, her mother was impatient. She directly smashed the pumpkin to the floor. They were screaming. There were a lot of snakes inside the pumpkin! They were really scared. They were afraid the snakes would bite them. "Mom, I think God just punished us. We had done bad things to Bawang Putih. And God didn't like that. We have to apologize to Bawang Putih," said Bawang Merah.

Finally both of them realized their mistakes. They apologized and Bawang Putih forgave them. Now the family is not poor anymore. Bawang Putih decided to sell all the jewelries and used the money for their daily lives.

MOMOTARO

Once upon a time, there lived in Japan a peasant and his wife. They were sad couple because they had no children. They kept praying to their god pleading to give them a child.

While cutting wood by a stream one day, the man saw a large peach floating on the water. He ran to pick it up. His wife was excited because she had never seen such a large peach before. They were about to cut the peach when they heard a voice from inside.

The couples were surprised to do anything. The peach then cracked open, and there was a beautiful baby inside. The couples were very happy, of course. They named the baby Momotaro, which meant ‘peach boy’.

Momotaro grew up to be clever, courage young man. His parents loved him very much.

One day, Momotaro told his parents hat he was going to fight the pirates who always attacked their village. These pirates lived on an island a few kilometers away. Momotaro’s mother packed his food, and his father gave him a sword. Having blessed Momotaro, they sent him off on his journey.

Sailing on his boat, Momotaro met an eagle going in the same direction. They became good friends; soon, both of them arrived on the island of the pirates.

Momotaro drew out the sacred sword his father had given him and began to fight the pirates. The eagle flew over the thieves’ heads, pecking at their eyes. Finally, the pirates were defeated.

Momotaro brought home all the goods that pirates had stolen. His parents were proud of him, and they were overjoyed at his victory and save return.

HERMIT

Many years ago, there lived a hermit in a forest in Sumatra. He did not grow food but depended on the jungle fruit to survive. Soon, there was a drought, and all the plants and fruit trees in the jungle died.

The old man had nothing to eat now, so he turned to begging. He went to a nearby village trying to get some food. At first, the villagers were happy to help him. However, when he came continually, they refused to give him any more food. They told him to grow his own food.

One day, while the hermit was sitting in his hut, sad and hungry, he began to think about growing his own food. Just then, a boatman stopped by and taking a pity on hermit gave him some “paddy” seeds.

Before the boatman went away, he said, “These seeds will grow and give you everlasting harvest if you work very hard. If you are tired of the work, the “paddy” plants will turn into weeds.”

The old hermit worked hard to clear the land and sowed the seeds before the rain came. Strangely, after a short period of time, the “paddy” was ready for harvesting. The old man got a lot of rice from the harvest. After each harvest, the plants grew back again right away.

When the villagers heard about the hermit and his wonderful “paddy”, they flocked to his “paddy” field and took home as much “paddy” as they could.

One day, hermit became so tired of harvesting the “paddy then he shouted,” Oh, stop growing, you wretched thing!” As soon as he had said this, the “paddy” plants turned into weeds.

THE THREE SHEIKS AND QUEEN OF ARABIA

Maura, who like to be thought of as the most beautiful and powerful queen of Arabia, had many suitors. One by one she discarded them, until her list was reduced to just three sheiks. The three sheiks were all equally young and handsome. They were also rich and strong. It was very hard to decide who would be the best of them.

One evening, Maura disguised herself and went to the camp of the three sheiks. As they were about to have dinner, Maura asked them for something to eat. The first gave her some left over food. The second Sheik gave her some unappetizing camel’s tail. The third sheik, who was called Hakim, offered her some of the most tender and tasty meat. After dinner, the disguised queen left the sheik’s camp.

The following day, the queen invited the three sheiks to dinner at her palace. She ordered her servant to give each one exactly what they had given her the evening before. Hakim, who received a plate of delicious meat, refused to eat it if the other two sheiks could not share it with him.

This Sheik Hakim’s act finally convinced Queen Maura that he was the man for her. “Without question, Hakim is the most generous of you” she announced her choice to the sheiks. “So it is Hakim I will marry”.

