Too-too-moo and the Giant

Once on the island of Java there was a little girl named Too-too-moo. She lived with her Mama in a one-room house in a forest. They were poor but they were happy. Or they would have been happy, if not for a terrible giant who came every day.

Each morning, when Too-too-moo woke up, she fastened her hair in a knot with her long hairpin. Then she hurried into the woods to help Mama gather firewood and herbs to sell at the village market. When that was done, Mama cooked a small pot of plain rice and shared it with Too-too-moo for breakfast. She also cooked a huge pot of sweet porridge. She made it from tasty rice flour, fragrant coconut milk, and lots of sugar. But not even the tiniest bit of the porridge was for Too-too-moo and her Mama. It was all for the giant. Mama knew, if the giant came and did not find a full pot of porridge; he would eat Too-too-moo instead!

Then Mama left for the market, while Too-too-moo did the housework. She shook out their sleeping mat, swept the floor, and washed their few dishes. Then she went outside to play. Soon she heard the giant’s terrible footsteps.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Too-too-moo ran into the house, picked up the covered pot of porridge, placed it outside on the doorstep, and shut and locked the door. Then she crouched and trembled in a corner. The giant stamped up to the house then he took off the cover, picked up the pot, and swallowed the porridge in one big gulp. Then he threw down the pot and stamped back through the forest. This happened every day.
When Mama returned in the evening, she brought food that she had bought with the money earned at the market. But since they had to feed the giant, there was never enough for themselves. One day, Mama did not sell as much as usual. When she came home, she had only enough food for the giant. She and Too-too-moo had to go hungry. The next day was the same. And so was the day after that. Too-too-moo and her Mama were starving.

On the fourth morning, As usual mama cooked the porridge for the giant and left for the market. The sweet smell of the porridge filled the little house. Too-too-moo was so hungry, she couldn’t stand it.

“I’ll eat just one spoonful,” she said to herself. “The giant will never know.” Too-too-moo uncovered the pot and ate one spoonful. But she was too hungry to stop! Before she knew what she was doing, a quarter of the porridge was gone. Then she heard the giant’s terrible footsteps.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Too-too-moo quickly covered the pot, placed it outside on the doorstep, and shut and locked the door. Then she crouched and trembled in a corner. The giant stamped up to the house. With one huge finger, he knocked on the door—Tock, tock, tock. Then he called,

“Too-too-moo! Where are you?”

And Too-too-moo answered, “In the house.”

“And where is your Mama?”

“At the market.”

“And where is my PORRIDGE?”

“In the pot!”

The giant took off the cover, picked up the pot, stopped, and looked. “This pot is not full!” bellowed the giant. He threw it down and called again, “Too-too-moo! Where are YOU?” Too-too-moo did not answer. With one blow of his fist, the giant knocked down the door. He reached in his long arm and felt all around till he found Too-too-moo. Then he pulled her from the house, tossed her in his mouth, and swallowed her in one big gulp.

Too-too-moo tumbled into the giant’s stomach. “Please let me out!” she shouted. But the giant didn’t listen as he turned and stamped back through the forest. Too-too-moo cried and shook with fear. Then all of a sudden, she remembered her long hairpin. Quickly she pulled it from her hair. With both hands and all her strength, Too-too-moo stuck it into the giant.

“YOW!” howled the giant. Too-too-moo stuck him again.

“OUCH! YOW!” The giant danced about, but there was nothing he could do. “TOO-TOO-MOO, STOP!”
But Too-too-moo did not stop. She stuck the giant again and again. The bellowing giant raced through the woods. Mad with pain, he did not look where he was going. He tripped on a root and cracked his head on a rock. The giant was dead! But Too-too-moo was still trapped inside.

At that moment, Mama came home . But when she reached the house, she saw the porridge thrown down and the door knocked in. She called, “Too-too-moo! Where are you?” There was no answer. Mama dropped the things she had bought and ran along the trail of the giant’s footsteps, calling,

“Too-too-moo! Where are YOU?” Still no answer. Then she came to where the giant lay dead. But her daughter was nowhere to be seen, so she called one last time,
“TOO-TOO-MOO! WHERE ARE YOU?” And Too-too-moo answered, “IN THE GIANT!” Mama took hold of the giant’s chin. With both hands and all her strength, she pulled his mouth open. And out climbed— Too-too-moo!

