An Indonesian folktale Dayang Bandar and Sandean Raja

AN INDONESIAN FOLKTALE

Catherine Nagaria

Illustrated by Sella Nathania

PUBLISHED BY
SEKOLAH TERPADU PAHOA

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An Indonesian Folktale
from North Sumatra

“Dayang Bandir and Sandean Raja”

Retold by:
Catherine Nagaria

Illustrated by:
Sella Nathania

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AN INDONESIAN FOLKTALE

Catherine Nagaria

Illustrated by Sella Nathania

PUBLISHED BY
SEKOLAH TERPADU PAHOA

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An Indonesian Folktale
Dayang Bandir and Sandean Raja

Published by Sekolah Terpadu Pahoa
Serpong, Tangerang

Author : Catherine Nagaria
Illustrator : Stella Nathania
Translator : Veronica Indrayati
Layout : Livia Stephanie
Administrators : Erlin Shanti Tirta & FaustineValent
Tutors :
Naning Pranoto
Hanta Tan
Afiyon Kristiyan

1st edition, August 2017
ISBN 978-602-61749-9-4

Copyright under Law on Copyright No.19/ 2002
Article 1 Paragraph (1)
Copyright shall mean an exclusive right for an Author or the re-
cipient of the right to publish or reproduce his Work or to grant
permission for said purposes, without decreasing the limits ac-
cording to the prevailing laws and regulations.

Article 72 Paragraph (2)
Any person who deliberately broadcasts, exhibits, distributes, or
sells to the public a work or goods resulting from an infringe-
ment of copyright or related rights as referred to in paragraph
(1) shall be sentenced to imprisonment of at most 5 (five) years
and/or a fine of at most Rp. 500,000,000.- (five hundred million
rupiahs).

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Preface

This folktale story book is a part of the ‘informative literacy learn-
ing’ programme which is conducted by the library division of Se-
kolahTerpadu Pahoa. In the process of publishing this book, the
library has coordinated with NaningPranoto and other language
teachers to guide the students to develop their skills in rewrite
the stories and their critical analysis in comprehending its con-
tents. This programme also aims towards the recollection of Indo-
nesian folklores, particularly within the school environment.

The process starts with the first step: finding the sources of the
stories, reading, comparing, and rewriting the story the student
selected. The second step: Upon the completion of the stories,
the division then collaborates with some particular students who
have excellent skills in drawing thus can be the illustrator of the
book. All of which, these whole processes cannot be separated
from the guidance of the school teachers in implementing the
learning value into the national culture.
Other than this book, there are different folklore series rewrit-
ten by both students and teachers of Sekolah Terpadu Pahoa.

Introduction

The folktale “Dayang Bandir and Sandean Raja” is from North Su-
matra. Dayang Bandir was a princess of the East Kingdom, and
Sandean Raja was her younger brother. When the king passed
away, their uncle, Karaeng, took over the kingdom. But Karaeng
was a greedy man that only caused troubles in the kingdom.

Moral virtue: Wisdom.
Be a wise and an honest leader, not a tyrant one.

Tangerang, August 2017
Head of Library Division

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A long time ago, there were two kingdoms in North
Sumatra, The East and The West.

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SuatOunheadria, yR,atjhaeKkeirnagjaoafnTThiemEuarsmt ewnaiskamhadrerinegdatnoadik
RaTjhaedWareisKtekrinagja’sansiBstaerra. t.

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The king of The West arranged a very big wedding
party for his sister.

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After they were married, the king of The East
brought his wife to his kingdom.

One year passed, then their daughter was born.
They named her Dayang Bandir.

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Seven years later, their son was born. They named
him Sandean Raja. Sandean Raja would be the
successor of his father when the time came.

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Dayang Bandir loved her brother very much.
She always took care of Sandean Raja
and played with him every day.

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But their happy days did not last long. It was the day
when the king passed away.

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Sandean Raja was still too young to be the king.

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The East Kingdom had not elected a new king since then.
The officials then held a meeting to appoint a temporary

king until Sandean Raja was ready to be the king.

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In the end of the meeting, the councils had decided
that Uncle Karaeng would be the king for a while.

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As the time passed by, uncle Karaeng felt unsatisfied
with his position. He wanted to be the king forever
in the East Kingdom.

