The Redhill : a Singapore folktale

Information About

This tale tells the story of how Redhill got its name. Many years ago, Singapore was under attack by swordfish. To stop the swordfish from attacking fishermen, the king ordered his men to stand in the water to attack the fish. Unfortunately, many men were killed instead. A young boy then suggested that the king used banana stems instead. Fearing the cleverness of the boy, the king ordered the boy killed. When his men went to search for the boy in his house on the hill, they found an old lady instead who cursed the men for trying to kill an innocent boy. She then caused a red liquid to gush forth which made the hill red. The hill remains red to this day, which is why it's called Redhill or Bukit Merah.