The Legend of La Moelu: The Magical Fish and the Golden Tree

Chapter 1: The Boy and the Empty River

Once upon a time, in the lush and beautiful lands of Southeast Sulawesi, there lived a kind-hearted young boy named La Moelu. Sadly, La Moelu was an orphan who had lost his mother when he was just a little baby. He lived in a small, humble wooden hut with his elderly father. Because his father was very old and weak, he could no longer work in the fields. Therefore, little La Moelu took it upon himself to provide for them. Every single day, to meet their daily needs, he went fishing in the sparkling river near their house.

One sunny morning, just like any other day, La Moelu walked down to the riverbank carrying his bamboo fishing rod. Hoping to catch a grand feast for his father, he brought a large basket full of bait. He sat on a mossy rock, cast his line, and waited. He waited for hours, but the river was completely still. Not a single fish came to nibble at his bait.

La Moelu: "Oh, river, please give me just one fish today so my father and I can eat."

He was almost desperate and ready to give up, when suddenly, his fishing rod gave a sharp twitch!

Chapter 2: The Strange Little Catch

La Moelu was overjoyed. His heart leaped with excitement as he carefully pulled his fishing line out of the water, making sure not to lose his catch. When he finally lifted his rod, he sighed with a little disappointment. Hanging on the hook was only a very tiny fish.

However, as he looked closer, La Moelu gasped in surprise. The fish was peculiar. It had shimmering, colorful scales that glowed in the sunlight and a shape unlike any fish he had ever seen in the river. Knowing this was no ordinary creature, he gently placed the fish in a water bucket and hurried home to show it to his father.

La Moelu: "Father, look! I just caught a small fish, but its shape is so weird and beautiful. Let me show you. Maybe you know what kind of fish this is!"

His father put on his spectacles and squinted at the little creature swimming in the bucket.

Father: "My goodness! What fish is this? I have lived by the waters for many years, but I have never seen a fish like this before."

La Moelu: "Should we cook it for dinner, Father?"

Father: "No, no, my boy. You had better keep this fish. I feel there is something very special about it."

Following his father's wise suggestion, La Moelu happily obeyed. He transferred the little fish into a small glass jar filled with fresh water and placed it by his bed.

Chapter 3: The Incredible Growing Fish

The very next morning, La Moelu woke up and went to check on his new pet. To his absolute shock, the fish had magically grown overnight! It was now the exact size of the glass jar, barely able to move its fins.

La Moelu: "Father, come quickly! The fish grew as big as the jar!"

Quickly, La Moelu moved the magical fish into a large clay pot. But a day later, the strange miracle happened again. The fish grew even bigger, filling the entire pot! This kept happening day after day. Soon, there was not a single tub or barrel left in their small house large enough to hold the giant creature.

Father: "La Moelu, this fish is a magical creature of the deep. It cannot live in our tiny house anymore. You must carry it to the beach and return it to the vast sea, where it truly belongs."

La Moelu knew his father was right. With great effort, he carried the heavy fish all the way to the sandy beach. Before releasing it into the crashing waves, he gently patted the fish's shiny head.

La Moelu: "I will name you Jinnade. Go now, swim free in the ocean! But listen to me, Jinnade: whenever I stand on this shore and call your name, you must promise to come to me so I can feed you."

Jinnade looked deeply into La Moelu’s eyes and happily wagged his giant tail in agreement. Then, with a mighty splash, La Moelu released Jinnade into the sea.

Chapter 4: The Wicked Neighbors

From that day on, La Moelu visited the beach every single afternoon. He would stand on a rock and shout into the ocean.

La Moelu: "Jinnade! Jinnade, my friend, come here! I have food for you!"

Just like magic, Jinnade would always pop his head out of the water, happily eating the food from La Moelu's hands. They became the best of friends.

However, secrets are hard to keep in a small village. One day, three of La Moelu's neighbors hid behind the coconut trees and watched the boy's magical routine. Seeing the massive, plump fish, wicked intentions grew in their greedy hearts.

First Neighbor: "Look at the size of that monstrous fish! It must have so much delicious meat."

