The Story of the Smart Parrot

A man in Puerto Rice had a wonderful parrot. The was no ather parrots like it.

It was smart, very smart. This parrot would say any word-except one. He would not say the where he was born. The name of the town was Catano.

The man tried to teach the parrot to say Catano. But the bird would not say the word. At first, the man was very nice, but then he got angry. “You stupid bird! Why can’t you say the word? Say Catano or I will kill you” but the carrot would not say it. then the man got so angry tha he shouted over and over, “Say Catano, or i will kill you?”, but the bird would not talk.

One day after trying for many hours to make the bird say Catano, the man got very angry, very angry. He pick up the bird and throw it into the chicken’s house. “You are more stupid than the chickens. Soon i will eat them and eat you too”.

The next day the man came back to the chicken’s house. He opened the door and stopped. He was very surprised at what he saw.

He saw three dead chicken on the floor. The parrot was screaming at fourth chicken. “Say Catano, or I’ll kill you!”

Smile, Please

Mr. Basir had a cow. One day, he called his guard. He asked him to teach his cow to read. If he could not, he would punish him. His guard had no choice. He accepted the cow at the palm tree behind his house.

In the next morning, he went to the backyard with a rattan stick. He hit the animal again and again. He kept hitting it while saying, You, Basir, or I”. He did it every morning.

One day Mr. Basir called him. He asked him, “Why didn’t you give me a report on your duty?” “I’m so sorry, Sir. I was so busy teaching the cow to read that I forgot to report,” answer the guard.

“Why did you only say three words to it, you, Basir or I?” asked Mr. Basir.

“You, first possibility that the cow was wrong. It was too foolish. The second possibility was Mr. Basir was wrong. You knew that animal can not read. The third possibility, I was wrog because I could not teach animal to read,” answer the guard. “You were right. I take my order back. You can have the cow. You can sell it, keep it, or slaughter it, but don’t hit it,” said Mr. Basir.

Source: Abunawas & His Impossible Missions, Sugeng Hariyanto, Kanisius 2001

Roro Anteng and Joko Seger

Hundreds of years ago, during the reign of the last king of Majapahit, Brawijaya , one of king’s wives gave birth to a girl, who was named Roro Anteng. Later, this young princess married Joko Seger, who came from Brahman caste. Because of unfortunate situation, the couple was forced to leave the kingdom. They settled down in the mountain area. They ruled the area and named it Tengger, which was derived from the couples’ names, Roro Anteng and Joko Seger.

After several years, the region flourished in prosperity, but Roro Anteng and Joko Seger were unhappy because they did not have a child. Frustated, they climbed the top of the mountain and prayed night and day hoping that the gods would listen. The prayer was heard and Betoro Bromo promised them many children. However, the couple had to promise that they would sacrifice their youngest child in return.

Roro Anteng gave birth to a child, then another and another. In the end, they got 25 children. Soon it was time for them to sacrifice the youngest child, Kesuma, but the parents just could not do it. they tried to hide the child, but an eruption happened and Kesuma fell into the carter. There was silence before the heard a voice, “I have to be sacrificed so that you will all stay alive. From now on, you should arrange an annual offering ceremony on the 13^rd of Kesodo  (the twelfth month of Tenggerese calendar ). ” It was Kesuma’s voice.

Kesuma’s brothers and sisters held the offering ceremony evry year. Instead of human being, these people collected fruits, vegetables, rice and meat to be offered to the gods. And this has been done generation after generation until today.

Blue-Tongue Lizard

Blue-tongue lizard and his family camped near a swamp long ago. One day, blue-tongue went to get sme food. While he was down at the swamp, he left his wife sitting under the shady tree. A little while later, Taipan passed by blue-tongue lizard’s camp. He saw blue-tongue lizard’s wife sitting under the tree. He decided he would steal her from blue-tongue lizard.

He took her with him and together they ran a long way. Taipan did not know that a black bird had been watching him. As long as he ran away with blue-tongue lizard’s wife, black bird began singing out to blue-tongue lizard “your wife is gone,  Taipan has taken her away”, he cried. Blue-tongue lizard herad black bird’s call. He went back to the shady tree  where he had left his wife and saw she was gone. He put down his bag which was full of food and made a fire. He cooked his food after he had finished eating it, he went to get his spears.

