When Bandung Bondowoso arrived at the palace he caught the sight of Princess Roro Jonggrang.

He
forgot his mission, instantly. Her charm and beauty had captivated him.

“Princess, you have conquered my heart. Marry me. I will take care of you and your people,” said
Bandung Bondowoso.

“I cannot marry someone who murdered my father,” Roro Jonggrang replied.

“But I insist. You forget that without your father, your people is just like a scattered brood of chicks.
What protection do you have over me and my army? If you marry me, you stop the war and save your
people,” the prince threatened.

Roro Jonggrang was confused. She thought for a moment. Then she spoke, “I will marry you under one
condition.”

“Name it.”

“Build me a well and a thousand temples in one night.”

“Very well,” said Bandung Bondowoso.

The prince first built the well. He completed it in an instant. When he was inside the well, Roro
Jonggrang ordered Patih Gupolo to shower him with stones. Bandung Bondowoso, however, managed
to get out of the well.

Now it was time to build the temples. The prince summoned hundreds of genies to help him. When 999
temples were completed, the princess was filled with horror and shock. She never expected the prince
would be able to fulfill her request. She thought hard to find a way to fail him.

“Genies are afraid of sunlight. They will scram when they see it coming. How can I make them think the
morning is setting in?”

She had an idea. She knew her maids had a habit of pounding paddy rice in the morning. She called her
maids and asked them to pound rice. Roro Jonggrang herself lit a fire to make it look as if the sun was
rising.

“Look, it’s morning! We have to go!” said the leader of the genies.

“No, we have to build one more temple!” the prince exclaimed.

The genies ignored him and fled. Then the dawn came. Its red light fell on the top of the temples.

“You failed, didn’t you?” Roro Jonggrang mocked him.

“You! It was you who tricked the genies! Then you’ll be the last temple!”

He cursed Roro Jonggrang. And she instantly turned into a stone statue.