The Pirate Crocodile
Folklore from Lampung
A long time ago, not many people dared to sail in Tulang Bawang River. A big crocodile lived there.
People believed the crocodile would eat anyone who sailing in the river.
Not far from the river, there was a village. Aminah and her parents lived there. She was a beautiful girl. One day her parents asked her to go to another village. It was across the river. Aminah was a kind daughter. She always obeyed her parents.
“Please be very careful, dear. If you see the crocodile near you, row your sampan as fast as you can,” said the mother.
“I will be careful, Mother. I will come back to you later. I promise you,” said Aminah.
Aminah then took her sampan. She rowed it slowly. She did not want to make any noise. She did not want the crocodile to hear her.
But she was wrong! The big crocodile was looking at her. The crocodile was swimming silently. Then... it attacked the sampan. It turned upside down.
Aminah was so scared.
“Help! Somebody please help me!” screamed Aminah.
Aminah was drowned. She was unconscious. When she was awake, she was inside a big cave. She stood up and looked around. She saw something shining in the dark. When she approached it, she found a lot of jewelries. She was very surprised. Suddenly she heard a voice.
“You can take those jewelries. But you have to stay with me.”
The voice was from the crocodile. It was the same crocodile that attacked her in the river. to run but she was cornered. The crocodile was right in front of her.
“Don’t be afraid. I’m not a real crocodile. I was a human. I was a pirate and always stole people’s jewelries. A witch cursed me into a crocodile. And now I keep all the jewelries here inside the cave.”
“How do you go to the river?” asked Aminah.
“There is a tunnel that connects the cave to the riverside,” explained the crocodile. He did not realize that he already broke his secret.
Aminah then pretended to agree stay inside the cave. When the crocodile was sleeping, she took the jewelries and went to the tunnel.
Finally she arrived at the riverside. She met some villagers and they helped her.
Aminah’s parents were very happy, their daughter back home. They sold all the jewelries and gave the money to other villagers. Everybody was happy, they were not poor anymore. ***
