Labolong
- Title
- Labolong
- Original language
- English
- Author(s)
- Illustrator(s)
- Publisher
- Ekky Reskianty Amir
- ISBN
- —
- Publication date
- Subjects
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Description(s)
LABOLONG I first heard about this folktale from a friend who comes from Bone Regency. The purpose of this story is to remind us to be kind and help others, because goodness will always come back to us. A group of youths gather at the base of Mount Bawakaraeng and divide into two groups. As they begin their journey, dark clouds gather above them. “The weather is worsening. Do you still want to continue?” says Cheetah. “We'll see how it is tomorrow,” replies Aznan. “If the weather is bad we will postpone the climb”. They continue their journey and arrive at basecamp. Basecamp is a resting place for climbers located at the foot of the mountain. Before beginning their ascent, the young men gather together to pray. The sky remains overcast, but they decide to keep climbing. Their journey is interspersed with laughter, but Cheetah is silent. When they arrive at the top of the mountain they rush to set up their tents. They prepare rice and instant noodles, to recover their strength. They gather at the front of their tents to swap stories and jokes, before resting for the night. At the top of Mount Bawakaraeng, the world stretches out below them. The climbers are quiet as they take in the view. After an hour, they return to their camp to prepare their equipment for the descent. They cook the last of their rice and salted fish for breakfast. As Cheetah is washing up he sees a dog sitting nearby. The dog is jet black with thick, matted fur. He names the dog Labolong. “Why are you here?,” Cheetah calls out. “If you're hungry, here's food. Eat it.” He tosses Labolong some salted fish. Cheetah and Aznan descend separately from the rest of the group, with Aznan leading the way. Thick clouds smother the sky and fog begins to obscure the path in front of them. The air is suddenly very cold. They immediately feel a mystical aura. The path in front of them forks. Aznan chooses the path to the right, before turning back to Cheetah. “Are you sure this is the right way?” he asks. “Yes,” Cheetah replies. “I marked a tree that had an incision in its trunk, along this trail.” As they continue, the path seems familiar. Soon, they arrive back at the fork. They begin again, but find themselves back at the fork once more. Each time they return, the fog is thicker, making it difficult to see the path in front of them. The young men begin to panic as they realize they are lost. Aznan turns back to Cheetah again. “Are you sure Cheetah?” he says, slowly. “We've circled this path but we're still back here.” “You're kidding right?” Cheetah replies. There is a long silence, before Cheetah says “I believe this is the right path, I’ve marked the tree and every time I climb this mountain, I always use the same path.” Two hours pass and Aznan grows desperate. Suddenly, Labolong appears out of nowhere. Cheetah moves towards the dog. “Can you help us?”, he asks. Labolong just looks at them and Cheetah laughs at his silliness. Aznan begins to lead the group again, but Labolong moves to block their path. Each time they try to move forward, they are stopped by Labolong. After several minutes, Labolong begins to walk, following a different path. Enlightened, the two men follow Labolong. Sure enough, he leads them back to the base camp at the foot of the mountain. The other group are relieved to see Cheetah and Aznan return. After delivering the two young men, Labolong begins the climb back to the top of the mountain.
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