KABAR BANTEN - Danau Toba yang terletak di Sumatera Utara merupakan danau terbesar di Indonesia dan Asia Tenggara. Dikutip dari Kemenparekraf.go.id Danau Toba memiliki panjang 100km dan lebar mencapai 30 km.
Danau Toba dinobatkan sebagai salah satu Geopark Global UNESCO 3 tahun lalu, serta kembali ramai diperbincangkan setelah keindahan Danau Toba ditampilkan di Google Doodle hari ini, Kamis 31 Agustus 2023.
Mari kita simak legenda Danau Toba dikutip Kabar Banten dari buku berjudul Dongeng Nusantara oleh Bambang Joko Susilo.
Legenda Danau Toba
Dahulu kala di daerah Tapanuli Utara, hiduplah petani miskin bernama Toba. Ia memiliki kegemaran memancing ikan. Setiap sore selesai menggarap ladang ia menuju sungai dekat rumahnya. Namun hari itu amat sial, seharian ia duduk di tepi sungai, tak seekor pun ikan mau menyantap umpan kailnya. Toba sangat kesal dan mulai putus asa. Akhirnya ia memutuskan pulang. Anehnya, baru saja akan bangkit, tiba-tiba kailnya ditarik ke dasar sungai. Karena tarikan itu terasa berat, ia yakin yang menarik ikan besar. Benar saja, selesai ia angkat, seekor ikan mas sebesar paha manusia menggelepar-gelepar di hadapannya. Betapa senangnya Toba. Segera dibawanya ikan tersebut pulang.
Keajaiban terjadi Ketika akan memotong ikan itu, tiba-tiba ikan tersebut dapat berbicara. “Tolong jangan bunuh aku. Nanti akan kubantu kehidupanmu. Toba terheran heran. Tapi aku lapar Aku butuh lauk untuk makan hari ini." Kata Toba Nanti akan kusediakan makanan untukmu Lepaskanlah aku, jawab ikan itu mengiba Toba kasihan padanya. Akhirnya Toba melepaskan kembali ikan tersebut ke sungai Ajaib, setibanya di rumah terhidang makanan lengkap meja. Bahkan di dapur ada wanita cantik jelita sedang memasak. “Terimakasih kau telah menolongku. Aku adalah wanita penjelmaan ikan itu. Sekarang aku mengabdi padamu," katanya.
Beberapa waktu kemudian Toba ingin sekali menikahi wanita cantik itu. Wanita itu setuju tapi dengan permintaan. "Tolong jika nanti kita dikaruniai anak, jangan sekali-kali mengatakan dia anak turunan ikan meskipun ibunya jelmaan ikan. Bila ini kaulanggar akan terjadi bencana". Toba menyanggupi. Setahun kemudian mereka dikarunai anak dan diberi nama Samosir. Mereka hidup bahagia. Akan tetapi karena Samosir dimanja, ia tumbuh menjadi anak pemalas. Bahkan tingkahnya cenderung nakal. Terbukti, setiap kali disuruh ibunya mengantarkan nasi ke ladang untuk ayahnya, ia selalu menolak. Terpaksa ibunya sendiri yang mengantar.
Dan hari itu kembali ibunya menyuruh Samosir mengantarkan nasi untuk ayahnya. Karena dipaksa, kali ini Samosir mau melaksanakannya. Namun di tengah jalan, nasi itu dimakan sendiri olehnya. Toba yang sudah lapar, tak sabar menanti-nanti. Berkali-kali ia menengok ujung jalan, dan ketika Samosir datang hanya menyerahkan nasi sisa, betapa marahnya ia. "Anak kurang ajar, berani benar kau memberi ayahmu nasi sisa! Dasar anak keturunan ikan!" Lalu dipukulnya anak itu hingga menangis. Samosir segera pulang menemui ibunya dan mengadukan apa yang terjadi. Bahkan perkataan ayahnya yang menyebut dirinya anak keturunan ikan, diadukannya pula.
Ibunya terperanjat. Tiba-tiba petir menyambar di langit. Seketika angkasa menggelap. Cepat-cepat wanita itu menyuruh Samosir naik ke bukit paling tinggi. "Cepatlah, Nak. Selamatkan dirimu!," teriaknya. Samosir segera berlari menuju bukit. Lalu turunlah hujan amat lebatnya. Wanita itu segera terjun ke dalam sungai dan kembali berubah menjadi ikan. Sungai mendadak bergolak. Toba ketakutan, dan teringatlah ia pada janjinya yang ia langgar. Tapi sudah terlambat. Air sungai terus meluap dan menenggelamkan seluruh desa itu. Akhimya jadilah sebuah danau yang diberi nama Danau Toba. Sedangkan bukit di tengah-tengahnya yang tidak ikut tenggelam dinamakan Pulau Samosir.
The legend of Lake Toba
Once upon a time in the North Tapanuli area, there lived a poor farmer named Toba. He has a hobby of fishing. Every afternoon after working on the fields he headed to the river near his house. But that day was very unlucky, all day he sat by the river, not a single fish would eat his bait. Toba was very upset and began to despair. Finally he decided to go home. Strangely, just about to get up, suddenly his hook was pulled to the bottom of the river. Because the tug was heavy, he was sure it was the big fish that was pulling. Sure enough, after he picked it up, a goldfish the size of a human thigh floundered in front of him. How happy Toba is. Immediately brought the fish home.
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A miracle happened when A was about to cut the fish suddenly he could speak. “Please don't kill me. Later I will help your life. Toba was amazed. "But I'm hungry. I need a side dish for today's meal." Toba said, I'll provide food for you later. Let me go, answered the fish, pitying Toba, feeling sorry for him. In the kitchen there was a beautiful woman cooking. "Thank you for helping me. I am the woman incarnate of the fish. Now I serve you," she said.
Several years after, Toba wanted to get married with that good-looking girl. That girl agreed but with a requirement. If someday we are granted a child by God, please do not tell her/him that he/she was the child of fish even though her/his mother was the incarnation of fish. If you broke this promise, a disaster would come to this village." Toba agreed to the girl A year after they granted a baby from God named Samosir. They lived happily. Nevertheless, Samosir was spoiled, and he grew to be lazy boy. He even became naughty boy. For example, when his mother asked him to bring his father meals to the field, he refused it. His mother then brought the meals to Toba herself.
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And at that day, his mother asked him again to bring his father meals. She forced him hard, so Samosir went to the field. On the way to the field. Samosir ate the meals. On the contrary. Toba could not wait those meals because he was very hungry. He looked at the footpath so many times waiting for his meals and when Samosir came with the rest of rice, how mad he was then. "The naughty child, you give me the rest of rice after you have eaten it! You are child of fish!" After that, he hit Samosir until he cried. Samosir went home and told his mother about what had just happened. He even told his mother about his father words which revealed that he was the child of fish.
His mother was very shocked with it. The thunder suddenly struck in the sky. The sky then changed to be dark. The girl shortly asked Samosir to go to the upper hill. "Child, go away to save yourself!" she screamed to Samosir. Samosir ran to the upper hill immediately. Therefore, the rain fell heavily. The girl jumped down to the river and quickly changed to be a fish again. The river suddenly boiled. Toba was very afraid and he remembered to his promise long time ago. But, everything was late. The river flowed up like flood and in a little while the village went under the water. At last, the flood formed a lake called Lake Toba, whereas the hill in the middle of the lake called Samosir Island.
Itulah legenda Danau Toba dalam Bahasa Indonesia dan Bahasa Inggris yang patut untuk kita lestarikan karena mengandung pesan moral agar kita tidak ingkar janji dan dapat dipercaya.***