From that time on, Too-too-moo and her Mama were happy. There was no more giant to bother them. They always had enough to eat. And they had sweet porridge for breakfast, every single day.

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The Legend Of Toar And Limimuut

There was once a big rock in the middle of the ocean. It was so big that it rose above the surface of the water. Furthermore, it was not an ordinary rock. When the sun shone on it, it perspired and out of this perspiration was born a pretty little girl called Limimuut. The story does not tell in what way she grew up, but certainly she was a wonder-child, living in wonderful circumstances and in a time rich in wonders. The story only tells us that, when she was grown up, she felt very lonely.

One day, when she was standing on the top of the rock, she gazed with eyes full of amazement at the vast ocean and at the big, undulating waves. As she stood there, she suddenly caught sight of a crow, holding in its beak a dry branch and continuously circling the spot where she stood. Limimuut became curious and wondered where the bird had come from and where it had found the branch. Suddenly the bird spoke to her: “I have carried it from Taoere.” Great was the girl’s surprise on finding that the bird could read her thoughts and could speak her language. Then she asked: “I am anxious to go to that land. Will you take me there?”

The bird agreed to do so, and away they flew to reach Taoere, for Limimuut herself could fly too.

On arriving there, they found a small piece of land, not larger than a sieve, just emerging above the surface of the sea, one of the many islands in the watery vastness. The crow stopped flying and said: “We are at our destination. This is the land where I found the branch; it bears the name of Taoere.” Then he flew away, leaving Limimuut once again alone.

“Alone!” she sighed. “Again alone, and all around is water.”

Then an idea struck her. As if directed by an invisible hand, she took a small amount of soil, just as much as she could hold in her hand. She flew to the barren rock from which she had come and scattered the soil on the rock. A strange thing happened. This small amount of soil grew into a big piece of land. On the ninth day, it stopped growing, for the work was complete.

As Lilimuut looked around, she realized that the ground was barren. She flew again to Taoere and took another handful of soil. On returning home, she again scattered the soil on the barren ground. Something green began to emerge from the land, and this became the vegetation that we have on our earth today. But Limimuut was not yet satisfied. She made a mountain in the southern part of the land. When this had risen high enough, she climbed till she reached the top. There another strange thing occurred; she became pregnant while she was standing there looking towards the west. A few months later, a child was born to her, a healthy son to whom she gave the name Toar.

Years went by and Toar grew up into a handsome young man. The mother thought that the time had come for him to choose a wife. But where could he find a woman to marry? Again the mother had an idea.

“Son,” she said to him, “roams the world until you find a wife.”

The son obeyed his mother’s instructions and set off for the other part of the ocean. He travelled a long distance but still could find no one fit to be his wife. Then he returned home, telling his mother that he had not been successful in finding a woman he could marry.

“Well,” replied his mother, “cut a piece of cane as long as I am tall and then go to the right. I myself shall go to the left. If on your way you encounter a woman carrying a piece of cane longer than yours, take her as your wife.”

Toar once again obeyed, and so they parted. The son went to the right and the mother to the left, roving the earth which in those days was not as big as nowadays. In the end, as Toar was on his way, he saw a woman approaching him. He put out his stick and measured the cane she was carrying. Seeing that hers was longer than his, he assumed that she was the woman he had been looking for all the time. He made her his wife and took her home. Little did he suspect that it was his mother he had married. He thought only about the message concerning the length of the stick. In actual fact, the cane had grown and had become longer and so had deceived him when he chose the woman to be his wife.

They returned to mountain built by Limimuut. There they lived happily together, Limimuut bearing children three times, but every time there were nine in number. These children lived peacefully with each other, sharing together all that their parents possessed, and this group of people became the ancestors of the people of Minahasa today.

