The Myth of Malin Kundang

A long time ago, in a small village near the beach in west Sumatra, a woman and her son lived. They were Malin Kundang and his mother. His mother was a single parent because Malin Kundang’s father had passed away when he was baby. Malin Kundang had to live hard with his mother.

One day, when Malin Kundang was sailing, he saw a merchant ship which was being raided by a small band of pirates. He helped the merchant. With his brave and power, Malin Kundang defeated the pirates. The merchant was so happy and thanked to him. In return the merchant asked Malin Kundang to sail with him. To get a better life , Malin Kundang agreed. He left his mother alone.

Many years later, Malin Kundang became wealthy. He had a huge ship and a beautiful wife too. When he was sailing his trading journey, his ship landed on a beach near a small village. The villagers recognized him. The news ran fast in the town. “Malin Kundang has become rich and now he is here!”. Malin Kundang’s mother ran to the beach to meet his only son. She wanted to hug him, released her sadness of being lonely after so long time. Unfortunately Malin Kundang denied meeting that old lonely woman. At last Malin Kundang said “enough old woman! I have never had a mother like you, a dirty and ugly woman!”.

Finally, enraged, she cursed Malin Kundang that he would turn into a stone if he didn’t apologize. Malin Kundang just laughed and really set sail. In the quiet sea, suddenly a thunderstorm came. His huge ship was wrecked and it was too late for Malin Kundang to apologize. He was thrown by the wave out of his ship. He fell on a small island. It was really too late for him to avoid his curse. Suddenly, he turn into a stone.

Story Of Toba Lake

Once upon a time, there was a man who was living in north Sumatera. He lived in a

simple hut in a farm field. They did some gardening and fishing for his daily life.

One day, while the man was fishing, he caught a big golden fish in his trap. It was the

biggest catch which he ever had in his life. Surprisingly, this fish turned into a beautiful princess.

He felt in love with her and proposed her to be his wife. She said; "Yes, but you have to promise

not to tell anyone about the secret that I was once a fish, otherwise there will be a huge

disaster". The man made the deal and they got married, lived happily and had a daughter.

Few years later, this daughter would help bringing lunch to her father out in the fields.

One day, his daughter was so hungry and she ate his father’s lunch. Unfortunately, he found out

and got furious, and shouted; “You damned daughter of a fish”. The daughter ran home and

asked her mother. The mother started crying, felt sad that her husband had broke his promise.

Then she told her daughter to run up the hills because a huge disaster was about to

come. When her daughter left, she prayed. Soon there was a big earthquake followed by non-

stop pouring rain. The whole area got flooded and became Toba Lake. She turned into a fish

again and the man became the island of Samosir.

The Princess and the Pea

Once upon a time there was a prince who wanted to marry a princess, but he would have to be a real princess. He travelled all over the world to find one, but nowhere could he get what he wanted. There were princesses enough, but it was difficult to find out whether they were real ones. There was always something about them that was not as it should be. So he came home again and was sad, for he would have liked very much to have a real princess.

One evening a terrible storm came on, there was thunder and lightning, and the rain poured down in torrents. Suddenly a knocking was heard at the city gate, and the old king went to open it. It was a princess standing out there in front of the gate. But, good gracious! what a sight the rain and the wind had made her look. The water ran down from her hair and clothes; it ran down into the toes of her shoes and out again at the heels. And yet she said that she was a real princess.

Well, we'll soon find that out, thought the old queen. But she said nothing, went into the bed-room, took all the bedding off the bedstead, and laid a pea on the bottom; then she took twenty mattresses and laid them on the pea, and then twenty eider-down beds on top of the mattresses.

Now they knew that she was a real princess because she had felt the pea right through the twenty mattresses and the twenty eider-down beds. Nobody but a real princess could be as sensitive as that. So the prince took her for his wife, for now he knew that he had a real princess; and the pea was put in the museum, where it may still be seen, if no one has stolen it.