.jpg "The Legend of Kyai Bonten and Ki Jalono Why Death Comes in Pairs in East Java")
It is said that in the hamlet of Kudur, East Java, whenever someone dies, two people are sure to die at the same time. According to the folklore, this strange custom is tied to the bond between Kyai Bonten and Ki Jalono. Here is the story:
Chapter 1: The Wise Kyai and His Rice Field
Long, long ago, in the village of Kudur, there lived a kyai — a wise and respected village elder — named Kyai Bonten. Everyone in the village admired him, for he was known far and wide for his sharp mind and his kind heart. Besides his wisdom, Kyai Bonten also owned a very wide rice field, and he had one daughter whom he loved dearly.
Chapter 2: A Stranger from Sedayu
One day, a man named Jalono came all the way from the village of Sedayu. He had heard so much about Kyai Bonten that he wished to serve him and learn from him. Ki Jalono brought his young son along, and together they walked to Kyai Bonten's house.
Standing humbly before the wise old man, Ki Jalono bowed and said:
Ki Jalono: "Kyai, I have come from far away because I long to serve you. Would you allow me and my son to stay and work for you?"
Kyai Bonten looked at the tired but hopeful traveler and smiled.
Kyai Bonten: "Very well, Jalono. If you are willing to work hard, I shall entrust you with the care of my rice field."
Ki Jalono's eyes lit up with joy, and he bowed once more in gratitude.
Chapter 3: The Hardworking Farmer and the Great Well
From that day on, Ki Jalono never wasted the trust Kyai Bonten had given him. Every single day, rain or shine, he tended to the rice field with all his strength. He worked so hard that he barely had time to return home to rest.
What made the villagers marvel most was this: no matter how many times the rice field was harvested, it would bear fruit again almost right away, as if the land itself loved Ki Jalono's hard work.
Because he spent so much time in the field, Ki Jalono decided to dig a great well nearby, so he would always have water close at hand. The well was so large and so useful that the villagers began calling it Sumur Gedhe, or the "Great Well."
Watching all this from a distance, Kyai Bonten's heart swelled with happiness.
Kyai Bonten: "This man's diligence is a blessing. I shall welcome him into my own family."
And so, Kyai Bonten arranged for his daughter to marry Ki Jalono's son, making Ki Jalono his trusted in-law.
Chapter 4: The Lazy Son-in-Law
But as it turned out, Kyai Bonten's new son-in-law was nothing like his hardworking father. While Ki Jalono toiled under the sun, his son simply cooked rice at home and watched the field from afar. Strangely, he never seemed to sleep at all.
The young man knew something the others did not — he knew that no matter how the rice field was harvested, it would grow fruitful again in no time. So, believing there was no need to work, he spent his days lazing about.
This troubled Kyai Bonten greatly. Time and again, he scolded his son-in-law:
Kyai Bonten: "Why do you sit idle while everyone else works? Get up and help in the field!"
Only when his father-in-law grew truly angry would the young man finally, reluctantly, drag himself to the rice field.
Chapter 5: The Broken Cauldron and the Hidden Power
One day, after being scolded once again, the son-in-law trudged off to the field as usual. Seeing this as the perfect chance, Kyai Bonten crept over and secretly smashed the cauldron the young man used to cook his rice.
When the son-in-law returned home from the field, he found his cooking pot shattered into pieces. But to everyone's astonishment, he simply touched the broken cauldron — and in an instant, it mended itself, whole and unharmed, as though nothing had ever happened.
Kyai Bonten, who had been secretly watching, gasped in disbelief.
Kyai Bonten: "So it is true... you carry a hidden power within you!"
Realizing that his secret had been discovered, and that he now held the upper hand, the son-in-law stepped forward with a bold request.
Son-in-law: "Since you now know of my power, Father, I ask that you grant me half of your wealth and inheritance."
Chapter 6: The Strange Promise
Kyai Bonten, still stunned by what he had witnessed, agreed to the request. But the son-in-law was not yet finished. He made one more request — a strange and mysterious one.
Son-in-law: "And when I die, Father, promise me this: bury me together with a twin, cover my grave well, and sprinkle it with flowers."
Not fully understanding what this request truly meant, but trusting his son-in-law's mysterious power, Kyai Bonten agreed to honor his wish.
Chapter 7: Why Death Comes in Pairs
From that day forward, a strange custom began in the village of Kudur: whenever someone in the village passed away, another person would always die alongside them, at the very same time.
As for Ki Jalono, when his time finally came, he was laid to rest near the great well he himself had dug so long ago. Today, that well — Sumur Gedhe — is regarded as a sacred and honored place, known to the villagers as a punden.
And so, the story of Kyai Bonten and Ki Jalono lives on, a gentle reminder of hard work, hidden power, and a promise that changed a village forever.
Try the interactive version of the legend of Kyai Bonten and Ki Jalono! Help Ki Jalono harvest the rice field and dig the great well, follow the story of a lazy son-in-law with a hidden power, and discover why death always comes in pairs in the hamlet of Kudur. Complete with voice narration and an Indonesian/English language switch.
Source: I.B. Mantra, Astrid S., Susanto, B. Susanto, & S. Wibisono. Cerita Rakyat Daerah Jawa Timur [Folk Tales of East Java]. Departemen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan (Ministry of Education and Culture).
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