Timun Mas by Glue Studios, Malaysia

Summary

In a remote village in Java, Indonesia, a lonely widow named Umbakserny longs for a child and prays to the fearsome ogre, Buto Ejo, who grants her wish at a terrible cost. When the child turns six, she must return to him. After raising her daughter, Umbakserny seeks help from a hermit who gives her four magical pouches to protect her daughter. As the ogre comes to claim her, the pouches work to stop him, using cucumbers, bamboo, sea waves, and spice. Ultimately, the ogre is defeated, and mother and daughter live in peace forever.

Takeaways

• 😀 The story is set in the mystical island of Java, Indonesia, where a widow named Umbaksirny lives alone on her farm.
• 😀 Umbaksirny is overwhelmed by loneliness and wishes for a child to be by her side.
• 😀 Desperate for help, Umbaksirny prays to Buto Ejo, a monstrous ogre who occasionally grants wishes.
• 😀 The ogre agrees to grant Umbaksirny's wish on the condition that when the child turns six, she must be given to him as a meal.
• 😀 Despite the price, Umbaksirny agrees, and the ogre gives her a cucumber seed to plant on her farm.
• 😀 The cucumbers bear fruit, and one large, golden cucumber contains a baby girl, whom Umbaksirny names Timon Amass.
• 😀 Umbaksirny grows deeply attached to Timon Amass, but she dreads fulfilling the ogre's promise when the child turns six.
• 😀 Seeking help, Umbaksirny journeys to Gunung Kidul to consult a powerful hermit, who gives her four pouches to protect her daughter from the ogre.
• 😀 When the ogre arrives to claim Timon Amass, she uses the pouches' contents: cucumber seeds, bamboo needles, salt, and spice to thwart the monster.
• 😀 The final pouch, containing spice, leads to the ogre's defeat, as he is overcome with pain and is silenced, ensuring Timon Amass's safety.

Q & A

Who is the central character in the story?

The central character is a widow named Umbakserny, who lives alone on a farm in Java, Indonesia.

What was Umbakserny's main desire?

Umbakserny longed to have a child by her side to overcome her loneliness.

Who did Umbakserny turn to for help with her wish?

Umbakserny prayed to Buto Ejo, a monstrous ogre who was known to grant wishes in exchange for a price.

What was the price Buto Ejo demanded in exchange for granting the wish?

Buto Ejo demanded that when the child turned six years old, Umbakserny would have to give her daughter to him to become his meal.

How did Umbakserny's wish get fulfilled?

Buto Ejo gave Umbakserny a cucumber seed to plant on her farm, and a large cucumber with a golden glow appeared, inside which was a baby girl.

What was the name Umbakserny gave to the child she found in the cucumber?

Umbakserny named the girl Timon Amass.

What did Umbakserny do when she realized she could not bear to lose her daughter?

Desperate for help, Umbakserny traveled to Gunung Kidul to seek advice from a powerful hermit.

What gifts did the hermit give to Umbakserny to help protect her daughter?

The hermit gave Umbakserny four small pouches, each containing an item that would help protect Timon Amass from Buto Ejo.

What happened when Buto Ejo came to claim his meal?

Timon Amass used the four magical gifts to evade and defeat the ogre. The first pouch produced cucumbers that slowed him down, the second created a bamboo forest, the third created a sea wave, and the final pouch produced a boiling substance that defeated Buto Ejo.

How did the story end?

The ogre, Buto Ejo, was defeated and the mother and daughter, Timon Amass, lived the rest of their days in peace.