Toyols

*Originates from Indonesia and Malaysia*

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There once was a young man named Bachuk who was very lazy and couldn't hold a steady job. He was also addicted to gambling so any money that he did have, he wasted it at the casino. He lived with his wife and sister and had a very hard time providing for them because of his bad habits. 

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One day, going through his grandfathers possessions he came across and old and dusty suitcase. Upon opening it, he found it contained the old and withered corpse of a newborn baby. Suddenly to his horror, the baby opened its blood red eyes and began to speak with him. He realized it was a toyol;  the ghost of a baby that died before it was born.

"Thank you for releasing me," said the toyol. "But there are... rules. I can obey your wishes and give you power. But... I must eat." 

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The young man sent the evil imp to go around the village at night, stealing the possessions of his neighbours. The toyol demanded that it be allowed to breastfeed from Buchak's sister, drinking blood instead of milk. Buchak sent his wife and sister away worried about their safety and when the toyol discovered this deception, it flew into a fit of rage. The toyol attacked Buchak and sucked every drop of blood from his body until he was nothing more than a withered corpse. 

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Original source: https://www.scaryforkids.com/toyol/ 

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Glossary: 

Rage: extreme anger

Deception: the act of lying 

Steady Job: He is fired often 

Casino: Where you gamble money 

Breastfeed: What a mother does with a baby 

Providing: Give money, food, clothes etc.

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Understanding Questions: 

1.  What did the toyol ask for from Buchak? 

2. Why did Buchak need the help of the toyol?

3. What is a toyol? 

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