.jpg "The Legend of Cindelaras A Javanese Folktale of a Boy, His Rooster, and a Hidden Royal Secret")
Chapter 1: A Cruel Plot in the Palace
Long ago, in the kingdom of Jenggala, there lived a king named Raden Putra. He had two wives: the kind and gentle Empress, and a Concubine whose heart was full of envy.
"I should be the one everyone bows to," the Concubine muttered to herself one night. "I must find a way to drive the Empress from this palace forever."
She schemed with the royal physician, promising him riches if he would help her. Soon, she pretended to fall gravely ill.
When Raden Putra rushed to her side, he turned to the physician in alarm.
Raden Putra: "Physician, tell me — what illness has befallen my wife?"The Physician: "Forgive me, Your Majesty. She has been poisoned."Raden Putra: "Poisoned?! By whose hand?"The Physician: "Your Majesty... it grieves me to say it. It was the Empress who poisoned her."
The King's face turned pale with fury. Blinded by grief and anger, he could not see the lie hidden in the physician's words.
Raden Putra: "Then she shall be punished! Guards, summon my Patih at once!"
When the royal Patih (chief minister) arrived, the King gave a terrible order.
Raden Putra: "Patih, take the Empress deep into the forest. And when you arrive... you must end her life."
Chapter 2: Exiled to the Forest
The Patih's heart sank. He had served the Empress for many years and knew her gentle spirit well. He did not believe, not for a single moment, that she was capable of such a crime.
Still, a king's command could not be refused — not openly.
As they walked deep into the wilderness, the Patih could not bring himself to look the Empress in the eye.
The Patih: "Forgive me, my Queen. I know in my heart that you are innocent. But I must obey His Majesty's command."The Empress: "Do what you must, dear Patih. I accept whatever fate awaits me."
But when they reached the heart of the forest, the Patih could not raise his blade against her. Instead, he built her a small shelter and gathered food to last her many days.
To fool the King, he caught a rabbit, and stained his kris (dagger) with its blood.
The Patih: "I will tell His Majesty the deed is done. This blood will be my proof. Live safely here, my Queen, and may the forest protect you."The Empress: "Thank you, Uncle Patih. I will never forget your kindness."
Alone in the forest — and carrying a child inside her — the Empress built a humble life among the trees. Months passed, and at last, she gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby boy.
She named him Cindelaras.
Chapter 3: The Egg from the Sky
Cindelaras grew up surrounded by the sounds and creatures of the forest. He spoke gently to the birds, the deer, and the wild boars, and in time, the animals came to trust him as a friend.
He loved his mother dearly, and every day he searched the forest for food to bring home. But one question always tugged at his heart.
Cindelaras: "Mother, why do we live here all alone, with no family, no village, no one but the two of us?"
His mother would only smile sadly and say the time was not yet right to explain.
One quiet afternoon, an eagle soaring overhead dropped something at Cindelaras's feet — a single chicken egg. Curious, the boy carried it home and placed it beneath a mother partridge to keep it warm.
Three days later, the egg cracked open, and a tiny chick emerged.
Chapter 4: The Rooster's Secret Song
Cindelaras raised the chick with great care, and it grew into a magnificent rooster — proud, strong, with a sharp beak and powerful, gleaming talons.
But this was no ordinary rooster. One morning, as the sun rose over the trees, it threw back its head and crowed:
"Kukuruyuuuk! My master's name is Cindelaras! His home lies deep within the forest, its roof of palm leaves! His father is Raden Putra!"
Cindelaras froze in astonishment. No rooster in the world could speak such words — words that answered the very question that had haunted him his whole life.
He ran to his mother at once.
Cindelaras: "Mother! My rooster speaks of a father — a King named Raden Putra! Is it true? Is that my father?"
The Empress could no longer keep her secret. With tears in her eyes, she told him everything — the false accusation, her exile, and the truth of his royal blood.
The Empress: "Yes, my son. Your father is King Raden Putra of Jenggala. I was driven from the palace because of a concubine's cruel lie."
