Najma Arifa
SMA Bayt Al-Hikmah Pasuruan
THE LEGEND OF TANGKUBAN PERAHU
Once upon a time in west java Indonesia lived a princess named Dayang Sumbi. She
was very beautiful and kind-hearted. Her hobby was weaving clothes. But sometimes she
could be very lazy. One night, her weaving tool fell but she was-too lazy to get herself, she
shouted out.
“Oh no! my needle fell on the ground. Hello… can anybody take the needle for me? If you’re
female I will take you as my sister. If you’re a male I will marry you”
Suddenly a male creature came, but it was a dog, his name was Tumang. He was happy to
brought the needle to her. Sumbi was very surprised. But she kept her promise, she married
the dog. Tumang was actually a man who had been cursed by witch. But at certain times
Tumang could turn back to being normal man. Their only son Sangkuriang soon born and he
grew up to be a handsome, strong and healthy boy. But he didn’t know that Tumang was his
father. He only knew that Tumang was a loyal dog. Because Dayang Sumbi hide the secret
from him. One day Dayang Sumbi asked Sangkuriang to bring home a deer’s heart.
“Sangkuriang my son, will you go to the jungle and bring me a deer’s heart?”
“Okey mom, I’ll bring it you soon”
“Okay. Take care of yourself and bring Tumang with you”
After hunting for several days, he didn’t find any deers in the wood.
He did not want to disappoint his mother. Then he had an idea. He killed Tumang then he
brought his heart and gave it to Dayang Sumbi.
“Mom I’m home and here is the heart that you want”
“Thank you, my dear”
She immediately cooked the heart that given by her son without knowing what really
happened. After eating, Dayang Sumbi asked Sangkuriang to call Tumang.
“Sangkuriang, could you bring Tumang to have a dinner with us?”
“I’m sorry, Actually the heart we have eaten is Tumang’s heart.”
Najma Arifa
SMA Bayt Al-Hikmah Pasuruan
“How could it be?!! Uhuk.. uhuk.. You have killed Tumang without worrying about the
consequence. go away and never come back ”
Dayang sumbi was very angry and she hit Sangkuriang ‘s forehead with a rice spoon. Then
Sangkuriang left the village. He ran to the jungle for fear of seeing his mother angry. While
he was running, he fell and lost his memories. After the incident, he grew up to be a powerful
man.
One day he met a beautiful young woman there and he fell in love with her at the first sight, it
was Dayang Sumbi. She never got older because she had been granted with eternal beauty by
the god. But Sangkuriang did not know that she was his mother.
“Dayang Sumbi will you marry me?”
While sitting under a tree, Sangkuriang took off his headband. Then Dayang Sumbi was
surprised when she saw the wound on his forehead.
“Oh no!! it is impossible! He is my son Sangkuriang”
Then Dayang sumbi told Sangkuriang the truth and tried to explain it to him. But he did not
believed her. So, Dayang Sumbi made a request.
“If you want to marry me, you have to build a lake and a boat in this one night”
“hah, that’s easy. but if I can do it, you must marry me”
In the midnight, he finished the lake and then started to make the boats. Dayang Sumbi was
panic and thinking hard how to find a way to fail him. So, she prayed to god so that the boat
could be finished before downed. Then she had an idea. She asked the people in the village to
burn the woods in the east and the light made all the cock crow. Thinking that the night
would be over soon the genies ran fast. They left Sangkuriang before that boat was finished.
Sangkuriang realized the Dayang Sumbi deceived him. So, he got very angry and he kicked
the boats upside down. It gradually became a mountain and it is known as Tangkuban Perahu
mountain.
The moral value is, think before act and no matter what happened to you, you have to be an
honest person. Because every time you lie, you will continue to lie to cover up your lies.
THE END
