THE GOLDEN CUCUMBER (TIMUN MAS) // FOLKLORE CENTRAL JAVA

Summary

The story of 'Tim and Mars The Golden Cucumber' is a folklore from Central Java about a childless couple who are granted a child by a giant in exchange for her when she turns 17. The couple agrees, and years later, a golden cucumber grows with a beautiful girl inside, named Tim and Mars. On her 17th birthday, the giant comes to claim her, but Tim and Mars, with the help of magic items from her parents, manages to escape, leading the giant to drown in a swamp. The story teaches the moral lesson that bad intentions and meanness bring their own punishment.

Takeaways

• 😀 A diligent husband and wife lived near a jungle, working hard as farmers but longing for a child.
• 😀 Despite years of prayer, the couple had no children until one night, a giant offered to grant them a child in exchange for the child when she turns 17.
• 😀 The couple agreed without thinking of the risk of losing their daughter later, and the giant gave them cucumber seeds.
• 😀 The cucumber seeds grew into a large, golden cucumber, which, when opened, revealed a beautiful girl named Tim and Mars.
• 😀 Tim and Mars grew into a beautiful girl, and on her 17th birthday, the parents were both happy and sad because they knew they had to honor their promise to the giant.
• 😀 The father gave Tim and Mars a magical bag, explaining it could protect her from the giant.
• 😀 As the giant arrived to claim her, Tim and Mars fled, and the giant chased them angrily, knowing the parents were trying to break their promise.
• 😀 Tim and Mars used various magical items from the bag to protect themselves: salt turned into a sea, chili created a jungle with thorny trees, and cucumber seeds formed a cucumber field.
• 😀 Despite the obstacles, the giant still pursued Tim and Mars until she used shrimp paste to create a swamp, which ultimately drowned the giant.
• 😀 Tim and Mars returned home, and the family was reunited, celebrating their survival and the end of the giant’s evil pursuit.
• 😀 The story conveys moral lessons about the dangers of making promises without thinking through the consequences, and the importance of kindness and not having bad intentions toward others.

Q & A

Why were the farmers unhappy even though they received a child from the giant?

The farmers were unhappy because they had to fulfill their promise to the giant, which meant they would lose their beloved daughter, Tim and Mars, when she turned 17.

What promise did the farmers make to the giant?

The farmers promised the giant that they would give him their daughter when she turned 17 in exchange for a child.

How did the giant help the farmers have a child?

The giant gave the farmers a bunch of cucumber seeds, which they planted. The seeds grew into a golden cucumber, inside which they found a beautiful girl, Tim and Mars.

What magical items did Tim and Mars use to escape the giant?

Tim and Mars used a bag of magic items given by her father. These items included salt, chili, cucumber seeds, and shrimp paste.

What happened when Tim and Mars threw salt from the bag?

When Tim and Mars threw salt, it turned into a sea, forcing the giant to swim across it.

What did Tim and Mars do when the giant was still chasing them after the sea?

Tim and Mars threw chili from the bag, which turned into a jungle full of sharp-thorned trees that hurt the giant.

What happened after Tim and Mars threw cucumber seeds from the bag?

The cucumber seeds turned into a cucumber field, but the giant still managed to escape from it.

What was the last magic item in the bag, and how did it help Tim and Mars?

The last magic item in the bag was shrimp paste. When Tim and Mars threw it, it transformed into a big swamp, which tired and ultimately drowned the giant.

What moral lesson can be learned from the story of Tim and Mars?

The story teaches that we should not threaten or harm others, as bad intentions will eventually lead to negative consequences. The giant's evil actions led to his punishment.

What happened to the giant after he chased Tim and Mars through all the obstacles?

The giant eventually drowned in the swamp created by the shrimp paste, which led to his death as he struggled to escape.