The Legend of Keong Mas

There was once a big and splendid kingdom named Daha, which is now known as East Java.  The kingdom was led by a king named King Kertamarta. The king had two gorgeous daughters, Dewi Galuh and Candra Kirana. 

One day, a prince named Raden Inu Kertapati from Kahuripan, which was the neighboring kingdom of Daha, arrived at the kingdom. He had heard about the exceptional beauty of the two princesses in the Kingdom of Daha, and his visit was motivated by a proposal to one of these princesses. After spending several days conversing and getting to know Dewi Galuh and Chandra Kirana, Raden Inu ultimately chose Chandra Kirana. He was drawn to her because of her compassion, caring nature, and genuine concern for others, in contrast to Dewi Galuh, who displayed arrogance and a tendency to look down on others.

Raden Inu then went to King Kertamarta and requested permission to tie the knot with Princess Chandra Kirana. Soon after, King Kertamarta arranged an engagement party for Raden Inu and Chandra Kirana. Envy consumed Dewi Galuh as she witnessed her sister’s engagement. She had her heart set on Raden Inu Kertapati and believed he was better suited to be her fiancé. Thoughts of envy gave way to thoughts of anger. Dewi Galuh began making plans to get rid of Candra Kirana from the kingdom and separate her from Raden Inu. 

After the feast had continued for days, Dewi Galuh discreetly went to see the great Evil Witch in the forest on the fringes of the Daha kingdom. She went to a wicked witch for help in creating Candra Kirana into an ugly and dreadful person. The aim was to keep Raden Inu away from Candra Kirana, cancel her engagement, and hope that she would replace Candra Kirana as her fiancée. Dewi Galuh’s request was granted by the witch. The witch, however, was unable to enter the palace because King Kertamarta’s wizardry created a magical barrier against the wicked witch’s magic. Dewi Galuh made a chance to humiliate Chandra Kirana so that King Kertamerta kicked out the princess from the kingdom. 

Ultimately, Candra Kirana left the kingdom feeling depressed. In the wilderness outside of Daha kingdom, she encountered a wicked witch who took on the appearance of an elderly woman who had fallen down on her journey to Kahuripan kingdom. Then she tried to help the grandmother. However, as Chandra Kirana was holding her arms, the grandmother cast a magical spell, changing Candra Kirana into Keong Mas, a golden conch-like creature.  She was successfully charmed by the wicked wizard, who subsequently turned her into a Keong Mas and threw Candra Kirana into the river.  “Your curse will be lifted if you can meet your fiancé Prince Raden Inu,” the wicked wizard said. 

After three days, a widowed grandma from the nearby forest was fishing in the river with a fishing net. Keong Mas became entangled in the net by accident. When the grandma saw how lovely the golden conch was, she carried it home and placed it in the pot. The grandma took wonderful care of Keong Mas, talking to her as if it were her own child and giving it fresh vegetables. 

On the following day, the grandmother revisited the river with the intention of catching fish. Despite her efforts in casting the net, not a single fish was caught. Realizing that she had been unsuccessful for quite some time, she made the choice to head back home. To her delightful surprise, upon her arrival, she discovered a delightful lunch waiting on her table. This unexpected meal left the grandmother feeling amazed and curious about the generous person who had supplied and provided all the food.

Each day, when she embarked on her fishing trips, there was always a meal prepared for her, consisting of rice, side dishes, and fruits. Grandma decided to feign a journey to the sea instead, as the river was a significant distance from her home, taking several days to reach. In reality, she only pretended to head towards the river because she had experienced several days without any success in catching fish there.

When dawn arrived, the grandma yelled in the home, “It’s time to go to the sea to fish, hopefully today we’ll get a lot of fish!” 

After a few hours, the grandma strolled gently to her house’s window and peered inside to see who had prepared and served her lunch every day. 