Second Neighbor: "If we pretend to be the boy and call its name, it will swim right to us."

Third Neighbor: "Yes! Tomorrow morning, we will catch it, kill it, and have a grand feast!"

Chapter 5: A Heartbreaking Discovery

Early the next morning, while La Moelu was still asleep, the three wicked men took a small boat out to the sea. They brought sharp spears with them. Imitating the boy's voice, they shouted into the water.

First Neighbor: "Jinnade! Jinnade, come here!"

Hearing his name, the innocent Jinnade immediately swam up to the surface, expecting a tasty treat from his friend. But Jinnade was startled to see three strange men with cruel smiles instead of La Moelu. Before the poor fish could swim away, the wicked men threw their heavy spears. In a matter of seconds, Jinnade was killed. The men greedily dragged the giant fish home to be cooked.

That afternoon, as usual, La Moelu went to the beach.

La Moelu: "Jinnade! Jinnade, I am here! Come and eat!"

He waited and waited. He called until his voice went hoarse, but the ocean remained empty. Jinnade never came to the surface. Heartbroken and confused, La Moelu walked home with tears in his eyes and told his father what had happened.

Father: "Calm down, my brave boy. Please do not cry. Perhaps Jinnade has finally found his friends and family deep in the ocean, and he is swimming happily with them."

But La Moelu had a terrible feeling in his stomach. Later that evening, he decided to take a walk through the village. As he passed by his neighbors' houses, he smelled the aroma of a massive feast. He peaked over the fence and saw his three neighbors cooking huge chunks of fish meat over a roaring fire. Suspicion washed over him.

La Moelu: "Excuse me, neighbors... where on earth did you get such a giant fish?"

Second Neighbor: "Oh, uh... we caught this fish in the river near the woods!"

La Moelu: "That is a lie! No fish in our river grows that big! Tell me the truth, is this Jinnade?"

The neighbors looked at each other and laughed wickedly.

Third Neighbor: "Fine, you caught us! Yes, it was your magic fish. We called him, we speared him, and now he is our dinner. What are you going to do about it, little boy?"

Chapter 6: The Golden Tree of Jinnade

La Moelu felt a mix of terrible anger and deep sorrow over his friends' cruel behavior. But being just a young boy, he knew he could not fight three grown men. With tears streaming down his face, he quietly asked for the fish's leftover bones. The laughing men threw the bones in the dirt for him.

Carefully, La Moelu gathered all of Jinnade's bones, wrapped them in a clean cloth, and brought them home. He dug a hole in his front yard and gently buried his beloved friend. His father hugged him tightly, trying to comfort the boy's broken heart.

Father: "You are a good boy, La Moelu. You gave your friend a proper resting place. The heavens will reward your kindness."

The very next morning, when La Moelu stepped out of his house to go fishing, he rubbed his eyes in absolute disbelief. Right on top of Jinnade's grave, a spectacular, magical tree had grown overnight!

La Moelu: "Father! Father, come quickly! It is a miracle!"

His father stumbled out of the door and gasped. The tree was the most beautiful thing they had ever seen. Its sturdy trunk was made of solid, glowing gold. Its leaves were crafted from shimmering silver. Most amazing of all, it bloomed with glittering diamond flowers and bore fruits made of giant, flawless diamonds! As the days passed, the magical plant only grew bigger and more beautiful.

Realizing this was a final gift from Jinnade, La Moelu and his father gently picked the silver leaves and diamond fruits to sell in the city. Almost overnight, the poor orphan boy and his elderly father became the wealthiest people in the land.

Yet, despite having trunks full of gold and jewels, La Moelu and his father never forgot their difficult past. They remained humble, kind, and generous, always using their newfound wealth to help any poor neighbor in need. And they lived happily ever after.

Give it a try! Follow La Moelu's friendship with his magical fish, Jinnade, all the way to the growth of a magical tree.

More folklore on Southeast Sulawesi:

• The Legend of La Moelu: The Magical Fish and the Golden Tree
• How Mount Mekongga Got Its Name: A Magical Folktale
• The Monkey and the Chicken: A Southeast Sulawesi Folktale for Kids