.jpg "Batu Kuyung Indonesian Folktale of the Magic Growing Stone")
Chapter 1: A Family in Tanjung Meranti
Once upon a time, in a little village called Tanjung Meranti in Bengkulu, there lived a family of four. There was a father, a mother, and their two children. The older child was a boy named Dimun, and the younger child was a girl named Meterei.
Because they were always so busy, Dimun and Meterei were left to do whatever they pleased. Nobody taught them to speak kindly or to behave politely. As the years passed, the two children grew up with a bad temper. They said harsh words, made fun of other people, and made a lot of mischief all over the village.
Chapter 2: The Hungry Children
One morning, the parents were busier than ever. They had a big order of handicrafts to finish before the market opened, so they sat working without a single break. They were so busy that they forgot to cook breakfast, and later, they forgot lunch as well.
Soon, Dimun and Meterei's tummies began to rumble.
Dimun: "Mother, give us some food! We haven't eaten since this morning!"Mother: "Ask your father, dear. I am very busy right now."
So the children hurried over to their father.
Meterei: "Father, we are so hungry! Please give us something to eat!"Father: "Not now, my child. Your father is busy. Go and ask your mother."
Back and forth the children went. Again they asked their mother, and again she sent them to their father. Again they asked their father, and again he sent them back to their mother. Nobody gave them anything to eat.
Dimun and Meterei grew more and more upset. They felt that nobody cared about them at all. In their anger, they began to kick and slam the traps, the fish baskets, and all the handicrafts their parents had worked so hard to make. Meterei was so hungry that she burst into tears, and still she kept on stomping and shouting.
The parents were very upset when they saw the mess. Sadly, they picked up the broken things one by one and began to mend them. They did not say a word to the children. They only wanted to finish their work.
Chapter 3: The Song on the Big Rock
Dimun and Meterei felt more angry and lonely than ever. Together they ran out to the garden behind their house, where a big, smooth rock sat in the grass. They climbed on top of it and sat down side by side. The two children called that rock Batu Kuyung.
Dimun: "Nobody cares about us, Meterei. I wish we could go far away from here."Meterei: "Me too, Brother. I wish we could fly high up in the sky, away from Mother and Father."
To forget their hungry tummies, they began to sing a sad little song. They sang to the rock and asked Batu Kuyung to carry them up high, far away from their parents.
When the song ended, something magical happened. The big rock began to shake, and slowly, slowly, it grew taller!
Chapter 4: The Rock That Grew and Grew
Meterei: "Brother, look! The rock is growing!"Dimun: "It really is! Let's sing again, Meterei. Maybe it will take us even higher!"
So they sang the song once more. When they finished, Batu Kuyung grew taller again. They sang and sang, and each time the rock stretched higher and higher, until it was taller than all the trees in Tanjung Meranti.
From the top of the rock, the children could see the whole village. They saw the green rice fields, the shining river, and the tiny houses far below. They had never seen so much of the world before.
Meterei: "Brother, everything looks so small from up here!"Dimun: "Isn't it wonderful? Let's keep singing. I want to go higher still!"
The children were so excited that they forgot all about their hunger. They kept on singing and singing, and Batu Kuyung kept on growing and growing.
Chapter 5: Mother and Father Come Looking
Meanwhile, back at the house, the parents finally finished their work. They quickly cooked a warm meal for their children and set it on the table. But when they looked around, the house was quiet.
Mother: "Dimun! Meterei! Where are you? Come home, let's eat together!"
There was no answer.
Father: "They must be somewhere nearby. Let's go and look for them."
The parents searched everywhere. At last, they reached the garden behind their house, and they gasped in surprise. The big rock had become a giant tower, stretching high into the clouds! Faintly, from the very top, they heard the sound of two children singing.
Mother: "Dimun! Meterei! Please come down! Let's go home and eat together!"Father: "Come down, my children! We have prepared a delicious meal for you!"
The mother's heart was full of worry, and the father's heart was full of sorrow. They realized how much they had neglected their children, and they were very sorry.
Chapter 6: The Fall of Batu Kuyung
Their father ran into the house and came back with an ax. He swung it at the rock again and again, hoping to stop it from growing, but the rock was too hard and too strong. The ax could not even leave a scratch.
High above, Dimun and Meterei heard their parents calling, but they did not listen. They were still angry, and they kept on singing without stopping.
Mother: "Please, my children! Come back down!"
But the song only grew louder, and Batu Kuyung grew taller and taller, until at last its top touched the sky.
In that very moment, Dimun and Meterei vanished without a trace.
Then, with a thunderous BOOM, the great rock came crashing down! It fell right on top of the little house in Tanjung Meranti, and the house was crushed. The parents, who had stayed beneath the rock calling for their children, were lost along with it.
And that is the sad tale of Batu Kuyung. Since then, the people of Tanjung Meranti have told it to their children, to remind them that a kind word, a loving heart, and a little time together are worth more than anything else in the world.
The Moral of the Story
Parents should always make time for their children, and children should always speak kindly and listen to their parents. When love and attention are missing in a family, sadness can grow as tall as Batu Kuyung.
References:
- Prahana, Naim Emel. 1988. Cerita Rakyat Dari Bengkulu 2. Jakarta: Grasindo.
- Agni, Danu. 2013. Cerita Anak Seribu Pulau. Yogyakarta: Buku Pintar.
- Komandoko, Gamal. 2013. Koleksi Terbaik 100 plus Dongeng Rakyat Nusantara. Jakarta: PT Buku Seru.
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