si LORENG | The Story of Panyalahan Village

Long time ago in Tasikmalaya, West Java, lived a young couple. They were farmers. They lived happily with their baby. The couple also had some animals. One of them was a tiger, they call him Loreng. Loreng is very obedient to the couple.

When the couple went to work on the rice field, the tiger looked after their baby. As usual, the couple went to the rice field. Before they left, they asked the tiger to look after their baby.

“Loreng, We will go to the field now. Look after our baby, okay?” The tiger nodded.

So, the couple went to the field. They worked from morning until afternoon. When the couple at work, the tiger welcomed them. The tiger acted differently. He wagged his tail and rubbed his body to the couple’s legs. He looked very happy. The husband became suspicious.

“Why does Loreng behave strangely? He does not act as usual?” ask the wife.

"Yes my dear, it's strange. What is going on?" said the husband.

"Darling! Look..!" hte wife shouted."his mouth besapttered fresh blood."

The husband looked at the tiger carefully. He was shocked. The tiger’s mouth was full of blood. Then he remembered his baby. He thought the tiger had eaten the baby.

“Why is your mouth full of blood?” he asked the tiger.

“You must have done something bad to my baby! Have you killed him? Why did you do that?” he was very panicked.

Loreng shake his head for the response he did not do that.

The husband took his knife and killed the tiger in anger and madness. Loreng immediately fall dead.

"Darling! Let's Hurry go home!" said the wife.

They runing to go home, then they both entered the house. They were shocked. They looked at each other. Their baby was sleeping peacefully in his cradle. He was not eaten by the tiger. Quickly, the wife took the baby and kissed him. The baby woke up. He opened his eyes and smiled. The couple found a very large snake under the cradle. The snake was dead and full of blood. 

“Oh, my wife,” the husband said.

“We have done a terrible thing. The tiger is not guilty! Look at the dead snake. The tiger must have killed him. He had saved our baby, but I killed him. Oh, my God! What have I done? I am so sorry. Forgive me, my dear tiger. Forgive me, please?” The couple felt very guilty.

They have killed their faithful tiger. It all happened because they did not check the baby first before they killed the tiger. Since then, the couple’s village was called Penyalahan Vilage "Panyalahan Vilage". The word Panyalahan derives from the word “nyalahan”, which means “wrong guess”.

According to them who coming from countryside of panyalahan, until now any weapon is immune to kill tiger, this matter happened because countryside of panyalahan have happened harrowing event, that is a tiger which not guilty murdered  because wrong guess.

Moral Message : don't to be reckless, think carefully before act.

other title : the story of panyalahan village, si Loreng, the legend of panyalahan village, panyalahan village folklore