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Ragu

Sri Darmapuja, King of Jodyanegara, had a beautiful daughter named Rajaputri. One day she was looking out the watch-tower when she saw an incredibly beautiful youth standing among the crowd. She was so enchanted by his beauty that she sent her maid Warsiki to find out who he was. It appeared that he was the headman’s son, and his name was Ragu. The princess fell madly in love with him and would neither eat nor drink. At last she could bear it no longer, and sent Warsiki to tell him he must come to her that every night. Ragu obeyed, and they passed a rapturous night together. Every night he came to her, till one day he was seen by another maid-servant, who told the king what was going on.

The king was furious. He called the headman and priest together, and debated with them how Ragu should be punished. Most of them were opinion that he should be thrown into the sea, according to ancient custom. But one priest said that would be too quick and easy death, and advised sending him away in search of “the horned elephant fish with pig’s feet”.

So Ragu was banished on this hopeless quest, and wandered about for months in vain. Worn out at last, he sat down one day in the forest and wept. A bird named Phaksi Raja, flying about in search of food, heard a human voice, and flew down and settled beside the beautiful Ragu. Ragu begged to him eat up quickly, but Phaksi Raja took pity on him and asked why he was weeping. When Ragu had told his story the bird said it knew where such a monster could be found; beyond the seven seas, in the possession of Detya Banda.

It gave him a bird-dress and a spell and said “beyond the seven seas you will find a stone house in which lives the nymph Nilotama, who is kept prisoner by Detya Banda. She will able to help you.” Ragu flew over the seven seas: the watery sea, the salt sea, the sea of honey, the sea of mud, the sea of sand, the sea of blood, and the sea of fire. When he came to the stone house and turn on his spell, Nilotama could not stand the heat and came out the house. She asked who he was and what he wanted, and he told her his story. He was overjoyed at his coming and promised him the “horned elephant-fish” if he would take her with him as his wife.

He promised; she went inside, brought out all the weapons, amulets, and magic crystal, which belonged to Detya Banda. Then she coiled herself up in a crystal and bade Ragu hide it in his belt. He took with him all the other treasures as well, and they flew away. Detya Banda, feeling something was amiss, came hurrying home and found he had been robbed of all his treasures. He immediately set off in pursuit. When Ragu saw him coming he shot off the sea-charm which produced a great sea. But Detya swam over the sea. Then Ragu shot off the stone-charm, and Detya turned into stone and died. When he reached home in the middle of the night Ragu knocked at the door, and called his father and mother by name. They heard, but could not believe it was really he.

At last, however, they opened the door and was their son whom they had long believed to be dead. He brought out his crystal, and his wife Nilotama opened it and came forth. A meal as made ready, and there was universal rejoicing. Next morning Nilotama changed one of the charms into the improbable monster, and Ragu went off with it to the king. The creature was placed on the ground, and grew before their very eyes to supernatural stature. The priest, after reference to his book, confirmed its authenticity.

Ragu returned home and disported himself with his wife. But the king was not satisfied, and sent his patih to spy upon Ragu and discover how he had contrived to beget the “elephant-fish.” The patih climbed a tree and looked over the wall and saw woman, surpassing all the king’s wives in beauty. There upon the king sent his pedanda to Ragu and asked him to give up his wife. Ragu dutifully agreed, but Nilotama protested that that was of ill omen for a king to take a woman who had already slept with a sudra.

The king was very angry and tried to get rid of Ragu by giving him a new commission. He was to find the charmed name Surya. This was easily done with Nilotama’s help, but when the king took hold of it he burned his fingers so badly that he resolved to get rid of Ragu for good and all. He ordered the drums to be beaten, and when a whole army had been drummed together, he sent it to surround Ragu’s house, to take it by storm and kill him.

When Ragu heard the drum, he wept for fear. But Nilotama comforted him and said she would dispose the army. She charmed a deep sea round the house, and two savage snakes to right and left of the doorway, one red, one white. The army came storming forward and fell upon the red snake, and were all killed or drowned. Last came the king. The white snake leapt upon him and flung him high up into a coconut palm, where he hung head downwards from a bough.

