Folklore And Fairy Tales
The Origin of Mermaids
It is said, long ago in the Sulawesi area, lived a husband and wife with three children.
In meeting their daily needs, they make a living by looking for fish in the sea.
They also grow vegetables in the fields.
Before his father went to the fields, they used to have breakfast together.
One morning, as usual before his father went to the fields, they ate together.
Coincidentally the family fish supply is quite a lot so it will not run out in one meal.
The husband asked his wife to leave fish to eat after he worked later.
By noon, the youngest child was starving from a day of play.
His mother then gave him a plate of rice with a side dish of fish.
After eating, the youngest was still hungry and asked for more.
The mother saw the reserve of fish dishes stayed a little.
She also remembered her husband's message to leave a side dish of fish to eat after work.
But the Bungsu continued to whine for more food.
Finally the Mother gave all the fish dishes to her youngest child.
In the afternoon, their father came home hungry from a day of work.
He asked his wife to prepare a meal.
“My wife, which fish did you set aside earlier. I'm so hungry.” asked her husband to his wife.
“Apologies, the Bungsu was spent. He was starving to run around here and there.” replied his wife.
“What? Not that I told you to set aside the fish side dish.” her husband shouted furiously.
His wife explained that the fish was eaten by her own son but the Husband still did not accept it and continued to scold his wife.
Being constantly scolded, the Wife was very sad and then cried.
She could not stand the behavior of her husband who was often angry.
He thought about leaving the house.
One night when everyone was sleeping, the Wife came out of the house and rushed to the sea.
The next day, the Husband and his children searched for the wife.
They were screaming for their mother but there was no answer.
The children then went outside looking at the beach while continuing to call his mother.
“My children, I am here.” replied his mother.
They were very happy to find their mother.
Their mother then gave them plenty of fish to take home as their side dish.
The children then invited their mother to come home.
But the Mother refused because she could not stand the behavior of her husband.
Eventually the children came home with a lot of fish without succeeding in bringing their mother home.
When the children arrived home, they told their father that they had found their mother at sea.
They also told his father to bring them many fish given by his mother.
The father told the children to bake the fish for a side dish.
The father seemed not to care about the mother.
“After eating, leave the fish for the side dish for lunch.” said his father.
At noon, the father went home and had lunch with his children.
The children asked their father to leave the fish for his mother.
But his father refused on the grounds that his mother did not leave him any fish.
“Dad, leave a little fish for mom.” said one of the children at lunch.
“Do what leave fish for your mother? In the past your mother also did not leave fish for me.” replied the father with a ketus.
Hearing these answers, the children became very sad.
Their father doesn't care about Mom at all.
The next day, the children went back to the sea looking for their mother.
All day they walked along the beach by calling their mother but did not manage to meet her.
Then a voice called them.
“Kids come here I am your mother.” a voice calls them.
The children immediately looked for the source of the sound.
When they found her, they were shocked that their mother had turned into a mermaid, and her body was filled with fish scales.
They immediately went away feeling it was not their mother.
“No, our mother is not scaly.” said the youngest closest to her mother.
Seeing this reality, the mother became very sad.
While the children were away, searching and calling for their mother, the mother soon returned to the sea.
From then on, the mother decided she would never return to her home.
