Folklore for Kids: Si Kantan Island: A Folktale from North Sumatra, Indonesia

Chapter 1: The Poor Widow and Her Son

Once upon a time, on the bank of a river in Labuhan Batu, North Sumatra, there lived a poor widow and her little boy. The boy's name was Si Kantan.

They lived in a rickety old hut that creaked whenever the wind blew. Si Kantan's father had passed away long ago, so life was very hard for them. Every day, the mother went into the forest to gather firewood. Then she carried it to the market to sell, so that she and her son could buy a little food.

Si Kantan was a kind and hardworking boy. He always helped his mother carry the heavy firewood from the forest to the market. He never complained, and he always obeyed her.

One morning, as they walked home with bundles on their backs, the mother smiled tiredly.

Mother: "Thank you for helping me, my son. You are such a good boy."

Si Kantan: "You work so hard for me, Mother. I only wish I could make your life easier."

Chapter 2: The Dream of the Old Grandfather

One night, while the crickets sang outside, the mother fell into a deep sleep and had a strange dream. An old grandfather with a long white beard appeared before her.

Old Grandfather: "Good woman, go to the forest and dig in the ground beneath a big, shady tree. A gift is waiting there for you and your son."

In the morning, the mother woke Si Kantan and told him about her dream.

Mother: "Si Kantan, I dreamed of a wise old man last night. He told me to dig the ground in the forest."

Si Kantan: "Then let us do as he said, Mother! Perhaps it will bring us good luck. Perhaps our lives will finally change for the better."

So the two of them picked up their digging tools and walked into the forest. The mother looked around carefully, trying to remember the place from her dream.

Mother: "I think this is the place, my son. Let us dig here!"

Si Kantan: "If you feel it is here, Mother, then I will start digging right away!"

Chapter 3: The Golden Stick

Si Kantan dug and dug beneath a big, shady tree. Suddenly, his tool hit something hard.

Si Kantan: "Mother! Mother! I found something!"

He pulled out a bundle wrapped in an old white cloth. With trembling hands, he and his mother unwrapped it. Inside was a golden stick, covered in sparkling jewels!

Mother: "Oh my! It is so beautiful. It must be worth a fortune!"

Si Kantan: "The old grandfather was right, Mother. This is our treasure!"

When they got home, they sat together and talked about what to do with it.

Mother: "My son, I think we should sell it. With the money, we can buy a good house, and we will have enough food every day."

Si Kantan: "But who would buy it, Mother? It is far too precious. Nobody in our village is rich enough."

Mother: "You are right, my son. Then you must sell it to people on another island."

Chapter 4: A Sad Goodbye

The two of them agreed that Si Kantan should sail across the sea to sell the golden stick. But Si Kantan felt sad. His mother was old and weak, and she would be all alone.

His mother felt sad, too. Still, she hugged him tightly and let him go, with tears in her eyes.

Mother: "Go, my son, and sell the golden stick. But please come home as soon as you can. I will miss you very much."

Si Kantan: "I promise, Mother. I will come back to you very soon."

That was the last time the mother held her son close.

Chapter 5: The Journey to Malacca

Si Kantan boarded a sailing ship and crossed the Barumun River. Then he sailed out onto the wide, open sea toward the faraway land of Malacca. On the way, a fierce storm rocked the ship from side to side. Si Kantan held on tightly to the golden stick.

Si Kantan: "Please, let me arrive safely. I must sell this stick and go home to Mother."

At last, the storm passed, and the ship reached Malacca.

Si Kantan went from shop to shop and showed the golden stick to every merchant. Each one gasped at its beauty, but each one shook his head.

Merchant: "It is truly wonderful, young man. But it is far too expensive. I cannot afford it."

Si Kantan asked merchant after merchant, but the answer was always the same. Feeling tired and sad, he walked to the harbor to sail home.

Chapter 6: The King's Offer

At the harbor, some commanders of the Kingdom of Malacca noticed the bundle in his hands.

Commander: "Young man, what are you carrying in that cloth?"

Si Kantan: "It is a golden stick, sir. I want to sell it."

Commander: "Then you must show it to our king. Perhaps he will want to buy it."

The commanders led Si Kantan to the grand palace. When the king saw the golden stick, his eyes grew wide.

King: "What a magnificent treasure! I would love to have it. But hear me, young man. I will not buy it with money. Instead, I will make you my son-in-law. I have a beautiful daughter who is not yet married."

Si Kantan was surprised. He thought for a moment, then bowed low.

