THE FLY AND THE BULL


There was once a little fly who thought he was very important. He felt proud of himself. One sunny morning, he flew around looking for someone to talk to. He saw a bull grazing in a field. He decided to fly down to talk to him.

The little fly flew down and buzzed around the bull’s head. The bull did not bother him. He went on chewing grass.

The fly then buzzed right inside the bull’s ear. The bull continued chewing grass. The fly thought, “What a stupid animal!”

Now the fly decided to land on one of the bull’s horns to make the bull notice him. He waited for the bull to say something, but the bull kept quiet.

The fly then shouted angrily ,”Oh, Bull, if you find that I am too heavy for you, let me know and I’ll fly away!”

The bull laughed and said, “Little fly, I don’t care if you stay or leave. You are so tiny that your weight does not make any difference to me, so please be quiet and leave me alone.”

BANDUNG BONDOWOSO AND RORO JONGGRANG (The Legend of Prambanan Temple)


Once, there was a beautiful Javanese princess whose name was Roro Jonggrang whose beauty was very famous in the land was the daughter of Prabu Baka, an evil king.

One day, a handsome young man with super natural power, named Bandung Bondowoso, defeated and killed Prabu Baka. On seeing Princess Roro Jonggrang’s beauty, Bandung Bondowoso fell in love and wanted to marry her.

Meanwhile, Princess Roro Jonggrang felt sad due to the death of her father. She did not want to marry Bandung because he had killed her father. But she was also afraid of Bandung. So to refuse politely, she made a condition. “I will marry you but you have to build one thousand temples in one night as a wedding gift.” Requested Roro Jonggrang. Bandung agreed with this condition.

Helped by the spirits of demons, Bandung Bondowoso started building the temples. Approaching midnight, the work was nearly done. Roro Jonggrang knew and thought, “ What shall I do ? Bandung is smarter than me. I will lose against Bandung.”

Suddenly she got an idea. She woke up all the women in the palace and ordered them to make the noisy sounds of grinding rice so that the roosters would think it had already dawn.
Bandung Bondowoso got frustrated because he failed to complete the thousandth temple. “The princess has deceived me!” Following his anger, he cursed Roro Jonggrang, “You have cheated me. Now, the thousandth temple is you!”

At once, the princess turned into a statue. Knowing this, Bandung Bondowoso regretted this and he went away into a far land. From then, people called the temple Prambanan Temple and the princess statue, Roro Jonggrang Statue.

THUMBELINA


 There was once a woman who wanted a small child but didn’t know where to get one. So she went to a witch for help.

“A little child?” said the witch, “That’s easy. Here’s a magic seed. Plant it in a flower pot and see what happens!” The woman thanked the witch, paid her with a piece of silver, and went home to plant the magic seed. As soon as it touched the soil, the seed grew into a tulip, whose flower opened with a pop. In the middle of the flower sat a tiny girl.

“Why, the pretty little thing is hardly as big as my thumb!” cried the woman. “I am going to call her Thumbelina.”

The woman made Thumbelina a bed from a walnut shell. Instead of going out, Thumbelina played on the kitchen table. Her favorite game was sailing across a bowl of water in a boat made from a tulip leaf. As she sailed, she sang in a high, sweet voice.

One night, an old toad got in through an open window and hopped down into the kitchen table. “Just the wife for my son!” the toad declared when it saw Thumbelina sleeping in her tiny bed. The toad picked up the walnut shell and hopped out through the window into the garden. At the bottom of the garden, there was a stream with muddy banks, and that was where the old toad lived with her son. He was even damper and uglier than his mother. When he saw the pretty little girl asleep in the walnut shell, all he could say was, “Ribbik! Ribbik!”. “Not so loud!” whispered the old toad. “If you wake her up, she’ll run away. We’ll put her on a water-lily leaf in the middle of the stream so she won’t be able to escape. Then we can clear out the best room for the wedding.”

In the morning, when she woke up, Thumbelina was startled to find herself on a big green leaf in the middle of a stream.

ELLY


Long ago, there was a beautiful little  princess who liked to climb trees. “Behave like  a lady and stop climbing trees,” said her parents. But the child did not listen and went on climbing all sort of trees.

Years went by and she had grown up. By now she was an expert in climbing trees. Her parents grieved. “Who will marry a rough woman?” said her mother sadly. Her father replied, “We will make use of the situation. I will offer her at climbing tree.

After the King’s offer was announced, soon the palace was swamped with suitors who could climb trees. Most of them were terrible, only a few were good. The princess said “Never mind, father. Now let me set a test and perhaps some good will come of it”. Then she turned to the suitors and asked, “ Do you agree that you were beaten fairly?” “No,” they all roared except one, “ We think it was magic or some sort of trick.” But one said,”yes.” Yes,” he said, I was beaten fairly.” The princess was touched by his honesty. The princess smiled and turning to her father. She pointed to this man and said,” If he likes me, I will marry him.”