As the king hung there, helpless he begged Nilotama have a pity on him and to spare his life, promising in return to give up his throne and his kingdom to Ragu. “You shall be queen,” he said “and I will serve you as your humble slave.” So she commanded the snake to set him free. And Ragu became king over the whole land of Jodyanegara, and the king became his patih (minister) and gave him his daughter as concubine.

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Pakang Raras

Pakang Raras who was about fourteen years old, was flying kites one day with his attendants, Punta and Wijil, when the string broke and they lost their way in the forest. They were driven by a great storm to take shelter in the palace gardens of Daha, where the king’s young daughter was bathing in a pool. She took Pakang Raras home with her and became her page. He taught her to play the gamelan and she took a great fancy to the charming youth, and gave him fine clothes and a kris.

They used to sing Kekawin together about Arjuna and Suprabha, and one day after she had gone to her own room to rest, Pakang Raras followed her and made love to her. After that he went in everyday. And they exchange gift of flowers. But one day her maid Bajan saw him and told the King, who ordered his patih to take Pakang Raras away and kill him. When he was told that he must go at once with the patih to Blambangan, Pakang Raras knew that he was going to be put out of the way and asked leave to go and change his clothes for the journey.

In his own room, he wrote a hasty letter to the princess, in which he said: “Little sister, I am Mantri Koripan. Forgive me for not telling you. I am taking leave of you now, for I must die. But as proof that I really am king of Koripan you will find my clothes under the nagari tree in the garden. Then he put the letter under his pillow and dressed and went out to the patih. I know that I must die because I dared to make love to the princess. But listen! If my blood smells sour you will know I was of low caste. But if it smells sweet, that will be proof that I was royal blood.” So the patih stabbed him then and there, and his blood smelt very fragrant.
The princess very much surprised that her darling Pakang Raras suddenly stopped coming to see her, and she went to look for him in his room, thinking he might be ill. She found his letter under the pillow, and at once rushed into the garden and found his clothes, as he had said, under the nagari tree. Weeping bitterly she set off into the forest too look for him, and after long searching she found his body, and would have killed herself upon it, had not Civa taken pity on her sorrow and brought Pakang Raras to life again.

They returned radiant and rejoicing to the palace, and Pakang Raras, wearing his royal dress, went straight to the king, who at once recognized him as king of Koripan and gave his consent to the marriage, which was celebrated amid universal rejoicing.

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Mouse Deer and Farmer

Mouse Deer loved to eat the fruits and roots and shoots of the forest. But he loved something else even more.

He loved the vegetables in Farmer’s garden.

One day, Mouse Deer went to the edge of the forest. He looked out at row after row of vegetables.

“Mmmm,” said Mouse Deer. “Juicy cucumbers! Yummy yams!” He started into the garden.
Snap! “Oh!”

His leg was caught in a snare! Mouse Deer pulled and pulled. But he could not get away.

“Oh, no!” he said. “Farmer will have me for dinner!”
Then he saw Farmer coming. Mouse Deer thought fast. He lay on the ground and made his body stiff.

“Well, well,” said Farmer. “Look what I caught. A mouse deer! But he looks dead.”
Farmer pushed him with his foot. Mouse Deer didn’t move.

“Maybe he’s been dead a long time,” said Farmer. “Too bad! I guess we can’t eat him.”
He pulled Mouse Deer’s leg out of the snare. Then he tossed Mouse Deer back into the forest.

Mouse Deer landed with a soft plop. Then he jumped up and ran. Behind him, he heard Farmer yell.

“Hey! You tricked me!”

Mouse Deer laughed. “Farmer is smart. But Mouse Deer is smarter!”

A few days passed. Mouse Deer kept thinking about all those vegetables. One day, he went back to the edge of the forest.

“Mmmm,” said Mouse Deer. “Tasty gourds! Scrumptious sweet potatoes!”
Then he saw something new. It looked like a man. But its head was a coconut, and its body was rubber.

“A scarecrow!” said Mouse Deer. “That silly Farmer. Does he think he can scare me with that? I’ll show him how scared I am!”