Si Kantan: "Forgive me, Your Majesty. If that is your wish, I am honored to marry your daughter."

So Si Kantan married the princess in a grand and joyful wedding. He became part of the royal family and lived in a beautiful palace, wearing fine clothes and eating delicious food.

Chapter 7: The Forgotten Promise

Little by little, Si Kantan grew used to his happy new life. And little by little, he forgot about his poor mother in the village. He forgot his promise to come home soon.

Meanwhile, every single day, his mother waited by the river. She watched the water and hoped to see her son's ship sailing home.

One day, the princess came to her husband.

Princess: "My husband, I would love to meet your mother. Please take me to your village so I can greet her."

King: "Your wife is right, Si Kantan. It is proper for a daughter-in-law to meet her husband's mother."

Si Kantan felt uneasy. He was ashamed of his mother's poor hut and old clothes. But the princess and the king kept asking, and at last he had to agree.

Chapter 8: The Grand Ship Arrives

Early one morning, a large and splendid ship left Malacca. Si Kantan and his wife stood proudly on the deck, and dozens of bodyguards sailed with them. After many days at sea, the ship reached Labuhan Bilik, a small town at the mouth of the Barumun River.

The villagers stared in wonder at the magnificent ship.

Villager: "Look at that beautiful ship! Who could be on board?"

Then someone looked closer at the young man in fine clothes.

Another Villager: "Wait! I know him. That is Si Kantan, the boy who lived with his mother by the river!"

Villager: "Yes, it really is Si Kantan!"

Chapter 9: The Son Who Denied His Mother

The news soon reached Si Kantan's mother, and her heart leapt with joy. She waited and waited in her hut, but her son did not come. So she decided to go to him herself.

She climbed into her old canoe and paddled across the Barumun River with all her strength. At the harbor, she saw the great ship.

Mother: "If that is my son's ship, how happy I will be!"

She paddled closer and closer, and she called out with all her heart.

Mother: "Kantan! Si Kantan, my son! It is I, your mother!"

The princess heard the old woman's voice.

Princess: "My husband, someone is calling your name. Could that be your mother?"

Si Kantan knew that voice very well. But when he saw his mother in her worn, dirty clothes, he felt ashamed in front of his rich wife and all the bodyguards.

Si Kantan: "No, it cannot be. She must be some crazy old woman. I do not know her."

But the old woman kept calling.

Mother: "Si Kantan, it is your mother, my son! Please come here!"

The princess walked to the edge of the ship, and Si Kantan followed her. There, in the little canoe, stood a thin old woman in tattered clothes, holding out her arms.

Si Kantan: "Go away, ugly old woman! How dare you say you are my mother? My mother is not like you!"

Princess: "But husband, look at her carefully. Maybe she really is your mother."

Si Kantan: "No! My mother is young and beautiful. That woman is nothing to me!"

Then Si Kantan turned to his bodyguards and gave a cruel order.

Si Kantan: "Chase this woman away!"

Chapter 10: The Mother's Prayer

The bodyguards drove the old woman's canoe away from the harbor. Heartbroken, she paddled slowly back to her rickety hut, crying all the way. Si Kantan and his wife sailed back toward the palace.

That night, the mother knelt down, and with tears running down her cheeks, she prayed.

Mother: "O God Almighty, my son has disobeyed and hurt his own mother. He has forgotten how I carried him, gave birth to him, and raised him with love. Please give him the reward he deserves."

Chapter 11: The Storm and the Island

Suddenly, the sky turned dark. Lightning flashed, and thunder rumbled across the water. The Barumun River began to swirl and roar. Si Kantan's grand ship was tossed about like a toy, and then a giant wave crashed over it.

The ship sank deep into the river, and Si Kantan was lost with it.

When the storm was over, everything was quiet. In the middle of the Barumun River, a small island had appeared where the ship had sunk. The villagers named it Si Kantan Island, and they have told its story ever since.

The Moral of the Story

A mother's love is the greatest treasure of all. No matter how rich or important we become, we must never forget our parents or be ashamed of them. Always respect them and keep your promises to them.

Play through the legend of "The Origin of Si Kantan Island" interactively! Dig for treasure with Si Kantan, steer his ship through a fierce storm, and witness how a small island in the Barumun River came to be — born from a son's betrayal of his own mother. Complete with voice narration and available in English — just tap to begin the adventure!

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Saturday, 17 April 2021

Si Kantan Island: A Folktale from North Sumatra, Indonesia