Myth from Minahasa, North Sulawesi, the Origin of Moopoo Birds

Indonesia

Asal Usul Burung Moopoo

Alkisah, di sebuah daerah di Minahasa, Sulawesi Utara, hiduplah seorang kakek bersama dengan cucu laki-lakinya yang bernama Nondo. Mereka tinggal di sebuah rumah kecil di tepi hutan lebat. Untuk memenuhi kebutuhan mereka sehari-hari, sang Kakek pergi ke hutan mencari hasil hutan dan menjualnya ke pasar. Sementara Nondo hanya bisa membantu kakeknya memasak dan membersihkan rumah, karena kakinya pincang. Kedua orang tua Nondo meninggal dunia ketika ia masih kecil. Sejak itu, Nondo diasuh oleh kakeknya hingga dewasa.

Setiap hari Nondo selalu bersedih hati. Ia ingin sekali membantu kakeknya mencari kayu bakar di hutan, namun apa daya kakinya tidak mampu berjalan jauh. Ia juga ingin sekali menyaksikan sendiri binatang-binatang yang hidup di hutan sebagaimana yang sering diceritakan oleh kakeknya setiap selesai makan malam.

Setiap kakeknya bercerita, Nondo selalu mendengarkannya dengan penuh perhatian. Ia hanya bisa membayangkan seperti apakah binatang-binatang yang diceritakan kakeknya itu. Ia juga sering bermimpi bertemu dengan binatang-binatang itu. Bahkan, ia kerap menirukan bunyi burung-burung yang diceritakan kakeknya. 

Pada suatu hari, seperti biasanya, sang Kakek hendak pergi ke hutan untuk mencari kayu bakar.

”Kek! Bolehkah Nondo ikut ke hutan bersama Kakek?” pinta Nondo kepada kakeknya.

”Kamu di rumah saja, Cucuku” jawab sang Kakek.

”Tapi, Kek! Nondo ingin sekali melihat binatang-binatang yang sering Kakek ceritakan itu.”

”Jangan, Cucuku! Bukankah kakimu sedang sakit? Kakek khawatir dengan kesehatanmu.”

”Kek! Nondo mohon, izinkanlah Nondo pergi ke hutan bersama Kakek sekali ini saja,” bujuk Nondo sambil merengek-rengek.

Oleh karena kasihan melihat Nondo, akhirnya kakeknya pun mengizinkannya.

”Baiklah! Kamu boleh ikut bersama Kakek, tapi selesaikan dulu pekerjaan rumahmu,” ujar sang Kakek.

Dengan perasaan senang dan penuh semangat, Nondo segera membersihkan rumah dan memasak untuk makan siang sepulang dari hutan. Beberapa saat kemudian, Nondo telah menyelesaikan pekerjaan rumahnya.

”Kek! Ayo kita berangkat! Pekerjaan Nondo sudah selesai,” seru Nondo.

”Ya!” jawab sang Kakek singkat dengan perasaan khawatir.

Setelah itu, berangkatlah mereka ke hutan. Sang Kakek berjalan di depan, sedangkan Nondo mengikutinya dari belakang. Ketika memasuki hutan, Nondo seringkali tertinggal oleh kakeknya, karena selain kakinya pincang, ia juga sering berhenti setiap melihat binatang. Bahkan, ia kerap bermain-main dan menirukan suara binatang yang ditemuinya. Oleh karena keasyikan bermain-main dengan binatang itu, sehingga ia semakin jauh tertinggal oleh kakeknya.

Awalnya Nondo tidak menyadari keadaan itu. Ketika hari menjelang sore, ia baru tersadar jika ia tinggal sendirian di tengah hutan. Hari pun semakin gelap, suasana hutan semakin menyeramkan dengan suara-suara binatang yang menakutkan.

”Kakek...! Kakek....! Kakek di mana...?” teriak Nondo memanggil kakeknya sambil menangis.

