Indonesian Folktale: The Origin of Kemaro Island in Palembang

It is said that during the era of the Srivijaya kingdom, ruled a wise king who had a beautiful daughter named Siti Fatimah.

Once upon a time, across the sparkling blue seas, a brave and kind merchant named Tam Bun An sailed all the way from China to the grand kingdom of Srivijaya. As soon as he arrived, he heard magical whispers from the townsfolk about the breathtaking beauty and kindness of the Princess.

Chapter 1: The Magical Lion Dance

Tam Bun An wanted to see the Princess very much. He asked for advice from the wise captain of his ship.

Ship Captain: "Master Tam Bun An, if you wish to meet the beautiful Princess, we must visit the grand palace! Let us bring our lively musicians and the magnificent Lion Dance to greet her properly."

Tam Bun An: "What a brilliant idea! Prepare the drums, the cymbals, and the colorful lion costumes. We shall give the royal family a magnificent show!"

So, they marched happily to the palace. Boom, boom, boom! The sound of the drums echoed through the air, and the colorful lion danced merrily outside the gates. Hearing the joyous music, the lovely Princess stepped out to her balcony to take a look.

Siti Fatimah: "Oh, what a wonderful performance! The lion is so colorful and lively! I have never seen anything like it."

Tam Bun An looked up and was mesmerized by her bright smile. After the dance, the kind King invited him inside, and Tam Bun An finally met Siti Fatimah. They became fast friends, sharing stories and laughter. As time fluttered by like a butterfly, a sweet, blossoming love grew between the two of them.

Chapter 2: A Promise of Gold

The wise King of Srivijaya soon noticed how much his daughter cared for the merchant, so he called Tam Bun An to the throne room.

Tam Bun An: "Great King, I humbly come before you today. I intend to ask for the hand of your wonderful daughter, Princess Siti Fatimah, to become my wife. I truly love her with all my heart."

King of Srivijaya: "Young man, you are kind, but we have very different customs. Furthermore, I do not want my beloved child to be taken far away to the land of China."

Tam Bun An: "If that is your wish, Your Majesty, I promise I will not take her away. I am more than willing to stay right here in the beautiful land of Srivijaya forever!"

The King smiled gently, seeing the true love in the young man's eyes.

King of Srivijaya: "Very well, then. I agree to bless your marriage. But, to prove your absolute seriousness and your ability to care for a princess, you must present me with nine large jars filled with pure gold."

Tam Bun An: "I gladly accept your condition, Your Majesty! I will send word to my family at once."

Tam Bun An sent a beautiful white dove carrying a letter across the sea to his parents in China. Soon, a happy reply flew back saying they would immediately send the nine jars of gold for his royal wedding.

Chapter 3: The Secret in the Jars

Far away in mainland China, Tam Bun An’s parents prepared the golden treasure. But because the journey across the ocean was very long and full of scary pirates, his clever parents came up with a trick. They placed the shiny gold at the very bottom of the jars and covered the top with smelly, rotten vegetables so the pirates wouldn't want to steal them!

A few months later, the great ship carrying the jars finally arrived at the royal pier. Tam Bun An happily invited the King and his beloved Princess to board the ship and see the treasure.

Tam Bun An: "Look, Your Majesty! My parents have sent the nine jars of gold, just as promised. Let me open the first one for you."

But when he opened the heavy lid, a terrible smell filled the air. He saw nothing but yucky, rotten vegetables!

Tam Bun An: "Oh no! What is this?"

He quickly opened a second jar, but it was exactly the same. Furious and deeply embarrassed in front of the King and the Princess, his face turned red.

Tam Bun An: "They sent me garbage! I cannot give this to the King! How humiliating!"

In a fit of blind anger, Tam Bun An hurled the jars into the deep Musi River. Splash! Splash! One by one, eight large jars sank to the bottom of the river. But when he picked up the ninth jar, it was so heavy that it slipped from his hands. CRASH! It broke into pieces on the wooden deck.

To his absolute shock, shining, glowing bars of pure gold spilled out from underneath the rotten vegetables! He finally realized his parents' clever trick, and he realized his terrible mistake. He had thrown away a grand treasure!

Chapter 4: The Birth of Kemaro Island

Tears filled the young merchant's eyes as he looked down at the swirling waters. Both the Princess and the King tried to calm him down.

Siti Fatimah: "Please, my love, do not be sad! It was only a misunderstanding."

King of Srivijaya: "Yes, Tam Bun An, calm yourself. The gold on the floor is proof enough. The condition has been met, and you may still marry my daughter."

But Tam Bun An was so full of guilt and regret.

Tam Bun An: "Lord King, I am so deeply sorry for my foolish anger. Please, let me go into the river and bring the rest of the gold back to you!"

Before anyone could stop him, SPLASH! Tam Bun An jumped right into the rushing Musi River.

The people on the dock waited, holding their breath. But the brave merchant did not come back up. Princess Siti Fatimah burst into tears, her heart breaking for her true love.

Siti Fatimah: "I cannot live without him! I must help him!"

Even though the guards tried to stop her, it was too late. The brave and loyal Princess leaped into the river to find her beloved.

King of Srivijaya: "No! My sweet daughter! Guards, help them! Jump in and find them at once!"

The royal guards searched for hours and hours, but sadly, the sweet Princess and the merchant were never found. The King wept, and the whole kingdom mourned the tragic loss of the two young lovers.

Years passed, and a magical thing happened. Exactly at the spot where Tam Bun An and Siti Fatimah had disappeared, a small delta of sand rose from the river. It grew bigger and bigger until it became a beautiful little island.

The people named it Kemaro Island. To remember their beautiful but sad love story forever, the villagers built a quiet mosque and a peaceful temple there, honoring the lovely Princess Siti Fatimah and the brave merchant Tam Bun An for all of time.

Give it a try! Follow the love story of Siti Fatimah and Tan Bun An, leading to the formation of Kemaro Island.