RANGGA AND THE MISSION TO BREAK THE SUN

Once upon a time, in the eastern part of Papua Province, there was a peculiar small archipelago. The island was perpetually shrouded in darkness, as if sunlight could not penetrate it. The sun never reached directly overhead but was visible only briefly across the sky before setting. As a result, the daytime felt extremely short, while the night seemed long and dark.

On this island lived a young man named Rangga. Rangga was impatient with the constant darkness that enveloped his village. He often wondered, "Why does the sun shine for such a brief time?" Rangga decided to rally the young people of his village to try and change the situation and make their island brighter.

"Friends, we must strive to make our island bright," Rangga said enthusiastically to the village youth.

"This is destiny, Rangga. We cannot change it. This is a natural state we must accept," replied one of the young men with a resigned tone.

"But are we just going to sit idly by?" Rangga retorted. "Isn't there anyone who wants to try? I believe there is a way to make this island brighter!"

Some curious young men approached Rangga. One of them asked, "Explain your idea further, Rangga."

Rangga looked at them with fiery eyes. "I want to split the sun! Now, what we need is to find a magical spear to do it."

One of the young men chuckled softly, "Splitting the sun? That sounds crazy, Rangga. But if you are sure, we will listen."

"I am serious," Rangga said firmly. "We can do it. We just need to fast and meditate to obtain the magical spear."

Upon hearing Rangga’s determined answer, some of the young men were influenced and eventually agreed to join him in searching for the magical spear. They all began fasting and meditating in the forest. Days passed, but many of the young men could not withstand the hunger and temptation during their meditation.

"I can’t do this anymore, Rangga," complained one of the young men. "This is too difficult. I’m going home."

"Yes, me too. This is not for me," said another. One by one, they left Rangga, until only Rangga remained to continue his meditation.

On the seventh day of meditation, a beautiful fairy suddenly appeared before Rangga. The fairy carried a long spear and approached Rangga. "Hello, Rangga, what are you searching for in this forest?" asked the fairy.

"I am meditating to obtain a magical spear that can split the sun so that the island where I live is no longer shrouded in darkness," Rangga replied.

The fairy smiled. "Here is the magical spear you seek. Accept this. However, this is just the beginning. The true magical spear is possessed by the Great Thief," the fairy explained.

"Great Thief? Who is he?" Rangga asked, puzzled.

"He is an evil being who likes to steal the sap from the trees in your village," the fairy replied.

Rangga nodded. "In that case, I will find him and take the spear!"

At the appointed time, the entire village prepared to capture the Great Thief. When the evil being appeared, most of the villagers fled in fear.

"There he is, Rangga!" shouted a villager while running. "The creature is coming!"

But Rangga was the only one who bravely stayed behind. Swiftly, he thrust the magical spear into the Great Thief’s belly. The creature roared in pain, and its body slowly transformed into the true magical spear.

The villagers cheered with joy. "Thank you, Rangga! You have saved us from the sap thief!" they shouted with glee.

After obtaining both magical spears, Rangga and a few other young men set sail east, towards the sky where the sun rises. They had one goal: to split the sun.

"This is the time, friends," Rangga said with enthusiasm. "Get ready!"

With both magical spears in hand, Rangga challenged the sun to appear. The long-awaited sun began to rise slowly. Once almost half of the sun was visible, Rangga and the young men prepared to launch their attack.

As the sun fully emerged, Rangga immediately threw both magical spears at it. The spears pierced right through the center of the sun! Instantly, the sun's body gathered into a clump. The large clump turned into the moon, while the smaller clumps became stars scattered across the sky. All these celestial bodies now illuminated the night.

"Rangga, we did it!" exclaimed one young man joyfully.

Rangga smiled with relief. "Yes, from now on, the nights on our island will never be completely dark again."

From that moment on, the nights on Rangga's island were no longer pitch black. The dim light from the moon and stars hanging in the sky illuminated their nights, making life on the island brighter and full of hope.