10 Contoh Narrative Text Bahasa Inggris Lengkap: Struktur, Terjemahan, dan Pesan Moral

Mendapat tugas bahasa Inggris untuk mendongeng (storytelling) atau menganalisis teks cerita? Jika iya, kamu pasti sedang mencari contoh narrative text yang utuh dan mudah dipahami. Secara singkat, narrative text adalah teks imajinatif (fiksi maupun legenda) yang bertujuan untuk menghibur pembaca, sekaligus memberikan pesan moral di akhir cerita.

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Sebuah teks naratif yang baik harus memiliki struktur yang jelas: Orientation (pengenalan tokoh dan latar), Complication (munculnya konflik/masalah), Resolution (penyelesaian masalah), dan Re-orientation (pesan moral/kesimpulan).

Agar kamu punya referensi yang lengkap untuk bahan presentasi atau tugas menulismu, kami telah menyiapkan 10 cerita bahasa Inggris utuh dari berbagai jenis (Fabel, Fairy Tale, dan Legenda Nusantara) lengkap dengan struktur, terjemahan, dan pesan moralnya. Yuk, simak di bawah ini!

Daftar Isi

The Lion and the Mouse (Fabel)

Source: Pexels

Orientation: Once upon a time, a lion was sleeping peacefully in the jungle. A little mouse started playing on him, running up and down his back. This soon awakened the lion, who placed his huge paw upon the mouse and opened his big jaws to swallow him.
Complication: “Pardon, O King,” cried the little mouse. “Forgive me this time, I shall never forget it. Who knows but I may be able to do you a turn some of these days?” The lion was so tickled at the idea of the mouse being able to help him, that he lifted up his paw and let him go.
Resolution: Some time after, the lion was caught in a hunter’s net. Just then, the little mouse happened to pass by. Seeing the sad plight in which the lion was, he went up to him and soon gnawed away the ropes that bound the King of the Beasts. “Was I not right?” said the little mouse.
Re-orientation: Little friends may prove to be great friends.

Terjemahan: Suatu hari, seekor singa sedang tidur dengan tenang di hutan. Seekor tikus kecil mulai bermain di atasnya. Hal ini membangunkan si singa, yang menempatkan cakar besarnya di atas tikus dan membuka rahangnya untuk menelannya. Tikus itu memohon ampun dan berjanji akan membalas budi suatu hari nanti. Singa tertawa mendengarnya dan melepaskannya. Beberapa waktu kemudian, singa terperangkap dalam jaring pemburu. Tikus yang lewat melihatnya dan segera menggigit tali-tali itu hingga singa terbebas. Pesan Moral: Kebaikan sekecil apa pun tidak akan pernah sia-sia. Bahkan yang lemah sekalipun bisa membantu yang kuat.

The Boy Who Cried Wolf (Fabel)

Orientation: There was once a shepherd boy who kept his flock at a little distance from the village. He often felt bored sitting on the hillside all day.
Complication: To entertain himself, he thought of a trick to play on the villagers. He ran toward the village shouting “Wolf! Wolf! The wolf is chasing the sheep!” The villagers dropped their work and ran to help him, but found no wolf. The boy laughed at them. He did this a second time, and again the villagers were fooled. Then, one day, a real wolf came. The boy cried “Wolf! Wolf! Help!” as loud as he could.
Resolution: The villagers heard him, but they thought he was playing another trick. Nobody came to help him, and the wolf destroyed the whole flock.
Re-orientation: A liar will not be believed, even when he speaks the truth.

Terjemahan: Ada seorang anak gembala yang menjaga kawanannya di dekat desa. Ia sering bosan, jadi ia menipu warga desa dengan berteriak “Serigala!” agar mereka datang menolongnya. Ia tertawa ketika warga menyadari tidak ada serigala. Ia melakukannya dua kali. Suatu hari, serigala sungguhan datang. Anak itu berteriak minta tolong sekeras-kerasnya. Warga desa mendengarnya, tetapi mengira ia berbohong lagi. Tidak ada yang datang, dan serigala itu menghancurkan seluruh kawanannya.

