..::Batu Lunguyan::..There was a man called Tomboloi who went hunting with his dog in the jungle. He was away for several days, yet he did not catch any game. Finally he became tired and sat down to think about his misfortune. He was also very hungry for he had not eaten for days and while thinking, he fell asleep. Suddenly, he was awakened by the voice of a man calling him. He turned around to see a man whom he did not recognize standing behind him. The stranger said, “Do not be afraid for I have come in peace.” He said his name was Pesawat and he had come from heaven. Toboloi thought he was a god and felt frightened. But the man assured him that he had come to give him some good news.
Pesawat said if Tomboloi could organize a feast in his village, he would send many birds to his home and take everybody to heaven. After saying this, he disappeared and Tomboloi continued his walk home. At about midday, he heard a loud noise. It was a wild boat with two big tusks! When his dog saw the boar, it went after it and fought fiercely. Since the dog was only half the size of the boar, it was almost killed by the time Tomboloi arrived at the scene. However, eventually, Tomboloi and his dog managed to kill the brute. The carcass was so big that Tomboloi could not carry it home so he took only the head, legs and tail. The rest was left to rot. When he arrived at his village it was already dark. His friends were very happy to see him home safely and that he had a good hunt. Tomboloi told them about his strange encounter with Pesawat and the fight and his dog had with the wild boar.
That night, they had a big feast and they were still drinking when the sun rose the next morning. Nobody went to sleep for they were anxiously waiting for the birds to come. Then the promise was fulfilled. Hundreds of huge birds came noisily down to the village. But Sawong Kerokok, the native chief, was afraid and did not know what to do.
There was also amongst the villagers a man called Gauk-Gauk, which means drunkard in Kadazan. At this time, he was drunk and acting crazy. He thought those birds would be good for supper so he went out with his parang and killed five of them. The rest of the birds flew away. Sawong Kerukok was furious when he saw what Gauk-Gauk had done. While he was busy arguing with Gauk-Gauk, strange noises were suddenly heard from above. Then there was a voice saying that as a punishment for Gauk-Gauk’s evil deeds, everybody would be turned into stone. A great storm followed. As it rained, everything in the village turned into stone and the big house where the feast was held became a cave. This cave is now called Batu Lunguyan and can still be seen today. It is located about two miles from Tulid, Keningau.
BY JOHNNY TAN
(TALES AND TRADITIONS FROM SABAH, 1989)