Mouse Deer marched up to the scarecrow. “Take this!” He gave it a big kick.
But his leg stuck to the scarecrow. The scarecrow was covered with sticky sap from a rubber tree!

“Let me go!” said Mouse Deer. He pulled and he pulled. Then he pushed with his other front leg.

That leg stuck too.

“Turn me loose!” He pulled and he pulled. Then he pushed with his two back legs.
They stuck too.

“PUT ME DOWN!” He pulled and he pushed and he pulled and he pushed. But Mouse Deer was trapped.

Then he saw Farmer. Mouse Deer thought fast. But he didn’t have any ideas!
“Well, well,” said Farmer. “How nice of you to come back.”

He pulled Mouse Deer off the scarecrow and carried him to the house. He put him outside in an empty chicken coop.

“I’ll keep you here tonight,” said Farmer. “And tomorrow you’ll be our dinner.”
All that night, Mouse Deer couldn’t sleep. He didn’t want to be dinner! When the sun rose, Mouse Deer just lay there sadly.

Then he heard something. “Why, it’s Mouse Deer! So Farmer caught you at last. It serves you right!”

It was Farmer’s dog. Mouse Deer thought fast.

“What do you mean, Dog? Farmer didn’t catch me.”

“Then why are you in the coop?” said Dog.

“Because there aren’t enough beds in the house. You see, Farmer is holding a feast tomorrow. And I’m the guest of honor.”

“Guest of honor?” said Dog. “That’s not fair! I’ve been his loyal friend for years, and you’re just a thief. The guest of honor should be me!”

“You know, Dog, you’re right. Why don’t you take my place? When Farmer sees you in here, he’ll make you the guest of honor instead.”

“Really?” said Dog. “You don’t mind?”

“Not at all,” said Mouse Deer. “You deserve it.”

“Mouse Deer, you’re not so bad after all. Thank you!” Dog lifted the latch and opened the door.

“You’re welcome, Dog. Enjoy the feast.”

Mouse Deer ran for the forest. Then he watched from the forest edge. He saw Farmer come out and stare at Dog. Then he heard Farmer yell.

“You stupid dog! You let the mouse deer get away!”

Mouse Deer laughed. “Farmer will have to find a different dinner now!” Then he went off singing his song.

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Mouse Deer and Crocodile

One day, Mouse Deer went down to the river. He wanted to take a drink. But he knew Crocodile might be waiting underwater to eat him.

Mouse Deer had an idea. He said out loud, “I wonder if the water’s warm. I’ll put in my leg and find out.”

But Mouse Deer didn’t put in his leg. Instead, he picked up a stick with his mouth and put in one end.

Chomp! Crocodile grabbed the stick and pulled it underwater.
Mouse Deer laughed. “Stupid Crocodile! Don’t you know a stick from a leg?”
And he ran off to drink somewhere else!

Another day, Mouse Deer went back to the river. All he saw there was a floating log. But he knew Crocodile looked like a log when he floated.

Mouse Deer had an idea. He said out loud, “If that log is really Crocodile, it won’t talk. But if it’s really just a log, it will tell me.”

He listened. A rough voice said, “I’m really just a log.”

Mouse Deer laughed. “Stupid Crocodile! Do you think a log can talk?”
And off he ran again!

Another day, Mouse Deer wanted to cross the river. He wanted to eat tasty fruits and roots and shoots on the other side. But he didn’t want Crocodile to eat him first!
Mouse Deer had an idea. He called out, “Crocodile!”

Crocodile rose from the water. “Hello, Mouse Deer. Have you come to be my breakfast?”
“Not today, Crocodile. I have orders from the King. He wants me to count all the crocodiles.”

“The King!” said Crocodile. “Tell us what to do.”

“You must line up from this side of the river to the other side.”

Crocodile got all his friends and family. They lined up across the river.
Mouse Deer jumped onto Crocodile’s back. “One.”
He jumped onto the next crocodile. “Two.”
And the next. “Three.”

Mouse Deer kept jumping till he jumped off on the other side of the river.
“How many are there?” called Crocodile.
“Just enough!” said Mouse Deer. “And all stupid!”
Then he went off singing his song.

