jaka tarub

Jaka Tarub is a character of Indonesian Folklore from Mid Java. The story tells about how Jaka Tarub meets his beautiful wife, Dewi Nawangwulan. There're a lot of version actually. But this is one is the famous one. So, one day, Jaka Tarub go to a forbidden lake. The lake is a place for seven fairies to bath. He didn't mean to peep on them, but he's so amazed with the beauty of the fairies. Then, he took one of the fairies's shawl. When twilight comes, the fairies should fly back to heaven. Everyone has their own shawl except one, but they can't keep waiting for Dewi Nawangwulan, so they fly away and leave her alone on earth.

Dewi Nawangwulan cry, she's so upset. Jaka Tarub comes out and pretend to be the hunter and help Dewi Nawangwulan. He took her home and they married soon after they met. When they married, Dewi Nawangwulan makes Jaka Tarub promise to not open the bakul when she cook the rice. It is because she use her power to cook to keep the rice full on the barn. But one day, Jaka Tarub forgot and he open up the bakul. He's so surprised 'cause there's only a grain of rice in it. Dewi Nawangwulan knew it and so upset  on his husband. It makes Dewi Nawangwulan lost her power and become an ordinary woman. A human who needs to make it all alone with no magic. Slowly but sure, they running out of rice. One day, Dewi Nawangwulan finaly found her shawl on the barn, beneath the rice. Once again she's so upset on her husband and leave him forever. She decided to go back to heaven and going home just to feed her baby.