BATU BELAH BATU BERTANGKUP

(The Devouring Rock )

A Famous Malay Folktale
This story is about Mak Minah , a widow, her two children, her daughter Mawar ,
and her young son, Bulat. Mak Minah would work hard at several jobs in a day . She
would work in both a field and as a fisherwoman to support her fairly young children as
best as she could.
One morning , while fishing , she catches a tembakul fish ( local river fish ). She
of course is really happy, and fantasizes all day about eating the fish with her children
for dinner. At noon , Mak Minah goes home and starts to clean the fish, and is happier
when she realizes that there is fish roe inside. Fish roe back then was very
very
expensive and was a delicacy, one that poor people like herself would very rarely be
able to enjoy. she happily fries it before she goes to work in the fields and cuts it into
three equal parts , one for her older daughter, one for her young son, and the other for
herself. As she heads out the door, Mak Minah tells her children that they may each
have their portion , but she asked them to leave one of the pieces to eat when she
comes home.
Mak Minah spent the entire evening at the field thinking of eating the roe. When
she came home , she finds all three portions eaten. Mawar explained to her that she and
her brother had both eaten their portions , but after finishing his , Bulat demanded the
other portion and threw a horrible tantrum when she said no , and that he had taken the
piece anyway. Mak Minah was so devastated that she didn’t say anything and just went
to bed.
That night Mak Minah was kept awake by the calling of the batu belah batu
bertangkup , the eater of suicides. She heard the rock calling her, saying “You never
managed to eat your roe because as much as you desired it , it never desired to be
eaten by you. This is the way of the world : what we desire to touch has no desire to be
touched by us. But I am your death and I have longed for you since you were born. And
now all I ask you is that you have the same longing for me.” She then snaps and runs
to the rock .
Mawar , hearing the commotion of her mother storming out of the house, wakes
up Bulat and they try to chase her down. They called out after their mother , but it was
no use , the voice of the rock drowned out everything else. Mak Minah stopped only
once on her way to the rock , and just long enough for her children to catch sight of
her , right in front of it , where she made a funnel and filled it with her breast milk for her
young son. As she did so , the rock split , and beckoned her to enter. Mak Minah left the
funnel on the floor and fled deep into the rock
The Vanity Of The Rat : Korean Folk Tale

A long time ago, there lived a rat couple who had 1 daughter. Since they had no other children,
they gave her everything. When it became time for their daughter to marry, they wanted only the
best husband for her. They thought about all of the rats that they knew, but none of them were
good enough for their daughter.

One day, Mr Rat said to his wife "I know who will make the perfect husband for our daughter,
the Sun." "The Sun?" asked Mrs. Rat. "Why do you think the Sun would make a good husband."
"Because there is none more powerful in the world than the Sun" said the husband. "Yes, Yes.
Yes. The Sun is the most powerful. He's bright as well. Let's ask him at once" said Mrs. Rat.

The two rats went out into their garden where the Sun was shining. "Oh, Mr. Sun!" they called,
trying to keep their eyes open as they looked up into the sky. "Yes, what can I do for you?"
replied the Sun. "Should you accept, my wife and I would like to offer you our daughter's hand
in marriage," said Mr. Rat proudly. "I'm honored" said Mr. Sun, But why do you want me to
marry your daughter?" "Because you are so powerful and magnificent!" said Mr. Rat, while Mrs.
Rat nodded her head in agreement.

"Well, I'm pleased that you think so highly of me" said Mr. Sun. "But there is one that is more
powerful than me." "Who might that be? asked Mr. Rat. "Why Mr. Cloud, of course! I am
powerless when he covers me." "Yes, so true" said Mr. Rat, nodding over and over."Come on
dear,” he said, taking his wife by the hand. "Let's go see Mr. Cloud."

They climbed up a nearby mountain, over which a big cloud hung in the sky. They called to Mr.
Cloud and telling him what Mr. Sun had said, offered their daughter's hand in marriage. Again,
the couple received a much different answer that what they were expecting. Mr. Cloud said
"What the Sun says is true. However, I am powerless when I meet Mr. Wind. Wherever he
blows, I must go." "Yes. Yes. Of course, of course" said Mr. and Mrs. Rat. They then set out to
find Mr. Wind.

Coming down the mountain, they found Mr. Wind in a grove of trees. "I am strong" he told them
on hearing their story. "I can make a big tree fall over or blow down a house. I can shake up an
ocean. But try as I may, I can't move a stone buddha." "Then, we'll just have to ask a stone
buddha" said Mr. Rat. So, Mr. and Mrs. Rat hurried down the mountain to the stone buddha
standing near their village.

"Well, I'm flattered that you want me to marry your daughter" said Mr. Stone Buddha. "But I
don't think I'm right for her either. I am indeed strong and Mr. Wind can't move me, but I am no
means the strongest of them all. There is one that can make me fall over easily. The very thought
of it is making me shake already." "Please Mr. Stone Buddha" said Mr. Rat. "Please tell us who."
"None other than you and your cousins the moles" said Mr. Stone Buddha. "You and your
cousins are very strong. Why if you burrow under my feet, I'll fall over and land on my head. I'm
no match for you" said Mr. Stone Buddha. "Thank you" said Mr. Rat, "You've been very
helpful.”
After the long search for a suitable suitor, the rat's daughter married a rat.