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Legends & Myths from Minangkabau: Goa Si Bincik


Minangkabau is the term or the place name for the area of West Sumatra Province, Indonesia. The capital city of Sumatera Barat is Padang city.

Legends & Myths from Minangkabau: Goa Si Bincik


Once upon a time in the land of Minangkabau, lived a rascal, which feared by the people. He was call as Bincik, since he was dwarf.

Bincik means small or little. Among the gangsters, Bincik is well known as a good gambler. He often won the gambling. Whenever there was a crowd, Bincik was there, gambled with other players.

Bincik had used to bring a little amount of money, but when he bet and put his money at the stakes. Bincik always won much money. Then his money became greater. He used it again to set another chance. He only stopped to play when the operator of the gambling asked him to stop playing.

When he lost in the gambling, Bincik robbed people and stole money from others. If the people seized him, many beat him, but it seemed that he was invulnerable. That was why then among the bandit's lie he pointed to be the leader.


Bincik got more followers from the gangster friends over the village. It made the other villages around them, experienced more robbing. People suspected Bincik and his friends who had to blame in doing such criminal deeds.

Traditional Minangkabau House by Ricky Purnadi Riqua


The villages around, hate Bincik's village. When the others faced many robbing, Bincik's village was the only safe, peaceful community. Thus, the nearby people did not want to make any contact. They refused to the deal with the people from Bincik village.

It was, of course, not a good thing for the people in Bincik village. Then the people went to meet Bincik. They asked him to stop robbing, or another village would burn their village.

Although Bincik is a bandit, he still had a healthy mind. He gathered his friends and asked them to quit from robbing people.

"My friends, I want you to stop robbing people, and front now on steal no more!" Bincik spoke before the bandits.

His friends stared each other. They could not believe what they had just heard and then laughed together.

"Is that you who've just spoken, Bincik?"

"Ha...ha...you must be kidding, don't you?" one of the robbers questioning Bincik's words.

"I say to you once more; do not rob the people again. Just stop it right now, ok? We may put our village into bigger trouble if we don't stop it." told Bincik emphatically.

All the bandits were silent. Nobody has dared to say anything. Suddenly, there was a big, solid guy rose up Bincik. Without any word he lifted Bincik up and threw him to the valley.

He was Koduk, the strongest robber that did not agree with Bincik decision.

Bincik fainted for a moment, and when he woke up, it was already dark. He did not know where exactly he was. Bincik tried to shout for help, but there was nobody down there.

Finally, he heard a voice, whispered to his ears, "I will help you, young man, if you want to do me a favour."

"Who are you? I can't see you at all?" Bincik tried to look around.

"You don't need to see me, just find my daughter. My daughter has buried under the ruins beneath the place you are standing now. If you find my little girl alive, take her as your wife, but if she has dead, you will be the next to die."

"What if I refuse your demand?"

"You will die by the wolves attack in this valley," the voice explained.

After took a little time to think about this challenge, Bincik went down to find the girl under the ruins. He dug in and found her alive. In fact, she was an extraordinarily beautiful woman.

Bincik married her. They lived together in the cave that formed by the ruins that Bincik dug in.

One day, Bincik wanted to see his parents and planned to go home to his neighbourhood. But as he arrived at the village, he found nobody in the village. The village was so quiet. Then Bincik went to the people in the next village.

He asked the next village what had happened to the Bincik village.

"Your village has left, nobody dwells in since it was attacked and robbed by Koduk, your former man. And Koduk is the leader now. He is the king of the bandits." An old man gave Bincik explanation.

After that, Bincik tried to find his parents. But he discovered that they were already dead, murdered by Koduk and his gangster. Bincik made up a promise to take revenge and to kill Koduk someday.

The bad thing happened to Bincik when he went home to his cave. He shocked to see Koduk had been there and captured his wife.

A battle fight began between Bincik and Koduk. At the end of the fight, Bincik killed Koduk. The other bandits gave up to Bincik. They promised not to rob and steal again.

