TIMUN EMAS (GOLDEN CUCUMBER)
Once upon a time, there was a widow who
lived alone. Because there was no one on her side, she felt lonely and
dreamed of the presence of a child. In the same village, there lived a
giant. Knowing her uneasiness, the giant offered his help by giving a
child, on condition that when the child is 6 year old, it must be
returned to the giant to become his meal. Because of her strong desire
to have a child, the widow agreed with the od condition. The giant then
gave her a cucumber seed to be planted at the widow's lawn.
Two weeks
passed and the cucumber started to bear fruits, and there was one which
was large and shined like gold. The widow picked the large cucumber and
splitted it carefully and it appeared that there was a cute baby girl
inside. How happy the widow was, and the baby was named Timun Emas.
Times
passed so fast, 6 years ws Timun Emas' age now. At this age she became a
beautiful and clever child. The giant came to the widow to fulfill her
promise, but she loved her child and didn't want to lose her child. She
asked the giant to come back two years later, told him that Timun Emas
would be bigger and more appetiziting to eat then. The giant agreed.
Two
years passed, the time had come for the widow to let the giant have
Timun Emas. The widow loved her child too much. She didn't want her
child to become the giant's meal. Yet, it was impossible to confront
him. Eventually the widow ordered Timun Emas to go to Gunung Kidul
(Southern Mountain) to meet a powerful hermit there. He gave Timun Emas
four small packages contained cucumber seeds, needles, salt and terasi (
a kind of seasoning). He didn't forget to order Timun Emas to pray for
safety from the giant
One morning the giant came to the widow to
fulfill her promise. The widow ordered Timun Emas to run through the
back door. He chased her. when she was almost caught, she dispersed the
cucumber seeds from the package and they suddenly became cucumber
field. He stopped chasing her for he was interested in eating the
cucumber. Then he chased her again, when she was almost caught she
dispersed the needles from the package that became bamboo field. His
feet were wounded and bled, pricked by the bamboos. Yet he didn't give
up and kept chasing her, then she dispersed the salt from the package
and the field became a sea. Yet he kept chasing her. Finally, she
dispersed the terasi from the package. Suddenly appeared boiling sea of
mud, and finally he was dead. with the dead of the giant, Timun Emas
could live happily with her mother.
https://www.folktalesindonesia.com
Sabtu, 02 Agustus 2014
