.jpg "Princess Serindang Bulan Indonesian Folktale of Forgiveness")
Chapter 1: The Seven Princesses
Once upon a time, in the land of Bengkulu, there lived a king named Raja Wawang. He had seven beautiful daughters, and he loved them all very much.
Many young men came to the palace to ask for her hand in marriage. But each time, Princess Serindang Bulan shook her head politely.
Serindang Bulan: "Thank you, kind sir, but I cannot marry before my six older sisters. It would not be right to step over them."
The six older sisters heard about this, and they were touched. They gathered around their youngest sister one evening.
Eldest Sister: "Dear Serindang Bulan, so many good men wish to marry you. Please, do not wait for us."Serindang Bulan: "But what about you, dear sisters?"Eldest Sister: "Do not worry about us. We will find our own matches soon enough. Marry first, and we will follow."Serindang Bulan: "Very well, my dear sisters. I will marry. And I hope all of you will find happiness very soon."
Raja Wawang was overjoyed when he heard the news. He told everyone in the kingdom that his youngest daughter was ready to be married. The young men of the land were delighted.
Before long, a handsome prince arrived at the palace to ask for her hand. Serindang Bulan accepted his proposal with a smile. The whole kingdom began to prepare a grand wedding.
Chapter 2: The Strange Sickness
But then, something very strange happened.
One morning, just before the wedding, Princess Serindang Bulan woke up and looked into her mirror. Her lovely face had changed! It looked terrible, and her whole body was covered in itchy sores.
The prince came to see her and gasped.
Prince: "Princess, what has happened to you? Your skin is covered in sores!"Serindang Bulan: "I do not know, my prince. When I woke up this morning, my face had changed, and my body was full of sores."
The prince felt sad and disappointed. He decided to call off the wedding and go home.
But the most puzzling thing happened next. As soon as the prince left the palace, Serindang Bulan's face became beautiful again! Her skin was smooth and healthy, just as it had always been.
The same thing happened again and again. Whenever a new man came to propose, her face would turn bad. And whenever the wedding was cancelled, her beauty came back. It happened nine times!
The six older sisters felt very ashamed. They whispered to each other, and some of them began to feel angry.
Chapter 3: The Sisters' Cruel Plan
One night, the six sisters held a secret meeting.
Second Sister: "This cannot go on. Serindang Bulan has brought nothing but trouble to our kingdom."Third Sister: "I agree. We must send her far away."Karang Nio: "No, please! She is our own sister! We cannot do such a thing."
Karang Nio was the sister who loved Serindang Bulan the most, and the two were very close. But the other sisters would not listen.
Eldest Sister: "Karang Nio, since you are the one who objects the most, you will be the one to do it."Karang Nio: "But...!"Eldest Sister: "Bring us proof that it is done. Bring us her blood, and a piece of her ear."
Karang Nio's heart felt heavy as a stone. She had no choice. She had to obey.
Chapter 4: Into the Forest
The next day, Karang Nio smiled sadly at her little sister.
Karang Nio: "Serindang Bulan, would you like to take a walk with me?"Serindang Bulan: "Yes, sister! That sounds lovely."
They walked and walked until the palace was far behind them. The trees grew taller, and the forest grew darker. Serindang Bulan began to feel afraid.
Serindang Bulan: "Sister, why are we going so deep into the forest?"
Karang Nio could not hold back her tears any longer.
Karang Nio: "Forgive me, Serindang Bulan. Our sisters have ordered me to send you away."
Serindang Bulan was quiet for a moment. Then she spoke softly and sadly.
Serindang Bulan: "If this is what our older sisters have decided, then do your duty, dear sister."
But Karang Nio could not bring herself to hurt the sister she loved. Instead, she came up with a clever plan. She caught a wild animal in the forest and saved its blood in a small bamboo tube. Then she gently made a tiny cut on Serindang Bulan's ear, to take as proof.
Karang Nio: "Please forgive me. I must do this, so that our sisters will believe you are gone."Serindang Bulan: "I understand, sister. I am not angry with you."
Karang Nio led her to the bank of the Ulau Deus River, where a small raft was waiting.
Karang Nio: “Take this raft, and let the Ulau Deus River carry you to safety. Goodbye, my dear sister.”
Serindang Bulan climbed onto the raft, and the river carried her away.
Karang Nio hurried back to the palace and showed the blood and the piece of ear to her sisters.
Eldest Sister: "At last! Our troubles are over."
