A Small Boat in a Big Lake <le> <al> <el> <il>
Adapted from "Barani di Danau Raksasa menyalin" by Imelda Naomi and Singgih Cahyo Jadmiko. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
'Have you wondered what was out there, in the lake?' my friend Ken asks. 'Sometimes,' I say, 'but why don't we just find out now? I am sure we can get a boat. We can row all over and see what we can find!'
'People say that big fish and dragons live in the lake,' Ken says. 'People say a lot of things, Ken. I am sure there is nothing like that out there. At least, I hope there is not.'
We find a boat and make sure it is stable and safe for us to row on the lake with. 'Come on, Ken, row fast and hard. I am sure there's great things out there,' I say.
We row for a little while until we see something right in the middle of the lake. 'What is that? It looks a little mean,' said Ken. I gulp. It does look a bit mean, but we are getting closer and closer.
As we get closer, it starts to scare us. It looks like a devil, all claws and evil eyes. 'Look out, Ken! Start rowing! We've got to get away!' I shout.
But then, the fog clears, and we see it is not a devil. It's just an island in the lake! It looks like a good spot for a picnic. 'Come on, Ken, row some more. See? I told you, it was safe!'
A big shadow gets near the boat. It looks like a fish. A big, evil fish! Maybe there are bad things in this lake! Ken starts to row faster and faster to get away. But then, I look up.
I point up at the sky. 'Look, Ken! It is just the shadow of a couple of birds. Nothing bad.' We both smile, but maybe we should go back home now. We are getting a little worried out here.
I turn the boat around, and we head back for the dock. Just then, we see a little shape get bigger and bigger. It is a big head with big, sharp teeth. Oh no. Is this it? Have we found something bad out here?
'A dragon!' Ken screams, 'there's a dragon in the middle of this lake, and it is going to eat us!' We row hard and fast, but the dragon is faster. Then, all of a sudden, we hear a shout.
'Hey, boys! Why are you in the middle of the lake? Need any help?' It's not a dragon. It's a dragon boat! We are so happy to see them, we jump up and down, and ask for a ride home.
The men in the dragon boat smile and let us on board. 'It's time to go home, boys. But you can travel with us if you like.' Ken and I look at each other. We found a good thing in this lake!