The Rope Ferry

Bao and his grandfather lived on a farm. A wide river ran past it. There was no bridge. To go to town, they used a small ferry. A long rope crossed the water. A man pulled the ferry along the rope.

Bao dan kakeknya tinggal di sebuah ladang. Sebuah sungai lebar mengalir di dekatnya. Tidak ada jembatan. Untuk pergi ke kota, mereka memakai sebuah feri kecil. Seutas tali panjang membentang melintasi air. Seorang pria menarik feri itu sepanjang tali.

The ferry man was Mr. Tran. He was a big, strong man. He crossed the river twenty times a day.

Pengemudi feri itu bernama Pak Tran. Ia pria yang besar dan kuat. Ia menyeberangi sungai dua puluh kali sehari.

One Thursday morning, Bao and Grandfather came to the river. They had two baskets of eggs for the market. The ferry sat on their side of the water. But Mr. Tran was not there.

Pada suatu Kamis pagi, Bao dan Kakek tiba di sungai. Mereka membawa dua keranjang telur untuk dijual di pasar. Feri itu berada di sisi mereka. Tapi Pak Tran tidak ada.

A small boy ran up to them. "Mr. Tran is sick," he said. "His back hurts. He cannot work today."

Seorang anak laki-laki kecil berlari menghampiri mereka. "Pak Tran sakit," katanya. "Punggungnya sakit. Hari ini ia tidak bisa bekerja."

Grandfather looked at the river. "No ferry, no market," he said.

Kakek memandang sungai. "Tidak ada feri, tidak ada pasar," katanya.

"Can we pull the rope ourselves?" asked Bao.

"Bisakah kita menarik talinya sendiri?" tanya Bao.

"I am too old," said Grandfather. "My arms are not strong now."

"Kakek sudah terlalu tua," kata Kakek. "Lengan Kakek tidak sekuat dulu."

Bao looked at the rope. It was thick and wet. He put his hands on it. It was heavy, but he could move it a little.

Bao menatap tali itu. Tali itu tebal dan basah. Ia meletakkan tangannya di atasnya. Tali itu berat, tapi ia bisa menggerakkannya sedikit.

"I can try," he said.

"Aku bisa mencoba," katanya.

"The river is deep," said Grandfather. "It is not a game."

"Sungainya dalam," kata Kakek. "Ini bukan permainan."

"I know," said Bao. "I will go slowly. You can hold the eggs."

"Aku tahu," kata Bao. "Aku akan pelan-pelan. Kakek pegang telurnya saja."

Grandfather thought for a long time. Then he nodded. "Let me see your hands," he said. Bao showed him. They were small, but they were hard from farm work.

Kakek berpikir lama. Lalu ia mengangguk. "Coba lihat tanganmu," katanya. Bao menunjukkannya. Tangannya kecil, tapi keras karena pekerjaan di ladang.

"Wear these," said Grandfather. He took off his old gloves. They were too big for Bao, but they helped.

"Pakai ini," kata Kakek. Ia melepas sarung tangan tuanya. Sarung tangan itu terlalu besar untuk Bao, tapi tetap membantu.

They climbed on the ferry. It moved a little on the water. Grandfather sat in the middle. The baskets sat on his knees. Bao stood at the front and took the rope.

Mereka naik ke feri. Feri itu bergoyang sedikit di atas air. Kakek duduk di tengah. Keranjang-keranjang itu berada di pangkuannya. Bao berdiri di depan dan memegang tali.

He pulled. Nothing happened. He pulled again. The ferry moved one step.

Ia menarik. Tidak ada yang terjadi. Ia menarik lagi. Feri itu bergerak satu langkah.

"Use your legs," said Grandfather. "Not only your arms."

"Pakai kakimu," kata Kakek. "Jangan hanya lenganmu."

Bao put his feet against the wood. He pulled with his whole body. The ferry slid forward. The water made a soft sound under it.

Bao menekankan kakinya ke papan kayu. Ia menarik dengan seluruh tubuhnya. Feri itu meluncur ke depan. Air mengeluarkan bunyi lembut di bawahnya.

Pull, step. Pull, step. Bao counted in his head. His arms burned. The far side of the river looked very far away.

Tarik, melangkah. Tarik, melangkah. Bao menghitung dalam hati. Lengannya terasa panas. Seberang sungai tampak sangat jauh.

In the middle, the water was fast. The ferry turned a little. Bao held the rope tight. A cold wind pushed against his face.

Di tengah, airnya deras. Feri itu berputar sedikit. Bao memegang tali erat-erat. Angin dingin menerpa wajahnya.

"Stop and rest," said Grandfather. "The rope will not move away."

"Berhenti dan istirahatlah," kata Kakek. "Talinya tidak akan ke mana-mana."

Bao stopped. He breathed deeply. A white bird flew over the water and called out. Then he pulled again.

Bao berhenti. Ia bernapas dalam-dalam. Seekor burung putih terbang di atas air dan berkicau. Lalu ia menarik lagi.

It took forty minutes. Mr. Tran did the same trip in ten. But at last, the ferry touched the far side. It made a soft bump.

Butuh waktu empat puluh menit. Pak Tran menempuh perjalanan yang sama dalam sepuluh menit. Tapi akhirnya, feri itu menyentuh tepi seberang. Terdengar benturan pelan.

Bao fell down on the wood. His hands were red. He laughed and could not stop.

Bao jatuh terduduk di atas papan kayu. Tangannya merah. Ia tertawa dan tidak bisa berhenti.

Grandfather stood up and put the baskets on the ground. "You are not a small boy now," he said. "You are a ferry man."

Kakek berdiri dan menurunkan keranjang-keranjang itu ke tanah. "Kamu bukan anak kecil lagi," katanya. "Kamu seorang pengemudi feri."

At the market, a woman bought all the eggs. Bao took the money home. He put some in a small jar. Then he bought hot buns. They ate them on the road.

Di pasar, seorang perempuan membeli semua telurnya. Bao membawa uangnya pulang. Ia menyimpan sebagian di sebuah toples kecil. Lalu ia membeli bakpao hangat. Mereka memakannya di jalan.

The next day, Mr. Tran was back at the river. His back was better. Bao stood on the bank. He watched Mr. Tran pull the rope. The ferry looked small and slow.

Keesokan harinya, Pak Tran kembali ke sungai. Punggungnya sudah lebih baik. Bao berdiri di tepi sungai. Ia melihat Pak Tran menarik tali. Feri itu tampak kecil dan lambat.

"Come," said Mr. Tran. "Take the other side. Let me see what you can do."

"Ayo," kata Pak Tran. "Pegang sisi yang lain. Coba kulihat kemampuanmu."