There was once a Chinese fisherman who lived on the island of Singapura. His family was poor so he had to go out to sea everyday to catch fish to sell. One day, although there was a thunderstorm, he insisted on going out to sea, against his wife's advice.
The choppy waters and heavy rain made it very difficult to fish. The fisherman's little boat swayed vigorously from side to side. As he was about to throw his net into the sea, a huge wave rocked his boat, causing him to lose his balance and fall into the sea. "God, please help me!" he screamed in the water, "Who is going to take care of my wife and children?"
Just when the fisherman was about to give up, a large turtle swam slowly towards him. It was the biggest turtle he had ever seen! To his surprise, the turtle signalled to him to climb onto its back and carried him safely to a nearby island.
The Chinese fisherman soon made the island his home. He was able to live quite well, as fruits grew abundantly on the island.
One stormy day, while the fisherman was resting, he heard a loud cry. "Help! Help! I am drowning!" a man cried. Guess what the fisherman saw? The same turtle that helped him was carrying a Malay fisherman to the island!
The two men soon became good friends. They spent their time hunting for animals and fruits.
To thank the turtle for saving their lives, the two men built a Chinese temple, a Malay shrine and a huge turtle sculpture, all of which can still be found on Kusu Island, which is also known as Turtle Island.
Today, during the ninth month of the lunar calendar (usually October in the calendar we use now), many Chinese go to Kusu Island to pray to Tua Pek Kong, the deity of prosperity, at the Chinese temple. |
