A long time, very few people lived in the New Territories. There were only a few village. If the people wanted to go from one village to another, they often had to pass through forests.
One day, a farmer’s young wife went to the next village to visit her own mother and brother. She brought along her baby son. When it was time for her to leave, her brother said, “It is getting dark. Let my son Ah Tim go with you through the forest.”
So Ah Tim led the way and the young woman followed behind, carrying her baby. When they were in the forest, suddenly the saw a pack of wolves. They began to run, but Ah Tim kicked against a stone and fell down. At once the wolves caught him. The young woman cried, “Please do not hurt my nephew. If you kill him, how can I face my brother again? Please eat my own son instead.” Then she put her baby boy on the ground in front of the wolves and took her nephew away.
They ran back to the house and called for help. All the men in the village fetched thick stick and went back with her into the forest. When they got there, they saw something very strange. Instead of eating the woman’s baby, the wolves were playing with him.
Everyone understood that this was because the woman was good and kind. She had offered her own son’s life to save her nephew.
SEORANG WANITA YANG BAIK HATI
(Sebuah Cerita dari Negeri China)
Zaman dahulu kala, sangat sedikit orang yang tinggal di New Tenritories, hanya ada beberapa desa, Jika orang ingin pergi dari satu desa ke desa yang lain, mereka sering harus melewati hutan-hutan.
Pada suatu hari, seorang istri petani yang masih muda pergi ke desa sebelah untuk mengunjungi Ibu dan saudaranya. Dia membawa serta anaknya yang masih bayi. Ketika tiba waktunya untuk berangkat, suaminya berkata “Hari mulai gelap. Biarlah adikku, Ah Tim pergi bersamamu melewati hutan itu”.
Jadi Ah Tim memimpin jalan dan si wanita muda itu mengikutinya dari belakang, dengan membawa bayinya. Ketika mereka berada di hutan, tiba-tiba mereka melihat segerombolan serigala. Mereka berlari, tetapi Ah Tim tersandung batu dan jatuh. Dengan segera serigala itu menangkapnya. Wanita muda itu berteriak “Tolong, jangan sakiti dia. Jika kalian membunuhnya, bagaimana aku bisa menghadapi suamiku lagi?”.
“Makanlah anakku sendiri sebagai gantinya”. Kemudian dia meletakkan bayinya di tanah di depan serigala-serigala itu, dan mengambil Ah Tim pergi.
Mereka berlari pulang ke rumah, dan mencari pertolongan. Seluruh laki-laki di desa itu membawa tongkat dan pergi kembali ke hutan. Ketika mereka tiba di sana, mereka melihat sesuatu yang aneh. Selain tidak memakan bayi itu, serigala-serigala itu sedang bermain bersamanya.
Semua orang memahami hal ini dikarenakan kebaikan hati wanita itu. Dia rela mengorbankan anaknya untuk menyelamatkan saudaranya.
