Timun Mas

A long time ago, there was a widow named Mbok Randa. Her husband had passed away long
time ago, so that she lived there alone. She had no children and she prayed to god to get a
child. One night when she prayed, a giant passed her house and heard her pray. The giant
said, “I can give you a child, but you should give the child back to me when she is seventeen
years old”. Mbok Randa was so happy and didn’t think the risk of losing child later.

She agreed the offer. Then, the giant gave her the cucumber seeds and asked Mbok Randa to
plant them around her house. Tomorrow, she planted the seeds just like what the giant asked.
Shortly, the seeds grew up after some days and there were several cucumbers there. However,
the most interesting thing was a huge golden cucumber. Mbok Randa plucked the golden
cucumber carefully and carried it home. With care, she sliced it and she was so surprised that
a cute baby girl was inside.

Then she named the baby with Timun Mas which means “Golden Cucumber”. She loved the
baby really much. Year passed and Timun Mas has grown to be a beautiful and lovely little
girl. She was really smart and kind as well. That is why Mbok Randa kept thinking about her
promise to the giant. One night, Mbok Randa had a dream. She must meet a holy man who
lived in a place called mount gundul. That holy man could help to save her daughter. The
next morning, Mbok Randa went to mount gundul. She met the holy man and he gave 4 little
bags to Mbok Randa.

“These bags are for her. Tell her to open and use it one by one”, said the holy man. Mbok
Randa nod her head as a sign that she understood the command. Then she came back to
home.

Each one was containing cucumber seeds, needles, salt, and shrimp paste. The holy man said
that Timun Mas could use them to protect herself. At home, Mbok Randa then said about her
promise with the giant to her daughter and about the bag given by the holy man. A few days
later, the giant came to Mbok Randa house and asked for the promise. Mbok Randa told her
daughter to run from the back door and took the bags from a holy man with her. The giant
was so angry and rushed toward Timun Mas. He was getting closer and closer. She then
opened the first bag. It was the cucumber seeds.

She threw those seeds and instantly they grew into the huge cucumber fields. The giant ate
them all, so that she could run further. However, it was giving the giant more strength to
chase the girl. He was getting close again. After that, she opened the second bag that contains
the needles and spilled them behind her. The needles magically turned into the lush bamboo
trees which were thorny. The giant bony’s were bled and scrathed. Unfortunately, he made it
and chased her again.

Timun Mas opened the third bag and spilled the salt inside. That made the soil which the salt
touched turned into the very deep sea. The giant almost drown there, but he swam to cross it.
From a far place, Timun Mas saw it. She then opened the last bag and threw it. It was the
shrimp paste and made the soil became the large swamp of boiling mud.
Finally, the giant was trapped there and the mud drowned him. Everything was ended. Timun
Mas came back to her home and live happily ever after with Mbok Randa.