The Gift of the Crocodile

by Judy Sierra; illustrated by Reynold Ruffins

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Booklist, January 1, 2001 (Vol. 97, No. 9)
Ages 4-8. Set in the Spice Islands, this Indonesian version of the Cinderella story has Damura as the beautiful, ill-treated stepchild, and, instead of a fairy godmother, a river crocodile is the magical helper. Sierra tells the story with simple drama, and Ruffins’handsome acrylic illustrations on watercolor paper set the tale on a tropical island with rich colors and folk art-style figures in a vibrant theatrical design. A full folklore note discusses the sources for the story and connects the tale with other Cinderella motifs. This time, the wicked stepmother and stepsister continue to hurt Cinderella even after she has married the prince, but Grandmother Crocodile saves Damura again so the girl and her prince live for many years in great splendor and happiness. A storytelling treat.

Horn Book, January/February, 2001
In this folktale from the Moluccas, a mother’s deathbed reminder that her daughter Damura respect all wild animals is honored and rewarded, bringing the daughter the animals’ protection and, of course, a prince for a husband. As Sierra states in her exemplary source note, this Indonesian “Cinderella” story contains many familiar elements (cruel stepmother and stepsister, a dance, a lost slipper) as well as some non-European motifs (the crocodile fairy godmother). The story begins when a widowed neighbor, who is attracted to young Damura’s father, offers the girl a beautiful doll if she persuades her father to remarry. Damura can’t resist and thus inadvertently brings about her own unhappiness. Her heartless stepmother and stepsister’s cruelty leads Damura to call on the animals for help: a crocodile recognizes the girl’s kind heart and comes to her rescue. When the prince announces a dance, Damura naturally calls on Grandmother Crocodile for some magical assistance. Sierra’s unadorned retelling is straightforward; the less familiar plot elements give the story some flavor and momentum. Ruffins’s brightly colored, patterned paintings, with their angular figures and wavy landscapes, express and evoke the story’s island setting. Some of the illustrations intensify dramatic moments by focusing on one character; others suggest mood and a magical atmosphere. This Southeast Asian variation adds some tropical zest to the oft-told tale.

Horn Book starred, Spring 2001
A mother’s deathbed reminder that her daughter should respect all wild animals is honored and rewarded, bringing the animals’ protection and, of course, a prince for a husband. This Indonesian folktale contains many familiar elements as well as some non-European motifs (a crocodile fairy godmother). The unadorned retelling is straightforward; Ruffins’s brightly colored, patterned paintings evoke the story’s Southeast Asia island setting.

Kirkus Review, October 15, 2000
A reptilian “fairy godmother” provides more than fine clothing for this Indonesian Cinderella. Beguiled by a widowed neighbor’s gift, young Damura persuades her father to remarry. Subsequently forced into servitude, her distress draws an ancient crocodile--who, because she behaves with proper respect, not only furnishes her with lovely sarongs, but brings her back to life after her stepmother and stepsister feed her to another crocodile. Ruffins (Running the Road to ABC, 1996, Coretta Scott King Honor) sets long-limbed, colorfully clad figures into bright, open tropical settings, ably capturing Damura’s sadness, her stepsister’s disagreeable nature, even the crocodile’s solicitude with clearly drawn expressions and body language. Sierra tells the tale simply and fluidly, closing with a note on her source (a Dutch collection of Spice Island folktales), and on Cinderella tales in general. The story itself follows a familiar track, even to the lost slipper, but the exotic setting, plus several humorous touches, set it apart from the rest of this year’s crowd. (Picture book/folk tale. 6-9)

School Library Journal, November 2000
K-Gr 4-A handsome Cinderella variant from the Spice Islands. Young Damura is advised by her dying mother to be kind to all wild creatures. Later on, in an interesting twist, the girl is bribed with a doll to plead her would-be stepmother’s case to her father. After the marriage, she is mistreated by the woman and her daughter. She loses her old sarong while washing laundry in the river. Hearing her sobs, a crocodile offers to retrieve it if the girl will rock her baby, and returns with a silver dress. When the greedy sister tries the same thing but is cruel to the baby and crisp with Grandmother Crocodile, she wins a leech-covered rag. Years later, when a prince seeks a bride, the stepsister wears the silver dress but Grandmother Crocodile supplies Damura with the essentials. After the prince claims his bride with a lost slipper and the two are married, the jealous stepmother and her daughter push Damura into the river where she is eaten by a crocodile. In a funny sequence, Grandmother confronts her river children and a fat crocodile is forced to cough out Damura. Ruffins’s handsome acrylic paintings reflect the Indonesian love of color and pattern. Page design varies to include bordered illustrations, vignettes, and several eloquent silhouettes. Sierra’s retelling is strong and fun to read aloud. A useful author’s note sorts out variations in motifs across cultures. A fine addition to the groaning shelf of Cinderella stories.-Susan Hepler, Burgundy Farm Country Day School, Alexandria, VA

In the Spice Islands, there was a girl named Damura. Damura’s mother was dying. Before she passed away, she reminded Damura to respect all wild creatures. Whenever Damura would miss her mother, she would talk to the animals.

A widow in the village took a liking to Damura’s father. So, she made a doll for Damura. She told the girl that she could keep the doll if she convinced her father to marry her. So, she did. Her new stepmother brought home a daughter of her own. At first, they were kind to Damura, but after long, they made her their servant.

One day, Damura was washing clothes in the river. The current washed away her sarong, and she began to cry. She remembered her mother’s advice and asked the creatures of the wild for help. A crocodile emerged and said the she would find the sarong if Damura watched her baby. Damura was kind to the baby and the crocodile brought Damura a beautiful silver sarong.

