.jpg "Pak Lebai Malang A Folktale from West Sumatra About Greed")
Chapter 1: The House in the Middle of the River
Once upon a time, long ago in West Sumatra, there lived a man named Mr. Lebai. His little house stood right in the middle of a long, winding river. Some of his neighbors lived upstream, where the river began, and others lived downstream, where it flowed toward the sea.
Every morning, Mr. Lebai paddled his little sampan, a small wooden boat, along the sparkling water. He waved to his neighbors, and they waved back. Everyone in the village liked him. But Mr. Lebai had one little problem. He was a very greedy man, and he always wanted the biggest and the best of everything.
Chapter 2: Two Invitations
One sunny morning, a neighbor from downstream paddled up to Mr. Lebai's house.
Neighbor from Downstream: "Good morning, Mr. Lebai! Tomorrow we are holding a big feast at our house. We will cook two whole buffaloes! Please come and join us."Mr. Lebai: "Two buffaloes? How wonderful! Thank you for inviting me. I will come tomorrow."
The neighbor smiled and paddled away. But before the ripples on the water had even settled, another sampan came gliding down the river. This time it was a neighbor from the headwaters.
Neighbor from Upstream: "Mr. Lebai, Mr. Lebai! Tomorrow we are holding a feast at our house, too. Will you come?"Mr. Lebai: "A feast upstream as well? Of course, my friend! I will be there tomorrow."
The neighbor from upstream waved happily and paddled home.
Chapter 3: A Very Hard Choice
Mr. Lebai stood on his porch with a big smile. But slowly, the smile turned into a frown. He scratched his head.
Mr. Lebai: "Oh dear! I said yes to both. But the feasts are on the same day, and they are far away from each other. How can I go to both?"
He sat down and thought and thought.
Mr. Lebai: "The cooks upstream are famous for their delicious dishes. Oh, how my tummy loves their cooking! But downstream there will be buffalo meat, and I have not tasted it for such a long time."
His tummy rumbled. His heart wobbled. First he wanted to go upstream. Then he wanted to go downstream. Then upstream again!
Why was Mr. Lebai so confused? It was because of his greed. He wanted all the delicious food, and he did not want to miss even one bite.
Chapter 4: Up the River, Down the River
The next morning, Mr. Lebai woke up bright and early. He pushed his sampan into the water and began to paddle upstream.
Mr. Lebai: "Upstream I go! Delicious dishes, here I come!"
Splash, splash, splash! He paddled and paddled until he had gone halfway. Then he stopped, and his paddle dripped quietly in the water.
Mr. Lebai: "Wait a moment. What if the buffalo meat downstream is even tastier? I haven't eaten buffalo meat in such a long time."
So Mr. Lebai turned his sampan around and paddled back down the river.
Mr. Lebai: "Downstream I go! I'll just go downstream and taste the buffalo meat."
When he arrived, he saw many guests already paddling home in their canoes. Mr. Lebai called out to them.
Mr. Lebai: "Hello, friends! How was the feast? Did you eat well?"Guests: "Oh, Mr. Lebai, the buffaloes were very thin, and there was hardly any meat. We are still hungry!"Mr. Lebai: "Oh no! Then I must hurry back upstream before it is too late!"
Chapter 5: Too Late for Both Feasts
The sun was already sinking low in the sky. Mr. Lebai paddled as fast as he could. Splash, splash, splash! His arms ached and his forehead was dripping with sweat.
At last, he reached the headwaters of the river. But what did he see? The guests were putting on their sandals and getting ready to go home.
Mr. Lebai: "Please wait! Is the feast still going on?"Neighbor from Upstream: "I'm so sorry, Mr. Lebai. The feast is over, and all the food has been eaten."
Mr. Lebai's shoulders drooped. His tummy rumbled loudly, but there was nothing left to eat. Because he could not make up his mind, and because he wanted everything, he missed both feasts.
Mr. Lebai: "Oh, how silly I have been! If only I had chosen just one."
This is the folktale from West Sumatra about Pak Lebai Malang, or Unlucky Mr. Lebai. He wanted so much that, in the end, he got nothing at all. Being greedy and indecisive can leave us with empty hands.
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