Beberapa kali Nondo berteriak, namun tidak ada jawaban sama sekali. Ia mencoba mencari jalan pulang ke rumah, namun semakin jauh ia berjalan semakin jauh masuk ke tengah hutan. Ia pun bertambah bingung dan tersesat di tengah hutan.

Malam semakin larut, Nondo belum juga menemukan kakeknya. Ia pun semakin takut oleh suara-suara burung yang bersahut-sahutan, seperti burung uwak, kedi-kedi, kakaktua, toin tuenden dan burung hantu. Apalagi ketika ia mendengar suara burung kuow yang keras dan menyeramkan. Ia pun menangis dan berteriak sekeras-kerasnya agar suaranya didengar oleh kakeknya. Namun, usahanya sia-sia, karena tidak mendapat jawaban sama sekali.

Sementara itu sang Kakek menjadi panik ketika menyadari cucunya sudah tidak ada lagi di belakangnya. Ia sangat mengkhawatirkan keadaan cucu kesayangannya itu.

”Nondo...! Nondo...! Kamu di mana?” teriak sang Kakek.

Beberapa kali pula kakek itu berteriak, namun tidak ada jawaban sama sekali. Akhirnya, ia pun memutuskan untuk pulang, karena mengira cucunya sudah kembali ke rumah. Namun sesampai di rumah, ia tidak menemukan cucunya. Pada pagi harinya, sang Kakek kembali ke hutan untuk mencari cucunya. Hingga sore hari, ia berkeliling di tengah hutan itu sambil berteriak-teriak memanggil cucunya, namun tidak juga menemukannya. Oleh karena merasa putus asa, akhirnya ia pun kembali ke rumahnya. Dalam perjalanan pulang, ia mendengar suara yang aneh.

`moo-poo..., moo-poo..., moo-poo….!” terdengar suara burung aneh itu.

”Suara binatang apakah itu? Sepertinya baru kali ini aku mendengarnya,” gumam Kakek Nondo.

 Oleh karena penasaran, kakek itu segera mencari sumber suara aneh itu. Setelah berjalan beberapa langkah, ia pun menemukannya. Ternyata suara itu adalah suara seekor burung yang sedang hinggap di atas pohon. Kakek itu terus berjalan mendekati pohon untuk melihat burung itu lebih dekat.

”Burung apakah itu? Sudah puluhan tahun aku mencari kayu di hutan ini, tapi aku belum pernah melihat jenis burung seperti itu,” gumamnya.

Sementara burung itu terbang dari satu cabang ke cabang yang lain sambil memerhatikan sang Kakek dan mengeluarkan suara,”moo-poo”.

Semula kakek Nondo tidak mengerti maksud suara itu. Namun setelah lama memerhatikan suara itu, ia pun mulai menyadari jika burung itu memanggilnya opoku (kakekku). Untuk lebih meyakinkan dirinya, ia kembali mengamati burung itu. Setelah ia amati, rupanya kaki burung itu pincang. Tiba-tiba kakek itu menangis karena teringat cucunya. Ia yakin bahwa burung itu adalah jelmaan cucunya, Nondo. Sesuai dengan suara yang dikeluarkan, maka burung itu diberi nama moopoo. Hingga saat ini, burung moopoo dapat ditemukan di daerah Minahasa, Sulawesi Utara.

English 

The Origin of Moopoo Birds

Once, in a region in Minahasa, North Sulawesi, there was a grandfather with his grandson named Nondo. They lived in a small house on the edge of a jungle. To meet their daily needs, the grandfather went into the woods to look for forest goods and sold them to the market. While Nondo could only help his grandfather in cooking and cleaning the house, because his legs were limp. Both Nondo’s parents died when he was a child. Since then, Nondo had been grown up by his grandfather into maturity.

Every day Nondo was always sadden. He really wanted to help his grandfather gathering firewood in the forest, but what a powerless effort, his the legs were not able to walk far. He also wanted to see the animals that lived in the forest by himself as it was often told by his grandfather after dinner.

