Once, in a rural area next to Lake Toba North Sumatera,
there lived a husband and a wife with a beautiful daughter named Seruni. Not
only was she beautiful, Seruni was also very diligent in helping her parents in
the field. Every day this family worked in this field on the edge of Lake Toba,
and the crops are used for their daily needs.
One day, Seruni went to the field alone, because his parents went to a neighbouring
village. Seruni was only accompanied by her beloved dog named Toki. Arriving at
the farm, she didn’t work but she just sat there looking at the natural beauty
of Lake Toba as if she had difficult problem. While the dog came and sat next
to her, staring at her face as if he knew what Seruni was thinking. Once in a
while the dog barked to distract Seruni, but she was not distracted.
The last few days Seruni looked gloomy. She was very sad, because she was forced
for a marriage by her parents with a young man who was his cousin. She had
chosen another man and she had promised to live together with him. She was very
confused. On the one hand she did not want to disappoint her parents; on the
other hand she could not afford to part with her love. Because of being unable
to bear the heavy burden, she was getting hopeless.
"Yes, Lord! I am not able to live with this burden, "complained the
Seruni.
A few moments later, Seruni moved from her seat. With tears, she walked slowly
toward the Lake Toba. Apparently she wanted to end her life by jumping into the
lake. Seruni walked toward the cliffs of Lake Toba without paying attention to
the road in its path. Unexpectedly, she suddenly fell into a hole. The rocky
ground made the hole dark. Seruni was very scared.
"Help.. Help.. Help.., Toki! "Seruni asked for help to her dog.
Toki understood that Seruni required his help, but he could not do
anything except just barking at the hole. Seruni screamed several times for
help, but the Toki really could not help her. Finally she was getting
desperate.
"Ah, I'd rather die than live a long time to suffer," Seruni sighed.
Rock walls were moving ever closer.
"Parapat! Parapat batu!Parapatlah (squeeze, stone squeeze me, squeeze me
please). " Seruni ordered the stone to press her body.
Being unable to help Seruni, Toki immediately ran home to ask for help. Arriving
at the master's house, he immediately went to Seruni parents. Toki barked at
Seruni’s parents and scratched the ground to tell the parents that the Seruni
in danger.
"Toki, where is Seruni? What happened to her? “
Toki continued barking and ran back and forth to invite them to Seruni’s place.
"Dear, it looks like Seruni in danger," said the mother.
"You are right. Toki asks us to follow, "said the father of Seruni.
"But how do we get there?” asked the mother.
"You prepare a torch! I'll be looking for help to neighbours."
Soon, the whole neighbours had gathered carrying torch. After that, they
followed Toki to the where Seruni was. Once they were there, Toki direct them toward
the mouth of the hole.
Both parents of Seruni immediately approached the mouth of the hole. What a
surprise when they saw a big hole on the edge of their field. From the pit there
was a faint sound of a woman, "Parapat! Parapat batu! Parapatlah!"
"Dear, listen to that voice! That voice is of our child!” Seruni’s mother
said.
"Yes! That Seruni’s voice! "Replied the father in panic.
"But, why would she shout: Parapat, parapat stone parapatlah?" Asked
the mother.
"I do not know! It seems like there's something wrong in there, "said
the father anxiously.
A Farmer was trying to light up the hole with a torch, but the bottom of the
hole was so deep that it could not be penetrated by the light from torch.
"Seruni , my daughter! Mother and father came to help you! "Her
mother shouted.
Several times they yelled, but they did not get a response from Seruni. There
was only faint voice of Seruni who asked the stone to get closer to squeeze
her.
People there were trying to help. One held ropes and threw to the hole, but the
bottom was not touched at all. Seruni's father increasingly concerned with the
state of her daughter.
"Mom, hold the torch!" Commanded the father.
"Where do you want to go?" Asked the mother.
"I'm following Seruni into the hole," the father replied firmly.
"No dear, it's dangerous!" the mother tried to stop the father.
A moment later, suddenly there was a loud noise. The earth shook violently and
the mouth of the hole suddenly closed itself. Seruni's father and mother and
all the people ran away to escape. Seruni could not be saved.
After a while, the earthquake stopped. Suddenly appeared a large rock that
resembled a girl's body and the stone was hanging on the wall of the cliff at
the edge of Lake Toba. Local people believe that the stone is the embodiment
Seruni’s oppressed body in the hole by the stones. The embodiment was given a
name, which was "Hanging Rock".
A few days later, news spread about the events that befell Seruni. The people
flocked to the scene to see the "Hanging Rock". Residents who
witnessed the incident told other people that before the hole was closed, they
heard a voice, "Parapat, Parapat batu parapatlah!" Because all the
people said the word ‘Parapat’, then the place is called Parapat. That is why
now the hanging stone is called hanging stone in Parapat.
-FIN-
Read the Indonesian translation
HERE
Author: Unknown
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