Once upon a time in Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta, there was a kingdom named Medang Kingdom. The king was King Dewata Cengkar. He liked to eat. The chef in the palace always worked hard. The king was never satisfied with the food.
One day, the chef accidentally cut his finger and the blood dropped into the food. The chef was really scared and he told his friends not to tell the king about it. His friends agreed.
After the food was served, the king immediately ate. He really enjoyed the food. He said it was the most delicious food he ever had. Then he had a party and invited many people. He wanted his guests to eat his delicious food. However, the food was not as delicious as the king had earlier. The king was angry, he sent the chef to the jail.
Later, the chef’s friends told the king about the chef’s blood in the food. Probably the blood made the food delicious. The king then asked his soldiers to bring him a villager and dropped his blood to the food. It was true! The food was very delicious. Since then the king always asked his soldiers to go around the villages and bring him someone’s blood.
People were scared. They did not want their blood to be taken. They prayed to Gods days and nights. Gods listened to their prayer. They sent Aji Saka. He was a man with great supernatural power.
When he was meditating, he heard a whisper. He was asked to go to Medang Kingdom to help the people. When he arrived at the kingdom, he told the soldiers that he wanted to give his blood. The soldiers later told the king that there was a man who willing to gave his blood.
The king was very happy. He had not eaten delicious food for a long time. That was because his soldiers could not find a villager who was willing to give his blood.
“I will give you my blood, but with one condition. You have to take off my robe,” said Aji Saka.
“Ha ha ha! That is easy,” said the king.
However when he tried to take off the robe, the king never succeeded. The robe seemed to be very long. The king was very tired. When the king stopped to rest, Aji Saka pushed him. The king fell down. And amazingly the king slowly changed into a white crocodile.
Aji Saka prepared his arrow. He pointed the arrow to the white crocodile. Right after the arrow hit the crocodile’s body, it died instantly.
And on the spot where the crocodile lied down, grew a limestone hill. The hill was infertile. It was very difficult for the villagers to plant a tree there. The villagers then made good use of the hill to decorate their houses.***
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Moral Message:
The moral message of this story is about the consequences of greed and the importance of listening to the pleas of those who suffer under tyranny. King Dewata Cengkar's insatiable desire for delicious food leads him to commit cruel acts, causing fear and suffering among his people. His actions ultimately result in his downfall, brought about by Aji Saka, who is sent by the gods to end the king's reign of terror. The transformation of the king into a white crocodile and his subsequent death symbolize the just punishment for his greed and cruelty. Additionally, the infertile limestone hill that grows where the crocodile fell serves as a reminder of the lasting impact of the king's selfishness on the land and its people.
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| Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta |
