Long time ago, there was a fertile and prosperous region. The rice fields produced abundant harvests. The orchards also produced good quality fruits. The region was called Semuong. The Semuong people lived well from the harvest. Beside to providing for the livelihood of the people, part of the harvest was set aside in the village barn and part was sent as tribute to the king.

In Semuong, there lived a beautiful princess who was good at martial arts. She was the daugher of a noble. Her name was Putri Mentawai Ratu Semaka. One day the princess accompanied by several young men was assigned to send tribute to the king. But when they arrived at the royal capital, the king's guards treated the princess and her entourage improperly and rebuked them. Because she did not accept this treatment, the Princess fought back. With the strength of the martial arts she possessed, the princess and the young men were able to defeat the royal troops. They could come back home to Semuong.

The king was furious with the defeat. He sent troops to attack the princess and the Semuong people. The princess and several young men fought the king's troops. She fought with excellent martial arts skills. The royal troops cringed because they thought that the women in Semuong were that great, let alone the men. The king's troops returned to the kingdom. Finally, the Semuong region became an independent region and lived in prosperity.

Source: This story is adapted from the book entitled Putri Mentawai Ratu Semaka (2021) published by Language Office Lampung Province.