.jpg "Jaka Tarub and Nawang Wulan Javanese Folktale for Kids")
Chapter 1: The Boy Named Jaka Tarub
Once upon a time, in the village of Tarub in Central Java, there lived a kind old woman named Mbok Randa Tarub. She lived all alone, and her house was often very quiet. So one day she adopted a little boy and named him Jaka Tarub. She cared for him from childhood until he grew up, and she loved him as dearly as her own son.
When Jaka Tarub became a young man, he worked hard to help his mother. He was also very handsome. Every day he went into the forest to hunt with his trusty spear. Many village girls fell in love with him, but Jaka Tarub did not want to settle down yet.
One day, Mbok Randa Tarub said gently:
Mbok Randa Tarub: "Jaka, my dear, I would love to see you married soon. You are old enough now, and with such a handsome face, you will easily find a lovely girl."Jaka Tarub: "Mbok, I don't want a wife just yet. When the time comes, I will find one, I promise."Mbok Randa Tarub: "Very well, my son. Mbok will only pray for your happiness. I love you very much, Jaka."
Sadly, not long after that, Mbok Randa Tarub fell ill and passed away. Jaka Tarub was heartbroken. He felt even sadder because he had never fulfilled her wish to see him married. From then on, he became lazy and spent his days daydreaming, as if the joy had gone out of his life.
Chapter 2: Seven Beautiful Maidens by the Lake
One afternoon, Jaka Tarub fell asleep at home and dreamed of eating tender, delicious venison. When he woke up, his tummy was rumbling!
Jaka Tarub: "Oh, how hungry I am! I must go hunting for a deer right now."
He grabbed his spear and tiptoed through the forest, searching and searching. But he found no deer at all. Without realizing it, he had wandered into a part of the forest he had never visited before. Tired out, he sat down on a big rock and soon fell fast asleep.
While he slept, he heard the faint sound of women laughing and joking. Jaka Tarub woke up and rubbed his eyes.
Jaka Tarub: "I hear women's voices. Who could they be, deep in the forest?"
He followed the sound until he reached a sparkling lake. Quietly, he hid behind a big rock at the water's edge. There he saw seven beautiful maidens splashing and bathing in the water.
Jaka Tarub: "How strange! Why are there seven such lovely women in the middle of this thick forest?"
Chapter 3: The Hidden Shawl
Jaka Tarub had never seen anyone as beautiful as these seven maidens. His heart whispered that he wanted to marry one of them. Then he noticed seven shimmering shawls lying on the shore. Without thinking twice, he crept over, took one shawl, and hid it.
Jaka Tarub: "I would like to marry one of them. If I hide one of their shawls, perhaps she will stay."
When evening came, the seven maidens finished bathing. They put on their shawls, and whoosh! Up they flew into the sky.
Jaka Tarub: "No wonder they are so beautiful! They are angels from heaven!"
But one maiden, named Nawang Wulan, could not find her shawl anywhere. Her six older sisters had already flown away, and she was left all alone.
Nawang Wulan: "Oh no! Where is my shawl? I left it right here by the lake. If I can't find it, I can't go home to heaven!"
Nawang Wulan was the youngest of the seven angels. As she watched her sisters disappear into the clouds, she burst into tears. She was afraid to be alone in the human world.
Jaka Tarub saw this and came out of his hiding place, pretending to be kind.
Jaka Tarub: "Hello, dear lady. Why are you crying all alone by the lake? My name is Jaka Tarub, and I live in a village nearby. Can I help you?"Nawang Wulan: "I have lost my shawl, so I cannot return to heaven."Jaka Tarub: "Oh, that is so sad. Please come and stay at my house. It is not safe for you to be alone in the forest. Don't be afraid, I will take care of you."Nawang Wulan: "Thank you. I suppose I have no other choice. I will stay at your house."
Chapter 4: The Rice Barn That Never Ran Empty
Nawang Wulan went to live in Jaka Tarub's house. Before long, they got married and lived happily together. Later, they were blessed with a baby girl, whom they named Nawangsih.
But Jaka Tarub noticed something very strange. Every day, his wife took rice from the barn to cook, yet the barn never emptied. In fact, it seemed to grow fuller!
Jaka Tarub: "How odd! My wife cooks rice every day, but our rice barn never gets smaller. It even seems to be growing!"
