Balinese Children’s Favorite Stories and Sadri Returns to Bali
The Balinese people have a astonishingly rich oral tradition. Dating back to at least 30 years, all the stories in this children’s book have been handed down from one generation to the next and many are still told in Bali today.
But their origin is obscure. Some of the themes are clearly taken from the Aesop’s Fables, here freshly retold in a Balinese setting. Aesop himself is an unknown – some believe his name was a nom de plume of an anonymous author; others think he may have been a Phrygian slave of the Romans. In any case, all his tales teach us that pride goes before a fall, that humility is a virtue and vanity is folly.
For some of the stories, there is simply no source to be found. The simpleton and the effete young raja, for example, and the tale of the two sisters, are all particularly Balinese – but they have never been written down until they were published in this book.
A number of the stories are recognizable as they can be seen enacted on the stage in Balinese Gambuh and Ardja performances, and they are part of the vast repertory of Balinese Tantric tales which are derived from a common source somewhere between Europe and Asia.
The story of Sadri Returns to Bali revolves around the Galungan which marks the victory of dharma (order) over adharma (disorder). The festival is celebrated by Balinese Hindus who believe that during these ten days of prayers, offerings and feasting, their revered ancestors return to their former homes to be welcomed and entertained.
Using this entrancing setting, Swiss illustrator and painter Elisabeth Waldmeier relates the exhilarating atmosphere of this festive time for the Balinese people through the eyes of a former child dancer, Sadri, who descends to his previous home to participate in the annual rapturous village celebrations. A delightful story accompanied by enchanting and detailed color illustrations, this book will captivate both children and adults alike.
Balinese Children’s Favorite Stories, retold by Victor Mason with Gillian Beal, illustrated by Trina Bohan-Tyrie, Periplus Editions 2001, ISBN 962-593-440-5, 96 pages, price Rp98,000.
Sadri Returns to Bali: A Tale of the Balinese Galungan Festival, by Elisabeth Waldmeier, Periplus Editions 2002, ISBN 0-7946-0053-0, 24 pages, glossary, price Rp75,000.
Both children’s titles are available at Periplus Bookshops in the Bali Galleria and in the Matahari in Kuta, Warung Made in Seminyak, Ngurah Rai Airport (both international and domestic terminals), in Gramedia Bookstores, and in Ary’s, Ganesha and Periplus bookshops of Ubud.
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Copyright@2005 PakBill
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