Di Selatan kepulauan Murba, ada sebuah kerajaan Mangrove yang dikelilingi hutan bakau lebat. Kerajaan Mangrove dihuni oleh Suku Tembakul. (South of the Murba islands lie a Mangrove kingdom surrounded by a lush mangrove forest. The Mangrove kingdom is inhabited by the Mudskipper tribe.)
Ada seekor ikan Tembakul bernama Gelodok. Ia memiliki perangai yang sombong. Gelodok merasa dirinya paling pintar dan kuat. (There lived a mudskipper named Gelodok. He shows arrogance. Gelodok thinks that he is the smartest and strongest.)
“Gelodok, sebentar lagi akan terjadi air pasang. Ayo, ikut bekerja memperbaiki tanggul-tanggul yang mulai rusak,” ajak Pak Belacak, sang kepala desa di Suku Tembakul. (“Gelodok, there will be high tide soon. Come, let’s work on the dams that are deteriorating,” asks Mr. Belacak, the village chief of the Mudskipper Tribe.)
“Tidak, Pak! Lagipula rumahku sudah bersih dan tanggulnya masih bagus. Kalaupun ada air pasang, aku masih kuat, kok, naik ke dahan pohon bakau yang paling tinggi!” jawab Gelodok sombong. Pak Belacak pun berlalu dengan wajah kecewa. (“No, Sir! Besides my house is clean and the dam is alright. Even if there’s high tide, I’m strong enough to go to the tallest mangrove tree!” replies the arrogant Gelodok. Mr. Belacak then moves along with disappointment.)
Beramai-ramai, warga Tembakul membersihkan lingkungan mereka. “Gelodok sombong sekali, tidak mau ikut gotongroyong,” ujar Lunjat, teman sebaya Gelodok. (Together, the mudskippers clean their environment. “Gelodok is so arrogant, he’s not joining this community work,” says Lunjat, Gelodok’s peer.)
“Sudah… Sudah… tak perlu banyak bicara. Ayo, bekerja lagi!” ujar Pak Belacak berusaha meredakan emosi warga Tembakul. Mereka juga memperbaiki tanggul menjadi lebih rapat dan tinggi, supaya bisa menghadang air pasang. (“Now… Now… let’s talk less. Come, we work!” says Mr. Belacak trying to ease the tension on the Mudskipper people. They are able to fix the dam, making it tighter and taller so it can withstand the tide.)
Beberapa hari kemudian, terjadi bulan purnama. Pertanda gelombang air laut akan datang. Suku Tembakul sudah berjaga-jaga, takut tanggul tak bisa menahan air pasang. Sedangkan Gelodok, tak beranjak dari rumahnya. Ia malah asyik tidur mendengkur. (Several days later, come full moon. The sign that the sea’s tidal wave is about to come. The Mudskipper Tribe is on alert, fearing that the dam will not withstand the tide. Meanwhile, Gelodok stays at home, he sleeps and snores.)
Pada dini hari, terjadilah air pasang yang sangat besar. Saking besarnya, tanggul pun tak kuat menghadang. Masyarakat Tembakul berlindung di balik pohon bakau dan memanjat ke dahan yang lebih tinggi. (Early in the morning, a huge tidal wave befalls. It is so immense that the dam couldn’t hold it. The Mudskipper Tribe take shelter behind the mangrove tree and climb to the tallest branch.)
Tiba-tiba, “Tolong… Tolong…!” terdengar teriakan Gelodok. Semua ikan Tembakul awalnya diam saja. Mereka enggan menolong karena Gelodok terlalu sombong. Namun, Pak Belacak mengajak semua ikan Tembakul untuk menolongnya. “Ayo, kita tarik Gelodok ke atas dahan!” seru Pak Belacak. (Suddenly, “Help… help!” Gelodok’s shout is heard. All of the Mudskippers initially kept quiet. They didn’t want to help Gelodok for his arrogance. But, Mr. Belacak asks all the Mudskippers to come to his rescue. “Come, let’s pull Gelodok to the branch top!” exclaims Mr. Belacak.)
“Tadi kakiku terjepit kayu, jadi aku tidak bisa memanjat. Maafkan aku terlalu sombong selama ini,” ucap Gelodok menyesal. Sesampainya di dahan pohon bakau yang tinggi, Gelodok pun mendapatkan pengobatan. Ia berjanji tidak akan sombong lagi. (“My legs were pinned by a log, so I couldn’t climb. I’m sorry for being arrogant all this time,” says Gelodok in remorse. Once he reaches the tall mangrove branch, Gelodok receives medication. He made a promise to not be arrogant anymore.)
(Teks: Just For Kids/ Ilustrasi: Just For Kids/ Translator: Yos)
