Story Telling
CALON ARANG

  

Long, long ago,  in the Kingdom of Daha, East Java, there lived a  ruthless widow. Her name was Calon Arang who lived in the village of Girah. Calon Arang was a black magic adherent who always spread evil things using witchcraft. She had a daughter named Ratna Manggali. Since her daughter had been grown-up and Calon Arang did not want Ratna Manggali to be a spinster, so she compelled some handsome and wealthy young men to be her son-in-law. Because of her cruel character, Calon Arang was disliked by the inhabitants of Girah village. There were no young men wanting to marry Ratna Manggali. It angered Calon Arang and she intended to create restlessness for Girah village’s inhabitants.

Muster your men! Find a young girl today! Before sunset, the young girl must be brought to the temple of Durga!” ordered Calon Arang to her man, Krakah. Shortly Krakah mobilized his men to find a girl. It was not a hard job for Calon Arang’s men.

Before the sun rose, a poor girl had been available in Durga temple. She was strugling to get loose. “Release me! Release me!” she cried. Being too tired of crying, the poor girl   fainted. Then she was laid down on an altar of sacrifice. In the middle of the night, Calon Arang sacrificed the young girl to Betari Durga, the goddess of fury.

Calon Arang was also angry, she cursed the people of Girah village with a heavy flood from Brantas river in East Java. Whoever was splashed by Brantas river water would die. “Ha...ha...ha...Who dare to challange Calon Arang? Calon Arang is undefeated!”  said Calon Arang.  Because of the curse, so many people suffered quite a lot. Victims become more in number. They got sick in the morning, and died in the afternoon. No medicine could overcome the strange pestilence.

“What makes my people in Girah village undergo such a pestilence and disaster?” asked Prabu Erlangga to his chief minister. After listening to the chief minister’s explanation about Calon Arang’s stray manners, Prabu Erlangga got furious. A war sign was hit, the chief minister soon mobilized the chosen warriors. They went to Girah village to capture Calon Arang. The warriors were proud and felt that the sacred duty would succeed owing to the all Daha people’s prayers.

The Daha kingdom’s warriors arrived in Calon Arang’s dwelling village. There were attacked before they took a rest. The warriors were shocked by rumbling explosions around them. Many Daha warriors suddenly floundered on the ground without certain causes.

The victims from Daha warrior side increased every second. Their enemies could defeat the opponents from a long distance without weapons. The defeat of Daha warriors in the battle made Calon Arang’s disciples more brutal. “Attack! Keep attacking!” screamed the disciples. The Daha warriors ran helter skelter to save their lives. Prabu Erlangga tried to find ways to defeat Calon Arang. To defeat Calon Arang, we have to show affection to her.”said Empu Barada in a Kingdom meeting. “Calon Arang’s vexation was due to nobody’s willingness to marry her only daughter.”

Empu Barada asked Empu Bahula to help him to overcome Calon Arang’s ferocity. Empu Bahula who was still single was appealed to marry Ratna Manggali. He was told that by marrying Ratna Manggali, he could deepen and complete his magic.

At last, the Empu Bahula’s entourage left for Girah village to persuade Ratna Mangali. “He...he...he... I am very glad to have a handsome son-in-law.” chuckled Calon Arang. Then a seven-day big wedding party was held in days and nights. The on-going merrymaking delighted Calon Arang. Ratna Manggali and Empu Bahula were also excited. Both of them loved each other very much. The wedding party had passed, but the cheerful atmosphere was still pervading Girah village. Empu Bahula used the situation to carry out his duty.

One day, Empu Bahula asked his wife.”My dear, Ratna Manggali. What makes your mother have formidable supernatural power? Ratna Manggali explained that the supernatural power owned by her mother lied on a Magic book. From the teachings in the book, she could invite Betari Durga. The Magic book could not be easily grabbed from Calon Arang’s hands, even when she slept. The Magic book was always used as a pillow under her head.

Shortly Empu Bahula arranged a strategy to steal the Magic book. In the middle of the night, Empu Bahula sneaked in the Calon Arang’s bedroom. Apparently, Calon Arang was sleeping soundly because she spent seven days for the lavish party. Empu Bahula could steal the Magic book and submitted it to Empu Baradah directly.After that, Empu Bahula and his wife soon fled.

Calon Arang was furios when knowing that her Magic book was not available anymore. She was like a rhinocheros in a frightening rage. Meanwhile, Empu baradah was learning the Magic book intensively. Being ready, Empu Baradah challanged Calon Arang. When facing Empu Baradah, Calon Arang spouted flames from both of her hands and eyes. Empu Baradah faced her calmly. He chanted incantations to turn back the spout of flames to Calon Arang’s body. Since the Magic book was not in her hands, Calon Arang’s body was wrecked into ashes and washed away by the wind to the south seas. At last, Girah village became peaceful as it was.

GLOSSARY

         adherent                         : penganut

altar                               : altar

anger                              : kemarahan

apparently                      : rupanya

available                         : tersedia

be appealed                     : diminta

be splashed                     : kena percikan air

be wrecked                      : hancur

capture                           : menangkap

chant                              : melantunkan

chuckle                           : tertawa kecil

compel                            : memaksa

cruel                               : jahat

curse                               : kutukan

dare                                : berani

deepen                            : memperdalam

delight                            : sangat

disaster                           : bencana

duty                                : tugas

entourage                        : rombongan

ferocity                           : keganasan

flames                             : api

flounder                          : menggelepar

formidable                       : dahsyat

frightening rage               : kemarahan besar

furious                            : marah

fury                                 : kemarahan

grown-up                         : tumbuh dewasa

heavy                              : berat

helter skelter                    : porak poranda

incantation                      : mantera

inhabitant                        : penduduk

intend                              : ingin

lavish                              : mewah

manner                           : perilaku

merrymaking                    : suka-ria

mobilize                          : mengumpulkan

mobilize                          : mengumpulkan

muster                            : mengerahkan

overcome                         : mengatasi

peaceful                          : damai

persuade                         : membujuk

pervade                           : menyelimuti

pestilence                       : wabah

release                            : melepaskan

restlessness                    : keresahan

rumbling                         : bergemuruh

ruthless                          : kejam

sacred                             : suci

sacrifice                          : mengorbankan

sneak in                         : menyelinap

son-in-law                       : anak menantu

son-in-law                      : anak menantu

spinster                          : perawan tua

spout                               : menyemburkan

spread                             : menyebarkan

steal                               : mencuri

stray                               : menyimpang

struggle                           : berjuang

submit                            : menyerahkan

take/ took a rest              : beristirahat

undefeated                      : tak terkalahkan

undergo                          : mengalami

vexation                          : kekesalan hati

victim                              : korban

wealthy                           : kaya

widow                              : janda

willingness                      : keinginan

peaceful                          : damai

persuade                         : membujuk

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1.      Who was Calon Arang?

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2.      Why were no young men eager to marry Ratna Manggali?

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3.      To whom did Calon Arang sacrifice the poor girl?

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4.      What did Calon Arang do to punish the people of Girah village?

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5.      What did Prabu Erlangga prepare to capture Calon Arang?

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6.      Why did the Daha warriors flounder on the ground?

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7.      Who could explain about the cause of Calon Arang’s fury?

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8.      What did Empu Barada plan to prevent Calon Arang’s bad temper?

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9.      How did Empu Bahula know about Calon Arang’s secret supernatural power?

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10.  What plan would Empu Bahula do to grab the magic book?

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11.  Why was Empu Baradah ready to challange Calon Arang?

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12.  How did Empu Baradah overcome Calon Arang’s attack?

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13.  What is the moral value of the story.