The Hunter and the Youngest

Once upon a time, there lived a man named Bunanggo Subang. He was an expert at hunting cassowaries. One day, he ate the cassowary’s knee. Suddenly, he felt nauseous and vomited. However, what came out of his stomach was a kau (itchy fruit). The fruit fell to the ground. After that, a kau tree sprouted. Over time, the kau tree bore many fruits.

The afternoon sky was bright red. Bunanggo Subang suddenly heard a noise around the kau tree. However, he ignored it. In his mind, he thought it might be kaluang (bats) looking for food. When night fell, Bunanggo Subang set a trap on the kau tree. He hoped to catch and eat the kaluang. However, he was wrong. The noise was not kaluang, but amgi efesi, a term for humans or agu yobu women.

The next day at the same time, five amgi efesi arrived.

Bunanggo Subang had prepared his bow. When Bunanggo Subang arrived near the tree, the amgi efesi flew away. However, there was one amgi efesi, the youngest, who panicked and got caught in the trap that Bunanggo Subang had set the night before.

With swiftness, Bunanggo Subang’s arrow struck the youngest amgi efesi right in the chest. The amgi efesi fell to the ground.

“Please don’t kill me. I’m just looking for food,” said the amgi efesi.

Bunanggo Subang approached and got a clearer look at his prey. It turned out that it was not a kaluang as he had thought. Because if it were a kaluang, it would not be able to speak.

“I will not kill you, let alone eat you,” said Bunanggo Subang as he lifted the amgi efesi’s body.

Bunanggo Subang treated the amgi efesi’s wounds and let it fly away.

“Thank you for not killing me. I must go home immediately. My four sisters must be worriedly waiting for me,” it said.

“Ah, stay here with me,” asked Bunango Subang.

“I’m sorry, I can’t. However, you can meet me again. To do so, you must first pass five hoimagabahasi (giants). Once you have overcome them, the next place is our territory. We live in a large tree whose branches reach the sky,” explained the amgi efesi.

“All right, please go home. Go home carefully. I will definitely visit your place,” said Bunanggo Subang.

***

The flapping of the young amgi efesi’s wings slowly disappeared from Bunanggo Subang’s view. Now, the kau tree has begun to bear fruit again. Bunanggo Subang plans to go to amgi efesi’s place. He wants to tell them that they can come again to pick kau fruit.

As young amgi efesi said, Bunanggo Subang saw hoimagabahasi. Hoimagabahasi had two daughters, Amgi Efesi Kamisige and Amgi Efesi Koyomisi. It is said that anyone who passed by hoimagabahasi would surely die. This was because hoimagabahasi had made a very deep pit, and anyone who fell into it could not get out and would die there and be eaten by hoimagabahasi.

“Amgi Efesi Kamisige, wake up quickly! It seems that our favorite food has arrived,” asked Hoimagabahasi.

“Where is the food, Nabo (Father)?”

“It is behind the trees.”

Amgi Efesi Kamisige woke up and invited Amgi Efesi Koyomisi to move towards the tree where Bunanggo Subang was hiding.

“Who are you behind the tree?” asked Amgi Efesi Koyomisi.

“Sorry, my name is Bunanggo Subang. I want to go to the busuh (neighboring village) to meet my friend. Earlier, I saw hoimagabahasi. I was scared, so I hid behind this tree. Besides, it’s already dark. I decided to rest here and continue my journey tomorrow morning.”

Amgi Efesi Koyomisi whispered to her sister:

“Sis, he looks good enough to eat. How about we tease him and invite him to our resting place? Once he falls asleep, we’ll kill him,” said the younger sister.

Amgi Efesi Kamisige agreed to her younger sister’s suggestion. They began to tease Bunanggo Subang.

“Bunanggo Subang, it’s not good to spend the night alone behind a tree. It’s going to rain soon. You’ll get cold,” said one of the amgi fefesi.

