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Sabtu, 04 Mei 2013
A
Crocodile Named Rain Cloud
Once
upon a time there was an old fisherman Ye Myint and his wife Aye Aye Se
wholived by the river Irrawady. Every day they cast their net and caught fish,
which they sold at the local market. The old man and his wife did not have any
children.
One day while fishing as usual, Ye Myint cast his net and waited
for the catch. He was surprised to get only an egg. He recognised it as a
crocodile egg.
He called out to his wife who picked up the egg, took it home
and put it under some straw. Some days later the egg hatched and a small baby
crocodile came out.
Ye Myint and Aye Aye Se were very happy. They called the
crocodile Rain Cloud and treated him as their son. Every day, after they
returned from fishing, the old man and his wife would call out to Rain Cloud
and feed him the choicest fish from their catch.
Ye Myint made a small enclosure of river water where Rain Cloud
swam safe from any predators.
As the days went by, Rain Cloud grew and soon he was too big for
the small pond that his father had made. So, with a heavy heart Ye Myint and
Aye Aye Se put him back him in the river.
But every day, without fail, both would go and call out to Rain
Cloud to feed him.Soon Rain Cloud became very strong and all the fishes and
other crocodiles grew afraid of him.
As a result, Rain Cloud became very vain and proud. He no longer
took Ye Myint and Aye Aye Se to be his parents but as ordinary human beings who
came every day tofeed him and pay homage.
One day, as Ye Myint called out to Rain Cloud, he slithered from
the tall bull rushes and came to the bank of the river. He was in a bad and
vicious mood.
As the fisherman put out the fish for him to eat, Rain Cloud
went underwater and caught hold of his ankle, pulling him towards the water.
"My son what are you doing?" asked Ye Myint.
"Why, I have decided to eat you," said Rain Cloud with
an angry hiss.
"But I am your father and I have always looked after you so
much with love and care."
"I have to eat you nevertheless," said Rain Cloud, his
eyes red with anger.
"Okay you can do that but let me pray for the last
time," requested Ye Myint. Rain Cloud agreed and the old man fell on his
knees, closed his eyes and with all his heart prayed that the next birth he
should be born as the Master of White Magic so that he could take revenge on
the crocodile. For Rain Cloud had broken his trust.
After he had finished praying, Rain Cloud dragged the fisherman
to the river and ate him up.
After that day Rain Cloud became even more vicious and was
greatly feared by animals, fish and humans who fished by the river. He now was
the King of Irrawady.
As he was handsome and powerful, many female crocodiles fell in
love with him. Rain Cloud gave them the royal ignore as he was busy being the
dominant king.
But as the
years went by, Rain Cloud mellowed down. He started thinking about his past and
felt remorseful at eating up the old man who had been a father to him. He would
often think of him and feel very guilty.
Rain Cloud stopped being vain and turned kind and helpful,
especially toward humans. He wanted to do make up for what he had done.
Now crocodiles can take on
human forms after they are 100 years old. So, after Rain Cloud turned 100, he
shed his scaly crocodile skin on the banks of Irrawady andwalked out as a
handsome young man.
He worked as
an artist who excelled in painting landscape that brought out the incredible
blues of the sky, the soaring birds or nesting cranesand the silver grey of the
river.
It was while painting, that he met a beautiful youngwoman Soe
Mein, fell in love with her and married her.
Rain Cloud and Soe Mein lived
an idyllic existence. They were very happy. Rain Cloud built a house not far
from the Irrawady.
As fate would have it, a boy
was born in a village close to the Irrawady. He remembered the boon he had
asked God for and by the time he was 16, he was the Master of White Magic.
On his 17th birthday, Moe Kyaw
went to the bank of the Irrawady, took out his magic wand and dipping it in
water cried "Rain Cloud!"
Rain Cloud, who was sleeping in
his house, woke up with a start. He heard the rumble of the Master of White
Magic and felt fear.
He woke up his sleeping wife
and told her his life's story .Soe Mein clung to him crying, she was afraid to
lose him. "Be brave my dearest," Rain Cloud said as he was
leaving," I have to pay for what I have done." Rain Cloud hurried to
the river and became a crocodile once again.
He hurried away as he heard the
second call of the Master of White Magic. Herecognised the voice of his father
and knew that he had come to take revenge. With aheavy heart Rain Cloud knew
that it was only with his death that the vicious cycle would end.
By the time Ye Myint put his
wand for the third time, Rain Cloud came up from theriver. In his anger Ye
Myint touched Rain Cloud with his wand, who was killed instantly.
The Master of White Magic had
not anticipated that Rain Cloud would leave something for him. He watched in
surprise as Rain Cloud's upper body and two legs turned to rubies and his lower
limbs became pure gold. Ye Myint was filled with remorse.
Although he had got his wish,
it was at the cost of the life of his son - Rain Cloud. He realised that
revenge never pays anybody but leaves one with a heavy heart and years of
regret to live with.
Ye Myint did not touch the
riches that Rain Cloud offered him in his death and with one last sorrowful
look he left.
Soe Mein came looking for her
beloved Rain Cloud. When she came across his form in gold and rubies she cried
knowing that Rain Cloud had died.
Soe Mein collected all the gold
and rubies and built a big pagoda in the name of Rain Cloud which still remains
on the banks of the silver gray river Irrawady where Rain Cloud had lived and
died.
It is said
that those who throng the pagoda get their heart's desire.