One day, Nawang Wulan had to step out to the river for a little while. Before leaving, she gave her husband a special instruction.
Nawang Wulan: "Dear husband, I am cooking rice, but I must go to the river for a moment. Please watch the fire. Don't let it go out, and don't let it grow too big. And please, whatever you do, do not open the lid of the pot."Jaka Tarub: "Of course, my dear. I will take good care of it."
But after Nawang Wulan left, Jaka Tarub could not stop wondering. Why must the lid stay closed? Curiosity tickled him more and more, until at last he lifted the lid. Inside the pot, he found only a single grain of rice!
Jaka Tarub: "My goodness! My wife cooks just one grain of rice! So that is why our barn never runs empty."
Chapter 5: The Magic Disappears
When Nawang Wulan came back from the river, she peeked into the pot and sighed.
Nawang Wulan: "Only one grain of rice is in the pot. My husband must have opened the lid, even though I asked him not to."
You see, Nawang Wulan was no ordinary woman. She had a secret magic power that could turn one grain of rice into a whole basket. But when Jaka Tarub broke his promise, her magic vanished. From then on, she had to work like everybody else, pounding the rice, winnowing it, and cooking it. Slowly, the rice in the barn began to run out.
Chapter 6: Nawang Wulan Returns to Heaven
One day, Nawang Wulan went to the rice barn to fetch some rice, but only a little was left. As she scooped up the last bits, her hand touched something soft and silky. It was her long-lost shawl! Now she understood everything. It was her husband who had hidden it all along.
Nawang Wulan put on her shawl and went to find Jaka Tarub.
Nawang Wulan: "My husband, you opened the lid, and now my magic is gone and our rice has run out. And all this time, you were the one who hid my shawl. It was all your plan. Our life together must end here. I am going back to heaven."Jaka Tarub: "I'm so sorry, my wife! I admit all my mistakes. Please, don't leave me and our daughter Nawangsih!"Nawang Wulan: "I'm sorry, my husband, but I must go. Please take good care of our precious Nawangsih. Build a little cradle near the house, and put her in it every night. I will come to nurse her. But please, don't peek while I am with her. Goodbye."
With those words, Nawang Wulan rose into the sky and flew back to heaven.
Jaka Tarub felt very sad and sorry for what he had done. He built a cradle near the house, just as his wife had asked. Every night he laid little Nawangsih inside, and every night Nawang Wulan came down from heaven to nurse her daughter.
Chapter 7: The Ancestor of the Mataram Kings
After that, Jaka Tarub became a wise leader in his village and was given the title Ki Ageng Tarub. The king of Majapahit, Brawijaya, was a good friend of his. One day, the king wished to entrust Ki Ageng Tarub with a precious heirloom dagger called Kyai Mahesa Nular. So he sent two messengers, Ki Buyut Masahar and Bondan Kejawan, to Tarub village.
Bondan Kejawan was the king's own son. Ki Ageng Tarub asked him to stay in the village, and he was given a new name: Lembu Peteng. When Lembu Peteng and Nawangsih grew up, Ki Ageng Tarub arranged for the two of them to marry.
Years later, Ki Ageng Tarub passed away, and Lembu Peteng took his place as the new Ki Ageng Tarub. Lembu Peteng and Nawangsih had a son named Ki Ageng Getas Pandawa. He had a son who became known as Ki Ageng Sela. And Ki Ageng Sela's great-grandson was Panembahan Senopati (Raden Sutawijaya), the founder of the Sultanate of Mataram.
About the Legend
The tale of Jaka Tarub and Nawang Wulan is a folktale from Central Java, found in the Babad Tanah Jawi, a collection of old Javanese writings. This chronicle tells of the kings who ruled Java, from the Syailendra and Sanjaya dynasties through Majapahit and Demak to the Islamic Mataram kingdom.
The story has many versions, but the main plot stays the same. Some people believe it happened in Widodaren village in Ngawi Regency, East Java, where a grave said to belong to Jaka Tarub can be found. The name Widodaren is said to come from widodari, which means "angel." The tale is also similar to the East Javanese folktale of Aryo Menak.
The moral of the story: Always keep your promises, and never take something that does not belong to you. Honesty and trust are the most precious treasures of all.
Give it a try! Follow Jaka Tarub's encounter with the seven heavenly nymphs, through to his bittersweet story with Nawang Wulan.
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