The Legend of Prince Pande Gelang: An Indonesian Fairy Tale

Chapter 1: The Princess and the Two Princes

Once upon a time, in a beautiful, magical kingdom, there lived a princess named Princess Arum. She was as lovely as a blooming flower in the morning sun, and her heart was just as pure. Because of her kindness and breathtaking beauty, many princes from faraway lands wished to marry her.

Among her many admirers were two princes who had been her classmates since childhood: Prince Sae Bagus Lana and Prince Cunihin. Though they grew up together, the two princes could not have been more different. Prince Sae Bagus Lana had a heart of gold; he was gentle, brave, and deeply cared for everyone. On the other hand, Prince Cunihin had a dark and wicked heart. He was arrogant, cruel, and loved to use his powerful magic to bully others.

When the time came for Princess Arum to choose a husband, she followed her heart. Naturally, she chose the kind and noble Prince Sae Bagus Lana.

Chapter 2: The Wicked Spell

When Prince Cunihin heard the news, his eyes burned with anger. He could not accept that Princess Arum had chosen someone else. Out of shame and fury, he devised a wicked plan to steal Prince Sae Bagus Lana’s kingdom and take Princess Arum for himself.

One stormy night, the evil Prince Cunihin unleashed his dark magic. With a wicked chant, he cast a terrible spell on Prince Sae Bagus Lana. In the blink of an eye, the handsome young prince was transformed into a frail, old grandfather with dark, wrinkled skin!

Prince Sae Bagus Lana was heartbroken to see his reflection. Knowing he could not fight Prince Cunihin's dark magic alone, he traveled far away to seek guidance from his wise old Master.

The Master smiled gently and gave the poor prince a clever piece of advice. He told the prince to forge a giant, magical iron bracelet—one so large that a human could walk right through it.

The Wise Master: "Listen carefully, my student. If you can trick Prince Cunihin into walking through this magical bracelet, his wicked powers will vanish into thin air. Once his magic is broken, your curse will be lifted, and you shall become a handsome prince once more."

Following his Master’s wisdom, the prince moved to a quiet village and worked as a humble bracelet maker. From that day on, the villagers called him Ki Pande Gelang, which means the Old Bracelet Maker.

Chapter 3: Tears on Mangosteen Hill

One sunny afternoon on the green slopes of Mangosteen Hill, a beautiful maiden sat all alone. She looked incredibly sad, and her eyes were filled with tears. It was Princess Arum! She had run away to the hill, heartbroken because she was being forced to marry the cruel Prince Cunihin.

Ki Pande happened to be walking by. Even though he was trapped in the body of an old man, his heart leaped with joy when he saw his true love. However, he knew he could not reveal his real identity just yet. Slowly, he approached her.

Ki Pande: "Excuse me, Your Highness? Are you alright?"

Princess Arum did not answer. She was so lost in her sorrow that she didn't even notice the old man standing there. Ki Pande took a step closer and spoke a little louder, his voice gentle and warm.

Ki Pande: "Beautiful Princess, why do your tears fall like raindrops on such a lovely day?"

Princess Arum finally turned her head. She looked at the strange old man with dark, wrinkled skin. Even though she didn't know him, she felt a strange, comforting warmth in her heart. She knew immediately that this was a good man.

Princess Arum: "Oh, I am terribly sad, kind sir. But there is no use in sharing my heavy heart with a stranger. It will only bring you sorrow, too."

Ki Pande: "I am so sorry, Princess. Forgive an old man for interfering in your royal troubles. I shall take my leave now."

He turned around, pretending to walk away, but the Princess suddenly called out to him.

Princess Arum: "Wait, good sir! Please, do not go. What is your name?"

Ki Pande: "I am just a simple ironworker who makes bracelets. The villagers around here call me Ki Pande. And who might you be, my dear Princess?"

Princess Arum: "My name is Princess Arum. I am crying because soon, I will be forced to marry a man I do not love! He is a handsome prince, but his name is Prince Cunihin, and he is wicked and cruel. Everyone is terrified of him because he has powerful dark magic. If anyone disobeys him, he punishes them without mercy!"

Ki Pande: "Oh my. Then what brings a delicate Princess like you to this lonely hill?"

Princess Arum: "I was praying to the Almighty for help, and a whisper in the wind told me to find peace here on Mangosteen Hill. The voice said that one day, a powerful and kind prince would come to rescue me. But no one has come! And soon, Prince Cunihin will arrive at the palace to take me away."

Chapter 4: The Clever Plan

Ki Pande listened carefully, nodding as he wiped a tear from his own eye.

Ki Pande: "Forgive my boldness, Princess Arum. But may this humble old man offer you a piece of advice?"

Princess Arum: "Oh, please do, Ki Pande. I will listen to anything that might save me."

Ki Pande: "Thank you, Princess. I believe... you should accept Prince Cunihin’s proposal."

Princess Arum gasped, her eyes widening in shock and anger.

Princess Arum: "Have you lost your mind, Ki Pande?! Should I say yes to the very monster I hate? Never! I would rather run away forever than become the wife of that evil prince!"

Ki Pande smiled calmly and raised his hand to soothe her.

Ki Pande: "Please, calm down, Princess. You must accept the proposal, but you will give him one impossible condition! Tell him that he must punch a giant hole through the Sacred Stone so that a human can walk through it. Tell him you wish to use this giant stone ring for your honeymoon. Furthermore, the stone must be finished in exactly three days and placed on the beach!"

