Once upon a time in Talang Siambul, Indragiri Hulu Regency, Riau Province, there lived a man and his wife. They were known as Mr. and Mrs. Sardim. They lived in a village along with other
families. Their house was tiny. Its walls were made of tree barks and its roof was of palm leaves. It was built on a stilt, a common practice in the area, so that wild animals would not be able to
attack the family when they were sleeping at night. Such house was called rumah panggung, house on a stilt. The village was not too far from a forest. Wild animals often wandered to the village
and terrorized the villagers. That was why most of the houses there were built on stilts.