GRASS FIELD OF THE ABANDONED BABY

Photo: https://pixabay.com/en/trees-grassland-steppe-veld-nature-802044/

In the 13th century, there was once a long dry season on Belitung Island. Water was too hard to be found and people were suffering everywhere.

One day, a woman called Dambe was walking slowly on the way of her tiring journey. She was carrying her new born baby and taking a coconut shell dipper. She had been seeking water for half a day and finally she reached the foot of Mount Tajam (Gunung Tajam). However, she still didn’t find any water and her baby was crying loudly.

As she was too tired and thirsty, she took a rest by sitting on a rock and kept a close look at the nearest surroundings. She hoped she would be able to find some water. Not long after that, she saw a turtle crawling away from the rock where she sat. She decided to keep an eye on that turtle. Probably it could help her find the source of water.

The woman then made a circle with stones on the ground and left her baby inside. Then she began following the trace of that turtle. Finally the turtle brought her to a valley where water flowed out of the gap of a big rock. She was very glad and relieved her thirst by drinking a few dippers of water. After she had enough, she was suddenly aware that she should immediately go back to the place where she left her baby. It took her a long hour to return before sunset.

When she was back, she saw that her baby wasn’t there anymore. There were bloodstains and wild animal footprints. As she was worrying about her baby, she followed the footprints. However, she couldn’t find it after she stepped into the woods.  She started crying and went home sadly.

The woman kept herself alone for a couple of weeks and her neighbors were very surprised after hearing what she said. For this reason, people call that place PADANG BUANG ANAK (grass field of the abandoned baby).

The strange baby’s cries
It is said that the motorcyclists who pass Padang Buang Anak will sometimes hear the baby cries. It’s very scary and causes goosebumps on skin. If you cannot stand the awful baby crying sound, you’ll probably be hard to control your motorcycle and fall down.

A motorcyclist said when he passed there, his motorbike’s machine suddenly stopped working. He kept on pushing the kick starter with his foot until he was wet with sweat, but his motorbike didn’t want to start.

He walked his bike along the way and fortunately there was nothing that threatened his safety. When he got out of that place, his motorbike could start again. He was very tired and stopped at a coffee stall to drink a cup of coffee before continuing his way back home. The locals sitting at the coffee stall told him that the eerie cries were the cries of the abandoned baby.

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