How Mount Mekongga Got Its Name: A Magical Folktale

Chapter 1: The Dark Shadow Over Sorume

Once upon a time, in the beautiful and peaceful land of Sorume—which we now call Kolaka, in Southeast Sulawesi—the sun always shone brightly, and the villagers lived happily. But one day, the sky suddenly turned dark. A giant eagle, known as the terrible Kongga or Garuda, swooped down from the clouds!

The giant bird began to mess up the whole country. Every single day, the giant eagle flapped its massive wings and stole the villagers' cows, sheep, and chickens for its lunch. The people were so worried.

Village Elder: "Oh, what shall we do! If this giant beast keeps stealing our livestock, soon we will have no food left!"

Frightened Villager: "And worse, if we let it stay, the giant eagle might one day try to carry away us humans! We must find someone to help us!"

The elders quickly held a meeting and decided to ask for help from a neighboring land.

Chapter 2: The Wise Magician of Solumba

Far away in the land of Solumba lived a powerful and wise magician named Larumbalangi. He was no ordinary man; Larumbalangi possessed a magical keris (a magical dagger) and a wonderfully enchanted sarong that allowed him to fly through the sky!

The brave envoys from Sorume traveled day and night until they finally arrived in Solumba to meet him.

Envoy: "Oh, great and wise Larumbalangi! Please, you must help us! A terrible giant bird is destroying our beautiful country of Sorume."

Larumbalangi listened patiently to their sad story. He gently stroked his chin, thinking of a clever plan.

Larumbalangi: "Do not worry, my friends. To overcome the giant Garuda, you must use the right strategy. You cannot fight a giant bird with just swords."

Envoy: "Then what must we do, oh wise one?"

Larumbalangi: "Collect the oldest, strongest bamboo you can find and make the ends extremely sharp. Then, carefully smear the tips with poison. Look for the bravest man in your country to fight the giant eagle. Build a fence of this pointed bamboo around him. When the Kongga bird swoops down to attack, he will be trapped and pierced by the poisoned bamboo!"

Chapter 3: The Contest of the Brave

The messengers were amazed by this clever idea.

Envoy: "Thank you, wise Larumbalangi! We will do exactly as you say!"

They hurried back to the land of Sorume and immediately told the elders about the magical bamboo strategy. That very night, the elders held a grand competition under the moonlight to find a hero brave enough to be the bait.

Village Elder: "Hear ye, hear ye! Whoever is brave enough to stand inside the bamboo trap will be greatly rewarded! If a commoner does this brave deed, he shall become a noble. And if a noble does it, he shall be crowned the leader of our country!"

The next day, hundreds of strong warriors—both nobles and commoners—gathered to show off their skills. They jumped, ran, and fought to prove their bravery. Finally, after a very tough competition, a kind and courageous commoner from the village of Loeya was chosen. His name was Tasahea.

Tasahea: "I am just a common man, but I love our land. I will gladly stand inside the bamboo to protect our home!"

Chapter 4: The Battle in the Bamboo Field

The villagers worked quickly. They made hundreds of sharp, poisoned bamboo spears and planted them firmly in the ground at a large field called Padang Bende. They formed a tight circle, leaving Tasahea standing bravely right in the middle.

The villagers wished him luck and ran to hide. For hours, Tasahea stood completely alone.

Tasahea: "Come on, giant bird. I am ready for you!"

In the late afternoon, the bright weather suddenly changed. The sky turned gloomy, dark, and very tense. Swoosh! Swoosh! The giant Kongga bird came flying out of the clouds, diving straight toward Tasahea!

The giant eagle opened its massive claws to grab him, but unfortunately for the bird, it didn't see the trap. Crash! The giant eagle's wings were deeply pierced by the sharp, poisoned bamboo.

The eagle let out a loud, terrible scream. Tasahea did not waste a single second. He grabbed a blade of poisoned bamboo from the ground.

Tasahea: "This is for the land of Sorume!"

With all his might, he stuck the bamboo into the giant eagle's chest! The great beast struggled in pain, flapping its heavy wings until it finally managed to break free from the trap. It flew high up into the clouds to run away, but the poison was too strong. The giant eagle fell from the sky and crashed loudly onto a faraway mountain, where it finally breathed its last breath.

Chapter 5: The Great Rain and a New Beginning

The people of Sorume came out of hiding. They cheered loudly and lifted their new hero into the air.

Villagers: "Hooray for Tasahea! The brave hero of Sorume!"

However, the joy did not last very long. The giant eagle's body on the mountain brought a terrible plague of sickness and swarms of hungry caterpillars that ate the farmers' crops.

Village Elder: "Oh no! The beast is gone, but now its carcass is making our people sick and destroying our fields! We must send the envoys back to Larumbalangi!"

The envoys rushed back to Solumba to explain their new problem.

Envoy: "Great Larumbalangi, the giant eagle is dead, but now a terrible sickness and caterpillars are ruining our land! Please help us again!"

Hearing this, Larumbalangi closed his eyes and raised his hands to the sky.

Larumbalangi: "Oh, God Almighty, please send down your heavy rains. Wash away the sickness and cleanse the lovely land of Sorume!"

God answered Larumbalangi's magical prayer. For seven days and seven nights, heavy, beautiful rain poured over Sorume. A great, rushing flood washed over the mountain, carrying away the giant bird's carcass and sweeping all the pesky caterpillars into the sea.

When the sun finally peeked out from behind the clouds and the floodwaters dried up, the land was fresh, clean, and safe once more.

The people of Sorume were overjoyed! Peace had finally returned to their home. To thank their heroes, the elders kept their promise. Tasahea was dressed in beautiful clothes and became a respected noble. Meanwhile, because of his immense wisdom and magic, Larumbalangi was joyfully appointed as the true leader of Sorume.

And from that day on, the mountain where the giant eagle had fallen was forever named Mount Mekongga, in memory of the great Kongga bird and the bravery of the people who saved their beautiful land.

And they all lived happily and safely ever after.

Give it a try! Help Tasahea and Larumbalangi defeat the giant garuda, all the way to the origin of Mount Mekongga.

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