“It’s okay. I’ll stay here. I’m used to being cold when the rain pours down on me.”

“Don’t be shy, Bunanggo Subang. We know you must be hungry too. Stay at our place. It’s not far from here.”

They kept insisting. Bunanggo Subang relented. Besides, he had to admit that he was very hungry. When they arrived at their place, Bunanggo Subang was served a variety of food. He ate until he was full.

“I thank you for all your kindness,” said Bunanggo Subang.

“You’re welcome, Bunanggo Subang.”

“Ah, but I want to ask. Why are you still safe in the middle of this quiet forest with hoimagabahasi?” asked Bunanggo Subang.

“We always hide, and the hoimagabahasi never know about this place,” they replied, lying.

“Then, there is a very large hole in front of your place, what is it for?”

“Oh, that’s to store our hunt. We keep it there in large quantities so we don’t have to leave this place often. We don’t want to meet hoimaganahasi. You’d better sleep. Tomorrow you have to continue your journey,” advised one of the women.

Bunanggo Subang lay down. But he couldn’t fall asleep because there were many questions in his head. Where he lived, women did not hunt. Moreover, Bunanggo Subang also knew that these two women did not carry bows and arrows. Then, that large cave could not have been made by women.

Suddenly, Bunanggo Subang felt the ground shake. The trees were also moving. Although it was raining, there was no wind. It turned out that the hoimaganahasi had arrived. Bunanggo Subang quickly got up. However, Amgi Efesi Kamisige and Amgi Efesi Koyomisi immediately caught him. Bunanggo Subang was just as quick. He stabbed the two women with a dibito (spear).

Bunanggo Subang then ran away. At that moment, Hoimagabahasi entered. He found his two children lying on the ground, waiting for death. Hoimagabahasi was furious. He chased after Bunanggo Subang. However, due to the darkness of the night and the increasingly heavy rain, Hoimagabahasi’s steps slowed down. Bunanggo Subang ran faster. He was used to such conditions when hunting. Bunanggo Subang escaped death.

Although he had escaped from the pursuit of the Hoimagabahasi, he was still within the territory of the four remaining Hoimagabahasi. Bunanggo Subang was very cautious and never slept soundly when night fell. Sometimes he would see a hoimagabahasi, then quickly hide and smear his body with mud to deceive the hoimagabahasi’s sense of smell. Bunanggo Subang’s strategy was effective enough to get him out of the area and escape from the remaining four hoimagabahasi.

***

The sun appeared. The clouds were white. The gray sky turned blue. After walking quite a distance, Bunanggo Subang finally arrived at the busuh area of Amgi Efesi Bungsu.

The first person Bunanggo Subang saw was a man, the leader of the busahang makio men (people who lived on land and were friends with the forest). The male leader was called odukake subang, a name that had the opposite meaning of hose subang.

“Odukake Subang, why are there so many busahang makio men here?” asked Bunanggo Subang.

“Ah, nangge, what is your name? We are trying to capture amgi efesi to mate with.”

“Bunanggo Subang.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Ah, I’m also looking for Amgi Efesi. She’s my friend.”

“Then try climbing that wiri tree (a type of palm tree). We’ve been looking for her, but no one has been able to find her. Who knows, maybe you will be the one to find her, Bunanggo Subang.”

Bunanggo Subang tried to climb the wiri tree. When he reached the top of the tree, Amgi Efesi Bungsu was indeed there with her other siblings. She was surprised to see Bunanggo Subang arrive at her home. She immediately flew over to Bunanggo Subang.

“Amgi Efesi Bungsu, as I promised, I have come to see you.”

“Oh, Bunanggo Subang, quickly come inside my house.”

“Who is this person, Amgi Efesi Bungsu?” asked Amgi Efesi Bungsu’s siblings.

“This is Bunanggo Subang, the owner of your tree. He is the one who released me when I was caught in his trap.”

“We thank you, Bunanggo Subang. You did not kill our brother. Then, what is your purpose in coming here?” asked one of the Amgi Afesi.

