Friday, May 29, 2009

Roro Jonggrang (2)

The war between Pengging and Prambanan raged in the battlefield. The commander of Pengging was Prince Bandung Bandawasa and the commander of Prambanan was King Baka, a big giant. The King of Prambanan was killed, and the war was over. His wife, Roro Jonggrang, a very beautiful queen was safe.
Bandung Bandawasa fell in love with Roro Jonggrang and proposed her to be his wife. Roro Jonggrang refused his proposal because she thought it would be better if he proposed her daughter, Nawangsih. But Bandung insisted to marry her. Roro Jonggrang asked him a marriage settlement. She would accept him as her husband if Bandung could make a magnificent temple with a thousand beautiful statues around it and finished them in one night before the sun shone.
He agreed her and prayed for help to Gods. When the night fell a big work began. In the field there was a noise of carving and arranging stones, but no one could see what happened.
Bandung Bandawasa almost finished his temples, but Roro Jonggrang cheated him. She asked villagers to burn ‘paddi’ plants in the East, so the women grinded the rice and the cocks crowed. It signed that the sun shone. Bandung knew about this and became angry. He revenged her and made her a statue.
Bandung Bandawasa was deeply in love with Roro Jonggrang. So he was very disappointed seeing Roro Jonggrang became a statue. He saw the statue from a certain distance, and the statue waved him and smiled. Bandung Bandawasa called her aloud, “Jonggrang, don’t leave me!” He came closer to her but it was a stone. He did it again and again. Bandung broke his heart and came home to Pengging.
Bandung’s father, the King of Pengging asked about the war. But Bandung just smiled and murmured, “Roro Jonggrang, oh, Roro Jonggrang, will you marry me?” His father asked him again about the war, but Bandung did not care his father’s order. His father became very angry and said, “Bandung, you are the commander of Pengging, but you acted as if you were a dog". Suddenly, Bandung became a dog.
The dog ran away to the village. However, in the village the dog met a woman who was weaving clothes. The woman was in trouble with the spin (mata pintal benang). She said, “Whoever could help with my spin, he would be my husband.” No one could help her but the dog.

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