A few years later, there was Paden War or Padri War (Perang Padri). The people of Minangkabau fought against the Dutch, who came as the coloniser.

The Dutch used the bandits to bring up chaos and triggered terrors to the people. Bincik that heard all the things, then he came forward with his friends and the people of Minangkabau. They altogether defend their country from the Dutch.

At that time, Bincik became a dangerous enemy for the Dutch.

One day, the Dutch besieged the cave where Bincik life. After a long searching, they failed to find Bincik. He disappeared. Even until the war had finished, nobody knew whether he had killed or still alive.

However, the people of Payakumbuh know that the cave was the place where Bincik lived with his wife. The people of Payakumbuh called that place as Ngalau Si Bincik or Goa Si Bincik (Cave of Bincik).

Kids Story For English: The Wonderful Dog

This story of kids in English is from Central Kalimantan-Indonesia (Kalimantan Tengah). Kalimantan islands are also call as Borneo Island. One of the biggest islands in this world.

This kids story for English is the story about the legends or myths Kalimantan people. Story about the Goddess of Rice, Liung Indung Bunga.

Kids Story For English From Kalimantan - Indonesia

The Wonderful Dog

Believe it or not, people say that in the village of Sembuluh in Central Kalimantan lives a group of people. Their physics are different from other villagers.

At the age of fifty, the backbone of a man belonging to this group protrudes.  The spine protrudes as much as the length of two fingers, rather like the tail of a dog.

On both sides, the woman's breast are appear five until seven pairs of black dots. It reminiscent of three nipples of a dog.

This group of people said to be descendants of a wonderful dog. About whom a story has retold from generation to generation in Kalimantan. The folk tales or fairy tales of the wonderful dog goes as follows…


There was once a village called Tangkahen, near of Bagalah. This village surrounded by trees in Central Kalimantan. The head of the village lived with his wonderful dog.

He is unlike other dogs. He had the ability to go hunting on his mouth and kill birds in flight only by barking. Whenever the dog barked, birds that happened to be flying in his vicinity would fall dead.

This dog never being short of meat, as the dog provided this. All villagers were grateful to both, to the dog as well on Bagalah. Thus they had come to love them both.

One day, a strange-looking pig passed through the village. The pig known as Bawoi Amai Ueng. This pig had large legs, the hoofs of which not split like ordinary pigs and her snout were as large as a drum.

Then the dog caught sight of her and ran after her. Then this pig ran and arrived at the bank of Lake Sembuluh. Because there was no choice, she decided to cross the lake by swimming. Meanwhile, the dog did not dare to swim.
Sembuluh Lake Central Kalimantan Indonesia (kaderrakyat.blogspot.co.id)

A storm gathered in the sky suddenly. The thunder roared, the wind blew hard, and rain fell, and waves on the lake grew high. Then the pig turned to stone, and the dog changed into a human being.

This spot called Pukang Pahewan became a big village, which was later giving the name of Rangkang.

In the meantime, Bagalah was waiting in vain for the return of his dog. As he still did not appear, then Bagalah made up his mind to search for him.

He strode through the forest and walked over mountain until he reached Rangkang Village. He stayed with Rendan Tingang, the head -of the village.

One day, Bagalah was sitting in his boat. Rendan Tingang was repairing the roof of his homeland of his village. The villagers' fear of the threat of a dreadful famine completely allayed.

Early in the morning, on the day after the heavy rain, Beritu and his wife returned. They come to the field to pick up their daughter's dead body to bury it. Still, it was nowhere to found. Instead, on the ground where the girl met her death, they saw a sort of peculiar grass plant. It had grain fruits.

It was the rice plant, from which rice grain obtained. Beritu and his wife carefully cultivated the useful plant. Since then rice became the staple food of the people of Lingo. Later, for the people throughout the island of Kalimantan.

Up to now, many people of Kalimantan still believe that rice. The rice continue their staple food and the reincarnation of Liung Indung Bunga. Thus, she is regard as the Goddess of Rice.