“I just want to tell you that your tree has borne a lot of fruit. You can come to my place again.”

“We do want to fly to your place to get your fruit, but as you can see for yourself, the busahang makio men and Odukake Subang are trying to find us. They will force us to marry them. They are cruel, flesh-eating humans. We are afraid that when we marry them, they will kill and eat us.”

Meanwhile, Odukake Subang and his followers were still trying to climb the wiri tree. However, they still couldn’t reach the top. Because, when they reached the top, the other amgi efesi would shake the tree so that they would fall.

“Bunanggo Subaaang …! Quickly bring down the other amgi efesi so we can also get a share,” shouted Odukake Subang from below the wiri tree.

“We can’t. They don’t want to marry you. They hate your evil nature because you are humans who eat humans. Get rid of that nature, then you will be able to get one of the amgi efesi.”

***

Bunanggo Subang then mated with Amgi Efesi Bungsu and her sister, Amgi Efesi Sianggre. The other three amgi efesi were considered sisters-in-law. Knowing this, Odukake Subang became jealous and hatched an evil plan.

One day, when Bunanggo Subang went down to hunt, Odukake Subang had set a waya (a trap for pigs) on the path that Bunanggo Subang would take. Unfortunately, it was unavoidable, and when Bunanggo Subang passed by, he was caught in the waya. Odukake Subang immediately cut down a large tree to cover the waya so that Bunanggo Subang could not escape. This time, Bunanggo Subang was not as lucky as when he passed through the large hole of Hoimagabahasi.

***

One day, two siblings named Neiyo and Siyahe were looking for food and arrived at the swamp. They saw Bunanggo Subang covered by large trees and trapped in the swamp. They then freed him from the swamp. Bunanggo Subang’s body looked thin and weak because he had been trapped for so long. Neiyo and Siyahe then took care of him and fed him. Eventually, Bunanggo Subang returned to his former health. Bunanggo Subang then told them why he had been trapped in the swamp.

“Take this bow and arrows, Bunanggo Subang. Amgi Efesi Bungsu must have been looking for you for a long time. Go home and show yourself so that he will not be sad anymore,” said Neiyo.

“Thank you, Neiyo and Siyahe. Someday I will repay your kindness.”

“Take revenge on Odukake. He is not a leader who should have good manners,” said Siyahe.

Bunanggo Subang took his leave and returned to Amgi Efesi Bungsu. When he arrived at their home, Amgi Efesi Bungsu embraced Bunanggo Subang with deep longing. Everyone welcomed Bunanggo Subang’s return with great joy.

“Where have you been all this time?”

“I was trapped in a trap set by Odukake Subang.”

“Odukake Subang is insolent! We must take revenge. He still often comes to bother us,” said Amgi Efesi Bungsu.

Amgi Efesi Bungsu then flew to Odukake Subang’s residence. Odukake Subang came out when Amgi Efesi Bungsu arrived. He thought Amgi Efesi Bungsu had come alone, when in fact Bunanggo Subang was behind him. Bunanggo Subang followed Amgi Efesi Bungsu wherever he flew.

Unbeknownst to Odukake Subang, he was getting closer to Bunanggo Subang, who was ready with his weapon. Bunanggo Subang quickly stabbed Odukake Subang, right in the heart. Odukake Subang died instantly. Bunanggo Subang blew the bah (bamboo trumpet). Neiyo and Siyahe heard the sound of the bah blown by Bunanggo Subang.

“Neiyo and Siyahe, this is Odukake Subang who once trapped me. Cut him up and share him with anyone who wants to eat him. This is my way of saying thank you for helping me back then.”

Neiyo and Siyahe took a small piece of Odukake Subang’s body and his head. They threw the rest of his body to the wild animals in the forest.

Bunanggo Subang and Amgi Efesi Bungsu returned to their homes and continued their lives until the earth called them home.