Chapter :

Once upon a time in Java, there lived a poor widow named Mbok Srini. She lived alone at the edge of a jungle and felt very lonely. Every night, she prayed to the gods to bless her with a child. One night, she had a vivid dream of something wrapped under a tree in the jungle. She believed this dream was an answer to her prayers.

The next morning, Mbok Srini went to the jungle and found a bundle exactly as she had seen in her dream. Hoping to find a baby, she eagerly unwrapped it but discovered only a cucumber seed. Suddenly, a monstrous, green-skinned giant named Buta Ijo appeared behind her, laughing thunderously. Buta Ijo told her to plant the cucumber seed, promising that she would have a child to nurture. However, he warned that when the child grew up, Mbok Srini would have to return the child to him to be devoured. Desperate for a child, Mbok Srini agreed to the deal.

Mbok Srini returned to her shack and planted the cucumber seed in her garden. In a few months, a big, golden cucumber grew from the seed. When she harvested and cut it open, she was overjoyed to find a beautiful baby girl inside. She named the baby Timun Mas, meaning 'golden cucumber.' Mbok Srini raised Timun Mas with love and care, treating her as her own daughter. As years passed, Timun Mas grew into a kind and beautiful young girl, always helping and caring for her aging mother.

However, Mbok Srini never told Timun Mas about her origin or the agreement with Buta Ijo. Just a week before Timun Mas' 17th birthday, Buta Ijo appeared in Mbok Srini's dream to remind her of their deal. Mbok Srini was filled with fear and sorrow, worried about her beloved daughter’s fate. Seeing her mother so distressed, Timun Mas asked her what was wrong. After much hesitation, Mbok Srini revealed the truth about Timun Mas' magical origin and the giant’s demand. Despite this, Timun Mas continued to love Mbok Srini as her true mother.

When the day came for Buta Ijo to claim Timun Mas, Mbok Srini devised a plan to deceive the giant by making Timun Mas pretend to be ill. Buta Ijo, growing impatient, swore to return in a week to take her. Desperate, Mbok Srini sought help from a powerful rishi living in the nearby mountains. The wise rishi listened to her story and gave her four small cloth bags containing cucumber seeds, needles, salt, and terasi (shrimp paste). He instructed her to give these bags to Timun Mas and to use them if the giant chased her.

When Buta Ijo returned, Mbok Srini ordered Timun Mas to run for her life. Terrified, Timun Mas fled as fast as she could. The furious giant destroyed Mbok Srini's shack and chased after her. As Buta Ijo closed in, Timun Mas opened the first bag and scattered the cucumber seeds behind her. Immediately, a large cucumber vine grew and entangled the giant, giving Timun Mas time to escape. But Buta Ijo broke free and continued the chase.

When he was close again, Timun Mas opened the second bag and scattered the needles. They turned into a dense bamboo forest with sharp spikes that wounded the giant. Angrier than ever, Buta Ijo pushed through the bamboo and continued to chase her. As he got closer, Timun Mas opened the third bag and threw the salt behind her, creating a vast sea that drowned the giant. However, Buta Ijo managed to swim through the sea and pursued her once more.

Finally, as a last resort, Timun Mas opened the fourth bag and threw the terasi behind her. The shrimp paste transformed into a sea of boiling mud. Buta Ijo, unable to escape, sank into the mud and perished. Timun Mas was finally safe. She returned to Mbok Srini, and they lived happily ever after, free from the fear of Buta Ijo.