Footprints of Truth: Lahilote's Lesson in Honesty
Edisi Bahasa Indonesia: Lahilotea
Folklore from Gorontalo
ONCE upon a time there was a man named Lahilote. He was well respected. People said he had a supernatural power. He could change himself into anything. He was also able to talk to animals and trees.
Lahilote loved hunting in the jungle. One day while he was looking for some animals, he heard some noise in a lake. He carefully went to the lake. He hoped he could flnd some animals. Well, he was wrong! He did not see any animals in the lake. Instead, there were some beautiful girls having fun in the water.
Lahilote changed himself into a rooster He slowly approached them. Who were the girls? Well, they were angels from the heaven. They were sisters and they occasionally went to the earth to have fun. The girls put their wings on the ground. Lahilote took one wing and went away.
Folklore from Gorontalo
ONCE upon a time there was a man named Lahilote. He was well respected. People said he had a supernatural power. He could change himself into anything. He was also able to talk to animals and trees.
Lahilote loved hunting in the jungle. One day while he was looking for some animals, he heard some noise in a lake. He carefully went to the lake. He hoped he could flnd some animals. Well, he was wrong! He did not see any animals in the lake. Instead, there were some beautiful girls having fun in the water.
Lahilote changed himself into a rooster He slowly approached them. Who were the girls? Well, they were angels from the heaven. They were sisters and they occasionally went to the earth to have fun. The girls put their wings on the ground. Lahilote took one wing and went away.
All the angels had enough time in the water and they wanted to go back to the heaven. Each of them was looking for their wings. However, the youngest sister was not able to find her wings. All her sisters were ready to fly and they could not wait for her forever. Sadly, they had to leave her and flew to the sky.
The youngest sister was sad. She kept on searching her wings. Meanwhile, Lahilote had been watching her and then he suddenly showed up in front of her.
"Why do you look so sad? What happened?" asked Lahilote.
"My name is Boilode Hulawa. I'm an angel from heaven. I lost my wings."
"Don't worry I'll help you find your wings. In the mean time, you can stay in my home until you find your wings."
Boilode Hulawa happily accepted his offer. Since then she stayed in his house. Time passed by and they began to fall in love. Later they got married and lived happily.
Lahilote had a rice barn and it was always full of rice. Lahilote was so curious why the barn was always full of rice although his wife always cooked it. So one day, while his wife was cooking, he opened the pan. He saw only one piece of rice! He was so curious! He asked his wife how it happened.
She told him that she used her magic to cook. Unfortunately, the magic was broken after he opened the pan. It meant that she had to cook normally.
While the angel was trying to get some rice in the barn, she found her wings! She was so happy!
She immediately wore her wings and flew back to the heaven. Before she left, she told all the animals and the trees not to tell her husband that she flew to the heaven. They all agreed, except rattan tree. The tree did not want to lie.
Lahilote went home. He was looking for his wife but she was nowhere to be found. He asked the animals and the trees but they did not tell him. Finally, the rattan tree told him the truth. The tree even offered him help. Lahilote could climb the tree to reach the heaven in the sky.
Lahilote climbed the tree and later he arrived in the heaven. He looked for his wife and he finally found her! Lahilote begged her to stay with him on earth. He also promised that he would not lie anymore. His wife was so touched. After all she also loved him.
She agreed to live with him on earth. Then she wore her wings to fly to the earth while Lahilote would climb down the tree.
Unfortunately the rattan tree was old. The branches were decayed and they could not hold his body. Sadly, he fell down terribly. He landed on the big stone and it had his footprints.
The stone still exists in Gorontalo and it has an image of footprints. Local people believe that the footprints belong to Lahilote! ***
Moral message: consequences of curiosity and the importance of honesty in relationships
The story of Lahilote carries a moral lesson on the impact of curiosity and the significance of honesty in relationships. Lahilote's curiosity led to a series of events that tested the trust between him and his angelic wife, Boilode Hulawa. The tale emphasizes the value of honesty and the repercussions of straying from truth, showcasing the eventual triumph of truthfulness and love in their union.
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| Woman and beautiful rice field |
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| Curly Rattan Vines |
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