THE LEGEND OF TANGKUPAN PERAHU

By Aphrodite Kenzie Darmawan

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Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.

Good morning judges, friends, everybody. I am kenzie, today I want to tell a legend of
Tangkuban Perahu. Do you know where the legend comes from? Yes, that’s right. It comes from
West Java. Okay, I’ll tell you the story.
Once upon a time, in West Java, Indonesia, lived a wise king who had a beautiful
daughter. Her name was Dayang Sumbi. She liked weaving very much. Once, she was weaving a
cloth. One of her tool felt to the ground. She was very tired at the time so she was too lazy to
take it. Then she just shouted outloud.
“Hello … . Anybody there? Anybody there? Bring me my tool. I will give you a special
present. If you are female, I will consider you as my sister. If you are male, I will marry you.”
Suddenly a male dog, named Tumang, came. He brought her the falling tool. Dayang
Sumbi was very surprised. Oh no … . She regretted her words but she couldn’t deny it. So she
had to marry Tumang and lived in a small village. Several months later they had a son. His name
was Sangkuriang. He was a handsome and healthy boy.
Sangkuriang liked hunting very much. When he went hunting, Tumang always with him.
One day, Dayang Sumbi wanted to have deer’s heart therefore she ordered Sangkuriang
hunting for a deer. Then, Sangkuriang went to the wood with his faithful dog, Tumang.
However, after several days in the wood, Sangkuriang couldn’t find any deer. Sangkuring was
exhausted and desperate. He didn’t want to disappoint his mother so he killed Tumang. He didn’t
know that Tumang was his father. At home, he gave Tumang’s heart to his mother.
However, Dayang Sumbi knew that it was Tumang’s heart. She was very angry that she
couldn’t control her emotion. She hit Sangkuriang at his head and said, “Go away. Don’t ever
come back here, Sangkuriang.” Sangkuriang left his mother in sadness.
Do you know what happened after sangkuriang left his mother? Okay, I’ll continue the
story.
 Many years passed, and Sangkuriang became a strong young man. He wandered
everywhere. One day, he arrived at his own village but he didn’t realize it. He met Dayang
Sumbi, there. At the time Dayang Sumbi was given an eternal beauty by God, so she stayed
young forever. Both of them didn’t know each other. They felt in love and then they decided to
marry.
Dayang Sumbi suddenly recognized a scar on Sangkuriang’s head. She knew that
Sangkuriang was her son. It was impossible for them to marry. She told him but he didn’t believe
her. So Dayang Sumbi gave a very difficult condition. She wanted Sangkuriang to build a lake
and a boat in one night!
Friends, do you think Sangkuriang agreed with Dayang Sumbi condition, agreed or
dissagred? Okay, listen then.
Sangkuriang agreed. He asked genies help. He spelt like this.
“Hey genies, help me. Help me make a lake and a boat in one night!”
By midnight, they had finished the lake. And when they tried to build the boat, it was
almost dawn. Dayang sumbi kept watching on them. She was very worried when she knew this.
So, she made lights in the east.
Then, the genies thought it was already dawn. It was time for them to leave.
Sangkuriang was very angry because he couldn’t finish the boat. He kicked the boat and
turned out to be Mount Tangkuban Perahu. From a distant it looks like a boat upside down.
Well friends, what can we learn from this story?
The moral value is think before act. No matter what happened, always be an honest
person.
Okay friends, that’s all. Thanks a million for your attention.
Wassalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.