malin kundang

Once upon a time, on the north coast of Sumatera lived a poor woman and his son, who called Malin Kundang. His Father eventually died, and his mother lived alone as a poverty-stricken old woman.Malin Kundang grew up as a skillful young boy. He always helps his mother to earn some money. One day, Malin Kundang decide going to overseas and promise to come back.

After several years had gone by, Malin Kudang finally decide to return to his village. He arrived wearing fine clothes and traveling on one of his ships. Someone arriving in such splendor was uncommon to the villagers, so many of them went down to the harbor to view the sight.

One of the villagers recognized Malin Kundang form a scar that he had received while playing as a child. Upon recognizing the mark, the villager went to tell Malin Kundang's mother that her son had returned. Excitedly, she went to the shore and recognized her son the minute her eyes fell on him.

When the older woman called him her son, he refused to believe that he head such an old woman as a mother. His disbelief was heightened when his wife questioned why he had not told her that he had an elderly, poor mother.

In an alternate translation, Malin Kundang was on the ship with just his crew. When his mother attempted to embrace him, he was too embarrassed by her ragged appearance to acknowledge her and instead, had one of them carry her away.

Distraught and finally realizing he son's wickedness, Malin Kundang's mother gave up on her son's acknowledging her and prayed to her god to punish her son for his behavior.

The day after his mother's prayer, Malin Kudang sailed out of the village. Shortly thereafter, the ships was met by a violent storm. Malin Kundang believed the storm was his god's and nature's ways of punishing him for his mistreatment of his mother.He felt guilty about his behavior towards her, asked for forgiveness, and began to pray. However, his repentance was too late, for the ship was destroyed at sea. But, in some translations of the tale, Malin Kundang was turned into coral. In other, the ship, the crew, and he become rock formations that are still standing.