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BATU BAJAU LEGEND
A long time ago there lived in Kampong Solibog, Tambunan, a very tall man. He was called Bajau. He belonged to the Bajau tribe and that is why the people called him Bajau. His wife, Pangkug, was as tall as Bajau himself. It was said that she possessed a pair of a very long mammary glands or nipples, 'reaching down as far as her waist. Nobody at present can tell us how tall exactly Bajau was, but the stories told about him tell us about his immense size. The soles of his feet were so wide that when he went into the river lots of people would follow him to collect the dead fishes that were trodden underfoot by him. Thus his neighbours benefited greatly by him. When people wanted fish they would ask Bajau to lie down in the Pegalan river. The people then came to collect the fish that was lying on the dry part of the river. In those days there was also much hatred between the various tribes in this country. The people of Solibog were very much hated by the Tasapang, a tribe living in the hills. The enmity between the Tasapang and Solibog people was due to jealousy on the part of the Tasapang. And this envy grew into hatred when the Tasapang realised how much the Solibog people benefited from Bajau's presence among them. Consequently the Tasapang decided to do away with Bajau, so that they could deprive the solibog of their great happiness and comfort. The Tapasang sharpened their darts for the blowpipes and made them very poisonous. They began to attack Bajau, but they soon found out that their efforts were completely in vain. Bajau considered the darts that hit him as little mosquito bites. Bajau's fame was mainly based on the easy ways in which he provided the people of the area with fish. But respect for him became even greater after he had carried a huge stone to the place where he wanted to be buried. Many people had tried to lift that stone under his armpit and carried it to a place which is now called Batu Bajau. Up to this very day the huge stone can still be seen, and is called Batu Bajau. To many people this stone is proof Bajau would undoubtedly have been forgotten. The stone stands about two feet above the ground and about two feet wide. Naturally this stone has great superstitious meaning to many people. It was thought the evil spirits guarding this stone or living in it would make anybody who dared to disturb them fall ill. Not long ago these evil spirits were very cruel and hostile to passersby. Anyone coming near this stone wearing old clothes would fall ill immediately, and would even die in some cases. The people feared this stone so much that they would either wear new clothes or they would try to avoid passing by this stone as much as possible. All this was done to please the spirits living in near Batu Bajau.
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