The neighboring one-horse towns of Atu and Akuh were enemies. The town officials of each town declared that everybody must not get along with anybody in their enemy’s town. The townspeople obeyed with sad hearts because many of them were friends though their town officials were enemies and had declared a cold war. They complied to avoid violence and death.

But the beautiful princess of Atu and the handsome prince of Akuh were lovers before the war and were still when the cold war was declared. And so they continued their secret meetings until one day they were caught.

They were castigated until they bled to death. With all the wounds, the lovers’ lives were ended. And then one day, the mound were the princess lay, transformed into a pretty shape which was her face, her arms and her body. A plant grew producing an adhesive sap. They named the plant Atu-leh which meant Atu’s Beautiful.