All the sisters were happy, except Karang Nio, who kept her secret deep in her heart.
Chapter 5: The Light on the Cliff
The raft floated down the river for a long time. Finally, it arrived at a place called Muara Setahun. Serindang Bulan climbed up a tall cliff nearby, and there she built a small house to live in.
A whole year passed.
One day, a royal boat sailed along the river near Muara Setahun. On board was a king named Tuanku Raja Alam, the ruler of the Indrapura Kingdom.
Tuanku Raja Alam: "Look! What is that shining light on top of the cliff?"
He was so curious that he ordered the boat to stop. He climbed up the steep cliff until he found a little house. He knocked on the door.
Knock, knock, knock!
The door opened, and out stepped Serindang Bulan. The king was very surprised.
Tuanku Raja Alam: "Oh, beautiful maiden! I never imagined that the light came from you!"Serindang Bulan: "Welcome, your Majesty. Please, come in."
They talked for a long time. Serindang Bulan told the king her whole story, from the strange sickness to the cruel plan of her sisters. The king listened carefully, and his heart was filled with kindness.
Tuanku Raja Alam: "You have suffered so much, dear princess. Please come and live in my kingdom, where you will be safe."Serindang Bulan: "Thank you, your Majesty. I would be very happy to."
Chapter 6: The Wedding in Indrapura
When they arrived in Indrapura, the king called all his ministers together.
Tuanku Raja Alam: "My friends, I wish to marry Princess Serindang Bulan."
The ministers looked worried, because they had heard of her strange sickness.
Chief Minister: "Your Majesty, let us wait three days first. Then we will see whether her face stays beautiful."Tuanku Raja Alam: "That is a wise idea. Let us wait."
One day passed. Then two days. Then three days. Serindang Bulan's face stayed as lovely as the moon!
Chief Minister: "Your Majesty, there is nothing to worry about. The princess is perfectly healthy."
So the king happily agreed to marry Serindang Bulan.
Chapter 7: The Sisters Return
Serindang Bulan asked the king to inform her family about the wedding. So the king sent a messenger to Raja Wawang's palace.
When the six sisters heard the news, they were shocked!
Eldest Sister: "What? Serindang Bulan is alive? Karang Nio, you failed!"Karang Nio: "Please, sisters, stop arguing. It is better for us all to go to her wedding."
The sisters finally agreed, and they traveled together to the Kingdom of Indrapura.
When they arrived, they asked to meet the king.
Eldest Sister: "Your Majesty, we are the sisters of Serindang Bulan. If you wish to marry her, we ask for a dowry of gold."Tuanku Raja Alam: "I will gladly give you the gold. But first, you must do one thing. You must recognize your own sister. If you cannot, you will all be punished."
The king then prepared six girls who looked very much like Serindang Bulan. They wore the same clothes and looked very similar. Together with the real Serindang Bulan, they stood in a row.
Tuanku Raja Alam: "Now, tell me, which one is your sister?"
The five older sisters looked and looked, but they could not tell. They were so confused!
But Karang Nio remembered something important. She remembered the little cut she had made on her sister's ear. She looked carefully at each girl, and then she saw it.
Karang Nio: "It is you! You are my sister, Serindang Bulan!"Serindang Bulan: "Sister! I have missed you so much!"
The two sisters hugged each other tightly, crying tears of joy.
Tuanku Raja Alam: "Well done, Karang Nio! You still know your sister's face. I hope there is no more anger between you all."
Chapter 8: A Heart Full of Kindness
Tuanku Raja Alam kept his promise. He gave the six sisters pieces of bamboo filled with shining gold.
And so, Tuanku Raja Alam and Princess Serindang Bulan were married. They lived happily in the Kingdom of Indrapura.
Even though she had been treated so badly, Serindang Bulan never held a grudge against her sisters. She forgave them with all her heart. Even though they now lived far apart, she often sent them gifts to show her love.
What do we learn from this story?
Kindness and forgiveness are more powerful than anger. Princess Serindang Bulan shows us that a good heart can overcome even the hardest times.
References:
- Prahana, Naim Emel. 1988. Cerita Rakyat Dari Bengkulu 2. Jakarta: Grasindo.
- Agni, Danu. 2013. Cerita Anak Seribu Pulau. Yogyakarta: Buku Pintar.
- Komandoko, Gamal. 2013. Koleksi Terbaik 100 plus Dongeng Rakyat Nusantara. Jakarta: PT Buku Seru.
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