He found they had been broken by Taipan. Then he found the tracks of his wife and Taipan and he followed them. Blue-tongue lizard followed followed their tracks until he came to a freshly killed emu. It had been killed by Taipan. Blue-tongue knew that Taipan and his wife must be nearby. He soon found them near a river. When Taipan saw him, soon Taipan ran to get the spears but Blue-tongue had already broken them.

“We can fight with our teeth”, said Blue-tongue lizard. Taipan agreed and the two fought wildly. Ubtil finally Blue-tongue lizard caught hold of Taipan’s body in his powerful jaws and bit him in half. With Taipan dead, blue-tongue lizard took his wife and together they returned to the swamp.

*Note: Taipan is a snake.

(Source: Extract from the land of the snake people. Percy trezise 2000)

The Scorpion and The Frog

One day, a scorpion looked around at the mountain where he lived and decided that he wanted a change. He set out on a journey through the forests and the hills. He climbed over rocks and under vines and kept going until he reached a river.

The river was wide and swift. The scorpion then stopped to reconsider the situation. He could not see any way across. So he ran upriver and then checked downriver, all the while thinking that he might have to run back.

Suddenly, he saw a frog sitting in the bushes by the bank of the stream on the other side of the river. He decided to ask the frog for help getting across the stream.

“Hello Mr. Frog!” called the scorpion across the water,  “Would you be so kind as to give me a ride on your back across the river?”

“Well now, Mr. Scorpion! How do I know that if I try to help you, you will not try to kill me?” asked the frog hestitantly. “Because,” the scorpion replied, “If I try to kill you, then I would die too, for you see I can not swim!”

Now this seemed to make sense to the frog. But he asked “What about when I get close to the bank? You still try to kill me and get back to the shore!

“This is true, “agreed the scorpion, “ But then I could not be able to get the other side of the river!”

“Alright then, how do I know you won’t just wait until we get to the other side of the river and then kill me?” said the frog.

“Ahh... crooned the scorpion, “because you see, once you have taken me to the other side of this river, I will be so grateful for your help, that it would hardly be fair to reward you with death, now would it?!”

So the frog agreed to take the scorpion across the river. He swam over the bank and settled himself near the mud to pick up his passenger. The scorpion crawled onto the frog’s back, his sharp claws prickling into the frog’s soft hide and the frog slid into the river. The muddy water swirled around them, but the frog stayed near the surface so the scorpion wouldn’t drown. He kicked srongly through the first half of the stream, his flippers paddling wildly against the current.

Halfway across the river, the frog suddenly felt a sharp sting in his back and, out of the corner of his eye, saw the scorpion remove his stinger from the frog’s back. A deadening numoness began to creep into his limbs.

“you fool!” croaked the frog, “Now we shall both die! Why on earth did you do that?”

The scorpion shrugged, and did a little jig on the drowning frog’s back.

“I could not help myself. It’s my nature.”

Then they both sank into the muddy water of the swifty flowing river.

The Fox and The Vineyard

A hungry fox went to look for food. He walked along the country roads and came to a vineyard. Of course he wanted to ge inside, but he could not do so because there was a high wall all round the place. He tried to climb the wall but it was too high.

He walked round the wall and at one part saw a hole. “Ah” He tought. “Now” I can get inside. He began to push himself through the hole but he was too fat.

“There is only one thing for me to do.” He said at last. “I must become thinner”. For a whole day he did not get anything to eat and the he tried to get trhough the hole, but he was still too fat. He ate nothing for another day and he did not get thin enough. At the end of the third day, he found that he could get through the hole.

At last he was inside the vineyard and could eat the fruit. The grapes were sweet and he ate as many as he could. He ate and ate till he could not eat anymore. Then he went to the hole and tried to through. But alas! He could not do so. He was too fat.

Poor fox! There was only one thing for him to do now. He had to stay in the vineyard with the fine fruits all round him and be hungry for three days. At the end of that time, the fox became thin and he could get through the hole.

A Bedtime Story for Children

A bedtime story is a story that is told to the children before they sleep and usually it can be done by parents. Children will  sleep easily when they listen to the story. This is because of their condition that is very relaxed when they are on bed. Many children consider that this can be one of the most eagerly waited, because children like to imagine something based on the story being told when they hear it. However, in this recent era of medernization, many parents often forget about this activity. This thing may happen because they are busy with their own business or careers. Thus, this may make children less imagination. If it is explored further, there are some benefits of a bedtime story for the children. Bedtime story can stimulate children’s imagination and think creatively, build their emotion, teach them the moral value based on the story and the last one is that it can build children’s intelligence on language.

