The Tale of La Ane: The Boy Who Became a Bird Folklore from Southeast Sulawesi

BAHASA INGGRIS 

Once upon a time, in the heart of Muna Island in Southeast Sulawesi, lived an old woman and

her only son, La Ane. Her husband had passed away many years ago, leaving her to raise their son

alone. Though her body was weary with age, her spirit remained strong. To earn a living, she ventured

deep into the jungle each day, gathering bundles of firewood that she would later sell at the market in

the village.

Life was hard, but the old woman never complained. Her greatest hope was for La Ane to grow

into a kind and responsible young man. Every morning before heading out, she would prepare simple

meals and gently remind her son of his duties.

"Don’t forget to sweep the floor,” she would say while tying her headscarf. “And remember to

wash the clothes. We have a lot of dirty laundry piling up.”

But La Ane rarely listened. His eyes sparkled only when he played with his favorite spinning top,

a wooden toy he carried everywhere. As she spoke, he would nod absentmindedly, barely looking up.

“Yes, Mom,” he would reply, spinning the top across the dirt floor, fully absorbed in play.

She sighed. It hurt her heart to be ignored, but she continued on her way into the forest, carrying

the weight of the family’s needs on her tired shoulders.

That afternoon, as the sun dipped behind the trees and the shadows stretched long, she returned

home exhausted. But instead of being greeted by a clean house, she found a mess—clothes still

scattered, dust on the floor, and no sign of her son.

“La Ane, where are you?” she called out, worry and anger mixed in her voice.

There was no answer at first. Moments later, La Ane strolled in, his clothes stained with dirt and

sweat, his cheeks flushed from running and laughing with his friends.

“Where have you been?” she asked sharply, trying to hide her disappointment. “I’ve been looking

for you.”

“I was playing with my spinning top,” he answered simply, without a trace of guilt.

“I told you to clean the house! Why didn’t you do it?” Her voice trembled—not just with anger, but

sadness too.

She was deeply upset. No matter how many times she pleaded with him, La Ane never helped.

He spent his days chasing laughter, forgetting his mother’s sacrifices. Day after day, it was the same.

Once she left, he would disappear to play and only return home when he was hungry.

Though she never said it out loud, her heart ached. The boy she had raised with love and effort

seemed to care more about his spinning top than the well-being of their little home—or her. And that

sorrow grew deeper with each passing day.

One day, the old woman could no longer hold back her feelings. Her patience had run out after

being ignored again and again. She loved her son dearly, but she also wanted him to learn a lesson

about responsibility and respect. With a heavy heart, she took La Ane’s beloved spinning top—his most treasured possession—and cut it into small pieces. She placed the broken pieces carefully on a plate

and set it on the dining table, right where she usually served food.

Later that day, La Ane came home, expecting to eat as usual. But when he looked at the plate,

he froze. There was no food. Instead, he saw the shattered remains of his spinning top lying quietly on

the plate. His eyes widened in shock. His heart ached.

Tears welled up in his eyes. “Why, Mother?” he whispered. “Why did you do this? Don’t you love

me anymore?”

Feeling unloved and full of sorrow, La Ane ran out of the house. He climbed a tall tree in the yard,

his emotions swirling inside him like a storm.

From the treetop, he cried out, “Mother, why don’t you love me anymore? Why don’t you give me

food? If you don’t want me, then I’d rather become a bird and fly away!”

And suddenly—something miraculous happened. As soon as he said those words, fine, colorful

feathers began to sprout from his skin. His arms turned into wings, and his feet into claws. Yes—La

Ane was transforming into a bird!

When the old woman came home from the jungle, she immediately looked for her son. “La Ane!

Where are you? Are you still playing? Come inside now!” she called out, confused by the eerie silence.

From above, a soft voice answered, “Ntaapo-apo!”

She paused, startled. That voice... it was La Ane’s!

“La Ane! Where are you, my son?” she called again, panic in her voice.

“Ntaapo-apo!” came the reply once more.

She looked up and gasped—there, perched high on a tree branch, was a stunning bird. Its

feathers shimmered with beauty, just like the mythical cendrawasih (the bird of paradise). Its eyes...

they were full of sorrow.