Pesan Moral: Tidak ada yang akan percaya pada seorang pembohong, bahkan ketika ia mengatakan kebenaran.

The Legend of Malin Kundang (Legenda)

Orientation: A long time ago, in a small village near the beach in West Sumatra, lived a woman and her son, Malin Kundang. They were very poor. Malin Kundang wanted to be a successful man, so he asked his mother’s permission to sail to the big city.
Complication: Many years later, Malin Kundang became wealthy. He had a huge ship and a beautiful wife. One day, his ship docked near his hometown. His mother heard the news and ran to the beach to meet her beloved son. When she saw him, she called his name and hugged him. However, Malin Kundang was ashamed of his mother’s ragged clothes in front of his beautiful wife. He pushed her away and yelled, “I don’t know you, old woman! My mother is dead!”
Resolution: Heartbroken and crying, his mother prayed to God. “If he is truly my son, I curse him into a stone.” Suddenly, a massive storm came, destroying Malin’s ship.
Re-orientation: In the morning, the storm stopped, and people found a stone shaped like a man bowing down. It was Malin Kundang.

Terjemahan: Dahulu kala, hiduplah Malin Kundang dan ibunya yang miskin. Malin pergi merantau dan menjadi pria yang sangat kaya. Suatu hari, kapalnya berlabuh di kampung halamannya. Ibunya datang untuk memeluknya, tetapi Malin malu melihat ibunya yang berpakaian compang-camping di depan istrinya. Ia mendorong ibunya dan tidak mengakuinya. Ibunya yang hancur hatinya mengutuk Malin. Badai besar datang, menghancurkan kapalnya, dan mengubah Malin menjadi batu yang sedang bersujud.

Pesan Moral: Jangan pernah durhaka kepada orang tuamu, terutama ibumu.

Cinderella (Fairy Tale)

Orientation: Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful and kind-hearted girl named Cinderella. She lived with her cruel stepmother and two ugly stepsisters who treated her like a servant.
Complication: One day, an invitation to a grand ball at the palace arrived. The stepsisters went to the ball, leaving Cinderella crying at home because she had no beautiful dress to wear. Suddenly, her Fairy Godmother appeared. With a flick of her magic wand, she turned a pumpkin into a carriage, mice into horses, and Cinderella’s rags into a beautiful gown with glass slippers. “You must return before midnight, or the magic will break,” the Fairy Godmother warned. At the ball, the Prince fell in love with her. As the clock struck twelve, Cinderella ran away, leaving one glass slipper behind.
Resolution: The Prince searched the whole kingdom to find the girl whose foot fit the glass slipper. Finally, he arrived at Cinderella’s house. The stepsisters tried, but their feet were too big. Cinderella tried it on, and it fit perfectly.
Re-orientation: The Prince recognized her and married her. They lived happily ever after.

Terjemahan: Cinderella hidup menderita bersama ibu dan saudara tirinya. Suatu hari ada pesta dansa, tetapi ia tidak bisa pergi. Ibu Peri muncul, menyihirnya menjadi putri cantik, dan mengingatkannya untuk pulang sebelum tengah malam. Di pesta, Pangeran jatuh cinta padanya. Saat tengah malam, Cinderella lari dan meninggalkan sepatu kacanya. Pangeran mencari pemilik sepatu itu ke seluruh negeri, menemukannya di kaki Cinderella, lalu menikahinya.

Pesan Moral: Kebaikan dan kesabaran pada akhirnya akan membuahkan kebahagiaan.