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Mouse Deer and Tiger

Mouse Deer sang his song as he walked through the forest. He was looking for tasty fruits and roots and shoots.

Though he was small, he was not afraid. He knew that many big animals wanted to eat him. But first they had to catch him!
Then he heard something. Rowr!

There was Tiger!

“Hello, Mouse Deer. I was just getting hungry. Now you can be my lunch.”
Mouse Deer didn’t want to be lunch. He looked around and thought fast. He saw a mud puddle.

“I’m sorry, Tiger. I can’t be your lunch. The King has ordered me to guard his pudding.”

“His pudding?” said Tiger.

“Yes. There it is.” Mouse Deer pointed to the mud puddle. “It has the best taste in the world. The King doesn’t want anyone else to eat it.”

Tiger looked longingly at the puddle. “I would like to taste the King’s pudding.”
“Oh, no, Tiger! The King would be very angry.”

“Just one little taste, Mouse Deer! The King will never know.”

“Well, all right, Tiger. But first let me run far away, so no one will blame me.”

“All right, Mouse Deer, you can go now.”

Mouse Deer ran quickly out of sight.

“Imagine!” said Tiger. “The King’s pudding!” He took a big mouthful.
Phooey! He spit it out.

“Yuck! Ugh! Bleck! That’s no pudding. That’s mud!”

Tiger ran through the forest. Rowr! He caught up with Mouse Deer.

“Mouse Deer, you tricked me once. But now you will be my lunch!”

Mouse Deer looked around and thought fast. He saw a wasp nest in a tree.

“I’m sorry, Tiger. I can’t be your lunch. The King has ordered me to guard his drum.”

“His drum?” said Tiger.

“Yes. There it is.” Mouse Deer pointed to the wasp nest. “It has the best sound in the world. The King doesn’t want anyone else to hit it.”

Tiger said, “I would like to hit the King’s drum.”

“Oh, no, Tiger! The King would be very angry.”

“Just one little hit, Mouse Deer! The King will never know.”

“Well, all right, Tiger. But first let me run far away, so no one will blame me.”

“All right, Mouse Deer, you can go now.”

Mouse Deer ran quickly out of sight.

“Imagine!” said Tiger. “The King’s drum!” He reached up and hit it. Pow.
Bzzzzzzzzzzzzz. The wasps all flew out. They started to sting Tiger.

“Ouch! Ooch! Eech! That’s no drum. That’s a wasp nest!”

Tiger ran away. But the wasps only followed him! Bzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

“Ouch! Ooch! Eech!”

Tiger came to a stream. He jumped in—splash!—and stayed underwater as long as he could. At last the wasps went away.

Then Tiger jumped out. Rowr! He ran through the forest till he found Mouse Deer.

“Mouse Deer, you tricked me once. You tricked me twice. But now you will be my lunch!”

Mouse Deer looked around and thought fast. He saw a cobra! The giant snake was coiled asleep on the ground.

“I’m sorry, Tiger. I can’t be your lunch. The King has ordered me to guard his belt.”
“His belt?” said Tiger.

“Yes. There it is.” Mouse Deer pointed to the cobra. “It’s the best belt in the world. The King doesn’t want anyone else to wear it.”

Tiger said, “I would like to wear the King’s belt.”

“Oh, no Tiger! The King would be very angry.”

“Just for one moment, Mouse Deer! The King will never know.”

“Well, all right, Tiger. But first let me run far away, so no one will blame me.”

“All right, Mouse Deer, you can go now.”

Mouse Deer ran quickly out of sight.

“Imagine!” said Tiger. “The King’s belt!” He started to wrap it around himself.
The cobra woke up. Ssssssssssssss. It didn’t wait for Tiger to finish wrapping. It wrapped itself around Tiger. Then it squeezed him and bit him. Sstt!
“Ooh! Ow! Yow! That’s no belt. That’s a cobra! Help! Mouse Deer! Help!”
But Mouse Deer was far away. And as he went, he sang his song.

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