“La Ane, is that you?” she cried. “Oh no... what happened? Please come down! I’m sorry!”

But La Ane only replied once more, “Ntaapo-apo...” and with a flap of his wings, he flew into the

sky, disappearing among the clouds.

The old woman collapsed to her knees, overwhelmed by sadness and regret. But it was too late.

Her son was gone.

Since that day, the people of Muna remember the bird that calls “Ntaapo-apo” from the treetops.

They say it is La Ane, the boy who turned into a bird. It is said that the bird's voice can still be heard

from the treetops of Southeast Sulawesi, as if La Ane is still flying freely, carrying his story through the skies

BAHASA INDONESIA 

Kisah La Ane: Anak Laki-Laki yang Menjadi Burung

Folklore dari Sulawesi Tenggara

Dahulu kala, di jantung Pulau Muna di Sulawesi Tenggara, hiduplah seorang wanita tua bersama satu-satunya anak laki-lakinya, La Ane. Suaminya telah meninggal bertahun-tahun yang lalu, meninggalkan dirinya untuk membesarkan sang anak seorang diri. Meskipun tubuhnya sudah renta, semangatnya tetap kuat. Untuk mencari nafkah, setiap hari ia pergi jauh ke dalam hutan, mengumpulkan kayu bakar yang kemudian dijualnya di pasar desa.

Hidup memang sulit, tetapi wanita tua itu tidak pernah mengeluh. Harapan terbesarnya adalah agar La Ane tumbuh menjadi pemuda yang baik hati dan bertanggung jawab. Setiap pagi sebelum berangkat, ia menyiapkan makanan sederhana dan dengan lembut mengingatkan putranya tentang tugas-tugas rumah.

“Jangan lupa menyapu lantai,” katanya sambil mengikat selendang di kepalanya. “Dan ingat untuk mencuci pakaian. Kita punya banyak cucian kotor yang menumpuk.”

Namun, La Ane jarang mendengarkan. Matanya hanya berbinar ketika bermain dengan gasing kesayangannya, sebuah mainan kayu yang selalu ia bawa ke mana-mana. Saat ibunya berbicara, ia hanya mengangguk tanpa perhatian, hampir tidak menoleh.

“Iya, Bu,” jawabnya, sambil terus memutar gasing di lantai tanah, tenggelam sepenuhnya dalam permainan.

Wanita tua itu menghela napas. Hatinya sakit karena diabaikan, tetapi ia tetap melanjutkan perjalanannya ke hutan, memikul beban kebutuhan keluarga di pundaknya yang lelah.

Sore itu, ketika matahari tenggelam di balik pepohonan dan bayangan mulai memanjang, ia pulang dengan tubuh letih. Namun alih-alih disambut dengan rumah yang bersih, ia menemukan kekacauan—pakaian masih berserakan, debu menutupi lantai, dan tidak ada tanda-tanda anaknya.

“La Ane, kau di mana?” panggilnya, suara bercampur cemas dan marah.

Tidak ada jawaban pada awalnya. Beberapa saat kemudian, La Ane masuk dengan pakaian kotor penuh tanah dan keringat, pipinya memerah setelah berlari dan tertawa bersama teman-temannya.

“Ke mana saja kau?” tanyanya dengan nada tajam, berusaha menyembunyikan kekecewaan. “Ibu sudah mencarimu.”

“Aku main gasing,” jawabnya singkat, tanpa sedikit pun rasa bersalah.

“Ibu sudah bilang suruh kau membersihkan rumah! Kenapa tidak kau kerjakan?” Suaranya bergetar—bukan hanya karena marah, tapi juga sedih.

Hatinya sangat terluka. Berapa kali pun ia memohon, La Ane tidak pernah mau membantu. Ia hanya menghabiskan hari-harinya mengejar tawa, melupakan pengorbanan ibunya. Hari demi hari, selalu begitu. Begitu ibunya pergi, ia akan menghilang untuk bermain dan baru pulang ketika lapar.

Meskipun tak pernah ia ucapkan, hati wanita tua itu semakin perih. Anak yang ia besarkan dengan penuh cinta dan usaha tampaknya lebih peduli pada gasingnya daripada pada rumah kecil mereka—atau dirinya. Kesedihan itu kian dalam dari hari ke hari.