The Legend of Toba Lake (Legenda)

Orientation: Once upon a time in North Sumatra, lived a poor farmer named Toba. One day, he went fishing and caught a beautiful gold fish. To his surprise, the fish turned into a beautiful princess.
Complication: Toba asked her to marry him. The princess agreed, but on one condition: Toba must never tell anyone that she was once a fish. They got married and had a son named Samosir. One day, Toba was very angry at Samosir because the boy ate Toba’s lunch. Toba yelled, “You son of a fish!”
Resolution: The princess was heartbroken because Toba broke his promise. She told Samosir to run to the highest hill. Suddenly, a massive earthquake happened, and heavy rain started to fall. The area got flooded and became Toba Lake.
Re-orientation: The princess turned back into a fish, and the hill in the middle where Samosir stood became Samosir Island.

Terjemahan: Toba menikahi wanita jelmaan ikan emas dengan syarat ia tak boleh mengungkit asal-usul istrinya. Suatu hari Toba marah pada anaknya dan menyebutnya “anak ikan”. Sang istri sangat kecewa, badai besar pun datang dan menenggelamkan desa tersebut hingga menjadi Danau Toba. Bukit tempat anaknya menyelamatkan diri menjadi Pulau Samosir.

Pesan Moral: Jangan pernah mengingkari janji yang telah kamu buat saat sedang marah.

The Ant and the Grasshopper (Fabel)

Orientation: One bright summer day, a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart’s content. An Ant passed by, carrying a heavy ear of corn to its nest.
Complication: “Why not come and sing with me,” said the Grasshopper, “instead of working so hard?” The Ant replied, “I am helping to lay up food for the winter, and recommend you to do the same.” The Grasshopper just laughed and said, “Why bother about winter? We have plenty of food right now.” The Ant went on its way and continued its hard work.
Resolution: When the cold winter came, the Grasshopper had no food and found itself dying of hunger. He saw the ants distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer.
Re-orientation: Then the Grasshopper knew: It is best to prepare for the days of necessity.

Terjemahan: Di musim panas, belalang bernyanyi santai sementara semut bekerja keras mengumpulkan makanan untuk musim dingin. Belalang menertawakan semut karena bekerja terlalu keras. Saat musim dingin tiba, belalang kelaparan dan hampir mati, sementara semut hidup nyaman dengan makanan yang telah mereka kumpulkan.

Pesan Moral: Bekerja keraslah dan bersiaplah untuk masa depan, jangan hanya memikirkan kesenangan sesaat.

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Bawang Merah and Bawang Putih (Cerita Rakyat / Folklore)

Orientation: Once upon a time, there were two sisters named Bawang Putih (White Onion) and Bawang Merah (Red Onion). Bawang Putih was kind, obedient, and hardworking. Bawang Merah was lazy, arrogant, and cruel. Bawang Putih’s mother had passed away, so she lived with her stepmother and stepsister, Bawang Merah.
Complication: One day, Bawang Putih washed her stepmother’s clothes in the river, and one piece washed away. She followed the river and met an old woman who had the clothes. The old woman returned it and gave Bawang Putih a small pumpkin for her kindness. When she opened it at home, it was full of gold. Jealous, Bawang Merah purposely let her clothes wash away, went to the old woman, and demanded a large pumpkin.
Resolution: When Bawang Merah and her mother opened the large pumpkin at home, hoping for more gold, venomous snakes and scorpions came out and bit them.
Re-orientation: They realized their mistake, apologized to Bawang Putih, and Bawang Putih forgave them.

Terjemahan: Bawang Putih yang baik hati mendapat hadiah labu kecil berisi emas dari seorang nenek. Bawang Merah yang serakah sengaja meniru hal itu dan meminta labu yang paling besar. Namun, ketika labu besar itu dibuka, isinya bukan emas, melainkan ular dan kalajengking beracun. Mereka akhirnya sadar dan meminta maaf kepada Bawang Putih.

Pesan Moral: Kebaikan akan berbuah manis, sedangkan keserakahan dan sifat buruk hanya akan mendatangkan petaka.

