H.M.J. Prawirojuwono

A compilation of folklore stories and songs recorded by H.M.J. Prawirojuwono. Many of these stories feature the mouse deer eating a certain fruit or vegetable. The deer remains popular in Javanese folklore today, especially in tales told to children. The stories are straightforward--some discuss the deer eating cucumber or meeting a water snail and elephant--and usually do not stretch beyond a couple of pages. Still, they do contain moral lessons. The author starts the volume by expounding on the beauty of Javanese literature and underlining how these stories and songs complement holy texts like the Qur'an.