Timun Emas Indonesian Folktales for ESL

Summary

In a mystical village on the island of Java, Indonesia, a lonely widow named Mbok Srini wishes for a child. She prays to the ogre Butho Ijo, who grants her wish at a terrible price: when the child turns six, she must return to him as his meal. The widow agrees, and a golden cucumber gives birth to a girl, Timun Emas. Over the years, Mbok Srini becomes deeply attached to her daughter. When the ogre returns to claim her, Timun Emas uses four magical gifts given by a hermit to defeat Butho Ijo. She eventually vanquishes the ogre, and the mother and daughter live peacefully ever after.

Takeaways

• 😀 Mbok Srini is a lonely widow living on a farm in Java, Indonesia, longing for a child.
• 😀 Desperate to have a child, Mbok Srini prays to Butho Ijo, a monstrous ogre known to grant wishes.
• 😀 Butho Ijo agrees to grant her wish but demands a terrible price: when the child turns six, she must be returned to him as his meal.
• 😀 Mbok Srini agrees to the ogre's terms, and Butho Ijo gives her a single cucumber seed to plant on her farm.
• 😀 The cucumber plant produces a golden fruit, which, when opened, reveals a beautiful baby girl named Timun Emas.
• 😀 Mbok Srini raises Timun Emas with love, but is dreading the day she must return her to Butho Ijo.
• 😀 Seeking help, Mbok Srini visits a hermit on Gunom Kidu Mountain, who gives her four magical pouches to protect her daughter.
• 😀 When Butho Ijo comes to claim Timun Emas, the ogre chases her, but she uses the first pouch with cucumber seeds to block his path with vines.
• 😀 The second pouch, containing needles, creates a forest of bamboo, trapping the ogre temporarily.
• 😀 The third pouch, filled with salt, conjures a powerful wave that knocks Butho Ijo down, delaying him further.
• 😀 In the final moment, Timun Emas uses the last pouch with spice, creating a boiling sea of mud that severely injures the ogre, stopping him once and for all.
• 😀 Timun Emas triumphs over the ogre, and she and her mother live in peace thereafter, free from the ogre's threat.

Q & A

Who is Mbok Srini, and what is her situation at the beginning of the story?

Mbok Srini is a kind widow who lives alone on her farm in Java, Indonesia. She is overwhelmed by loneliness and longs to have a child by her side.

What does Mbok Srini do when her loneliness becomes unbearable?

Mbok Srini prays to Butho Ijo, a monstrous ogre who lives on the outskirts of the village, asking for help in fulfilling her wish for a child.

What is the condition Butho Ijo sets for granting Mbok Srini's wish?

Butho Ijo agrees to grant her wish but demands that when the child turns six years old, Mbok Srini must return the child to him to become his meal.

What does Butho Ijo give to Mbok Srini, and what happens next?

Butho Ijo gives Mbok Srini a cucumber seed to plant on her farm. Two weeks later, the cucumber bears fruit, and inside one of the cucumbers is a beautiful baby girl, whom she names Timun Emas.

How does Mbok Srini feel about Timun Emas as she grows up?

Mbok Srini grows deeply attached to Timun Emas, loving her as a daughter. She is heartbroken by the thought of losing her when the ogre's condition comes due.

What does Mbok Srini do to try and protect Timun Emas from the ogre?

Mbok Srini seeks help from a powerful hermit in the Gunom Kidu mountain. The hermit gives her four small pouches to protect Timun Emas from the ogre.

What are the contents of the four pouches given to Mbok Srini by the hermit?

The four pouches contain cucumber seeds, needles, salt, and spice. Each of these items serves as a magical defense against the ogre.

How does Timun Emas use the first pouch during the chase by Butho Ijo?

Timun Emas throws the first pouch, which contains cucumber seeds, at the ogre. The seeds grow into vines that block Butho Ijo's path, temporarily stopping him.

What happens when Timun Emas uses the second pouch during the chase?

Timun Emas throws the second pouch, which contains needles. The needles grow into a dense forest of bamboo trees that trap Butho Ijo and injure him.

How does Timun Emas use the third pouch to slow down the ogre?

Timun Emas throws the third pouch, which contains salt. The salt creates a giant wave that sweeps Butho Ijo off his feet, slowing him down.

What is the outcome when Timun Emas uses the fourth pouch?

Timun Emas throws the fourth pouch, which contains spice. The spice transforms into a boiling sea of mud that burns Butho Ijo, causing him to struggle in pain before ultimately being defeated.

What happens at the end of the story?

Timun Emas successfully defeats Butho Ijo, and the ogre is no longer a threat. Timun Emas returns home, where her mother, Mbok Srini, embraces her, and they live peacefully for the rest of their lives.