THE THREE FEATHERS

There was once upon a time a king who had three sons, of whom two were clever and wise, but the third did not speak much, and was simple, and was called the simpleton. When the king had become old and weak, and was thinking of his end, he did not know which of his sons should inherit the kingdom after him. Then he said to them, go forth, and he who brings me the most beautiful carpet shall be king after my death.

And that there should be no dispute amongst them, he took them outside his castle, blew three feathers in the air, and said, you shall go as they fly. One feather flew to the east, the other to the west, but the third flew straight up and did not fly far, but soon fell to the ground.

And now one brother went to the right, and the other to the left, and they mocked simpleton, who was forced to stay where the third feather had fallen. He sat down and was sad. Then all at once he saw that there was a trap-door close by the feather. He raised it up, found some steps, and went down them. Then he came to another door, knocked at it, and heard somebody inside calling - little green waiting-maid, waiting-maid with the limping leg, little dog of the limping leg, hop hither and thither, and quickly see who is without.

The door opened, and he saw a great, fat toad sitting, and round about her a crowd of little toads. The fat toad asked what he wanted. He answered, I should like to have the prettiest and finest carpet in the world. Then she called a young one and said - little green waiting-maid, waiting-maid with the limping leg, little dog of the limping leg, hop hither and thither, and bring me the great box.

The young toad brought the box, and the fat toad opened it, and gave simpleton a carpet out of it, so beautiful and so fine, that on the earth above, none could have been woven like it. Then he thanked her, and climbed out again.

The two others, however, had looked on their youngest brother as so stupid that they believed he would find and bring nothing at all. Why should we give ourselves a great deal of trouble searching, said they, and got some coarse handkerchiefs from the first shepherds' wives whom they met, and carried them home to the king.

At the same time simpleton also came back, and brought his beautiful carpet, and when the king saw it he was astonished, and said, if justice be done, the kingdom belongs to the youngest. But the two others let their father have no peace, and said that it was impossible that simpleton, who in everything lacked understanding,

should be king, and entreated him to make a new agreement with them.

Then the father said, he who brings me the most beautiful ring shall inherit the kingdom, and led the three brothers out, and blew into the air three feathers, which they were to follow. Those of the two eldest again went east and west, and simpleton's feather flew straight up, and fell down near the door into the earth.

Then he went down again to the fat toad, and told her that he wanted the most beautiful ring. She at once ordered her big box to be brought, and gave him a ring out of it, which sparkled with jewels, and was so beautiful that no goldsmith on earth would have been able to make it.

The two eldest laughed at simpleton for going to seek a golden ring. They gave themselves no trouble, but knocked the nails out of an old carriage-ring, and took it to the king, but when simpleton produced his golden ring, his father again said, the kingdom belongs to him. The two eldest did not cease from tormenting the king until he made a third condition, and declared that the one who brought the most

beautiful woman home, should have the kingdom. He again blew the three feathers into the air, and they flew as before.

Then simpleton without more ado went down to the fat toad, and said, I am to take home the most beautiful woman. Oh, answered the toad, the most beautiful woman. She is not at hand at the moment, but still you shall have her. She gave him a yellow turnip which had been hollowed out, to which six mice were harnessed. Then simpleton said quite mournfully, what am I to do with that. The toad answered,

just put one of my little toads into it. Then he seized one at random out of the circle, and put her into the yellow coach, but hardly was she seated inside it than she turned into a wonderfully beautiful maiden, and the turnip into a coach, and the six mice into horses. So he kissed her, and drove off quickly with the horses, and

took her to the king.

His brothers, who came afterwards, had given themselves no trouble at all looking for beautiful girls, but had brought with them the first peasant women they chanced to meet. When the king saw them he said, after my death the kingdom belongs to my youngest son. But the two eldest deafened the king's ears afresh with their clamor, we cannot consent to simpleton's being king, and demanded that the one whose wife could leap through a ring which hung in the centre of the hall should have the preference. They thought, the peasant women can do that easily, they are strong enough, but the delicate maiden will jump herself to death.

The aged king agreed likewise to this. Then the two peasant women jumped, and jumped through the ring, but were so clumsy that they fell, and their coarse arms and legs broke in two. And then the pretty maiden whom simpleton had brought with him, sprang, and sprang through as lightly as a deer, and all opposition had to cease. So he received the crown, and has ruled wisely for a length of time.