Princess Arum: "But Ki Pande, Prince Cunihin has incredibly strong magic! Isn't that task far too easy for him?"

Ki Pande: "Ah, that is the secret, Princess. To punch a hole through the Sacred Stone, a wizard must use so much energy that it leaves his magic unstable. Once his guard is down, I will step in and finish the rest of my plan to save you."

Hearing the confidence in the old man's voice, Princess Arum smiled and finally agreed to the clever plan.

Chapter 5: The Magic Spring

Ki Pande then invited Princess Arum to hide at his home in the village. But the journey was very long, and the path was rocky. Princess Arum, who was used to riding in royal carriages, grew very tired. Just as they finally reached the edge of the village, the exhausted Princess fainted and fell onto a large rock!

The kind villagers rushed out to help Ki Pande. One of the wise village elders came forward with a secret remedy.

Village Elder: "Do not worry, Ki Pande. The Princess is just exhausted. If she drinks the magical mountain water that flows from the rocks nearby, her strength will return instantly!"

The villagers hurried to fetch the sparkling water from the mountain spring. The moment the water touched her lips, a miracle happened! Princess Arum's cheeks turned rosy, and she woke up feeling stronger and healthier than ever before. Because of this magical event at the rocky spring, the villagers lovingly gave her a new name: Princess Cadasari, which means the Princess of the Glowing Rock.

While the Princess rested, Ki Pande worked day and night by his fiery furnace. Clang! Clang! Clang! He was forging a gigantic iron bracelet, making it the exact same size as the hole in the Sacred Stone.

Chapter 6: The Fall of Prince Cunihin

Back at the palace, the wicked Prince Cunihin used his dark magic to track down Princess Arum. He flew to Ki Pande's village, demanding to take her away.

Prince Cunihin: "You cannot hide from me, Princess! You are going to be my wife!"

Princess Cadasari: "Very well, Prince Cunihin. I will marry you, but only if you grant me one wish. You must punch a giant hole through the Sacred Stone and place it on the beach for our honeymoon. And you must do it in three days!"

Prince Cunihin: "Ha! Is that all? My magic is the strongest in the world. I will do it in less than three days!"

With his arrogant pride, Prince Cunihin flew to the coast. Using all of his dark energy, he blasted a massive hole straight through the mighty Sacred Stone. He was so proud of himself that he didn't even notice when Ki Pande secretly sneaked up to the stone and slipped his magical, invisible iron bracelet right inside the hole!

When Princess Cadasari arrived at the beach, she pretended to be amazed, but secretly, she was very nervous. Ki Pande gave her a little nod from behind the bushes.

Princess Cadasari: "You have done well, Prince. Now, for the final test, you must prove your bravery by walking through the hole in the Sacred Stone!"

Prince Cunihin: "Watch me, my dear! I fear nothing!"

Laughing arrogantly, Prince Cunihin puffed out his chest and marched straight through the hole. But the moment his feet crossed the invisible magic bracelet forged by Ki Pande, a bright flash of light exploded in the sky!

ZAP! WHOOSH!

Prince Cunihin screamed as all of his dark magic was instantly sucked away. In a matter of seconds, the cruel prince was transformed into a weak, wrinkled old man. At the exact same moment, the wicked curse on Ki Pande was broken! The dark skin and gray hair melted away, revealing the handsome, noble face of Prince Sae Bagus Lana.

Chapter 7: Happily Ever After

Princess Cadasari gasped in amazement as she looked at the handsome young prince standing before her.

Prince Sae Bagus Lana: "It is me, my love. The wicked spell is finally broken, and your kind heart has saved us both."

He explained everything to the Princess—how Prince Cunihin had cursed him, and how he had disguised himself as the old bracelet maker to protect her. Princess Cadasari cried tears of joy and hugged him tightly, so thankful to be saved from the wicked prince.

As for Prince Cunihin, without his magic, he could no longer hurt anyone. He was forced to live out his days as a grumpy old man, regretting his wicked choices.

Prince Sae Bagus Lana and Princess Cadasari were soon married in a grand, spectacular royal wedding, and they lived happily and peacefully for the rest of their days.

The Legend Lives On: To this day, the places in this story are still remembered in Banten. The place where Prince Cunihin found the stone is called Kramatwatu. The giant stone with a hole on the beach is the famous Karang Bolong. The hill where the Princess cried is known as Pasir Manggu, and the village where she drank the magical water is called Cadasari, located in the beautiful region of Pandeglang (which gets its name from Prince Pande Gelang, the Bracelet Maker!).

The Moral of the Story: If we allow our hearts to become wicked and cruel, we will only find sadness and ruin. But if we stay kind, patient, and good, true happiness will always find its way to us in the end.

Play the tale of Prince Pande Gelang interactively! Follow cursed Prince Sae Bagus Lana as he forges a magic bangle, help heal Putri Arum, and watch as kindness finally triumphs over Prince Cunihin's cruelty. Complete with spoken narration — just tap to begin the adventure!

More on folklore from Banten:

• The Legend of Prince Pande Gelang: An Indonesian Fairy Tale
• The Legend of Mount Pinang: An Indonesian Folklore of Dampu Awang
• The Legend of Batu Kuwung – Famous Indonesian Folklore for Kids
• The Arrogant Princess: Legend of Cikaputrian Story