A long time ago, there lived a small family at the far end of the village. They were Mak Tanjung and her two beloved children, Melur and Pekan. One early morning, Mak Tanjung was eager to taste the roe of a special fish that she has not tasted since umpteen years ago. “It has been a long time since I last ate the roe,” said Mak Tanjung.eagertasteroeumpteen

Therefore, she went to the river bank to look for the fish and within an hour, she caught a big fish.caught “This roe is very delicious and I can’t wait to taste it,” said Mak Tanjung.delicious She dashed home in a flash. When she arrived home, she handed over the roe to her daughter, Melur.dashedflashhanded over

“Look Pekan, mother has caught the fish!” Melur said excitedly. “Please cook my favourite curry with this fish and remember to keep the roe for me,” Mak Tanjung reminded Melur before she disappeared into the jungle to collect some roots and medicinal herbs.favourite remindeddisappeared

As Melur was preparing the fish curry, she remembered what her mother had told her. But its aroma made Pekan feel very hungry. As soon as the fish curry was cooked, Pekan said to his sister. “Sister, I’m very hungry and I want to eat now.”preparing aroma And Melur tried to console him, “Let us wait for mother to come back and we shall eat together.”console

Pekan was very stubborn and he pestered Melur to let him taste the delicacy.stubbornpestered Mak Tanjung was late and Melur became hungry too. Therefore, she talked to her brother, “Pekan, since mother is not back, let us eat now.”

They ate hungrily and Melur kept on reminding Pekan to leave some of the fish roe for their mother. Unfortunately, Pekan could not resist the temptation; he ate all the roe.hungrilyresist temptation

At last, Mak Tanjung came home with a big bundle of roots and she called out to her children. Melur was too scared to tell her mother what had happened. Finally she decided to tell her mother, “Pekan had eaten all the roe that I have kept for you, mother.”scareddecided

Mak Tanjung was very upset with her two children and yelled at them. “How could both of you do this to me?” asked Mak Tanjung. She wailed bitterly and ran towards a cave deep in the jungle at the other end of the village and the cave was haunted.upsetwailedhaunted

Melur and Pekan tried to stop her. “Oh, spirit of the cave, swallow me and take me away from my children. I did not get to eat the special fish roe and I felt very disappointed with them,” cried Mak Tanjung.swallowdisappointed

The cave opened up and swallowed her. Melur and Pekan cried. They regretted for not being obedient children and they had lost a mother whom they loved very much.regrettedobedient

A long time ago, there lived a small family at the far end of the village. They were Mak Tanjung and her two beloved children, Melur and Pekan. One early morning, Mak Tanjung was eager to taste the roe of a special fish that she has not tasted since umpteen years ago. “It has been a long time since I last ate the roe,” said Mak Tanjung. Therefore, she went to the river bank to look for the fish and within an hour, she caught a big fish. “This roe is very delicious and I can’t wait to taste it,” said Mak Tanjung. She dashed home in a flash. When she arrived home, she handed over the roe to her daughter, Melur. “Look Pekan, mother has caught the fish!” Melur said excitedly. “Please cook my favourite curry with this fish and remember to keep the roe for me,” Mak Tanjung reminded Melur before she disappeared into the jungle to collect some roots and medicinal herbs. As Melur was preparing the fish curry, she remembered what her mother had told her. But its aroma made Pekan feel very hungry. As soon as the fish curry was cooked, Pekan said to his sister. “Sister, I’m very hungry and I want to eat now.” And Melur tried to console him, “Let us wait for mother to come back and we shall eat together.” Pekan was very stubborn and he pestered Melur to let him taste the delicacy. Mak Tanjung was late and Melur became hungry too. Therefore, she talked to her brother, “Pekan, since mother is not back, let us eat now.” They ate hungrily and Melur kept on reminding Pekan to leave some of the fish roe for their mother. Unfortunately, Pekan could not resist the temptation; he ate all the roe. At last, Mak Tanjung came home with a big bundle of roots and she called out to her children. Melur was too scared to tell her mother what had happened. Finally she decided to tell her mother, “Pekan had eaten all the roe that I have kept for you, mother.” Mak Tanjung was very upset with her two children and yelled at them. “How could both of you do this to me?” asked Mak Tanjung. She wailed bitterly and ran towards a cave deep in the jungle at the other end of the village and the cave was haunted. Melur and Pekan tried to stop her. “Oh, spirit of the cave, swallow me and take me away from my children. I did not get to eat the special fish roe and I felt very disappointed with them,” cried Mak Tanjung. The cave opened up and swallowed her. Melur and Pekan cried. They regretted for not being obedient children and they had lost a mother whom they loved very much.

caught regretted upset swallow

capture

Feel sorry

Feel unhappy

Make food go down throat

Mak Tanjung wailed bitterly and asked the haunted cave to swallow her Pekan ate all the roe. Mak Tanjung caught the fish and asked Melur to keep the roe for her. Pekan and Melur regretted for not being obedient children

Pekan ate all the roe and Mak Tanjung was very upset Mak Tanjung caught the fish. Melur cooked the fish Melur and Pekan became hungry. They ate the roe

The cave swallowed Mak Tanjung Pekan and Melur ate the roe Melur cooked the roe

Mak Tanjung wailed bitterly and asked the haunted cave to swallow her Pekan ate all the roe. Mak Tanjung caught the fish and asked Melur to keep the roe for her. Pekan and Melur regretted for not being obedient children

Pekan ate all the roe and Mak Tanjung was very upset

The cave swallowed Mak Tanjung

The Haunted Cave

Far end of the village

Melur, Pekan, Mak Tanjung

Mak Tanjung caught the fish. Pekan ate all the roe. Mak Tanjung asked the haunted cave to swallow her. Pekan and Melur regretted for not being obedient children.

Pekan ate all the roe and Mak Tanjung was very upset.

The cave swallowed Mak Tanjung.

1.) Where did Mak Tanjung and her children live? 2.) What happened to Mak Tanjung when she came back from collecting roots in the jungle? 3.) What do you think will happen to Melur and Pekan after Mak Tanjung died?

In the village

Mak Tanjung was upset because Pekan ate all the fish roe.

Pekan and Melur will become orphans. They will live all by themselves.

Eager - very excited about something you want to do

taste - quality of food that allow to recognize when put in mouth

roe - mass of eggs inside female fish

umpteen - very many

catch - capture

delicious - very pleasant taste

dash - act of going somewhere suddenly

flash - to move very quickly

Handover - act of giving something

favourite - liked more than others

remind - to help to remember

disappear - to become impossible to see

prepare - to make something

aroma - a pleasant smell

console - to give comfort

stubborn - not to change attitude

pester - to annoy by asking many times

hungry - feeling want to eat something

resist - to refuse to accept

temptation - the desire to have something

scare - to frighten somebody

decide - to think carefully

upset - feel unhappy

wail - to make long loud high cry

haunted - believed to be visited by ghost

swallow - make food go down throat

disappointed - upset because something you hoped for has not happened

regret - feel sorry

obedient - doing what you are told to do