Folklore from North Sumatra
WA Lancar was a poor young man. However he always wanted to study hard. He did not have enough money to go to a teacher. Fortunately he met a kind teacher. He was willing to teach Wa Lancar. For a return, he asked Wa Lancar to help him in the rice field. Wa Lancar agreed. The teacher taught him everything.
After several years, the teacher thought it was enough for Wa Lancar as his student. Before Wa Lancar left, the teacher gave him one advice.
“If you are hungry don’t eat immediately, Just wait.”
Wa Lancar then left. He still wanted to study. He met the second teacher. Like the first teacher, Wa Lancar also did not have to pay. He was just asked to help the teacher in the rice field. Wa Lancar studied for several years and the teacher asked him to leave. He also gave advice to Wa Lancar.
“When you are tired walking, stop and get some rest.”
Wa Lancar still not satisfied. He met the third teacher. Again, he did not have to pay some money. He was also asked to help the teacher in the rice field. Later, it was time for him to leave. Again, the third teacher gave him an advice.
“Get a stone and a knife, and then grind the knife.”
Wa Lancar was very thankful. He wanted to help all the poor kids. He then taught them. At first, he just had few students, after that he had more and more students. And that made another teacher jealous.
The jealous teacher went to the palace and told the king that Wa Lancar taught bad lessons to the children. The king was angry. He punished Wa Lancar. The punishment was Wa Lancar had to marry the king’s daughter. Wa Lancar was scared. It was because any man who married the king’s daughter, would die mysteriously.
At the wedding reception, the guests were served with delicious foods. The jealous teacher gave Wa Lancar food. Wa Lancar remembered his first teacher’s advice, not to eat immediately when he was hungry. Wa Lancar refused the food. However the man next to him ate the food. Not long after that, the man suffered stomachache terribly. Later the man died. Apparently, the food was poisoned.
In the following morning, the jealous teacher told Wa Lancar that the king asked Wa Lancar to give the king a black stone from the hill. Wa Lancar went with some soldiers. After several hours walking, Wa Lancar was tired. He remembered his second teacher’s advice, to stop and get some rest if he was tired walking.
Wa Lancar told the soldiers to walk first. Wa Lancar was lucky. The soldiers were trapped in a big hole. Wa Lancar then took the b l a c k stone and brought it to the palace. When he arrived at the palace, Wa Lancar wanted to sleep.
Suddenly he remembered his third teacher’s advice, to grind a knife with a stone. Wa Lancar took a knife and ground it with the black stone.
After he was finished, he went to bed. He saw a centipede on the bed! He killed the centipede with his knife. His wife woke up. She heard all the noise. She was surprised to see a dead centipede on the bed.
Wa Lancar told his wife everything. He was sure that all the bad things happened because of the jealous teacher. His wife immediately told his father, the king, all the bad things. The king asked the jealous teacher if it was true. The jealous teacher could not do anything. He told everything and confessed his mistakes. The king then punished the jealous teacher. ***
WA Lancar was a poor young man. However he always wanted to study hard. He did not have enough money to go to a teacher. Fortunately he met a kind teacher. He was willing to teach Wa Lancar. For a return, he asked Wa Lancar to help him in the rice field. Wa Lancar agreed. The teacher taught him everything.
After several years, the teacher thought it was enough for Wa Lancar as his student. Before Wa Lancar left, the teacher gave him one advice.
“If you are hungry don’t eat immediately, Just wait.”
Wa Lancar then left. He still wanted to study. He met the second teacher. Like the first teacher, Wa Lancar also did not have to pay. He was just asked to help the teacher in the rice field. Wa Lancar studied for several years and the teacher asked him to leave. He also gave advice to Wa Lancar.
“When you are tired walking, stop and get some rest.”
Wa Lancar still not satisfied. He met the third teacher. Again, he did not have to pay some money. He was also asked to help the teacher in the rice field. Later, it was time for him to leave. Again, the third teacher gave him an advice.
“Get a stone and a knife, and then grind the knife.”
Wa Lancar was very thankful. He wanted to help all the poor kids. He then taught them. At first, he just had few students, after that he had more and more students. And that made another teacher jealous.
The jealous teacher went to the palace and told the king that Wa Lancar taught bad lessons to the children. The king was angry. He punished Wa Lancar. The punishment was Wa Lancar had to marry the king’s daughter. Wa Lancar was scared. It was because any man who married the king’s daughter, would die mysteriously.
At the wedding reception, the guests were served with delicious foods. The jealous teacher gave Wa Lancar food. Wa Lancar remembered his first teacher’s advice, not to eat immediately when he was hungry. Wa Lancar refused the food. However the man next to him ate the food. Not long after that, the man suffered stomachache terribly. Later the man died. Apparently, the food was poisoned.
In the following morning, the jealous teacher told Wa Lancar that the king asked Wa Lancar to give the king a black stone from the hill. Wa Lancar went with some soldiers. After several hours walking, Wa Lancar was tired. He remembered his second teacher’s advice, to stop and get some rest if he was tired walking.
Wa Lancar told the soldiers to walk first. Wa Lancar was lucky. The soldiers were trapped in a big hole. Wa Lancar then took the b l a c k stone and brought it to the palace. When he arrived at the palace, Wa Lancar wanted to sleep.
Suddenly he remembered his third teacher’s advice, to grind a knife with a stone. Wa Lancar took a knife and ground it with the black stone.
After he was finished, he went to bed. He saw a centipede on the bed! He killed the centipede with his knife. His wife woke up. She heard all the noise. She was surprised to see a dead centipede on the bed.
Wa Lancar told his wife everything. He was sure that all the bad things happened because of the jealous teacher. His wife immediately told his father, the king, all the bad things. The king asked the jealous teacher if it was true. The jealous teacher could not do anything. He told everything and confessed his mistakes. The king then punished the jealous teacher. ***
