Luntung Kasarung

Orientation: Once upon a time, in the Sundanese land, there was a kingdom ruled by a wise king named Prabu Tapak Agung. Prabu Tapak Agung had two beautiful daughters, Purbararang and her younger sister, Purbasari. As he approached the end of his life, Prabu Tapak Agung appointed Purbasari, his youngest daughter, as his successor. "I am too old; it is time for me to step down from the throne," said Prabu Tapak Agung.

Complications: Purbasari had an older sister named Purbararang, who disagreed with her younger sister being appointed as their father's successor. "I am the eldest daughter; Father should have chosen me as his successor," grumbled Purbararang to her fiancé, Indrajaya. Her growing resentment led her to plot against her sister. She sought out a witch to curse Purbasari. The witch cursed Purbasari, causing her skin to become spotted and blackened. Purbararang now had a reason to exile her sister. "Someone cursed like her is not worthy of becoming a queen!" declared Purbararang.

She then ordered a royal minister to banish Purbasari to the forest. Upon arriving in the forest, the minister was still kind enough to build a small hut for Purbasari. He also gave her advice, "Be patient, Princess. This trial will pass, and the Almighty will always be with you." "Thank you, Uncle," replied Purbasari. While living in the forest, she befriended many animals who were always kind to her. Among them was a mysterious black-furred monkey. This monkey, named Lutung Kasarung, was the most caring towards Purbasari. He always cheered her up by bringing beautiful flowers and fruits along with his friends.

On the night of a full moon, Lutung Kasarung started behaving strangely. He walked to a secluded place and began meditating, praying to the gods. This showed that Lutung Kasarung was not an ordinary creature. Not long after, the ground near Lutung cracked open, creating a small pond with crystal-clear water. The water was very fragrant and had healing properties.

The next day, Lutung Kasarung approached Purbasari and asked her to bathe in the pond. "What good will this do for me?" thought Purbasari, but she agreed. As soon as she immersed herself in the water, something miraculous happened to her skin. Her skin became smooth and fair once again, and she was beautiful as before. Purbasari was surprised and delighted when she saw her reflection in the pond.

Meanwhile, in the palace, Purbararang decided to visit her sister in the forest. She went with her fiancé and several guards. When they arrived in the forest, Purbararang was astonished to see her sister restored to her original beauty. Not wanting to lose face, Purbararang challenged Purbasari to a contest of who had the longest hair. "Whoever has the longest hair will be the winner!" declared Purbararang. At first, Purbasari refused, but after being persistently urged, she agreed. It turned out that Purbasari's hair was longer.

"Fine, I lost, but now let's compete in the handsomeness of our fiancés. This is my fiancé," said Purbararang as she moved closer to Indrajaya. Purbasari began to feel anxious and confused. In the end, she glanced at and grabbed Lutung Kasarung's hand. Lutung Kasarung jumped around, trying to reassure Purbasari. Purbararang burst into laughter, "So that monkey is your fiancé?"

At that very moment, Lutung Kasarung began to meditate again. Suddenly, a miracle occurred. Lutung Kasarung transformed into a handsome young man, far more handsome than Indrajaya. Everyone was shocked by this transformation and cheered joyfully. Purbararang finally admitted her defeat and acknowledged her wrongdoings. She begged for her sister's forgiveness and pleaded not to be punished. Kind-hearted Purbasari forgave them.

After this incident, they all returned to the palace. Purbasari became the queen, accompanied by her ideal man, who had been her loyal companion in the forest in the form of a monkey.

Reorientation: The moral lesson that can be learned from this story is to always do good to others. This moral is reflected in Purbasari's character, who was kind-hearted to everyone, including animals. Because of her kindness, she was surrounded by a good environment, one of whom was Lutung Kasarung, who eventually became her savior.