Lutung Kasarung

Folklore from West Java

In a kingdom of heaven, Guruminda son of Sunan Ambu plunged in thought. He was thinking about his mother. The thought drove him crazy. He thought her not as a mother but as a woman. That was very brash. He was shy to his mother because of the thought. He could not imagine his mother’s anger if she knew about it.

But a mother always has a sharp feeling about her children. That’s why you cannot tell lie to your mother because she always knows.

That is why Sunan Ambu knew her son’s problem. So she ordered Guruminda to come. “Guruminda, I know what in your mind and I know it’s wrong. So I’ve been thinking that you have to go to earth to have some lessons. And you will go down there as a monkey.”

Guruminda stood up, his lips sealed. He accepted the order as a punishment because of his effrontery. He was transformed as a black long tailed monkey called Lutung Kasarung, went to the earth and lived in a forest.

Meanwhile in the kingdom of Pasir Batang, in the earth, King Tapa Agung felt the time had come to put his crown to his heir but he could not decide the person. King Tapa Agung had seven daughters and no son. The oldest was Princes Purbararang. The crown should be hers because she was the oldest but King Tapa Agung felt hard to give the crown to her. People knew Princess Purbararang as an arrogant princess. She never cared about her people. On the other hand, her youngest sister, Princess Purbasari was a dear for all her folks.

King Tapa Agung did penance to get divine inspiration from his Gods. So after a while, king Tapa Agung decided to give the crown to Princess Purbasari. Princess Purbararang was very disappointed with king’s decision. She had a plan to evict Purbasari. She could not stand see other person held a power.

Princess Purbararang visited a witch and asked her for a poison. The witched gave her a small bottle of a poison. Princess Purbararang went home with a poison in her hand.

In the night, when Purbasari slept, Purbararang walked slowly into Purbasari’s room. She sprayed the poison to Purbasari’s body. In a second, the beautiful Purbasari turned to be the ugly black Purbasari. People could not recognize her face again. Purbasari was evicted from her palace. Purbararang then became a queen of Pasir Batang kingdom.

People were afraid of Purbasari’s look so she isolated herself in the forest. A kingdom advisor, Batara Lengser, built a simple house in the forest for Purbasari. He asked Purbasari to be patient facing a life test.

Since Purbararang ruled Pasir Batang, she became more arrogant. She always gave punishment to people if they did not make her happy. People were afraid of her. There was also no hope from her fiancé, prince Indrajaya. He did not care what Purbararang did. All he cared was dressed up.

One day, Purbararang held a ceremony. She ordered a man to get a fresh animal. He had to get it or his head would replace the animal head. The man went hunting. After couple of hours, he met a black long tail monkey. The monkey jumped from one tree to other tree. He was surprised saw the unusual monkey. He chased the monkey and tied it with a rope. He brought the monkey to the palace as a ritual offering. He tied the monkey in the middle of field where the ceremony was held. When queen Purbararang entered the field with Batara Lengser, the monkey struggled, released his tied and jumped all over the place, hit the soldiers with their spears and almost injured the queen. The monkey became so wild and unable to be approached. When Batara Lengser tried to approach the monkey, suddenly the monkey became quite. The monkey obeyed Batara Lengser.

Queen Purbararang then had an idea for the monkey. She ordered Batara Lengser to give the monkey to Purbasari. She thought the wild monkey could hurt and killed Purbasari. So Purbararang didn’t have to worry anymore about her crown.

Batara Lengser brought the monkey to Purbasari. He ordered the monkey not to hurt Purbasari. The monkey nodded his head like a person who understand the order.

In the forest, at Purbasari place, she and the monkey became friends. The monkey known as
Lutung Kasarung always made Purbasari laughed. They played together. She also made friend with animals around her house.

One day, Lutung Kasarung did penance. He asked his mother to help him built a bathing place for Purbasari. His mother then sent some of her man to build a bathing place near Purbasari’s house. The bathing place was beautiful. The shower was made from gold and the floor was made from marble. The water flew from the clear waterfall. Sunan Ambu also ordered her tailor to make a cloth from clouds and rainbow for Purbasari.

When Purbasari entered the bathing place, her eyes opened wide. She amazed the architecture of the shower. The walls and the floors were so glossy. The bathing tub was very wide like a natural pool and the water was so clear.

“How this happened, Lutung?” Purbasari asked.

“You are a kindhearted person, Purbasari. That’s why heaven loves you,” Lutung said. “Now, take a bath and wear this cloth “Lutung said to Purbasari while its hand gave her the cloud cloth.

“It’s so soft and beautiful” Purbasari stroke the cloth. Purbasari got into the bathing tub. The water made her black body cleaned. Her skin became soft again and it made her more beautiful then ever. When she wore the cloth, she felt so light. Purbasari looked beautiful. Lutung spellbound. Purbasari was looked different than he knew. She captivated.

The news about a beautiful bathing place in the middle of forest was heard into the palace. Queen Purbararang thought there were people from Pasir Batang built the bathing place for Purbasari. Queen Purbararang was very angry. She needed reason to kill Purbasari. Then she made a contest for Purbasari. She challenged Purbasari to make a huma, a clear land for cultivation. It had to finish before the sunrise. If Purbasari failed, she would die by hanging.

When Batara Lengser went to Purbasari’s place to tell her about the contest, Queen Purbararang ordered hundreds of her soldiers to clear land near Purbasari’s place for cultivation. She thought Purbasari and her men would not be able to finish it before the sunrise.

Purbasari was confused how to clear the land in one night. She did not have men to do that. Lutung Kasarung then helped her. He asked his mother in the heaven to send him soldiers to clear the land. Sunan Ambu sent her soldiers to earth to help Purbasari.

The next day, after the sunrise, Purbararang, prince Indrajaya and her men went to the forest. She was surprised saw a huma next to hers. There were Batara Lengser and Lutung Kasarung standing there.

Purbararang was angry and disappointed. She still challenged Purbasari to contest their beauty. Purbararang thought Purbasari was still a black ugly girl. She ordered Purbasari to come out from her house. Purbasari then came out from the house. She turned to be a beautiful girl. She was more beautiful then Purbararang. There was no dirt in her skin. Purbararang was shocked but she still had plan. She challenged Purbasari’s fiance.

“People, I challenge Purbasari’s fiancé to fight with my fiancé, prince Indrajaya. Where is your fiancé, Purbasari ?” asked Purbararang. Prince Indrajaya came forward and smiled mocking Purbasari. Purbasari turned her head to Lutung Kasarung.

“A monkey, Purbasari?” asked Purbararang laughing.
Lutung Kasarung came forward and sat with legs crossed in the ground. His put his hands together in front his chest. Then Lutung Kasarung transformed into a handsome youngman. He turned to be Guruminda. People were shocked, especially prince Indrajaya. His face became pale. He was afraid to fight with Guruminda. Then he put his hands together and hung his head, asked mercy for him.

Purbararang lost her contest. She gave her crown to Purbasari. Purbasari and Guruminda rode to the palace. They ruled the Pasir Batang kingdom. Citizens were happy. They lived safe and wealthy. Purbararang and her fiancé were punished for they did.

Source : http://xastory.blogspot.com/2008/01/in-kingdom-of-heaven-guruminda-son-of.html