Saturday, 26 April 2014
Once upon a time in Java, there was a poor widow named Mbok Srini that lived alone in her humble house on the edge of the jungle. She felt so lonely and pray to the gods to bless her with a child. One night in her dream she envisioned something wrapped under a tree in the jungle. She took this dream as an omen, an answer for her prayer. Later she go to the jungle to search something wrapped inside a cloth under a tree, she expected to find a baby to take care. Finally she discover the object wrapped inside a cloth under the tree exactly as her vision in her dream. When she unwrap it, there was no baby inside wrapped inside the clothes but only a seed of cucumber. Suddenly she heard a monstrous laughter; a green-skinned giant named Butho Ijo (Javanese: "Green Giant") appeared behind her. The green giant told her to plant the cucumber seed and she will have a child. She must nurture the child, however when the child had grown up, Mbok Srini must give the child back to Butho Ijo. The giant wish to eat the child. Eager to have a child, Mbok Srini accepted Butho Ijo's condition.
Mbok Srini return to her home and plant the cucumber seed in orchard behind her house. Later a magical golden cucumber grow from the seed, and when Mbok Srini took the cucumber and open it, a beautiful baby girl appear inside the golden cucumber. Thus she named the baby girl Timun Mas which means "golden cucumber". Years after years Timun Mas grow to become a beautiful girl. She is a loving, kind and diligent child that always help and took care of ageing Mbok Srini. Just a week before Timun Mas' 17th birthday, Butho Ijo appeared in front of Mbok Srini house and remind her about her promise, and announce that within one week he will return to collect Timun Mas. Mbok Srini is so sad and fearful of the horrible fate that awaits her beloved child. Mbok Srini heard that there is a powerful rishi that reside in a mountain nearby. She hastily go to the mountain to seek help to a wise old hermit that reside secluded on the mountain. After heard her story, the old hermit gave her four small bags of cloth with something inside it. The four objects inside the bags are cucumber seeds, needles, salts, and terasi (shrimp paste). The hermit told Mbok Srini to give this objects to Timun Mas and tell her to throw these objects when she being chased by the giant. Mbok Srini return home and told Timun Mas what to do if the green giant chase her.
Finally on Timun Mas 17th birthday, Butho Ijo appear at Mbok Srini house to take Timun Mas as promised The green giant will eat the girl. Mbok Srini ordered Timun Mas to run for her life. Timun Mas really scared and terrified and run as fast as she can tried to escape the giant. The giant was furious and destroyed Mbok Srini house and chasing Timun Mas. Finally Butho Ijo catch up to fleeing Timun Mas. In distress Timun Mas open one of her four cloth bag and spreading cucumber seed behind her. Suddenly a large cucumber vines appeared and strangled the giant's body, trapped him so he can’t move. This give Timun Mas time to escape further. However the powerful giant finally managed to break free and continue his chase. Timun Mas upen her second bag and spreading needles behind her. Suddenly the needles transformed into a bamboo forest with sharp tips that wounded the giant badly. The giant were hurt and wounded stuck with sharp bamboos, however Butho Ijo manage to get through the sharp bamboo forest and catch up to running Timun Mas. She opened her third bag and spreading salts behind her back. Suddenly a sea appeared behind her drowning the evil giant. However the giant manage to swim through the sea and continue to chase her. Timun Mas once again almost get caught and open her last bag. She throw the terasi behind her and continue to run desperately. Suddenly the terasi shrimp paste transformed into sea of boiling volcanic mud. Butho Ijo stuck inside the boiling hot mud, drowned and died. Timun Mas finally survive and return to her mother Mbok Srini. They lived happily ever after.
