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Narrative X
Narrative X
A great king of a land far away in the East had a daughter who was very beautiful, but
too much pride in herself and arrogant. None of the princes who came to ask for her hand in
marriage was good enough for her. All she ever did was make fun of them.
Once upon a time the king held a great feast and invited all her suitors. They all sat in a row,
ranged according to their rank - kings and princes and dukes and earlsand counts and barons
and knights. When the princess came in, as she passed by them, she had something spiteful to
say to each one.
The first was too fat: 'He's as round as a tub', she said.
The next was too tall: 'What a maypole!' she said.
The next was too short: 'What a dumpling!' she said.
The fourth was too pale, and she called him Wall face.
The fifth was too red, so she called him 'Coxcomb.'
The sixth was not straight enough; so she said he was like a green stick that had been laid to
dry over a baker's oven. She had some joke to crack about everyone. But she laughed most of
all at a good king who was there.
'Look at him, 'she said; 'his beard is like an old mop; he shall be called Grisly-beard.' So the king
got the nickname of Grisly-beard.
But the old king was very angry when he saw how his daughter behaved and how badly she
treated all his guests. He vowed that, willing or unwilling, she would marry the first man that
came to the door.
Two days later a travelling fiddler came by the castle. He began to play under the window and
begged for money and when the king heard him, he said, 'Let him come in.'
So, they brought the dirty-looking fellow in and, when he had sung before the king and the
princess, he begged for a gift.
The king said, 'You have sung so well that I will give you my daughter to take as your wife,''
The princess begged and prayed; but the king said, 'I have sworn to give you to the first man
who came to the door, and I will keep my word.'
Words and tears were to no avail; the person was sent for, and she was married to the fiddler.
Once upon a time, in eastern part of Java Island, there was a kingdom ruled by a king.
The king’s name was Prabu Menak Prakoso. One day, Prabu Menak Prakoso and his soldiers
invaded the kingdom of Klungkung in Bali. The king of Klungkung was killed, yet his daughter,
Made Surati, and his son, Agung Bagus Mantra, were able to escape and hide in the jungle.
Prabu Menak Prakoso had a son named Raden Banterang. He was such a handsome
young man. One day, Raden Banterang went to the jungle for hunting. It was in the jungle that
Raden Banterang met Made Surati. She was then taken to Blambangan to be his wife. Raden
Banterang and Made Surati enjoyed a happy life in the Palace.
When Raden Banterang was hunting one day, Made Surati was surprised by the arrival
of a dirty beggar asking for her pity. The princess was surprised to find that the beggar was her
older brother, Agung Bagus Mantra. She promptly squatted and embraced her brother’s legs.
However, her great respect of her brother was not well accepted. Instead, Agung Bagus Mantra
asked his sister to kill Raden Banterang. But such a request was rejected. He was very angry
with her and came up with a cunning idea to slander her.
Slowly but surely, Agung succeeded in convincing Raden Banterang that his wife was
not loyal woman. Asking for compassion, Made Surati tried to tell the truth and denied her
husband’s accusation. Hearing his wife explanation, the king became angrier and angrier. As a
proof of her sacred love, she asked her husband to kill her. As her last request, she asked her
husband to throw her dead body into the river. She said that if the water in the river smelled
terrible, it meant that she had ever been sinful. But if it smelled fragrant, it meant that she was
innocent.
Raden Banterang who was unable to control his emotions soon stabbed his kerís
(dagger) into his wife’s chest. She died instantly. The dead body of Made Surati was quickly
thrown into the dirty river. Raden Banterang was shocked to see the river suddenly become
clean and as clear as glass with a fragrant smell. Raden Banteraflll screamed loudly and
regretted his deed. He walked unsteadìly and fell into the river screaming, “Banyu… Wangì…
Banyuwangi!” This means “fragrant water”.Banyuwangi was born from the proof of noble and
sacred love. From then on, the place is called Banyuwangi.
1. What did Made Surati and Agung Bagus Mantra do after his father passed away?
2. What was the name of the child of Prabu Menak Prakoso?
3. What did Agung Bagus Mantra ask to Made Surati?
4. Why Made Surati asked her husband to kill her?
5. What was the moral value of the story?