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Ibu >> Edisi Bahasa Indonesia

A Folktale from Maluku

Maluku, a fisherman and his wife lived with their two children, a daughter and a son. The children are naughty. They never listen to their parent's advice. But the parents still love their children very much.

One day, the father goes fishing as usual. Before he goes, he tells his children not to eat the fish-egg.

"If you are hungry, eat something else. Do not eat this fish-egg."

The children are just laughing. They do not pay attention to their father.

The mother has to leave the house to do something. Once again, she remains the children about the fish-egg.

"Your father asked you not to eat the fish egg. So please, don't eat it."

Again, the children do not listen to their mother. They continue playing. After they finish playing, the children have lunch. The son eats the fish-egg.

His sister reminds him, "Hey...don't eat the fish-egg. Father forbids us to eat that."

"But father is not here...so I can eat this fish egg."

Not longer after that, the mother comes home. She is so surprised when the fish-egg is gone.
The mother is suspicious. On the son's teeth there is some fish-egg left. She knows that her son just ate it. She is very angry.

"We have told you not to eat the fish-egg. But why do you still eat that? Why have you never listened to us?"

The mother runs. She goes to sea.

The children run after her.

They scream, "Mother...Mother...please don’t leave us!"

The mother then stops in front of the big stone.

She says, "Open up!"

The big stone opens up. The mother then goes into the big stone. After that the big stone closes.

The children shout, "Mother please forgive us!"

But their mother never returns home. ***

Salmon Roe