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.
