Hundreds of years ago in a fishing village called Volendam,
there lived the Jansen family and the Hendrik family. Each has a nine-year-old
child.
The Jansen family had a daughter named Irene and the Hendrik family had a son
named Willem. Willem and Irene are diligent children. Willem always helped his
father repair the broken nets. Irene always helps her mother who sells food on
the beach.
One day, as always Willem and Irene wait for their father's return at the edge
of the pier. One by one the fishermen returned home, but until the afternoon
not seen signs of their father's return.
"Sir, do you see our father?" Irene asked a fisherman.
"Oh, we saw your father heading north, he said he wanted to catch more
tuna," replied the fisherman.
Irene stared up at the sky in the north. Cloudy clouds overcast. It looks like
a storm will happen. Irene was very worried.
"Father," Irene sobbed.
"Do not worry, Irene," Willem said.
"But what if they get stormy? The boat can go upside down and drown".
"We can help our father," Willem said. "How to?" Irene
asked.
"By praying," Willem answered firmly.
Irene looked at Willem. "Will God hear our prayers?" he asked.
"Yes, God is in control of nature, we must pray that God will stop the
rain and make the sea calm," Willem said.
They then knelt and prayed fervently. Suddenly, the sky became bright and the
wind that had been blowing softly. After a while, from the center of the link a
boat appeared. Apparently it was indeed their father's boat. The two children
cried out to give thanks. Apparently, their father managed to catch a very
large tuna. There has never been another fisherman who has ever caught that
tuna.
Their father took the tuna to the fish auction and sold it for a high price.
The young man who bought the big tuna wanted to eat at the Hendrik and Jansen family's
ranch. Hendrik and Jansen agree.
At home, Willem and Irene brought the fish into the kitchen for cleaning. When
removing the fish's contents, they found a diamond ring. Willem and Irene
handed the ring over to the young fish buyer. The young man was amazed to know
the honesty of both children.
"If they had not handed the ring to me, I would not have known that there
was a diamond ring in the belly of the fish I bought, the young man"
thought.
The young man smiled at Willem and Irene Then, he opened the robe that covered
his clothes. Apparently, the young man was a prince in disguise.
"You're an honest boy. I will appoint Willem as my personal
bodyguard, and Irene, I raised it as my sister?" the young man said.
From then on, Willem and Irene became members of the royal honor. Thanks to
honesty, they can live a noble life.
Beratus-ratus tahun yang lalu
di sebuah desa nelayan bernama Volendam, hiduplah keluarga Jansen dan keluarga
Hendrik. Masing-masing memiliki anak berumur sembilan tahun.
Keluarga Jansen mempunyai anak
perempuan bernama Irene dan keluarga Hendrik mempunyai anak laki-laki bernama
Willem. Willem dan Irene adalah anak-anak yang rajin. Willem selalu membantu
ayahnya memperbaiki jala yang rusak. Irene selalu membantu ibunya yang
berjualan makanan di pinggir pantai.
Suatu hari, seperti biasa
Willem dan Irene menunggu kepulangan ayah mereka di pinggir dermaga. Satu per
satu nelayan pulang, tapi sampai sore belum terlihat tanda-tanda kepulangan
ayah mereka.
"Pak, apakah Bapak melihat
ayah kami?" tanya Irene pada seorang nelayan.
"Oh, kami melihat ayah
kalian menuju ke utara. Katanya, dia mau menangkap ikan tuna lebih banyak
lagi," jawab si nelayan.
Irene menatap langit di utara.
Tampak awan mendung bertumpuk. Sepertinya, akan terjadi badai. Irene sangat
khawatir.
"Ayah," isak Irene.
"Jangan khawatir,
Irene," hibur Willem.
"Tapi, bagaimana kalau
mereka terjebak badai? Kapalnya bisa terbalik dan tenggelam".
"Kita bisa menolong ayah
kita," kata Willem. "Bagaimana caranya?" tanya Irene.
"Dengan berdoa,"
jawab Willem mantap.
Irene memandang Willem.
Apakah Tuhan akan mendengar doa kita? tanyanya.
"Ya, Tuhan yang
mengendalikan alam. Kita harus berdoa semoga Tuhan mau menghentikan hujan dan
membuat laut menjadi tenang," kata Willem.
Mereka lalu berlutut dan
berdoa dengan khusyuk. Tiba-tiba, langit menjadi terang dan angin yang tadinya
kencang bertiup lembut. Tidak berapa lama, dari tengah taut nampak sebuah
perahu. Ternyata itu memang perahu ayah mereka. Kedua anak itu berseru mengucap
syukur. Ternyata, ayah mereka berhasil menangkap seekor ikan tuna yang sangat
besar. Belum pernah ada nelayan lain yang pernah menangkap tuna sebesar itu.
Ayah mereka membawa ikan tuna
itu ke tempat pelelangan ikan dan terjual dengan harga tinggi. Pemuda yang
membeli ikan tuna besar itu ingin makan di rurnah keluarga Hendrik dan Jansen.
Hendrik dan Jansen setuju.
Di rumah, Willem dan Irene
membawa ikan itu ke dapur untuk dibersihkan. Saat mengeluarkan isi perut ikan,
mereka menemukan sebuah cincin berlian. Willem dan Irene menyerahkan cincin itu
kepada si pemuda pembeli ikan. Pemuda itu kagum mengetahui kejujuran kedua anak
tersebut.
"Seandainya mereka tidak
menyerahkan cincin itu padaku, aku pun tidak akan tahu kalau ada cincin berlian
di dalam perut ikan yang kubeli," batin si pemuda.
Pemuda itu tersenyum pada
Willem dan Irene Lalu, ia membuka jubah yang menutupi pakaiannya. Ternyata,
pemuda itu adalah pangeran yang sedang menyamar.
"Kalian anak yang jujur. Mulai
besok aku akan mengangkat Willem sebagai pengawal pribadiku. Dan Irene, kau
kuangkat sebagai adikku?" katanya si pemuda.
Sejak saat itu, Willem dan
Irene menjadi anggota kehormatan kerajaan. Berkat kejujuran, mereka bisa hidup
mulia.
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