CINDERELLA


Once upon a time there was a girl named Cinderella. She lived with her bad step-mother and two step-sister. She had to do all the household chores.

One day, the King invited all the ladies in the Kingdom to go to a ball in the palace. He wanted to find the Crown Prince a wife.

The step-sister went to the ball that night with their mother. Cinderella was left alone. She cried because she actually wanted to go to the ball too.

Just then a fairy godmother came. With her magic wand, she gave Cinderella a coach, two horses, and footmen. She also gave Cinderella a lovely dress to wear to the ball and a pair of glass slippers. She told Cinderella to come home before midnight.

At the ball, Cinderella danced all night with the Prince. The Prince fell in love with her. At midnight, Cinderella ran home. Unfortunately, one of her glass slippers slipped off at the door. She did not have time to put it back on. The Prince was sad as he could not find Cinderella again that night.

The next day, the Prince and his men brought along the glass slipper. They went all over the Kingdom to search for the owner.

After searching for a long time, finally, they came to Cinderella’s house. The slipper fitted her. The prince was very happy to find Cinderella again. They got married and lived happily ever after.

KUPU-KUPU


Kupu-kupu merupakan bangsa serangga Lepidoptera. Ada ribuan jenis kupu-kupu yang ada di muka bumi. Di Indonesia saja tidak kurang dari 2000 jenis kupu-kupu yang ada.

Penyebaran kupu-kupu sangat dipengaruhi  oleh factor lingkungan dan ketersediaan makanan. Lingkungan yang alami dan makanan yang cukup akan menambah populasi kupu-kupu di satu wilayah.

Ciri yang menarik dari hewan ini adalah sayap dan antenanya. Terkadang sayap kupu-kupu memiliki corak dan warna yang sangat menarik.

Warna yang ada pada sayap kupu-kupu terbentuk dari kumpulan sisik yang mengandung pigmen. Jenis kupu-kupu dengan sayap-sayapnya yang indah banyak ditemui di wilayah Indonesia bagian timur, salah satunya adalah kupu-kupu burung (Birdwing) yang bentangan sayapnya mencapai 30 centimeter.

Untuk menghindari kepunahan kupu-kupu, orang membuat konservasi kupu-kupu. Di wilayah ini kupu-kupu bias hidup bebas tanpa gangguan manusia. Malah berbagai jenis tanaman sengaja ditanam agar beberapa jenis kupu-kupu bias bertahan hidup di sana.

FAKTA MENARIK:
·        Bangsa kupu-kupu diperkirakan sudah hidup di muka bumi sejak 200 juta tahun yang lalu. Dari sebuah fosil yang di temukan, diketahui kupu-kupu masa itu ada yang memiliki rentang sayap yang panjangnya 65 centimeter.


REPTIL DAN AMFIBI


Reptil dan amfibi merupakan dua kelas binatang yang berkerabat dekat. Uniknya, keduanya memiliki ciri berlawanan. Misalnya, amfibi berkulit halus dan basah, reptil berkulit kering dan bersisik.

Selain itu, ketika menetas, kebanyakan larva amfibi berada di air. Saat itu, mereka bernafas dengan insang, yang kemudian akan hilang ketika mereka tumbuh dewasa dan hidup di darat. Sedangkan reptil tidak mempunyai insang, dan ketika menetas anak reptil berada di atas tanah.

Amfibi
Amfibi adalah binatang yang hidup di dua alam, yaitu di air dan di darat. Termasuk dalam kelas ini adalah katak, salamander, dan sesilia. Kalau amfibi kecil bernafas dengan insang, ketika dewasa amfibi bernafas dengan paru-paru. Dimana oksigen masuk melalui kulit menuju ke darah dan sebaliknya karbondioksida keluar dari kulit.

Reptil
Reptil merupakan binatang melata. Kebanyakan binatang dari kelas ini menggunakan indera penglihatan, penciuman, dan sentuhan untuk mengenali lingkungan, menangkap mangsa, dan menghindari dari bahaya. Beberapa contoh reptil diantaranya ular, kura-kura, buaya, iguana, komodo, dan kadal.
Reptil merupakan binatang berdarah dingin. Mereka menghangatkan tubuh dengan berjemur di matahari.

KATAK


Katak merupakan amfibi yang paling tangkas. Hewan ini dapat melompat dari satu tempat ke tempat yang lain dengan mudah. Binatang yang sebagian hidupnya dihabiskan di air ini memiliki kaki berselaput, kaki belakang yang panjang, dan kulit yang halus.

