Ebu Gogo: The Last Traces in the Forests of Flores
Have you heard of the famous hobbit story from Flores? The tale of small creatures said to have once lived alongside humans before vanishing into obscurity? The people of Flores call these beings Ebu Gogo. In the Nage language, ebu means grandparent, and gogo means one who eats everything. They are described as small, furry beings who once roamed the forests of Flores. Legends depict them as swift runners with tiny bodies, wide faces, and a habit of mimicking human speech. However, beyond the folklore that often portrays them in a negative light, there is another story—one that is rarely told.
The evening breeze whispered through the dense forests of Flores. Fallen leaves accompanied the small footsteps of Nilo, a young Ebu Gogo, as he ran after his mother, Luri. They moved nimbly among the massive roots, occasionally pausing to observe the movements of birds or inhale the sweet scent of ripe fruit that had fallen to the ground.
Within their community, the Ebu Gogo lived simple lives. They hunted small animals, gathered fruits, and shared their findings with the rest of the group. Though small and covered in fur, they possessed remarkable cleverness in survival. However, their world had recently begun to change.
Since the arrival of the tall humans—the ones the Elders called the 'Big People'—the forest had begun to feel smaller. The Big People came with sharper tools, louder voices, and a greedier way of hunting. At first, they merely observed each other from a distance, but over time, tensions began to rise.
The Big People saw the Ebu Gogo as thieves, accusing them of stealing leftover food from their fields. But for the Ebu Gogo, it was simply a way to survive. As food in the forest became scarcer, they took whatever they could find—abandoned fruits, animals caught in human traps.
Nilo overheard the whispers of the Elders, saying that the Big People were beginning to fear them. They saw the Ebu Gogo as greedy, untrustworthy creatures. Some even believed they kidnapped human children, though in reality, the Ebu Gogo were merely curious, wanting to learn from them. Their languages were different, but Nilo often mimicked the words spoken by the Big People, trying to understand them.
One night, the sky burned red. Smoke billowed from the cave where most of the Ebu Gogo families lived. The Big People had come with torches and fire, setting their shelter ablaze. Screams and cries filled the air. Luri gripped Nilo’s hand tightly, pulling him deeper into the forest. They ran without looking back.
Days later, only silence remained. Some of them had survived, but the world they once knew had changed forever. Nilo gazed at the forest ahead, knowing he had to endure.
Years passed, and the tale of the Ebu Gogo faded into legend. People spoke of them as greedy creatures that had to be eradicated, but no one truly knew their side of the story. Perhaps, deep within the forest, the last descendants of the Ebu Gogo still existed—adapting in silence, watching a world that had moved on without them.
And Nilo? He grew into a new Elder, carrying the old stories in his memory, hoping that one day, humans would see that they were more than just myth—they were a forgotten part of history.
Read Also: Nilo and the Ancient Elephant: A Little Friend from the Past
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