            The first is that a bedtime story can build children’s imagination and think creatively. When the children listen to the story, their imagination is extended with no limits. It means that when they think or imagine the story, their mind is trained to elicit the story is about by thinking its setting, plot, and the actors. However, it does not mean that their imagination has to be the same based on the story, but children may imagine it more creative than the story itself. This imagination will make them as if they were taken a part of the story being told. It is very useful and the impact can be seen after they reach adult ages. For example the writer, Jonathan Swift, who writes Gulliver’s travels. By his great imagination, the story of Gulliver’s Travels becomes famous during his era even until now. Many readers are inspired by this story and it becomes the materpiece over the world. Another example is that when the children get a problem, they will think and try to solve their problem by looking for the way out and the best deed that they have to do. Based on the bedtime story that being told every night, a trouble must be experienced by the actor and they way he solves it. children will act as if they were the actors in that story and this thing will help them try to be more independent in solving the problem. If parents let the children having their imagination freely, of course they will be creative and able to find many kinds of idea. Imagining the thing that never happens, it will become something new and it is possible to be a masterpiece. By having an extended imagination, children can think more creative and make their own world that has not ever been available during their lives.

            The second is that the bedtime story can build children’s emotion. When the children listen to the story, they will learn what the actors are feeling, such as happy, sad, or care. These kinds of expression can lead the children learn how to role in understanding one’s feeling. This feeling of empathy will guide the children when they are in society. The story will inspire them in doing the socialization so that they will be easy in associating themslves. When the children rarely listen to the story and are rarely inspired, they may be little selfish when thay have to share anything that they have to the other friends, or they may not understand other’s feeling when they are sad or something like that. By listening to the story, children will be inspired and have a great empathy to the others, because they feel what the others are feeling.

            The next is that bedtime story can teach them about the moral value based on the story. When the children listen to it, they will know who the antagonist and the protagonist are. It will lead them that the antagonist will never win when they fight against the protagonist. Antagonist will be accursed and defeated by the protagonist one. From the story, children will behave as the protagonist in that story being told. It means that in real world, children will do something good like when they listen to the story. This thing will give them a big chance to be a hero and being liked by the others. For example that story of an arrogant rabbit and a slow turtle. The rabbitis as the antagonist one and the turtle roles as the protagonist. When they both did the competition of marathon, the rabbit was so arrogant that he would win the copmpetition. During the competition, because of the turtle was still left behind, the rabbit decided to take a rest and ate bananas. He ate too much and fell asleep. As the rabbit woke up, the turtle had passed through him, so the tutle won the competition. From the story above, the moral and value that can be gained is that vanity will be defeated by goodness. If the children apply this good story in their real life, it will lead the to the good things in their behaviors.

            The last one is that a bedtime story can build children’s intelligence on language. The children who are listening to the story, automatically they will learn about many kinds of vocabulary. It will increase the children’s linguistic and the way it is used. This vocabulary will train the children in a various condition, such as how to behave with someone who is older than them, how to do conversation politely to the others, etc. This positive impact will be realized after being adults. Their speaking ability will be arranged systematically, logically and in a lure way. Not only orally, but also when they have to pour their thoughts or opinions through the paper, their writing ability will be good that the language is easy to understand. Ir. Seokarno, the first Indonesian President, is used being told a bedtime story by his mother when he was a child. After being a president, his speech has a high linguistic, he can be a great orator and inspire all indonesian people. By doing so, children will have a good ability in linguistic.

            Thus, a bedtime story is very useful for the children that can make them good in discovering something new by imagiation that is unlimited. They also can adapt the environment easily because they have a high empathy and good in controlling their emotion then having a good linguistic to communicate to the others.

                           Haifa wahbe - When The Sun Sets / هيفاء وهبي- لما الشمس تروح

Source:http://seputar-ibu-anak.blogspot.com/2012/12/manfaat-dongeng-sebelum-tidur-untuk-anak.html#axzz2JJupL1A9
Video: Courtesy of youtube