Folk Tale: The story of lake toba

The legend of lake toba or Legenda Danau Toba

(Folk Tale from North Sumatera/Cerita Rakyat Sumatera Utara)

Once upon a time there was a man living in the area of the present day Danau Toba (Toba Lake). He lived in a simple hut in a farming field, did some gardening and fishing for his daily life. One day he caught a big golden fish in his trap. It was the biggest catch he ever had in his life.

Back home this fish turned into a beautiful princess. He felt in love with her and proposed her to be his wife. She said yes with one condition… the man had to promise not to tell a soul about the secret that she was once a fish, otherwise there would be a huge disaster. The man made the deal and they got married and had a daughter.

Few years later, this daughter would help bringing lunch to her father out in the fields. One day, this daughter was so hungry and she ate his father’s lunch. He found out and got furious, and shouted “You damned daughter of a fish”.

The daughter ran home and asked her mother. The mother started crying, felt sad that her husband had broke his promise. She told her daughter to run up the hills because a huge disaster was about to come. When her daughter left, she prayed. Soon there was a big earthquake followed by non-stop pouring rain. The princess also ran from the house, and each footprint she left became a natural spring. The whole area got flooded and became Toba Lake . The princess turned into a fish again and the man became the island of Samosir (the big island in the middle of Lake Toba).