Jaka Tarub

Folklore from East Java and Central Java

Once upon a time there was a young man lived alone in a village. He didn't have anything except his flute that never left his side.

Jaka Tarub, what everyone called him. Everybody in the village love Jaka Tarub because he is such a good man.

As always, Jaka Tarub likes walking around the village to forget his loneliness. When he was going for a walk while engrossed in playing his flute, he didn't realize that he arrived in the middle of a deserted forest. He just knew it when the night came. Now Jaka Tarub was in the middle of bushes trees and he did not see a single person around it. He only heard the cricket voice and the frog that echoing each other.

"Where am I? I think I got lost," he told himself. But Jaka Tarub didn't worry at all. He kept on walking until he got tired and fell asleep.

In his sleep, Jaka Tarub dreamt seeing a very beautiful butterfly. It color was white reddish. Jaka Tarub tempted to catch the butterfly, but when his hands almost got it, the butterfly flew away. When he woke up, he stared at the sky. At that moment, he saw the butterfly again. It was just like the butterfly in his dream. Jaka Tarub slapped his own face. "Auww," he yelled painfully. This meant that he didn't dream. He felt so hungry and his body was shaking, yet he still awoke thought he didn't believe what he just saw. He blinked his eyes so many times.


Actually, the butterfly was seven fairies who were getting near the earth. Their smells differently. Smell that didn't belong in earth and only the fairies who have it. The looked like humans but their beauty were so different.

Jaka Tarub couldn't stop looking at them. But there was something peculiar in the seventh fairy. Her beauty didn't like the other six. "Maybe this is the youngest fairy," thought Jaka Tarub. He then kept on staring at the last fairy who descended in the earth without blinking his eyes. The more he stared, he became more astonished. For the first time in his life, Jaka Tarub fell in love!

Upon reaching the earth, the fairies went straight to the lake in the middle of the jungle. They opened their clothes and put them in the trees. "What are they doing?" asked Jaka Tarub.

"Wait! Don't you feel happy yet," yelled the youngest sweet voice. "Take this splash!"

"You won't splash us, Adinda Nawang Wulan!" yelled her sisters. "Give it up!"

Jaka Tarub kept on watching them behind the trees. "So, her name is Nawang Wulan. I am right, she's the youngest," whispered Jaka Tarub fondly. But he knew this meeting was only temporary. His world wouldn't meet their world. However, he was in love.
"No matter how, I have to get Nawang Wulan!" promised Jaka Tarub to himself. He then acted quickly. He took Nawang Wulan's cloth.

The sky became darker, it was time for the seven fairies to get back to their castle, "Adinda Nawang Wulan, hurry and get dressed. Play time is over!" yelled her sisters.

"Why don't you go first, Kanda. I'll be right behind you," said Nawang Wulan. "But wait Kakanda, where is my cloth?!"

"Maybe someone took your cloth?"

"Maybe your cloth was taken mistakenly by the other sister?"

"Dear Kanda, I really don't know where my cloth is," worried Nawang Wulan. However, her sisters couldn't wait any longer. They had to go back, no matter what. "Adinda Nawang Wulan, be brave," yelled her six sisters while flying away. They separated eventually.

Now Nawang Wulan was all alone. What if night come? where can I get help? asked herself. This fairy kept on crying.

Jaka Tarub heard her crying, he then walked to her and asked, "Dear beautiful girl, why are you crying? How come you in this jungle?"

Nawang Wulan told him her problem, Then didn't know how, the fairy felt so comfortable telling him about herself.

They then introduced themselves. Jaka Tarub
invited Nawang Wulan to his house. At the house Jaka Tarub gave her some girl village clothes and asked her to dressed. Nawang Wulan didn't have any suspicions at all toward him. She was taught back home to trust other people, so that was what she did: trust him.

Not long aftet that, Jaka Tarub proposed Nawang Wulan. She said yes with one condition: Jaka Tarub was forbidden to aske her how she did her daily chores. "Okay," said Jaka Tarub.

From that day, they became a happily husband and wife. They became happier with the arrival of their beautiful baby named Nawangsih.

At first Jaka Tarub had his doubt. He worried Nawang Wulan cou;dn't do his duty as a good wife and mother, because she was a fairy and her life must have been so much different from a normal human. But surprisingly she was soo good at finishing her daily chores.

Beside that, Jaka Tarub had been asking himself about her. Why? From washing clothes, cooking rice and caring for her child, Nawang Wulan had done it perfectly. All the works must have been affecting her appearance, but no. She still remained beautiful as a fairy.

Jaka Tarub became more and more curious. How did my wife do all the house chores perfectly? And why did her appearance remain the same? How did she do it? So Jaka Tarub decided to find out himself. Until one day, he broke his promise to Nawang Wulan unintentionally.

When night came as usual he watched her wife preparing plates, spoons complete with the dishes. When Jaka Tarub wanted to get the rice, he was so shocked to find an uncooked rice! The plate should've been full of rice.

Since then, Nawang Wulan's life was changed. She no longer could rest. Tiredness was beginning to show in her face. Her beauty as fairy slowly began to fade.


Nawang Wulan couldn't take it any more. "Nawangsih, my child, forgive me because I have to leave you," Nawang Wulan was so sad.

Beside the granary, Nawang Wulan lay weakly. No one could help her. Only Nawangsih, her daughter who was sitting close by her side.

Suddenly, Nawang Wulan smelled something good in the granary. The smell she was familiar with. The smell brightened her spirit She instantly looked for the source of the smell.

It turned out the smell came from her used to be missing clothes. "This is my missing fairy clothes. But why did my husband hide it?" asked Nawang Wulan curiously.

Nawang Wulan immediately wore the clothes. She felt reborn again. It was magic! At that moment Nawang Wulan felt like she was used to be, a fairy again.

Jaka Tarub was so shocked knowing that. But then they realized if human and fairy's world could were different. But Nawang Wulan promised that she never left him and their daughter, Nawangsih. She also promised if Jaka Tarub or Nawangsih need help, the help would come.

Years later..
Jaka Tarub and his daughter lived happily. They never lacked of anything All Jaka Tarub dan her daughter's wishes always came true easily. It mean Nawang Wulan kept her promise.

The Moral:

Whe should always work hard to fulfill our dreams. But we have to fulfill it in the right ways. If we get it the wrong way, the result will be bad too.

Source : http://yayajanuary.multiply.com/journal/item/151/Jaka_Tarub_English_Version_