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> Timun Mas - Central Java |
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| Timun Mas - Central
Java |
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Long time ago, there was a farmer
couple. They were staying in a village near a forest.
They lived happily. Unfortunately, they hadn’t
had any children yet.
Every day they prayed to God for a child. One day
a giant passed their home. He heard what they were
praying. Then the giant gave them a cucumber seed.
"Plant this seed,
then you’ll get a daughter,”
said the giant. “Thank
you, Giant,” said the couple. “But
in one condition, in her 17th
birthday, you must give her to me,”
said the Giant. The couple wanted a child so much
that they agreed without thinking first.
Then the couple planted the cucumber seed. Each
day they took care the growing plant so carefully.
Months later, a golden cucumber grew from the plant.
The cucumber was getting heavier and bigger each
day. When it was ripe, they picked it. Carefully
they cut out the cucumber and how surprised were
they when they found a beautiful baby inside. They
were so happy. They named the baby Timun Mas, or
Golden Cucumber.
Years were passing by and Timun Mas had grown into
a beautiful girl. Her parents were very proud of
her. But their happiness turned to fear when her
17th birthday
came. The giant returned to ask for their promise.
He was going to take Timun Mas away.
The farmer tried to be calm. “Just
a moment, please. Timun Mas is playing. My wife
will call her,” he said. Then the farmer
came to his daughter. “My
child, take this,” as he was giving
her a little bag to Timun Mas. “This
will help you from the giant. Now, run as fast as
you can,” he ordered. So Timun Mas
ran away.
The couple was very sad about her leaving. But they
didn’t want the giant to eat Timun Mas. Meanwhile,
the giant had been waiting for too long. He became
impatient. Somehow he knew that the couple had lied
to him. So he destroyed their house and ran for
Timun Mas.
The giant was chasing Timun Mas and he was getting
closer and closer. Timun Mas then took a handful
of salt from her little bag. She spread out the
salt behind her. Suddenly a wide sea appeared between
them. The giant had to swim to reach her.
Timun Mas was still running, but now the giant almost
caught her. Then she took some chilly and threw
them to the giant. The chilly suddenly grew into
some trees and trapped the giant. The trees grew
some thorns as sharp as a knife. The giant screamed
painfully. At the mean time, Timun Mas could escape
again.
But the giant was very strong. Again he almost caught
Timun Mas. So Timun Mas took the third magic stuff,
the cucumber seeds. She threw the seeds and suddenly
they became a wide cucumber field. The giant was
very tired and hungry so he ate those fresh cucumbers.
He ate too much that he felt sleepy and fell asleep
soon.
Timun Mas kept on running as fast as she could.
But soon she was very tired herself. To make things
worse, the giant had woken up! Timun Mas was so
scared. Desperately she then threw her last weapon,
terasi (a kind of shrimp pasta).
It did a miracle again. The pasta became a big swamp.
The giant fell into it but his hands almost reached
Timun Mas. Suddenly the lake pulled him to the bottom.
The giant panicked and he couldn’t breathe.
At last he was drown.
Timun Mas was very relieved. She was safe now. Then
she returned to her parents’ house. Her parents
were of course very happy to see their daughter
safe and sound. “Thanks
God. You have saved my daughter,” they
cried happily. From then on, Timun Mas lived happily
with her parents with no fear anymore. |
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