Terdapat lebih dari 5000 jenis katak di dunia. Mereka tergabung dalam ordo Anura, yang terbagi menjadi 33 keluarga. Beberapa jenis katak di antaranya katak banteng (Rana catesbeiana), katak macam tutul (Rana pipiens), katak pohon abu-abu (Hyla versicolor), dan katak panah beracun (Dendrobates pumilio).
Di masa kawin, katak-katak jantan sering mengeluarkan suara atau nyanyian untuk memikat katak betina. Suara inidihasilkan oleh kantung suara yang terletak di sekitar lehernya. Uniknya, setiap jenis katak memiliki karakteristik suara atau panggilan yang berbeda.

Saat melompot, katak menumpukkan seluruh gerakannya di kaki belakang. Katak melompat dengan mata tertutup. Dan ketika mendarat, tubuhnya melengkung dan kaki depan bertindak sebagai rem.

Katak sering di sebut bangkong, padahal katak dan bangkong (keluarga Bufonidae)  tidak sama meskipun serupa. Misalnya, dari bentuk kaki. Kaki bangkong lebih pendek dari katak, dan tidak betul-betul berselaput. Kulitnya kasar berkutil dan cukup kering. Perbedaan lainnya, bangkong lebih banyak menghabiskan waktu di daratan kering.

FAKTA MENARIK:
·        Selama musim dingin katak berhibernasi (tidur panjang) di dalam lumpur atau di bawah bebatuan dan batang kayu, dan tidak akan bangun sampai musim panas atau musim semi tiba.
·        Katak terkecil berasal dari Brasil. Amfibi ini berukuran 9,8 milimeter.

BUAYA AIR ASIN


Buaya air asin (Crocodylus porosus) merupakan binatang terbesar di antara reptile lain. Seekor buaya air asin jantan dewasa rata-rata memiliki panjang 5 meter, dengan berat 500 kilogram. Sedangkan buaya air asin betina dewasa berukuran sepanjang 2,5 – 3 meter.

Binatang ini dapat hidup di tengah laut, muara-muara air payau, hinggansungai-sungai berair tawar di wilayah Asia Tenggara dan Australia bagian utara.
Menurut penelitian, buaya termasuk hewan yang cerdas. Reptile ini memiliki insting yang kuat terhadap bahaya. Buaya juga merupakan pemburu yang andal, karena selalu sukses dalam memangsa korbannya.

Buaya air asin menggunakan beberapa cara dalam memburu mangsa. Mula-mula binatang ini melakukan pengintaian dari dalam air atau tepi sungai, lalu menunggu sampai si mangsa dekat dengannya, baru kemudian menyergap dan menarik mangsa itu ke dalam air hingga mati tenggelam.

FAKTA MENARIK:
·        Seekor bayi buaya yang ingin menetas menggunakan gigi atas untuk memecahkan dinding telur.
·        Jenis kelamin bayi buaya tergantungpada suhu telur. Bayi buaya betina berkembang di dalam telur yang panas, sedangkan bayi buaya jantan berkembang di dalam telur yang dingin.
·        Buaya dan alligator dua jenis binatang yang berbeda. Perbedaan ini bias dilihat dari bentuk moncong dan gigi.

KOMODO


Komodo (Varanus komodoensis) adalah kadal terbesar di dunia. Panjangnya dapat mencapai tiga meter, dengan berat antara 80 – 140 kilogram. Hewan ini mempunyai indera yang kuat dan dianggap sebagai reptile yang paling maju intelegensinya.
Komodo tergolong kelompok karnivora. Kadal buas ini memburu mangsa dengan mengendap diam-diam, lalu menyergapnya cepat. Binatang yang paling sering dimangsa komodo adalah semua jenis binatang yang dapat ditangkapnya, diantaranya rusa kecil, babi liar, dan kerbau.

Komodo dewasa memiliki cakar yang tajam di jari-jarinya yang berguna untuk mencengkram mangsa.  Selain kuat dan dapat mengoyak mangsa dengan cepat, gigitan komodo juga dapat menimbulkan infeksi mematikan bagi binatang atau manusia yang digigitnya. Itu dikarenakan air  liur komodo mengandung 50 jenis bakteri berbahaya.

Komodo termasuk satwa langka yang harus dilindungi keberadaannya. Jumlah reptile ini sekarang sekitar 6000 ekor saja. Di dunia komodo hanya terdapt di Nusa Tenggara Timur, Indonesia yaitu di Pulau Komodo dimana pulau ini ditetapkan sebagai salah satu tujuh keajaiban dunia pada tahun 2012 oleh yayasan New 7 WondersSelain di Pulau Komodo, komodo juga dapat dijumpai di Padar, Rinca, Gili Motang, dan Utara Flores.

FAKTA MENARIK :
·    Telur komodo biasanya dijaga oleh induknya. Uniknya, anak yang baru menetas tidak dijaga, justru sering dimakan.
·        Dalam seabad terakhir sudah lebih 12 orang tewas akibat digigit komodo.
·     Komodo dipercaya merupakan asal mula karakter naga, yang banyak terdapat dalam cerita dan dongeng rakyat Cina.