Posted by : Unknown
Senin, 06 Mei 2013
A Story From Roti Island
ONCE upon a time, a
grandmother and her grand daughter lived in Roti Island, Nusa Tenggara Timur.
They had a field and grew some vegetables. The grandmother sold them at the
market. On one morning, the grandmother would go to the market. Before she
left, she asked her granddaughter to cook. “ Please cook some rice for lunch.
But just cook one grain of rice. It’s enough for both of us.” “Why, Grandma?”
asked the girl. “Just do what I said.” The grandmother then left for the market.
Later, the girl started to cook. However, she felt a grain of rice would not be
enough for them. “I think it’s not enough for me and my grandmother.” Then she
took two handful of rice. Suddenly, something bad happened to the rice pot.
“Oh, no! The rice flowed out of the pot!” shouted the girl. “What should I do?”
The rice became rice porridge. It flowed and flowed until it covered the
kitchen. Suddenly, the grandmother came home. The girl explained what happened.
“You are a naughty girl! Why didn't you listen to me?” the
grandmother was so angry. She hit the girl with a wooden stick. “ Please
forgive me, Grandma!” the little girl cried and cried. But the grandmother kept
hitting her. Then, an incredible thing happened! The girl turned into a monkey.
The monkey then ran away and climbed a tree. The grandmother chased the monkey.
From the tree, the monkey said. “Grandmother, I’m a monkey now. I cannot live
with you anymore. You are all alone.” Then the monkey climbed up and
disappeared. The grandmother was very sad. She regretted what she done to her
beloved grand daughter. “ Please come back to me. Please forgive me, my grand
daughter!’ but it was too late. The little girl has turned into a monkey and
never came home. The people of Roti Island believe this story. And that is why
until now; people in Roti Island never hit their children or other people’s
child. They are afraid that the child would turn into a monkey.