Suatu hari, wanita tua itu tak lagi mampu menahan perasaannya. Kesabarannya habis setelah terus-menerus diabaikan. Ia sangat mencintai putranya, tetapi ia juga ingin La Ane belajar tentang tanggung jawab dan rasa hormat. Dengan hati yang berat, ia mengambil gasing kesayangan La Ane—harta yang paling ia cintai—dan memotongnya menjadi potongan-potongan kecil. Ia meletakkan pecahan itu dengan hati-hati di atas sebuah piring, tepat di meja makan, di tempat biasanya ia menyajikan makanan.

Hari itu, ketika La Ane pulang ke rumah, ia mengira akan makan seperti biasa. Namun saat melihat piring itu, tubuhnya membeku. Tidak ada makanan. Sebaliknya, yang terlihat hanyalah sisa-sisa gasingnya yang hancur, tergeletak diam di atas piring. Matanya membelalak kaget. Hatinya terasa perih.

Air mata menggenang di matanya. “Mengapa, Ibu?” bisiknya. “Mengapa Ibu melakukan ini? Apakah Ibu sudah tidak mencintaiku lagi?”

Merasa tidak dicintai dan dipenuhi kesedihan, La Ane berlari keluar rumah. Ia memanjat sebuah pohon tinggi di halaman, perasaannya berkecamuk bagaikan badai.

Dari atas pohon, ia berteriak, “Ibu, mengapa Ibu tidak mencintaiku lagi? Mengapa Ibu tidak memberiku makan? Jika Ibu tidak menginginkanku lagi, lebih baik aku menjadi burung dan terbang jauh!”

Dan tiba-tiba—terjadi sesuatu yang ajaib. Begitu kata-kata itu terucap, bulu-bulu halus nan berwarna indah mulai tumbuh dari kulitnya. Tangannya berubah menjadi sayap, dan kakinya menjadi cakar. Ya—La Ane sedang berubah menjadi seekor burung!

Ketika wanita tua itu pulang dari hutan, ia segera mencari anaknya. “La Ane! Di mana kau? Apa masih bermain? Masuklah sekarang!” panggilnya, bingung oleh keheningan aneh di sekeliling rumah.

Dari atas, terdengar suara lembut menjawab, “Ntaapo-apo!”

Ia tertegun, kaget. Suara itu… itu suara La Ane!

“La Ane! Di mana kau, Nak?” panggilnya lagi, kini dengan nada panik.

“Ntaapo-apo!” terdengar lagi jawaban itu.

Ia menengadah, lalu terperanjat—di atas dahan pohon, bertengger seekor burung yang menakjubkan. Bulu-bulunya berkilau indah, mirip burung cenderawasih dalam mitos. Matanya… penuh kesedihan.

“La Ane, apakah itu kau?” tangisnya. “Oh tidak… apa yang terjadi? Tolong turunlah! Ibu minta maaf!”

Namun La Ane hanya menjawab sekali lagi, “Ntaapo-apo…” lalu mengepakkan sayapnya, terbang ke langit, dan menghilang di balik awan.

Wanita tua itu jatuh berlutut, diliputi kesedihan dan penyesalan yang dalam. Tapi semuanya sudah terlambat. Putranya telah pergi.

Sejak hari itu, masyarakat Muna mengenang burung yang bersuara “Ntaapo-apo” dari pucuk-pucuk pohon. Mereka percaya bahwa burung itu adalah La Ane, anak laki-laki yang berubah menjadi burung. Konon, suaranya masih bisa terdengar dari pepohonan Sulawesi Tenggara, seolah La Ane masih terbang bebas, membawa kisahnya melintasi langit.

10 KATA SULIT BAHASA INGGRIS DALAM CERITA The Tale of La Ane: The Boy Who Became a Bird

1. weary = letih, lelah

2. ventured = memberanikan diri, pergi ke (tempat berisiko/berbahaya)

3. bundle = ikatan, tumpukan, gulungan

4. absorbed = tenggelam, larut (dalam suatu aktivitas)

5. sacrifices = pengorbanan

8. pleaded = memohon, merayu dengan sungguh-sungguh

9. sorrow = kesedihan yang mendalam

10. shattered = hancur berkeping-keping