TIMUN MAS

There was a kampong in Central Java wherein a widow lived. She was Mbok Srini. She
was childless and after the death of her husband, she lived alone. The hope to have a child
faded away with time. She only prayed for a miracle, that someday she could be a mother.
One night, she had a dream. A giant creature told her to go to the jungle where she
usually collected firewood. There she would find a package under a big tree. In the morning the
widow woke up, not believing what she just dreamt.
“Could it really happen to me?” she asked to herself.
The widow decided to give it a go. Full of hope, she rushed to a place as pointed in her dream.
In the jungle, she sought the package and, surprisingly, found it under an enormous tree. It
contained a cucumber seed.
“What is this?” murmured her.
She was still in confusion when suddenly a loud laughter broke out behind her. She just
realized that there was a giant standing there.
MbokSrini was taken aback. It was the giant she met in his dream! So frightened she
became.
“Have mercy, Mister Giant. Don’t eat me,” begged MbokSrini with a pale face.
“I won’t, old woman, I won’t. Don’t you want a child?” asked the giant.
“You… You are right, Mister Giant,” answered MbokSrini.
“Grow that seed and you will have a daughter. But remember this. I will come to you when she
grows up and take her. I’m going to taste her delicious flesh,” said the giant.
“That is fine, Mister Giant. I will give her back to you when it’s time.”
The giant vanished. The woman planted the cucumber seed in her yard. Full of hope,
she took care of the plant very carefully. Two months later, the cucumber was ripening. It
weirdly yielded only one fruit, but it was much bigger than usual cucumbers. Its color was
golden and it was very heavy. MbokSrini cut it off and took it inside her hut. There she cut the
cucumber in halves and sound a baby girl so adorable.
“Aaaaa!Aaaaa! Aaaaa!” the baby cried once she was taken out.
 MbokSrini was so happy to hear a baby’s cry she had been wishing for. She named the
baby Timun Mas.
“There there… Don’t cry my sweet baby,” MbokSrini tried to comfort Timun Mas.
The old widow could not be happier. Tears run down on her wrinkled cheeks. She raised
Timun Mas with the affection of a real mother. The baby grew up a beautiful girl. She was kind-
hearted too. MbokSrini loved her so much. She forgot her vow that someday the giant would
come up to take the girl back.
One night, MbokSrini dreamed of the giant coming up to her. The dream reminded her
of her vow. Since then, she often sat on the porch alone, mourning all day long. She might soon
lose her beloved daughter but was bent on to keep her. She just did not know what to do.
Timun Mas noticed that something had been concerning her mother. That day, she
chose to spend the afternoon at home and sat beside her.
“Mother, why do you often look sad recently?” asked Timun Mas.
Reluctantly, MbokSrini revealed everything to her. She told her that she was not really
her daughter, that a giant gave her to her and would take her once she grew up.
“I’m sorry, my daughter. All this time I kept this for myself.”
Timun Mas could not speak a word. She was speechless, not believing what she just
heard. She looked down for a while, then up again, as if she had taken a decision.
“I don’t want to go with the giant. Whatever happens, I’m staying here with you, mother,” said
Timun Mas firmly.
The day finally came. From afar, MbokSrini and Timun Mas could hear the giant’s steps.
In panic, MbokSrini told Timun Mas to act ill.
“Hey, old widow! Where’s the girl? I suppose she looks very tasty by now. It’s been years.
Haha!” said the giant.
The widow came out of her hut. Timidly, she came closer to the giant.
“I’m sorry. She is severely ill at the moment. Her flesh will not be fresh. What if you come back
in three days? Let her recover first,” coaxed MbokSrini. She tried to get more time to find a way
to save Timun Mas.
“Is she really? Well, all right then. I will come again in three days. You’d better make sure she is
ready,” answered the giant.
After the giant left, MbokSrini walked out to see a hermit who lived in a mountain. She
just recalled about him and wanted to know if he could help.
“I’m going to the mountain. There is a hermit, a friend of my late husband, who probably can
help us out. You stay here and don’t go out,” MbokSrini said to Timun Mas.
“But be careful mother,” said the girl.
MbokSrini headed for the mountain right away. There, she met the hermit and let him
know what she came for.
“Wait a moment. I’ll get you something that might help,” said the hermit.
Not long after, he showed up with four little bundles of things and gave them to
MbokSrini.
“Take these for your daughter. They contain cucumber seeds, needles, salts, and shrimp paste.
Use them one at a time while in danger. Let’s hope we could defeat the giant, MbokSrini,”
explained the hermit.
MbokSrini felt a bit relieved. She came home and handed the bundles to Timun Mas.
Two days later, the giant turned up. He looked so hungry and raring to eat the girl.
“Well, well, old widow. Where’s my girl now?” asked him.
“You again, giant. I believe you are very hungry now,” MbokSrini answered. Timun Mas came
out fearfully and stood beside her mother.
“Don’t be afraid. If he comes to you, you should run. Run as fast as you can. Open the bundles
to protect yourself,” MbokSrini whispered to her daughter.
“Yes, mother,” answered Timun Mas.
The giant could not wait anymore. He was drooling already. But when he stuck out his
hand to grab the girl, she ran away. He chased her with far longer steps. Slowly, he could catch
up with the girl. Realizing the situation, Timun took one of the bundles and opened it.
She untied a bundle, which turned out to contain cucumber seeds. She poured the
seeds on the ground and in a very short time the area became a cucumber garden. The plants
grew thickly, wrapping around the giant. Timun took her time to take off. The giant could free
himself of the plants shortly. He had not given up.
The giant forced Timun to open another bundle, containing needles. She scattered it
everywhere and they magically turned into tall and sharp bamboo. They wounded the giant’s
feet but he did not stop his run.
Timun opened a bundle for the third time. It was salt inside. The girl spread the salt out,
turning the ground into a lake. The giant stepped in it and roared as his wounds touched the
salt water. It held him back, but only for a while. The giant forced his way across the lake.
Timun Mas began to be very anxious. She had only one bundle left. Knowing that the giant had
reached the land, she opened the bundle. Shrimp paste spread all over the ground and formed
a muddy quicksand. The giant stepped on it and got trapped. He vainly struggled to get up. A
moment later, he lost his strength. He was sucked down and died. Timun had made it. She got
rid of the giant forever.
With all her strength left, Timun walked home. MbokSrini hugged her right away. She
cried in happiness to see her sole daughter safe. They were so grateful to God the Almighty.
There was no giant anymore. From then on, they lived together peacefully and happily.