Chapter 5: The Journey to the Palace
Fire kindled in young Cindelaras's heart. He would not let this injustice stand.
Cindelaras: "Mother, please allow me to go to the palace. I must clear your name and reveal the truth to my father."The Empress: "Then go, my child. Walk carefully, and may fortune guide every step you take."
With his rooster tucked under his arm, Cindelaras set off toward the royal city. Along the way, he passed groups of men gathered to watch cockfights.
A Cockfighter: "Hey there, young man! That's a fine-looking rooster you've got. Care to test him against ours?"Cindelaras: "I'm sorry, but I have nothing to wager. I cannot join your match."A Cockfighter: "No matter! Wager yourself, then. Lose, and you'll serve as our worker. Win, and we'll shower you with treasure. What do you say?"
Cindelaras hesitated — until his rooster ruffled its feathers and strutted forward eagerly, as if begging to be given the chance.
Cindelaras: "Very well then. I accept your challenge!"
Chapter 6: The Great Cockfight
One by one, Cindelaras's rooster defeated every challenger with astonishing speed and skill. Word of the unbeatable bird spread like wildfire — through villages, marketplaces, and finally, all the way to the royal palace itself.
King Raden Putra, intrigued and a little proud, summoned the boy.
Raden Putra: "So you are the one with the legendary rooster. Will you dare pit it against mine?"Cindelaras: "I would be honored, Your Majesty."Raden Putra: "And what shall we wager, boy?"Cindelaras: "If my rooster loses, you may take my life. But if he wins... I ask for half of the Kingdom of Jenggala."Raden Putra: "Bold words indeed! Very well — prepare the arena, and prepare yourself for the executioner's blade, should you fail!"
The palace square filled with excited villagers as the two roosters faced one another. Though Cindelaras's rooster was smaller, it fought with astonishing power, striking blow after blow until the King's rooster shrieked and fled the arena in defeat.
The crowd erupted into cheers.
And then — before everyone gathered — the rooster threw back its head and crowed once more:
"Kukuruyuuuk! My master Cindelaras! His home lies deep within the forest, its roof of coconut leaves! His father is Raden Putra!"
Chapter 7: The Truth Revealed
The King's face went white with shock.
Raden Putra: "Cindelaras... is what your rooster sings the truth?"Cindelaras: "It is, Your Majesty. My mother is the Empress you once exiled — falsely accused by a jealous concubine. She has lived in the forest all these years, innocent of any crime."
At that moment, the old Patih stepped forward, kneeling before the King.
The Patih: "Forgive me, Your Majesty. I could not bring myself to harm an innocent woman. I let the Empress live, and this young man is truly your son."
Raden Putra's anger flared — not at his son, but at the deception that had cost him so many years with his true wife and child. He summoned the Concubine and the physician at once.
Raden Putra: "Speak the truth now, both of you — did you conspire to destroy an innocent woman?"
Trembling, they confessed everything.
Chapter 8: Happily Ever After
Justice was swift. The physician was punished severely for his lies, and the Concubine was banished from the palace forever.
Raden Putra sent his finest soldiers deep into the forest to bring the Empress home. When mother and son were finally reunited with the King, tears of joy replaced years of sorrow.
Cindelaras — the boy raised among animals in the wild forest — took his rightful place as prince of Jenggala, and the family lived together in peace and happiness ever after.
For in the end, no matter how deep the lie, truth always finds its way to the light.
A Little Extra: The Real Kingdom of Jenggala
Historians believe the Kingdom of Jenggala truly existed, ruling from around 1042 to the 1130s, likely centered near present-day Sidoarjo, East Java. It was founded when King Airlangga — a descendant of the Medang Kingdom of Mataram — divided his realm between his two sons, creating the neighboring kingdoms of Jenggala and Kadiri.
Give it a try! Help Cindelaras's rooster prove his loyalty until the truth about his mother is finally revealed.
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