Humans have lived alongside crabs for thousands of years in this region and the most notable crab in folklore is known for his seductiveness and not his crabbiness smh.

Should I translate the seductive crab story for the twitter crab crowd?

Maureen really wants to hear this so here we go.

Disclaimer: Southeast Asian stories are very oral and so the details change a lot depending on who you ask, so I'm stripping this to the core. I'm also condensing the human parts because let's be honest we're here for the crab.

Context: The story is called Ande-Ande Lumut and it's from East Java. It's generally (but not always) thought to be the "FOR KIDS" adaptation of some historical kingdom drama.

I'm going to skip a lot of character names that vary between versions to avoid confusion.

This is back in the 11/12th century—a mighty kingdom called Kahuripan is split into two: Jenggala and Kediri. Before the last king of Kahuripan dies, he wishes for the two kingdoms to be reunited by a marriage. So a prince from Jenggala is arranged to marry the Kediri princess.

Unfortunately, the fire nation attacks.

Actually, not really. Some versions say the kingdoms are under attack, some say the princess is kidnapped. What's consistent is that the princess is forced to leave her palace to live with commoners—but still longs to find the prince.

She is then adopted by an old widow with three daughters, Kleting Abang, Kleting Biru, and Kleting Ijo.

Those are color names, basically Power Rangers before Power Rangers. The princess takes on a new name, Kleting Kuning and becomes the yellow ranger (I made this last part up).

Kleting Kuning lives like Cinderella—abused by her sisters. Just like Cinderella, one day the family hears about a hot dude from who knows where named Ande-Ande Lumut who wants to get hitched.

(dude's name is the story's title so technically this is a romance not a crab story)

The ranger sisters head to town to see this dude. Conveniently for the narrator, a big river gets in the way, because we need a plot device here.

ENTERS THE GIANT SEDUCTIVE CRAB.
His name is Yuyu Kangkang.

And so we briefly interrupt this romance for some crab trivia.

Yuyu refers to the freshwater/rice paddy crab Parathelphusa convexa. They're small, about 5cm wide. But Yuyu Kangkang is gigantic. Because he needs to be seductive.

I'm not sure what Kangkang means but it's close to the word we still use for "spread legs" so I guess that fits.

ANYWAY back to the river. It's a big river so the girls can't cross (haven't they been to town before? what do they normally do???)

Yuyu Kangkang, being the big crab he is, offers to carry the girls if they kiss him after. The girls, lusting for the dude across the river, agree.

I MEAN COME ON YOU GET TO KISS A BIG CRAB BOI WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT, GIRLS. DITCH THE DUDE.

PLOT TWIST after crossing the three ranger sisters, Kleting Kuning (a.k.a. the undercover princess), REFUSES TO KISS HIM.

HOW DARE.

Yuyu Kangkang, hangry, tries to eat Kleting Kuning. She whips out a lash (said to be a gift from her mother or a stork depending on who you ask).

It's unclear whether Yuyu Kangkang is killed or threatened to take Kleting Kuning across, but the point is, she never kissed the crab.

Missed opportunity, I know.

Then she goes on to meet Ande-Ande Lumut, which I've nearly forgotten because I got distracted by the crab.