Retod by Satoto Kusasi

Koto nan ampek is a town in west Sumatra; and at the other side there is another town, Koto nan gadang.  Name of these town have a meaning; Koto nan ampek mean, there are four buffaloes; Koto nan Gadang mean there are the biggest buffalo.   Why these towns have meaning like that? So you must listen story of these towns.

Once upon a time there was a King who has three daughters; the eldest was a pretty one and will soon married.  The King was a wise man and equitable in ruled his country and so the people were satisfied, happy and loyal to their country.  That’s why the people gave a title to the King, Baginda Mulia Nan Arif Bijaksana; that is mean Great King Wise and Noble man.

 Of course his Kingdom site in the west of Sumatra.    The Kingdom of King Baginda Mulia Nan Arif Bijaksana was a prosperous country, many farm and cattle producing rice, vegetables, fruits and also meat and milk.    King has plenty life stock like buffaloes, cows, deer and goats that no body could care in stall and so those animals went to forest instead.   Even though those animals went to forest it were not became wild and no body would steal those animals.

The king had plan to married off his eldest daughter to a young man who will succession him as a King in the future.  Who is the lucky young man will be?   That is the issue that the King and his staff discussed in the formal meeting.

The King spoke in the even of meeting, “ I will make a contest to chose the best young man who will be my son in law; so every body do my plan and support my plan; Every young man in my Kingdom and also from other Kingdom right to be candidate, so the contest will open to all of people.  And last but not least I instruct you to slaughter five healthy buffaloes to be cooked and present in the party of contest day,”

His staff got busy to do King instruction to catch five buffaloes in the forest; and so they established a team of hunter to catch those animals.  Even though those buffaloes in the forest, the animals were not wild since its belong to the King    The team went to forest and meadow looking for those animals; but it was a difficult job to find it; if some one had cared those animals in the stall they would not had worked hard like this.   Yes, caring life stock in stall was come out to make a modern cattle farm.  

After five days at last one of the hunter call off, “ Hi, koto nan ampek”, that was mean hi there are four buffaloes over here.  The chief of team was glad and he gave a comment, “ Koto nan ampek is a word that make me happy, so I would like to give name koto nan ampek for this site to remember my grandson how difficult to catch King’s buffaloes.

“ We must catch one more buffalo that may be it is not so far from here,” said the other hunter. 

But the last buffalo also difficult to be found seems it hiding.  After they walked about ten miles, they found the biggest buffalo drank in a little river.   “ Why you are hiding and why you are alone,” the hunter made a comment.

The chief of hunter also made a comment, “ Now I would give a name for this site “Koto nan gadang” that is mean there is the biggest one, to remember my grandson how difficult to catch the biggest King’s buffaloes.

Time was goes on and then year after year was past away the forest became new settlement and then became town.   The two towns has name Koto nan Ampek and Koto nan Gadang up until now.

The owner of this story didn’t mention what was going on the contest party?  Who was the winner and then be chosen as son in law of the King?      Perhaps the owner of this story himself was being chosen as son in law.

Pada zaman dahulu ada seorang Raja yang mempunyai tiga orang Puteri.  Puteri yang besar adalah tercantik dan akan segera dicarikan jodoh.  Baginda adalah seorang adil dan bijak dalam memerintah negeri, sehingga rakayat senang, kaya dan loyal kepada Raja.   Oleh sebab itu Raja mendapat gelar Sri Baginda Mulia Nan Arif dan Bijaksana.

Tentu saja letak kerajaannya di Sumatera. Kerajaan Sri Baginda Mulia Nan Arif Bijaksana sangat makmur; banyak ladang dan peternakan yang menjadikan negeri menghasilkan padi, sayur, buah-buahan susu dan daging.   Raja mempunyai banyak hewan ternak seperti Sapi, kerbau, manjangan dan kuda, sehingga orang kesulitan untuk membuat kandang buat hewan-hewan tersebut jadi hewan-hewan itu dibiarkan lepas masuk kehutan.  Tetapi hewan-hewan itu tidak menjadi liar dan tidak ada orang yang mencuri.

Raja sedang merencanakan akan mengawinkan puterinya yang tertua. Menantunya itu diharapkan akan menggantikan beliau sebagai Raja. Siapa pemuda yang beruntung itu?   Itulah masalah yang sedang hangat dibicarakan didalam pertemuan formal di Istana.

Raja bersabda pada kesempatan pertemuan itu," Saya akan membuat suatu sayembara guna memilih seorang pemuda terbaik yang akan menjadi menantu saya; Siapa saja pemuda dari negeri ini maupun negeri tetangga berhak ikut dalam sayembara.  Terakhir saya instruksikan untuk menyembelih lima ekor kerbau guna dimasak dan dihidangkan pada saat pesta sayembara itu,"

Semua para staf sibuk untuk menyembelih lima ekor kerbau, maka dibentuk tim pemburu yang akan mencari kerbau-kerbau baginda di dalam hutan.  Sekalipun kerbau itu ada dihutan, tidak menjadi liar karena kerbau kepunyaan Raja.   Tim berangkat kehutan dan menyusuri padang rumput untuk mencari kerbau-kerbau baginda.  Jika sekiranya kerbau-kerbau itu dikandangkan, tentunya kita mudah melaksanakan perintah baginda.  Ide ini yang akan membuahkan peternakan moderen dikemudian hari.

Setelah lima hari akhirnya salah seorang pemburu berteriak, " Hai, koto nan ampek yang artinya hai lihat disana ada empat ekor kerbau.  Pemimpin tim sangat gembira dan memberi komentar, "koto nan ampek adalah kata yang membuat saya senang, jadi saya akan memberi nama pada tempat ini koto nan ampek untuk mengingatkan kepada cucu saya betapa sukarnya menemukan kerbau-kerbau baginda.

"Kita masih harus menemukan satu kerbau lagi yang mungkin tidak jauh dari sini," kata salah seorang pemburu.

Tetapi kerbau terakhir ini juga sulit ditemukan mungkin dia bersembunyi.  Sesudah mereka berjalan kurang lebih sepuluh Mil, mereka menemukan kerbau yang besar sedang minum di anak sungai.

"Mengapa kamu bersembunyi dan sendirian disini?" pemburu itu memberi komentar.

Pimpinan tim pemburu memberi komentar juga, " Sekarang saya akan memberi nama tempat ini Koto Nan Gadang yang artinya ini dia yang paling besar untuk mengingatkan cucu saya betapa sukarnya menangkap kerbau terbesar dari Raja.

Waktu terus bergulir dan tahun berganti tahun telah berlalu, hutan tersebut telah berubah menjadi pemukiman baru penduduk dan menjadi kota.  Maka kedua kota itu bernama Koto Nan Ampek dan Koto Nan Gadang, hingga saat ini.