Watuwe, the Magic Crocodile

Papua

It is said that, on the banks of the Tami River in Papua, there lived a husband and wife who
were waiting for the arrival of a child. The husband, named Towjatuwa, was very nervous
because his wife, who was heavily pregnant, had difficulty giving birth.
There is only one way to help his wife give birth, which is to operate on her using sharp
stones from the Tami River. When he was busy looking for sharp stones, suddenly a large
crocodile appeared in front of him. Towjatuwa was beyond shocked. He was very scared and
almost fainted.
The crocodile is getting closer to Towjatuwa with a body that looks strange unlike other
crocodiles. On the crocodile's back grew cassowary feathers. This makes the crocodile look
scary when moving.
When the distance of the crocodile was getting closer, Towjatuwa started getting ready to run
away. Suddenly the crocodile greeted Towjatuwa in a friendly manner.
"I'm sorry if I startled you. My name is Watuwe. What's your name and what are you doing in
this river?" asked the crocodile.

"Oh, I... I... I... my name is Towjatuwa. I'm here looking for sharp stones to help my wife give
birth,"

replied Towjatuwa fearfully. Towjatuwa's fear was fading away because the crocodile was
not as scary as it looked. Their conversation became more intimate and relaxed.

"You don't have to worry, Towjatuwa. I can help with your problem. I will help your wife
give birth,"

said Watuwe. Hearing this, Towjatuwa was very happy. He returned home and told his wife
about his encounter with the magical crocodile in the Tami River.

Day after day, Towjatuwa still felt restless because his wife was about to give birth. He was
afraid that Watuwe would break his promise to help his wife give birth.

Night has come, the wife has started to feel sick to her stomach. Towjatuwa panicked. Not
long, Watuwe the crocodile magically kept his promise. How happy Towjatuwa is. He also
invited Watuwe to help his wife give birth. With his miraculous powers, Watuwe helped the
birth of Towjatuwa's child safely.
Not long after, the sound of a baby boy's cry broke the silence of the night. Feelings of relief,
emotion, and happiness mixed into one in Towjatuwa's heart. He was grateful for Watuwe's
help. Towjatuwa's son was named Narrowra.

"Towjatuwa, one day your son will become a strong and reliable young man in hunting.
However, there is one thing you must remember. In the future, your descendants will not kill
or eat crocodile meat. If you violate this prohibition, you and your descendants will die,"
he said. Watuwe.

"Okay, Watuwe. I will remember your message and I will pass it on to my descendants," said
Towjatuwa.

Since then, Towjatuwa and his descendants have promised not to kill animals around the
Tami River. They also protect these animals from hunters.