Every time his grandfather told a story, Nondo always listened with sincere attention. He could only imagine what they looked like the animals told by his grandfather. He also used to dream of meeting with the animals. In fact, he used to imitate the sound of the birds told by his grandfather.

One day, as usual, his grandfather would go to the forest to get firewood.

"Grandpa! Can Nondo come into the woods with you?" Pleaded Nondo to his grandfather.

"Just stay at home, my grandson." said the grandfather.

"But, Grandpa! Nondo wants to see the animals that you often told me. "

"No, my grandson! Your feet are sick? I concerned with your health. "

"Grandpa! Please, let Nondo go into the woods with Grandpa just this time," pleaded Nondo whining.

For he pitied Nondo, his grandfather was finally allowed him.

"All right! You may join with me, but finish your housework first," said the grandfather.

With a sense of excitement and passion, Nondo immediately cleaned the house and cooked for lunch for their return from the forest. A few moments later, Nondo had done his housework.

"Grandpa! Off we go! Nondo’s job had done, "said Nondo.

"Yes," Grandfather replied shortly feeling worried.

After that, they departed into the woods. The grandfather was in front, while Nondo followed behind. When they entered the forest, Nondo was often left by his grandfather, because besides his flaw legs, he often stopped every moment to see the animals. Even, he used to play around and imitate animal sounds he encountered. Because he enjoyed playing around with the animal, so he was getting farther behind by his grandfather.

Firstly Nondo did not realize the situation. When the day arose to dusk, he finally realized that he was left alone in the woods. The day was getting darker, creepy atmosphere of the forest with scary animal sounds made Nondo panic.

"Grandpa...! Grandpa....! Grandpa where are you...?" Cried Nondo calling his grandfather, weeping.

Several times Nondo screamed, but no response at all. He tried to find a way back home, but the farther he walked the farther he travelled into the woods. He grew confused and lost in the woods.

The night grew darker, Nondo had not found his grandfather yet. He was more scared by the sounds of birds shouting from one to another, such as Uwak birds, hermaphrodites, parrots, tuenden toin and owls. Moreover, when he heard a loud and creepy sound of kuow birds. He cried and shouted loudly to make himself heard by his grandfather. It did not work, however, because there was not response at all.

Meanwhile, the grandfather became panicked when he realized his grandson was no longer behind him. He was very concerned about the state of his beloved grandson.

"Nondo...! Nondo...! Where are you?" Shouted the grandfather.

Several times the old man shouted, but there was no response at all. Finally, he decided to go home, because he thought his grandson had returned home. But when he reached the house, he did not find his grandson. In the morning, his grandfather returned to the forest to search for his grandson. Until afternoon, he was searching around in the middle of the woods while screaming calling her grandson, but he did not find him too. Desperation approached him, he finally returned to his home. On the way home, he heard a strange sound.

`Moo-poo ..., moo-poo ..., moo-poo ....!" Sound of a strange bird.

"What beast sounds like that? Looks like the first time I heard it," Grandpa muttered.

By his curiosity, the old man immediately looked for the source of that strange sound. After walking a few steps, he found it. It turned out that the voice was the voice of a bird perching in a tree. The old man continued walking toward the tree to see the bird closer.

"What bird is it? It’s been dozens of years I find firewood in this forest, but I've never seen a bird like that," he muttered.

While the bird was flying from one branch to another, watching the grandfather and grunting, "moo-poo".

Firstly Nondo’s grandfather did not understand the voice. But after listening to the voice for several times, he began to realize that the bird was calling him opoku (my grandfather). To further convince him, he watched the bird again. After he observed it, apparently the bird legs were limp. Suddenly the old man cried for remembering his grandson. He believed that the bird was the incarnation his grandson, Nondo. In accordance with the voice, then the bird was named moopoo. Until now, moopoo bird can be found in Minahasa, North Sulawesi.