Monday 3 August 2020

The Amparan Gading Stone

Once upon a time in the past, in Bengkulu Province, there lived a viceroy and his wife, named Putri Gani. They lived happily in the royal palace with their two children, a boy and a girl.

The courtyard of the royal palace is very wide, decorated by neatly arranged flower gardens. In front of the palace courtyard there is a large ivory stone flat surface, named Batu Amparan Gading. The Viceroy used to spend his relaxed time with family sitting on Batu Amparan Gading.
The Amparan Gading Stone

The Empress Died

One day, Putri Gani experienced an illness that resulted in her death. The young king became very sad especially his two children were still small. Both of them still need a mother's caress of love. Finally after the death of Princess Gani, the Viceroy decided to remarry. The Viceroy married a daughter of Raja Hulu Sungai.

The Young King Remarries

At the beginning of marriage, Raja Muda's new wife was very fond of her husband and two step children. But this did not last long. The behavior of her very active stepchildren often upsets her. He often scolded his two step children if the Viceroy was not in the palace. In fact he often let his two step children starve. His attitude actually made his two step children become increasingly naughty.

The Stepmothers Often Apply Rude

One day, the Viceroy's two children felt hungry because they had not been fed by his stepmother. The two of them then went to the palace courtyard to play on Batu Amparan Gading. Unable to endure hunger, the older brother then said to his younger brother, "Sister, wait here for a while, brother will leave for a while looking for food."

"Alright sis, I'll wait here." his sister answered.

His sister then left while carrying as broad as the roof. He walked alone until finally he arrived at the place where people pound rice. "Mother, may I have some rice flakes for my chicken food?" he asked the rice pounder.

"Take it, son." said the rice pounder.

The child takes a little piece of rice and then puts it in the jar he is carrying. He walked again to look for toys. On his way, he met a bengkarung. He caught it to make it a toy. He also saw flowers dadap falling on the ground. He picked up the flowers to be used as toys for his sister. Then he immediately returned to his sister's place.

On Batu Amparan Gading, he then played with his younger sister. While the two are having fun playing, their stepmother returns home. The stepmother sees the former game along with food crumbs scattered on the Batu Amparan Gading. His stepmother thought that the scattered seeds were rice, red dadap flowers were thought to be shrimp shells, while bengkarung scales were thought to be fish scales. He immediately accused his two stepchildren of stealing food from the cupboard.

His stepmother then scolded and beat them. He railed his two step children to death because they thought they were cheeky to steal food. Although his two stepdaughters screamed for mercy, he ignored it. Once satisfied, the stepmother then entered the palace. The two stepchildren remain above the Amparan Gading Stone. Their bodies hurt. Finally they both slept soundly there.

The Amparan Gading Stone Got Higher

A few moments later, his brother woke up from sleep. Remembering the cruelty of his stepmother, his tears melted back to his cheeks while staring at his brother who was still sleeping soundly. Sad to remember his poor fate. He wanted to go away from the palace, but he was helpless. He only hoped that his suffering could end soon. With tears in his eyes he wailed sadly while saying a poem:

I like to be as broad as you can

Ascend the Amparan Gading Stone

Mak and Bapak are bad at eating

We want to go home to the sky door

Out of rice presumed rice

Dadap suspected flower shrimp

Bengkarung scales suspected fish

We are accused of being thieves eating

With the permission of the Almighty, the occupied Amparan Gading Stone suddenly rose. Feel surprised to try again to say the poem earlier. Batu Amparan Gading also grew taller. Then he repeated the poem over and over. Every time he said, Batu Amparan Gading was getting higher.

Meanwhile, the young king has returned from his trip. He was very surprised and surprised, when he saw Batu Amparan Gading in the palace yard had become high. Higher than the top of the palace ridge. The King was increasingly surprised when he saw his two children on an ivory stone.

The King felt very worried if his child fell from such a high place. He immediately hit the block to call all the people in the palaceto ask for help.

People in the palace immediately approached. They immediately tried to give help to bring down the two sons of the King. Some tried to destroy the base of ivory amphibious stones using various hitters. Someone tried to push the stone to knock it down. Some are trying to climb it. However, all their efforts seemed futile. Batu Amparan Gading still stands firm. Batu Amparan Gading continues to get higher and higher. Eventually they all gave up. They stopped their efforts to knock down ivory sandstone. They resigned to watch Batu Amparan Gading getting higher.

The Two Children of the King Into the Sky

The King was only able to sit thoughtfully unable to do anything to help his two children. It crossed his mind, what a mistake he had done so he had to accept this ordeal. The two children are nowhere to be seen because they are getting higher.

Finally the two sons of the king reached the door of heaven. When they both arrived, the door to the sky was closed. With difficulty they tried to open it, but could not. But coincidentally, at that moment an eagle passed in front of them. The two sons of the king asked for help from the eagle by providing a reward in the form of a barrel. Garuda bird fulfilled their request.

Garuda bird pecks its sharp beak at the sky door. The sky door opened. The two brothers immediately stepped into the sky. The atmosphere in the sky looks very beautiful and peaceful. After both of them entered the sky, by the will of God Almighty too, Batu Amparan Gading again lowered as before. Stay in their father's royal palace, the Viceroy with his young wife, and Batu Amparan Gading as silent witnesses to his wife's bad temperament.

Batu Amparan Gading is a Folklore from Bengkulu in the south. Usually this folklore is told by parents as a lullaby for children. 

More Folklore on Bengkulu:

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