The End of Kids Story For English: The Wonderful Dog

We can use this “Kids Story For English: The Wonderful Dog” as a short bedtime story for kids. There are many legends and myths stories around Indonesia. Find more English stories for children about Indonesian here.

Story of Kids in English: The Legend of Horn Bills

This story of kids in English comes from Kalimantan or Borneo, from the story of Dayak Tribe or Suku Dayak. You can find another Indonesian story for children from Kalimantan here. The title is The Crocodiles and The Dayaks.

The Story of Kids in English from Kalimantan - Indonesia

The Legend of Horn Bills

One day in the thick side of Kalimantan Jungle (Borneo Island) there is one of Dayak tribe. His name Ketupong. When he was going for hunting, he saw a bird with strange red eyes. He raised his blowpipes to his mouth. "Pssst" – the dart hit the bird. He bent down to pick it up.

Suddenly, it changes into a beautiful dress made of bird's feathers. He put it in a bamboo container he used for his darts. It was so fine made and soft that it could be folded up into a small space. "Have you seen my dress?" He turned around to see who spoke to him.

A lovely girl was standing behind him. He did not know where she comes from. "Yes, "he said, "here it is. But I must not give it to you unless you promise to marry me." He had never seen such a lovely girl before, and his mother was always telling him to get married.
Horn Bill (hornbillstamps.blogspot.com)

The girl agreed, with one condition that he will never ask her to tell him her name. They were soon married. The next year, they have a son. Ketupong and his wife (he just calls her "wife") are happy together.

They love their son dearly. But, Ketupong often sees her wife looking up at the sky. "What are you staring at?" he asked. But she only shook her head. Then he sees his wife weaving two coats. They are the bright green color with a usual pattern with bird's feathers.

"For whom you make those coats?" he asks. "They are for you and our son, "she answers.

"When I finish making these coats, you can wear them to fly up into the sky."

"I don't want to travel," he said. "Silly," she smiled.

"Don't you know who I am? I am Inchin Temaga, daughter of Singalang Burong. My house is in the sky."

Ketupong surprises. He heard of Singalang Burong. He is the Dayak God of war, a great general who never lost a battle. "In that case, my wife must be a Goddess," he thought to himself.

His wife's body covers with feathers suddenly. In a few minutes, her arms change into wings. Then, she flies into the sky.

He tries to stop her, but it is too late. "Come back! Come- back!" he cried.

Her wife voice becomes floating down, "If you want to visit me, wear the coats I have made for you."

Years went by. All this time, the son is sad that he could not see his mother. He looks so unhappy that his father doesn't know what to do.

"Take me to my mom," the boy cried. "I want to see my mom."

"But how can I fly?" ask his father. Then he remembers the coats which his wife left for them. So they put on the coats.


They immediately feel much lighter. Soon they can fly up into the sky. They see a great palace in front of them. The castle gates open and a man wearing a splendid Dayak war dress appears. He is Singalang Burong.

"Welcome, Ketupong," he roared. "My daughter and I have been waiting for you. Why have you been so long?"

Then Inchin Temaga appears. She is not pleased to see her husband as she heard that he had married again.

"Go back to earth"' she told him. "I know that you have another family now. Our son can stay here with me. My father can teach him a lot. He can follow you later." So Ketupong return to earth.

Singalang Burong pleased to see his grandson. He teaches his grandson many useful things.

One day, a giant named Jumbang killed one of Singalang Burong's men. Then he decided to take revenge to that giant. He takes the boy with him and gives him a lesson about how to face such situation like this.

Singalang Burong was able to defeat the giant. When he returned home, the people are happy and held a feast which lasted three days and nights.

After the feast was over, Singalang Burong pointed to the carving of a strange. He looks bird on top of tall people. The birds’ beak pointed in the direction of the giant's house.

What's that, grandfather?" the boy asked.

"It's a hornbill. It is one of the sacred birds of the Dayak. We believe that it will help us beat our enemies in battle."

Later when the boy returns to earth, he teaches all the Dayak people. He teaches what he had learned from his grandfather.

End of Story of Kids in English: The Legend of Horn Bills