The legend of n'Daung Snake

The legend of n'Daung Snake
Folklore from Bengkulu

ONCE upon a time in Bengkulu, a widow lived with three daughters. They all were beautiful but they had different personalities. The oldest and the middle daughter were lazy but the youngest daughter was diligent. One day, their mother was terribly ill. She could be cured only by eating special leaves that cooked by magical fire. Unfortunately, the leaves and magical fire were on top of the mountain and were guarded by a snake. It was not just an ordinary snake. The snake had magical power. The name was n'Daung Snake. The oldest and the middle daughter did not want to go to the top of the mountain. "I will go there, Mother. I'll take the leaves and the magical fire for you," said the youngest daughter. Actually she was also very scared of the n'Daung Snake.Then, after several days climbing the mountain, she finally arrived at the n'Daung Snake's place. It was a cave. The special leaves and the magical fire were inside the cave. Suddenly, she heard some noises. The n'Daung Snake was coming! She was very terrified but she did not want to run. She wanted to talk about her problem to the Snake.In just a minute, the snake was already in front of her. "Who are you, young girl? What are you doing here?" asked the snake politely. She was surprised. Although the snake looked scary, he was very polite. Then, she asked the snake to give her the leaves and the magical fire. "You can take them, but you have to be my wife. Agree?" asked the snake. She did not think twice. She just wanted her mother to be cured soon. Then, the snake gave her the leaves and the torch burned with the magical fire. She directly went home. Later, the mother got cured. The youngest daughter knew that she had to keep her promise to n'Daung Snake. So, she left the house without saying goodbye. When she arrived at the cave, it was already in the evening. She went inside the cave but she could not find the snake. She met a handsome man instead. "Don't be afraid. My name is Prince Abdul Rahman Alamsjah. My uncle cursed me into a snake only during daylight. In the evening, I became a human. My uncle did not want me to be a king," explained the man. In the meantime, her mother and her older sisters were looking for her. They finally arrived at n'Daung Snake's cave. It was also already in the evening. They saw the youngest daughter was with a handsome man. After they knew who the man was, the older sisters were jealous. They burned the snakeskin. They hoped n'Daung Snake could not change back as a human. However, the result was the opposite. By burning the snakeskin, the spell was broken. Prince Abdul Rahman Alamsjah was free from the curse. He then asked his wife to go with him to the palace. He would be the next king and sent his uncle to the jail. The youngest daughter also asked her mother to stay with them in the palace. How about the older sisters? They were ashamed with their behaviours, so they stayed at the cave. ***

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