Thel

egendofLakeToba

Onceuponat imet her ewasapr osperousvi

ll
ageinaf arawayi slandcalledSumat r
a.I
n
nor
thernpar toft heisland,livedaf ar
merwhosenamewasToba.Hel i
v edaloneinahutbya
smallforest.Hewor kedonhi sf armlandt ogrow ri
ceandv egetablest hathesellstolocal
market
.Oncedayhewant edt ocat chsomef i
shsohewentt oar i
verandf i
shedthere.Hewas
ver
ysur pri
sedwhenhegotabi gfish.Thef ishwasasbigashumanbei ng.Soonhewenthome
andputt hefishinhiski tchen.Hepl annedt ocookthefi
shforhisdinnerthatnight.Whenhegot
tohishouset hatafternoonhet ookabat h.Thenashewalkedi nt
ohi sbedr oom aft
ertaki
nga
bat
hTobawasv eryshocked.Doy ouwantt oknowwhathappened?

Ther
estoodinhisli
vi
ngroom aver
ybeauti
fulgir
l.Thegir
lgreet
edhim ni
cel
y.Foramoment
Tobawasspeechl
ess.Whenhecoul
dcont
rolhisemotionheaskedher
.

"
Whoar
eyou?What
’sy
ourname?Whysuddenl
yyouar
eher
einmyhouse?
"

"Par
donmei fIsurpr
isedy ouMr .Toba,butyoutookmeher e.Iwasthefi
sht
haty
oucaughtin
theri
ver
.Nowt hatIbecomeahumanbei ngagain,Iwoul
dliketothanky
ouandIwi
l
lbey our
serv
anttoexpr
essmyt hankf
ulness"

"
Wer
eyout
hef
ish?
"

"
Yes,
Iwast
hef
ish.Lookaty
ourki
tchen.
"

Tobai
mmediatel
yrushedt
ohi
ski
tchenandt
hef
ishwasnowher
etobeseen.Hesaw some
gol
dcoi
nsi
nstead.

"
Whosecoi
nsar
ethese?Whyt
her
ear
esomecoi
nsher
e?"

"
Thosecoi
nsar
emi
ne.AsIchangedi
ntohumanbei
ngmyscal
eschangedi
ntogol
dcoi
ns"

"
Oky
oucanl
i
veher
eandwor
kforme.Yourr
oom i
sov
ert
her
e"

"
Thanky
ouv
erymuchMr
.Toba"

Sincethatdaythebeauti
fulgir
lli
vedinToba’shouse.Sinceshewasv erybeaut
ifulTobafell
i
nl ovewi thherandnotl ongaf terthattheygotmar r
ied.Thegi r
lmar r
iedtoTobaonone
conditi
onthathewoul dnevertel
lanybodyaboutherpast .Tobaagreedt othecondi
t i
on.Several
mont hslaterToba’
swi f
edeli
veredtoababyboy .Theirsonwasheal thy.Soonhegr ewupi ntoa
handsomeboy .Tobanamedhi m Samosir.Unfort
unatel
ySamosi rwasal azyboy
.Hedi dnot
wantt owor katall
.Whenhi sfatherworkedhardinhi sricefi
eldandf arm,Samosi rj
ustslept.
Whenhewasawakehet al
kedal otandheat ealot.Tobawasv erydisappoint
edwi t
hhisson’s
nature.Hehopedt hatonedaySamosi rwouldchangei nt
oadi l
igentboy .Dayinanddayoutbut
Samosi rneverchanged.
Tobausedt ogotohi sf
arm andri
cefieldearl
yint hemorni
ng.Thenatmi ddayhiswif
ewould
bri
nghimf ood.Theyusedtoeatlunchatt hei
rfarm.Ashewasat eenagerTobaandhi swif
e
tr
iedt
ochangehi sbehavior
.TheyorderedSamosi rtobri
ngfoodf orhisfatherforl
unchwhil
e
hermotherstayedathomet odohousehol dchor es.ButSamosirnev erdidhisdutywell
.He
al
wayswokeupv er
ylat
e.Hewokeupaf t
ermi dday.Thenonedayhi smot herfor
cedhimto
bri
ngt
hef ood.

"Sam,wakeup.Got
othef
arm andbr
ingt
hef
oodf
ory
ourf
ather
.Hemustbev
eryt
ir
edand
hungr
ynow."

"
ButMom,
Iam t
ir
edandhungr
ytoo"

"
Whatmakesy
out
ir
ed?Youj
ustwakeup.Gonow.Youf
atherneedst
hef
ood"

Tobareluctant
lywentt othef ar
m.Buthedidnotgot othefarmi mmedi
atel
y.Hestopped
somewher einthest r
eetandatethef
ood.I
twasal
readylat
eaft
ernoonwhenhegottot
hefarm.
Hisf
atherwasdi sappoi
nted.Thenhewasangr
yasher eal
i
zedthathi
ssonhadeatenhi
sfood.
Hesaidsarcasticall
y.

"
O,y
ouar
est
upi
dlazyboy
.Youar
esonofaf
ish!
"

Samosirwashurt.Hewenthomerightawayandashegothomehet ol
dhi
smot
herabouthi
s
fat
her
’swords.Samosi
r’
smotherwasshocked.Shewasal
sodeepl
yhurt
.

"O Toba.Youbreaky ourpr

omi
sesoIcannotli
vewithyouher
eanymore.Now youhaveto
accepttoconsequenceofwhatyoudi
d.Samosi
r,now got
othehi
ll
,fi
ndthetal
l
esttreeand
cl
imbi t
"

"
Whymom?Whatwi
l
lhappen?
"

"
Justdoi
t,nev
eraskanyquest
ion.Goodby
e"

Assoonasshef i
nishedsayi
ngthatsuddenl
ytheweatherchanged.Sunnydaysuddenlytur
ned
i
ntocloudyday .Notl ongaft
erthattherainpouredheavil
y.Ther ainlastforsev
eraldays.
Consequentl
ythear eawasfl
ooded.Thewholeareabecameabi glake.Thenitwascall
edLake
Tobaandi nthemi ddleoft
helakethereisanisl
andcall
edSamosi rIsl
and.MeanwhileToba’s
wif
edisappeared.