When the stepmother saw the beautiful sarong, she sent her own daughter to get one. The next day, the girl pretended to lose her sarong in the current and she began to cry. Again, the crocodile emerged. She told the girl to watch her baby. However, the girl was mean to the baby. She spanked it and told it that it smelled like garbage.

The crocodile brought her back a silver sarong. The girl snatched it and wrapped it around her waist. Instantly, it became infested with leeches. When she tried to remove it, it became like glue. She ran home crying.

One day, the prince invited all the young women to a dance at the palace. Here, he would choose his bride.

The stepmother gave her own daughter Damura’s silver sarong to wear to the dance. She told Damura to stay home and clean the house. When they left, she ran to the river to speak to the crocodile for help. The crocodile brought Damura a sarong and blouse of pure gold with matching slippers. She told her to leave as soon as the first rooster crows, and to return everything before she goes home.

When she arrived at the palace, she astonished everyone. The prince knew that she would be his bride.

When the rooster crowed, she ran away, with the prince at her heels. Before she got away, the prince caught one of her golden slippers.

The next day, a messenger came to gather all the young women of the village. The prince vowed to marry whatever girl the slipper fit.

The slipper fit perfectly on Damura’s foot. The prince married her immediately. A few days after the wedding, Damura’s stepmother and stepsister apologized for the way they treated her. They asked her to take a boat ride on the river and be friends. Damura agreed. When they reached the middle of the river, they pushed Damura overboard. A crocodile then swallowed her. The other women hoped that the prince would forget about Damura and marry the stepsister.

The prince went to the river and asked the crocodile for help. The crocodile asked the other crocodiles who had eaten Damura.

When a fat crocodile admitted that he ate her, she made him spit her out. She then licked Damura’s face and brought her back to life. She then told the other crocodiles that no one was allowed to eat Damura, but if they saw her stepmother or stepsister, they could eat them immediately.

The stepmother and stepsister heard this and fled. They were never seen again. Damura and the prince returned to the palace where they lived happily ever after.

Damura - She is a young girl whose mother dies. She is kind to animals and is rewarded for it in the end. She marries the prince and lives happily ever after.

Damura’s mother - She taught Damura how to kindle fire, cook, tend to and harvest plants, and dance. She taught her to respect all living creatures. She eventually grows weak and dies.

Damura’s stepmother - She bribes Damura with a doll to get her father to marry her. She is kind to her at first, but eventually forces her to do all the work. She dotes n her own daughter. She goes so far as to attempt to kill Damura so that her own daughter can marry the prince.

Damura’s father - He is barely mentioned. When Damura asks him to marry the widow, he resists at first. But when Damura insists, he agrees.

Damura’s stepsister - At first, she was kind to Damura. Then, she makes her so all the work. She becomes jealous of Damura’s sarong, and she lies to get one of her own. She is also mean to the baby crocodile, and is punished with leeches. She is jealous of Damura and tries to kill her so that she can marry the prince.

Grandmother crocodile - She awards Damura with gifts for her kindness. She saves her life. She punishes the stepsister for her meanness. She tells the other crocodiles that they can eat the stepmother or stepsister on site.

The Prince - He invites all of the women to a dance, so that he may find his bride. He falls in love with Damura after seeing her dance. After catching her slipper, he is determined to marry its owner. He marries Damura and they live happily ever after.

The grandmother crocodile rewards Damura for her kindness with a beautiful silver sarong from the river. She punishes the stepsister for her cruelty with a beautiful sarong, that when put on instantly becomes a filthy rag swarming with leeches. When she tries to pull it off, it sticks to her like glue.

Later, grandmother crocodile gives Damura a golden blouse and sarong with matching slippers from the river. She also makes a shining carriage pulled by a white horse. When Damura returns, she apologizes for losing a slipper. Grandmother crocodile replies, “You needn’t be sorry. That one slipper will make you a princess.”

Finally, when a crocodile eats Damura, grandmother crocodile makes him spit her back out. She then licks Damura’s face and brings her back to life.

On the first page of the story, the reader sees Damura learning the graceful dances of her ancestors. This dance will eventually catch the attention of the prince. “Folk dances are performed all over Indonesia.” These dances occur especially on occasions, such as weddings and ceremonies (Mirpuri 95),

Before her death, Damura’s mother reminds her to respect all wild creatures, for they would help and comfort her. Many people of Indonesia believe in animism, that there are spirits in nature (Berg 23). Perhaps this would explain the talking crocodile.

The stepmother moves in with one daughter of her own, rather than the traditional two stepsisters that we are used to reading about. Because of overcrowding, Indonesia has adopted a “Two is Enough” policy to help with family planning (Mirpuri 53). This might explain the absence of the other sister.

When Damura meets grandmother crocodile, she is washing the family’s clothes in the river. “In rural communities, villagers use ricer water for bathing and household purposes, such as washing clothes.” (Fisher 22)

During this time, she loses her sarong. Women often wear a sarong, and ankle length, loose-fitting skirt that wraps around their waist (Riehecky 15).

Finally, Damura never complains about the treatment she receives from her stepmother or stepsister. Maybe this is because the first allegiance in Indonesia is to the family (Mirpuri 59).

Berg, Elizabeth. Festivals of the World: Indonesia. Milwaukee: Gareth Stevens, 1997.

Fisher, Frederick. Countries of the World: Indonesia. Milwaukee: Gareth Stevens, 2000.

Mirpuri, Gouri and Robert Cooper. Cultures of the World: Indonesia. New York: Benchmark Books, 2002.

Riehecky, Janet. Countries of the World: Indonesia. Mankato: Bridgestone Books, 2002.