The Egrets and Keling

We used to tell mum, "Stop telling stories! Some people might not like it. They may think you are crazy!"

But she likes telling stories any way. And we of course still enjoy her story telling.

This legend helped her and her team win the first prize in a national legend writing competition in 2006. Pretty cool,eh?

The Egrets and Keling, an Iban Legend

Long ago, the egrets lived in a different land. They did notlive in the land of many rivers. They did not live amonghornbills and wild boars.

According to the Ibans who lived in Ulu Skrang, where hornbills andwild boars lived, theegrets were known to them only in stories. The egrets were big birds,w ith long lges and long pink necks. They were fleshy and their flesh was delicious. The lived ina a land of plenty, where water flowed from beautiful mountain streams. They had plenty of fish to eat.

Then why did the egrets begin to live in the wetlands?

Keling, an Iban hero, chanced upon them in the enchanted forest where they lived. He made friends with them and shared their life of plenty. Soon he forgot his original home in ulu Skrang.

However one day, an evil spirit, Sakau, happened to pass by the enchanted forest and he got hold of one egret. Sakau was hungry for human fleash and demanded the egret to tell him how to find a man. Now the egret was not willing to tell Sakau anything about Keling who ahd been very kind to theegrets and all the birds and animals in the enchanted forest.

Sakau used every method he could think of to get the egret to tell him everything about the enchanted forest. But he failed. Keling then appeared to help the egret. He fought very hard with Sakau, who was badly wounded. Then the egrets descended upon Sakau and tore at his flesh. The skies became dark, the earth moved and the rivers started to9 rise. All the living creatures of the enchanted forest began to flee from the scene of the batter. Usinghis last breath, Sakau cursed the egrets and banished them to the wetlands where they could only obtain a little bit of fish. The enchanted forest disappeared in the storm as Sakau breathed his last.

Keling, although he won the fith, had to suffer the curse of Sakau too. He would have to travel far and wide in search of love and happiness. He would never enjoy a good life with his kin folks.

So to this day, you will find thin egrets standing in a wide wetlan, looking for small bits of food. They are thin and they often anxious. They will be always on the look out for their human friend, the kind Keling, who is perhaps still looking for a home. Perhaps his spirit is still looking for the enchanted forest.