Cerita Malin Kundang
Dahulu di sebuah dusun nelayan, tepatnya di Sumatra Barat, hiduplah seorang anak laki-laki
bernama Malin Kundang. Ia tinggal bersama ibundanya, Mande Rubayah. Sang ayah telah
lama pergi meninggalkan ibu dan anak semata wayangnya itu.
Malin tumbuh menjadi anak yang cerdas dan pemberani, tapi sedikit nakal. Mereka hidup
serba kekurangan. Hingga suatu ketika saat Malin beranjak dewasa, ia berpikir untuk mencari
peruntungan di negeri seberang. Dengan harapan nantinya saat kembali ke kampung
halaman, ia sudah menjadi saudagar kaya raya.
Malin tertarik dengan ajakan seorang nahkoda kapal dagang yang dulunya miskin sekarang
sudah menjadi seorang yang kaya raya. Tekadnya semakin kuat, Malin meminta izin kepada
ibundanya. Mande Rubayah sempat tidak setuju dengan keinginan anaknya, tetapi karena
Malin terus mendesak akhirnya ia mengizinkan.
"Anakku, jika engkau sudah berhasil dan menjadi orang yang berkecukupan, jangan lupa
dengan ibumu dan kampung halamanmu ini, Nak," pesan dari ibunya.
Ternyata keberadaan Malin di kapal itu sangat disukai. Selain karena ia sangat rajin dan
selalu siap menolong, ia juga seorang pekerja keras.
Beberapa tahun berlalu, kini Malin telah menjadi seorang nahkoda yang mengepalai banyak
kapal dagang. Ia pun berhasil memperistri salah seorang putri raja yang cantik jelita. Kabar
kesuksesannya sampai kepada ibunda Malin. Setiap hari Mande Rubayah menyempatkan diri
pergi ke dermaga berharap bisa bertemu putranya, Malin.
Suatu ketika, sampailah kapal mereka di kampung tempat Malin dulu dibesarkan. Malin
Kundang pun turun dari kapal. Kemudian disambut oleh ibundanya.
"Malin Kundang, anakku, mengapa kau pergi begitu lama tanpa mengirimkan kabar,"
katanya sambil memeluk Malin.
Malin Kundang justru malah segera melepaskan pelukan tersebut dan mendorong ibundanya
hingga terjatuh.
"Wanita tidak tahu diri, sembarangan saja mengaku sebagai ibuku," kata Malin kepada
ibunya. Malin berpura-pura tidak mengenal ibunya, karena malu melihat ibunya yang sudah
tua dan memakai baju compang-camping.
"Wanita itu ibumu?," tanya istri Malin. "Tidak, ia hanya seorang pengemis yang pura-pura
mengaku sebagai ibuku agar mendapatkan hartaku," sahut Malin.
Melihat tingkah Malin yang congkak di depan istrinya, Mande Rubayah sangat sakit hati. Ia
melihat kapal anaknya yang bertolak dari pantai, sambil berdoa dalam hatinya agar Tuhan
menghukum anaknya.
Badai besar kemudian menerjang kapal Malin Kundang sampai seluruh isinya hancur
berhamburan. Ternyata serpihan kapal ini berubah menjadi batu karang, termasuk sosok
Malin Kundang yang sedang bersimpuh.
Malin Kundang's story
Long ago in a fishing village, precisely in West Sumatra, there lived a boy named Malin
Kundang. He lives with his mother, Mande Rubayah. The father had long been gone leaving
the mother and her only child.
Malin grew up to be a smart and brave child, but a little naughty. They live in poverty. Until
one day, when Malin was growing up, he thought about seeking his fortune in a foreign
country. With the hope that when he returns to his hometown, he will already be a rich
merchant.
Malin was attracted by the invitation of a merchant ship captain who was once poor and has
now become a very rich man. His determination getting stronger, Malin asked his mother for
permission. Mande Rubayah had disagreed with her son's wishes, but because Malin kept
insisting, he finally allowed it.
"My son, if you have succeeded and become a wealthy person, don't forget your mother and
your hometown, son," said his mother. It turned out that Malin's presence on the ship was
very popular. Apart from being very diligent and always ready to help, he is also a hard
worker. Several years passed, now Malin has become a captain who heads many merchant
ships. He also succeeded in marrying one of the king's beautiful daughters. The news of his
success reached Malin's mother.
Every day Mande Rubayah makes time to go to the pier hoping to meet her son, Malin. One
day, their ship arrived at the village where Malin grew up. Malin Kundang got off the ship.
Then he was greeted by his mother. "Malin Kundang, my son, why have you been away for
so long without sending any news," he said, hugging Malin.
Malin Kundang immediately let go of the hug and pushed his mother until she fell. "Women
don't know themselves, they just carelessly claim to be my mother," said Malin to his mother.
Malin pretended not to know his mother, because he was embarrassed to see his mother who
was old and wearing tattered clothes.
"That woman is your mother?" asked Malin's wife. "No, he's just a beggar who pretended to
be my mother in order to get my property," said Malin. Seeing Malin's arrogant behavior in
front of his wife, Mande Rubayah was very hurt. He saw his son's ship leaving the coast,
while praying in his heart that God would punish his son. A big storm then hit Malin
Kundang's ship until all its contents were destroyed. It turns out that the fragments of this
ship turned into rocks, including the figure of Malin Kundang who was kneeling.