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Dayang Bandir was aware of her uncle’s wicked
intentions. She planned to hide the treasures
of the kingdom.

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But Uncle Karaeng found out her plans.
“Tell me where you have hidden all of
the treasures, or I will hang you at a tree!”

Uncle Karaeng threatened.
“No! I will not tell you. The treasures are not yours.
They belong to my brother,” Dayang Bandir replied.

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Uncle Karaeng was very angry. So he expelled
Dayang Bandir and Sandean Raja into the woods, and

Dayang Bandir was hanged onto a tree.

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Sandean Raja tried to help his sister,
but he couldn’t climb the tree.

A few days later, Dayang Bandir died.
Sandean Raja could only cry to see
that his sister’s body was still tied

onto the tree.

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After then, Sandean Raja lived alone in the woods.

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A few years have gone, and now Sandean Raja was
grown up. One day the spirit of his sister came to
him. “Go and meet King Sorma in the West Kingdom.
He’s the our mum’s elder brother, and he’s a very
nice person,” his sister’s spirit whispered to him.

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Sandean Raja obeyed his sister then he set off to
the West Kingdom. After he walked for few days, he

reached the kingdom.

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Sandean Raja entered the gate of the kingdom
and appeared before the king.

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“Your Highness, I am the son of the king of the East
Kingdom,” he introduced himself to the king.

At first the king did not believe him. He thought that
both the son and daughter of the East King had
already died because of King Karaeng’s cruelty.

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Sandean Raja had to prove himself to gain
King Sorma’s trust.

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First, Sandean Raja had to move a big tree to the
palace’s yard.

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Then, he had to trim all trees in the woods so as to
turn the woods into a farm land, and used the logs

to build the Bolon houses.

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All the challenges were completed
by Sandean Raja.

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But then, King Sorma assigned him to the fourth
challenge. He had to be able to pick King Sorma’s
daughter amongst the other girls out of a dark room.

If he succeeded, he would gain King Sorma’s trust.

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Sandean Raja could fulfill this requirement, too,
just like the others before. It was his sister’s spirit

who always helped him through all the
challenges he faced.

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King Sorma was satisfied and proud that Sandean
Raja had completed all of his challenges.

Sandean Raja then married to King Sorma’s daughter
and crowned as the king of the West Kingdom.

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Meanwhile, the people of the East Kingdom were
suffered under the sovereignty of King Karaeng.
They were living in poverty because he demanded

that they paid high taxes to the kingdom.

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The news reached Sandean Raja, and he wanted to
help the people of the East Kingdom.

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He commanded the soldiers of the West Kingdom to
attack and seize back the East Kingdom.

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The soldiers of the East Kingdom were defeated and
Uncle Karaeng was killed in the attack.

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Finally, the people of the East and the West
Kingdoms were reunited and lived happily

under the reign of Sandean Raja.

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Author’s Biography
Catherine Nagaria

Catherine Nagaria is a grade 7
student at Sekolah Terpadu Pahoa,
Jalan Ki Hajar Dewantara No.1,
Tangerang.

She loves reading books since she
was a little child, and thus she has a
good record in her academic achieve-
ments. She wants to be a director in a company when she’s
grown up.
The followings are her achievements amongst the others:
1. The 2nd winner of speech competition in Chinese language,
Trilingual Event Pahoa School, 2011.
2. The 3rd winner of speech competition in Chinese language;
Trilingual Event Pahoa School, 2013
3. The 1st winner of speech competition in Chinese language;
Trilingual Event Pahoa School, 2014.
4. The 1st promising winner of Di ZiGui competition,
Taiwan-Indonesia Alumnus Community, 2016.

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Illustrator’s Biography
Sella Nathania

This year Sella Nathania is at grade
XII at Pahoa Senior High School majoring
in Science. She wants to be a story illus-
trator and animator when she’s grown
up. She also likes watching anime movies
and reading comics and novels.

Her hobbies have awarded her with
the following achievements:

1. 1st champion in Digital Drawing Competition, Lippo Karawa-
ci, 2011

2. 1st promising champion, Painting Competition, Pahoa School,
2012

3. 1st champion, MURAL Competion, Pahoa School, 2016
4. 2nd champion, MURAL Competition (Japanese version),

University of Indonesia, 2016

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