The Tortoise and the Hare (Fabel)

Orientation: A hare was making fun of a tortoise one day for being so slow. “Do you ever get anywhere?” he asked with a mocking laugh. “Yes,” replied the tortoise, “and I get there sooner than you think. I’ll run you a race and prove it.”
Complication: The hare was much amused at the idea of running a race with the tortoise, but for the fun of the thing, he agreed. The fox acted as the judge. The hare darted almost out of sight at once, but soon stopped and, to show his contempt for the tortoise, lay down to have a nap. The tortoise plodded on and plodded on, steadily and slowly.
Resolution: When the hare awoke from his nap, he saw the tortoise just near the winning-post. The hare ran as fast as he could, but it was too late. The tortoise had already crossed the line.
Re-orientation: Slow and steady wins the race.

Terjemahan: Seekor kelinci menyombongkan kecepatannya dan menantang kura-kura berlomba. Kelinci berlari sangat cepat, lalu memutuskan untuk tidur siang karena merasa kura-kura masih sangat jauh. Kura-kura terus berjalan lambat tapi pasti. Saat kelinci terbangun, kura-kura sudah melewati garis finis terlebih dahulu.

Pesan Moral: Konsistensi dan ketekunan akan mengalahkan kecepatan yang disertai dengan kesombongan.

Sangkuriang (Legenda)

Orientation: Long ago in West Java, lived a beautiful woman named Dayang Sumbi. She had a son named Sangkuriang. He loved hunting with his faithful dog, Tumang, who was actually his father transformed by a curse.
Complication: One day, Sangkuriang failed to hunt a deer. Afraid to disappoint his mother, he killed Tumang and brought his heart home. When Dayang Sumbi found out, she was furious, hit Sangkuriang on the head leaving a scar, and banished him. Years later, Sangkuriang returned as a handsome, strong man. He met Dayang Sumbi and fell in love with her, not knowing she was his mother. Dayang Sumbi recognized his scar and realized who he was. To stop the marriage, she asked him to build a vast lake and a large boat in one night.
Resolution: Sangkuriang almost finished it with the help of spirits. Dayang Sumbi panicked and made the roosters crow early to fake the sunrise. The spirits fled.
Re-orientation: Angry that he failed, Sangkuriang kicked the boat upside down. It turned into a mountain known as Mount Tangkuban Perahu.

Terjemahan: Sangkuriang membunuh anjingnya (yang sebenarnya adalah ayahnya) dan diusir oleh ibunya. Bertahun-tahun kemudian, ia kembali dan jatuh cinta pada ibunya sendiri. Untuk mencegah pernikahan, sang ibu meminta dibuatkan perahu dan danau dalam semalam. Saat hampir selesai, ibu menggagalkannya. Sangkuriang marah dan menendang perahu itu hingga terbalik menjadi Gunung Tangkuban Perahu.

Pesan Moral: Jangan pernah memaksakan kehendak dengan cara yang tidak baik, dan kenalilah asal-usulmu.

The Golden Goose (Fabel)

Orientation: Once upon a time, a farmer and his wife had the good fortune to possess a goose which laid a golden egg every day. Lucky though they were, they soon began to think they were not getting rich fast enough.
Complication: They imagined that if the bird was able to lay golden eggs, its insides must be made of solid gold. They thought that if they could get all that precious metal at once, they would become mighty rich very soon. So the man and his wife decided to kill the bird.
Resolution: However, upon cutting the goose open, they were shocked to find that its innards were like that of any other goose.
Re-orientation: Think before you act. Greed often overreaches itself and ruins the source of wealth.

Terjemahan: Seorang petani memiliki angsa istimewa yang bertelur satu telur emas setiap hari. Petani itu menjadi sangat serakah. Ia menginginkan semua emas itu sekaligus, jadi ia membunuh angsa itu dan membelahnya. Betapa terkejutnya dia, tidak ada emas di dalamnya, dan sekarang ia tidak punya telur emas lagi.

Pesan Moral: Keserakahan dan sifat tidak sabar akan menghancurkan sumber rezeki kita sendiri.

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