Kelingking

Kelingking

Folklore from Bangka Belitung

A long time ago in Bangka Belitung lived a husband and a wife. They were poor and they did not have any children yet. Days and nights they prayed to God. They really wanted to have a child.
“God, please give us a child, even though he is only as big as a little finger,” prayed the husband.
Their dream came true! The wife was pregnant.
However they were surprised when they saw the baby. He was so small. He was as big as a little finger.
“You prayed to God to give us a child, although he is as big as a little finger right? Be thankful to God. Let’s love him. How will you name him then?” asked the wife.
“You are right.
We have to be grateful. Well, I will name him Kelingking,” said the husband. Kelingking means little finger.
Time passed by and Kelingking did not grow much. His body was still physically small compared to other kids.
Though he was so small, Kelingking ate like adults. He ate much food. And that made his parents really worried. They were poor and sometimes they could not eat because they had to give their food to Kelingking.
“I cannot hold it anymore. I want to put Kelingking in the jungle. Let him live there. I think he can survive,” said the father.
In the morning, Kelingking and his father went to the jungle. When they arrived, the father asked Kelingking to cut down a very big tree.
When Kelingking was busy cutting down the tree, his father silently went home.
The father thought that Kelingking could not cut down the big tree. The father was sure that
Kelingking would be lost in the jungle. But he was wrong! In the morning Kelingking suddenly showed up in front of the house. And he brought the big tree also!
“Father, where do you want me to put this big tree?” asked Kelingking.
The father was surprised. He asked Kelingking to put the tree in the backyard.
Kelingking then went inside the house. As always he ate all the food and that made his father got angry. He then had another idea.
“Kelingking, let’s go to the mountain. I need a big stone from there.”
Kelingking was an obedient kid. He followed his father to go to the mountain. When they arrived, his father pointed a big stone.
The stone was as big as their house!
“I want you to bring that big stone to our house,” asked the father.
When Kelingking was trying to bring the stone, the father immediately ran home.
At night, when the father was sleeping , suddenly he heard Kelingking’s voice.
“Father, I’m home. Where do you want me to put this big stone?”
This time Kelingking’s father realized his mistake. It was true that Kelingking’s body was small and he ate much food. But he was a nice kid and he had great power. With that power, they could get a job and had a lot of money. The father then apologized to Kelingking. Since then they always worked together. ***

Umpit and the Wild Hogs

Folklore from Bangka Belitung

A long time ago in Bangka, lived a hunter. His name was Umpit.
He was called Umpit because he always went hunting using his blowpipe. The villagers liked him very much. Umpit often hunted the wild hogs. Those animals often destroyed the villagers’ plantation. After Umpit killed the wild hogs, the villagers gave him some money.
Pak Raje was the richest man in the village. Nobody liked him. He was very stingy. He did not like to donate his money. One day he asked Umpit to hunt the wild hogs. Umpit agreed. At night he was prepared and waited at the Pak Raje’s plantation.
While he was waiting, suddenly seven wild hogs entered the plantation. Umpit prepared his blowpipe.
Then, whoosssh! One of the hogs was shot.
Amazingly, the hog disappeared.
Umpit could not find the hog anywhere.
However he found blood shed on the ground. He followed the blood trail. It went to the jungle. Finally the blood trail stopped in a big cave. Slowly he entered the cave. Then he heard a voice.
“Who are you?”
“My name is Umpit.
I’m looking for a wounded hog. I shot it using my blowpipe.”
“So, it’s you! You are the man who hurt my daughter!”
Slowly a woman appeared in front of him.
“Come, follow me,” said the woman.
She then pointed a girl. She was wounded. Her leg was bleeding.
“She was not a real hog. We are the goddess of the jungle. I will forgive you, but you have to cure my daughter.”
Umpit was so scared. He did not know that it was not the real hog. He then took some leaves. He knew some medication because his parents taught him before.
He put the leaves on the wound. After a while, the girl was cured. The woman then gave Umpit a present. Umpit immediately went home. He ran very fast.
At home, Umpit immediately opened the present. Wow! He got jewelries, gold and diamond. Umpit sold the jewelries and now he became a rich man.
Pak Raje heard that Umpit had become a rich man. He asked Umpit how he became rich. After he knew all about it, he borrowed Umpit’s blowpipe.
He waited at his plantation, and he shot a wild hog.
He followed the blood trail and arrived at the cave. He met the woman and the injured girl. Pak Raje was asked to cure the girl. But he could not do that, and that made the woman angry. She asked all the wild hogs to attack Pak Raje.
Pak Raje ran very fast. He went to Umpit’s house. He asked Umpit to help him from the wild hogs. He agreed to help if only Pak Raje donated some of his money. Pak Raje said yes and he also promised he would be helpful to the villagers. ***