Keong Mas suddenly rises from the crock, transformed into a puff of white smoke, and then quickly transformed into a lovely young princess, shocking the grandma. Food was placed on the table right away by the stunning girl. Then, she approached the princess and enquired for her identity and where she came from. 

Princess Candra Kirana eventually revealed her true identity and explained why she transformed into a golden conch. Candra Kirana told Grandma that the witch’s power could only transform the golden conch into the princess once each day during the day for 30 minutes. 

Meanwhile, Raden Inu continued to look for Princess Candra Kirana, who mysteriously disappeared somewhere. However, after the princess was expelled from the kingdom of Daha, he was unable to obtain further details from Candra Kirana. Raden Inu was staying in the kingdom of Kahuripan at the time of her fiancée’s  banishment.

Raden Inu Kertapati held a strong belief that Candra Kirana was alive, and driven by this conviction, he relentlessly continued his search for her, vowing not to return to his kingdom until he was reunited with his fiancée. The witch, aware of Prince Raden’s determination to find Candra Kirana, devised a plan to prevent him from discovering her whereabouts. To accomplish this, she assumed the guise of a crow with the ability to communicate with humans.

As Raden Inu journeyed through the jungle, he was startled by a talking crow. This crow was well aware that Raden Inu’s mission was to locate Princess Chandra Kirana. The Prince was overwhelmed with the belief that the bird possessed knowledge of Candra Kirana’s whereabouts and was eager to assist in the quest to find her. He diligently followed the crow’s instructions, but despite his efforts, he couldn’t locate the princess because the directions provided by the crow were inaccurate.

Raden Inu found himself lost in the jungle due to the crow’s misleading guidance. During his journey, he encountered an elderly man in need of food. True to his generous nature, the prince promptly shared his meals with the elderly man. To Raden Inu’s astonishment, this elderly man unexpectedly revealed himself as a spirit, sent to protect Raden Inu from the crow’s malevolent intentions.

With a swift strike of his staff, the spirit caused the crow to dissolve into a billowing cloud of black smoke, vanquishing the threat it posed. Guided by the grandmother, Raden Inu received valuable advice about the whereabouts of Candra Kirana.

Following the grandmother’s guidance, Prince Raden Inu Kertapati promptly journeyed to Dadapan Village, which took several days. However, in the midst of a scorching afternoon, his provisions dwindled, and he became extremely thirsty. It was then that he spotted a house nestled in the heart of the forest.

Driven by his thirst, Raden Inu headed directly to the house, initially seeking nothing more than a drink of water. To his astonishment, he found not only water but also the long-lost Candra Kirana, the one he had been yearning for and tirelessly searching for. Through a window, she watched as her fiancé prepared a meal for her grandmother.

The enchantment that had bound Candra Kirana had vanished as a result of this encounter. Raden Inu instantly escorted Candra Kirana and the gracious grandma to Daha Palace. Candra Kirana returned to Daha and told King Kertamarta of Dewi Galuh’s actions. 

Finally, Dewi Galuh’s wrongdoing was exposed, and she received punishment for her actions. However, because she was afraid of facing the consequences before being caught, she fled into the forest.

Upon learning the truth, King Kertamarta apologized to Candra Kirana for his negligence in driving her away from his kingdom.

Prince Raden Inu and Candra Kirana decided to get married. A seven-day, seven-night celebration was held to commemorate their union. They lived happily ever after.

This story teaches us that living a good and honest life is important. It shows that making positive choices and avoiding wrongdoing can lead to a safe and fulfilling life. It also highlights the idea that even if someone tries to hide their bad actions, the truth will eventually come out. This story reminds us that being truthful and virtuous is the best way to live, and it encourages us to always follow moral values and act with integrity, as it shapes our future and how others see us.

Reference:

Subroto, L. H. & Ningsih, W. L. (2021, December, 27). Cerita Rakyat Keong Mas. Kompas.com. Retrived from https://www.kompas.com/stori/read/2021/12/27/140000979/cerita-rakyat-keong-mas#page2