Roro Jonggrang Legend: Prambanan Temple Story from Java

Chapter 1: Two Neighboring Kingdoms

Long, long ago, in the land of Java, there were two kingdoms that lived side by side as neighbors. One was the Kingdom of Prambanan. The other was the Kingdom of Pengging.

Prambanan was ruled by a king named King Boko. He had a daughter named Roro Jonggrang, who was so beautiful that everyone in the kingdom loved to look at her kind and gentle face. The people of Prambanan lived in peace and happiness.

The Kingdom of Pengging, however, was ruled by a king who was very proud and hungry for power. No matter how much land he had, he always wanted more.

Chapter 2: The King's Command

One day, the King of Pengging called for his strongest and bravest knight, Bandung Bondowoso.

King of Pengging: "Bandung Bondowoso, I have an important task for you. Take your troops to the Kingdom of Prambanan and conquer it. I want it to bow down to Pengging!"

Bandung Bondowoso: "Yes, Your Majesty. I will leave at once. I promise you that Prambanan will be yours."

Bandung Bondowoso was a mighty knight, and he had a great deal of magical power. He gathered his troops and marched swiftly to Prambanan.

The people of Prambanan were not ready for a battle. Before they knew it, the soldiers of Pengging had rushed through the palace gates. The Prambanan army fought bravely, but they were not prepared, and they could not hold back the enemy for long. Sadly, King Boko fell in the battle, and the Kingdom of Prambanan was conquered.

Chapter 3: An Unwelcome Proposal

After the battle, Bandung Bondowoso ruled over Prambanan while he waited for new orders from the King of Pengging. In the palace, he saw the late king's daughter, Roro Jonggrang, and he was amazed by her beauty. His heart began to beat fast.

Bandung Bondowoso: "Princess Roro Jonggrang, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Will you be my wife?"

Roro Jonggrang's heart was full of sadness and anger. She did not love him at all. How could she marry the very man who had defeated her kingdom and taken her father away from her?

But she also knew that Bandung Bondowoso was now the ruler of Prambanan. If she said no, he might become angry and harm her people. So the clever princess thought hard, and an idea came to her.

Roro Jonggrang: "I will accept your proposal, Bandung Bondowoso, but I have one condition."

Bandung Bondowoso: "Tell me. What is it?"

Roro Jonggrang: "You must build me one thousand temples and two wells. And you must finish everything in just one night."

Roro Jonggrang was sure that no one in the world could do such a thing. Bandung Bondowoso was silent for a moment. Then he smiled.

Bandung Bondowoso: "That is a difficult wish, Princess. But very well. I agree!"

Chapter 4: A Thousand Temples in One Night

When darkness fell, Bandung Bondowoso began his work. He closed his eyes and spoke a magic spell. Suddenly, the ground shook and thousands of genies rose up from the earth.

Bandung Bondowoso: "My loyal genies, build one thousand temples and two wells before the sun rises. Go, and be quick!"

Genies: "As you command, Master!"

The genies flew here and there, carrying stones and shaping them into beautiful temples. One temple after another rose into the night sky. From her window, Roro Jonggrang watched the temples grow taller and taller, and her heart began to pound with worry.

The night went by. When two-thirds of it had passed, nearly everything was done. Only three temples and one well were left to build!

Roro Jonggrang: "Oh no! He is going to finish in time. I do not want to marry him. What should I do?"

Chapter 5: The Princess's Clever Trick

Roro Jonggrang paced back and forth. Then, all of a sudden, a bright idea popped into her head. She quickly called for her loyal ladies-in-waiting.

Roro Jonggrang: "Ladies, hurry, come here! Please gather some straw and set it on fire in the east. Then pound the rice mortars as loudly as you can, and scatter sweet-smelling flowers everywhere. We must make the genies believe that morning has come."

Ladies-in-waiting: "Yes, Princess Roro. We will do it right away!"

The ladies ran outside and did just as they were told. Bright orange flames glowed in the east, making the sky look red like the sunrise. Thump, thump, thump! went the mortars, just like the sound of villagers starting their morning work. Soon the roosters woke up, and they began to crow loudly.

Rooster: "Cock-a-doodle-doo!"

Chapter 6: The Genies Run Away

When the genies heard the pounding of the mortars and the crowing of the roosters, and when they saw the red glow in the sky, they were sure that morning had come. Genies cannot work in the daylight.

Genies: "It is dawn! The sun is coming! Let us go!"

In a flash, the genies stopped their work and scattered in every direction. They vanished into the earth, and no one saw them again.

Bandung Bondowoso: "Wait! Come back! It is still night! Where are you going?"

But it was too late. Bandung Bondowoso was left all alone. He was so determined to win Roro Jonggrang's love that he did not give up. He picked up the last stones with his own hands and tried to finish the work himself. But when the real morning came, there was still one temple unfinished.

Chapter 7: The Curse

When the sun rose, Roro Jonggrang came out to see the temples.

Roro Jonggrang: "Bandung Bondowoso, I have counted them, and there are not one thousand temples. You have failed to meet my condition. So I cannot marry you."

Bandung Bondowoso looked around him, and finally he understood. He remembered the strange red glow, the sound of the mortars, and the crowing of the roosters. His face turned red with anger.

Bandung Bondowoso: "Roro Jonggrang, you have tricked me! You made my genies run away! Now I curse you. Become a statue, so that you can be the thousandth one in my temple!"

At that very moment, something magical and strange happened. Roro Jonggrang's body began to turn hard and cold. Slowly, she became a beautiful stone statue. The thousandth statue was now complete.

Chapter 8: The Legend Lives On

That is how the people of Yogyakarta and Central Java tell the story of Roro Jonggrang. They say that the beautiful statue in the Prambanan Temple is Roro Jonggrang herself.

Whether the story is true or not, no one knows for certain. But it is a wonderful tale that has been passed down from parents to children for many, many years, and it still makes us wonder about the beautiful temples of long ago.

The Moral of the Story

Every folktale has a little lesson hidden inside it. Here are the lessons we can learn from the story of Roro Jonggrang:

1. Do not be greedy for power. The King of Pengging always wanted more land and more power, and his greed brought sadness to Prambanan. Being kind and content with what we have is much better than always wanting more.

2. Never hurt others to get what you want. Bandung Bondowoso was a mighty knight, but he used his strength to attack a peaceful kingdom. True strength is using our power to protect others, not to harm them.

3. Love cannot be forced. Bandung Bondowoso wanted to marry Roro Jonggrang, but you cannot win someone's heart with force or by making them afraid. Real love grows from kindness and respect.

4. Be honest, and do not use tricks. Roro Jonggrang was clever, but her trick made Bandung Bondowoso very angry, and in the end she was cursed. When we solve our problems with honesty and courage, we can avoid a great deal of sadness.

5. Anger can make us do things we regret. When Bandung Bondowoso lost his temper, he cast a terrible curse. Whenever we feel angry, it is wise to stop, take a deep breath, and think before we act.

Give it a try! Can you help Bandung Bondowoso build a thousand temples in one night? Play the game and discover the origin of the Prambanan Temple!

More folklore on Yogyakarta:

• Roro Jonggrang Legend: Prambanan Temple Story from Java
• The Origin of Mount Merapi: A Javanese Folktale for Kids
• Gubuk Rubuh Legend: Indonesian Folktale from Yogyakarta
• The Journey of Prince Begawan Selapawening
• The Legend of Ki Ageng Mangir: A Javanese Folktale for Kids