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The Legend of Nusa Island

Legenda Pulau Nusa >> Edisi Indonesia klik disini

Folklore from Central Kalimantan (Central Borneo)

A long time ago there was a man named Nusa, he was a farmer. He lived with his wife and his brother. Nusa and his brother were very diligent farmers.

Nusa and other farmers in the village were sad because the rain had not fallen for a very long time. Their rice fields were dried. They needed water.







Nusa then decided to ask his family to move to another place. After walking for three days, they finally arrived in a new place. It was very fertile. They had a lot of water because there was a river there.

After they arrived, Nusa looked for something to eat. Later he brought a very big egg. He asked his wife to cook the egg.

After it was cooked, he asked his wife and his brother to eat the egg. However, they refused to eat. They were not sure with the egg. It was very big, Nusa did not care because he was so hungry. After he ate, then he slept.

In the morning Nusa screamed in pain. His wife and brother immediately came to him. They were surprised to see what happened to Nusa. His body was full of scales. His legs changed into a tail. His body was getting bigger.

“What happened to me?”, He said.

“Was it because of the egg I ate last night? Oh my God! Maybe it’s a dragon’s egg. Now I have changed into a dragon.”

Nusa then asked his wife and brother to move him to the river. He could not walk and move his body on the land. Slowly they tried to pull Nusa’s body. Finally they succeeded.

“Please forgive me, I cannot live with you anymore. I will live in this river, go home and tell people about me. Ask them to be careful with what they eat” said Nusa. Later Nusa disappeared into the river.

Nusa had completely changed into a dragon. He ate fish. All the fish were scared.

Nusa ate a lot of fish. The fish had to do something. They had to stop Nusa from eating them. They then held a meeting.

“I have an idea,” said a small fish. “Just be prepared to attack the dragon when I give you all the sign.”

The small fish then came to Nusa. He said, “Master, there is another dragon live in the river. The dragon is bigger and more powerful than you are. He challenges you to fight”, said the small fish to Nusa.

“Oh yeah, Hmmm I’m the biggest dragon and the most powerful dragon. I will fight him!” said Nusa.

In days and nights Nusa was preparing the fight. He was always thinking about his enemy. He could not sleep. He was very tired. When Nusa was sleepy, the small fish screamed.

“Master! Your enemy was behind you!”

Nusa turned his big body very fast. His tail was still in front of him. He thought his tail was his enemy. He attacked and bit his own tail and he screamed.

Suddenly the small fish said, “Attack!”

Than all the fish attacked Nusa.

They all bit Nusa’s body. Nusa tried to save his life. He swam to the river side. But it was too late. He was very weak. Finally he died.

His body slowly changed into an island. People then named the island as Nusa Island. It’s located at Kahayan River, Central Kalimantan. ***










Moral Message

"Beware of what you consume and be cautious of the consequences that come from your actions. Also, pride and carelessness can lead to one's downfall."

In this tale, Nusa’s eagerness and lack of caution regarding the mysterious egg lead to his transformation into a dragon. His pride and lack of vigilance make him an easy target for the fish's clever trick, ultimately resulting in his demise. The story emphasizes the importance of being careful and not letting pride cloud one's judgment.






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