INDONESIAN FOLKLORE " The Legend of Timun Emas"

 

A long time ago, in Java, there was a poor widow named Mbok Srini. She lived alone in her humble house on the edge of the forest. She felt so lonely. She prayed to the owner or creator to bless her with a child.

One night, in her dream, she looked at something wrapped under a tree in the forest. She took this dream as men. This is an answer to her prayer. Later, she went to the forest to find it. For something wrapped inside a cloth under a tree, she hoped to find a baby to take care of.

When she opened it, there was no baby inside. She only found a seed of cucumber on the wrapped cloth. Suddenly, she heard a peal of mysterious laughter. It has a green-skinned, giant named Butho Ijo. Butho Ijo means Green Giant. This green giant appeared behind her. The green giant asked her to plant the cucumber seed. Furthermore, she would have a child. She must look after the child, however, when the child had grown up, Mbok Srini must give the child back to Butho Ijo. The giant expected that he can eat the child. And then, Mbok Srini agreed with him.

Mbok Srini backed to her home and she planted the cucumber seed behind her house. Later, a magical golden cucumber grew from its seed, and when Mbok Srini took the cucumber and opened it, she looked a beautiful baby girl appeared inside it. So, she called the baby girl “Timun Mas”. Timun Mas means "golden cucumber".

Year after year, Timun Mas grew to be a beautiful girl. She is a loving, kind, and diligent child who always helps and takes care of Mbok Srini. Before Timun Mas' 17th birthday, Butho Ijo looked in front of Mbok Srini's house. He reminded her about her promise and announced that within one week he will return to take Timun Mas. Mbok Srini is so gloomy and fearful. She loved Timun Mas very much.

 One day, Mbok Srini heard that there is powerful people that lived in a mountain nearby. She went to the mountain to ask help from a wise old hermit residing on the said mountain. After hearing her story, the old hermit gave her four small bags of cloth with something inside it. They are cucumber seeds, needles, salts, and shrimp paste. The hermit told Mbok Srini to give these to Timun Mas. The hermit told her to throw them when she is being chased by the giant. Mbok Srini backed home and told Timun Mas what to do if the green giant chased her.

Finally, Timun Mas was 17th birthday. Butho Ijo appeared at Mbok Srini's house to take Timun Mas as promised. He will eat the Timun Mas. Mbok Srini asked Timun Mas to run for her life. Timun Mas was scared and ran as fast as she can to try to escape the giant. The giant was angry and destroyed Mbok Srini's house while chasing Timun Mas.

Finally, Butho Ijo got Timun Mas. In distress, Timun Mas opened one of her four cloth bags spreading cucumber seeds behind her. Suddenly, a large cucumber appeared and strangled the giant's body, trapping him so that he could not move. It is time to escape further.

However, the powerful giant finally managed to break free and continued his chase. Timun Mas opened her second bag and she spread needles behind her. Suddenly the needles changed into a bamboo forest with sharp tips that wounded the giant badly. The giant was badly wounded stuck with sharp bamboos, however, he managed to get through the sharp bamboo forest and he caught up to the running Timun Mas again.

She opened her third bag and she spread salts behind her back. Suddenly a sea appeared behind her drowning the evil giant. However, the giant managed to swim through the sea and continued to chase her, again. Timun Mas, once again, almost got caught and opened her last bag. She threw the shrimp paste behind her and continued to run desperately. Suddenly, the shrimp paste changed into a sea of boiling volcanic mud. Butho Ijo was stuck inside the boiling hot mud, drowned, and died. Finally, Timun Mas survived and backed to her mother, Mbok Srini. And they lived happily ever after.

 

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