Tu-tu-mu and the giant

Tu-tu-mu and the giant story

Tu-tu-mu and the giant

Tu-tu-mu was a little girl who lived with her mother in a little hut in the forest. Every day when the little birds began singing their morning songs, Tu-tu-mu went with her mother to the forest to collect firewood and herbs that could be used as medicine. These Tu-tu-mu’s mother sold could be used as medicine. These Tu-tu-mu’s mother sold at the market in the nearest village outside the forest. With the money she earned, they made a very simple Hiving.

The little girl’s mother had to go to the market nearly every day. But before she could go anywhere, she had to make sweet porridge. In a huge pot she put rice-flour, coconut milk and a lot of sugar. She mixed these carefully, then put the pot on the stove and soon the fragrant smell of the bubbling sweet porridge would fill the little house. Now Tu-tu-mu”s mother cooked this nice porridge every day, yet neither she nor her daughter ever tasted it. For whom was she going through all this trouble then?

Deep inside the forest there lived a giant. It was this huge, ugly creature who came to their hut every day to eat porridge. If he was not given some, he would certainly eat them instead.

That was why Tu-tu-mu’s mother never failed to make that porridge for even one single day. Before she started for the market she would warn her don’t let the cat or mice get at it. When Uncle Giant comes be sure to close both the door and window, and hide yourself, so that he won’t see you.”

Then she would put the covered pot carefully on the doorstep and go to the market. Towards evening she would hurry home, anxious to know whether everything was all right with her little girl.

While her mother was away, Tu-tu-mu diligently did the housework. First she shook out the reed mat on which they slept, then she swept the floor and washed the few pieces of crockery. Only when everything in the little hut was spick and span did she go out to play.

Toward noon, one would hear aloud thumping coming from afar. Boom-Boom-Boom! It was the sound of huge feet tramping through the forest. The earth shook, the branches of the trees swayed and the leaves rustled. All the little birds and animals of the forest would fly or run away as fast as they could. It was the giant coming to visit Tu-tu-mu. By that time, the little girl would have locked the door and window and she herself would be hiding in a dark corner of the room.

With a finger as big as a sausage, the giant would knock at the door: lock-took-took....

From inside the house would came Tu-tu-mu’s small voice “Yes, who is there”

“I am the giant who lives in the forest, and who are your “I am Tu-tu-mu who lives in this house.”

“Tu-tu-mu, where is your mother”

“My mother has gone to market.”

“Tu-tu-mu, where is my PORRIDGE!”

“Your porridge is on the doorstep, Uncle Giant.”

Then the giant would lift the pot, full to the brim with sweet porridge, to his lips and finish the food in a few gulps. The empty pot he would throw back carelessly on the doorstep and with big strides disappear into the forest, only to come back the next day. When the sound of his footsteps had died away, the birds and the little animals would come out again from their hiding places while the little girl would open the door and window and begin to prepare the evening meal.

Since this greedy giant had come into their lives, Tu-tu-mu and her mother were always poor, as a big part of their earn­ings went onto buying huge quantities of flour and sugar. But they did not know how to get rid of him. Everybody living in the neighbourhood was terribly afraid of the giant; nobody wanted to come near him and many did not even dare to cross the for­est any more.

Once, it happened that Tu-tu-mu’s mother was not able to sell all her goods. For a few days nobody seemed to need fire­wood or herbs. Therefore, she could not buy enough food for her daughter and herself, especially as she still had to buy flour and sugar for the giant’s porridge. She did not dare give him less than usual as she was too afraid of being eaten by that cruel creature. Soon the two of them suffered from hunger. More than once Tu-tu-mu was tempred to steal some of the porridge.

One day, after her mother had gone off to market, Tu-tu­mu could not resist the temptation any longer. She was terribly hungry and the porridge was still warm and smelled so nice.

“It”s impossible that Uncle Giant will notice it if I take just one spoonful,” she thought. The more she looked at the food, the more she wanted it. Finally she took her spoon and dipped it into the pot. She brought it to her mouth and tasted the food. Ah! How delicious that porridge was! And she was so hungry! She took another spoonful and another and again another! She forgot everything and ate until she was satisfied. And only then, did she remember the giant! The pot was not full to the brim any more, nearly a quarter of the porridge was gone. Oh, oh! What would the giant say^? The little girl covered the pot again, locked the door and the window and hid herself under the bed. There she waited in fear for the giant to come.

In the afternoon, as usual, the sound of the giant’s footsteps could be heard from afar. Boom-Boom-Boom! Nearer and nearer it came! now he was in front of the door ... now he knocked at the door ... tock-tock-tock.

With a trembling voice Tu-tu-mu asked “Yes, who is there”

“I am the giant and who are you” the answer came.

“I am Tu-tu-mu.”

“Tu-tu-mu, where is your mother?”

“My mother has gone to market.”

“Tu-tu-mu, where is my PORRIDGE!”

It”s ... it’s ... in front of the door, Uncle ....

Her voice could hardly be heard.

The giant picked up the pot, threw the lid away and lifted it to his mouth, and then he saw that the pot was not full to the brim as usual. He became terribly angry!

“Hey, hey! Who has eaten some of my porridge? Why is there so little porridge today?”

The little girl did not answer. She crouched against the wall. The silence made the giant more angry. With one push he opened the door, “Tu-tu-mu, where are you” he growled.

Tu-tu-mu made herself as small as possible. But alas, the giant found her all the same. With one finger he pulled her from under the bed, then picked her up between forefinger and thumb and threw her into his wide open mouth. With one gulp Tu-tu-mu disappeared into his stomach. My goodness, how dark it was in there! Tu-tu-mu nearly fainted with terror!

“Mother, mother!” she cried. Her mother, however, was still at the market and could not come to her help. What was she to do now? Then suddenly Tu-tu-mu remembered the sharp pointed hairpin that kept her little knot of hair in place.

Quickly she pulled it out of her hair and stabbed the giat with it. That did hurt him!

“Hey, stop that, Tu-tu-mu! Stop that!” he rtoared.

But Tu-tu-mu did not stop pricking him.

 “Let me out! Let me out!” she cried, and she stabbed and stabbed.

This hurt the giant so much that he raced into the forest. Not looking where he was going, he tripped over a big root and bang ... fell on the ground. His head struck a big stone and he died!

Not long after, Tu-tu-mu’s mother came home. That day she was really lucky as she had sold all her goods. She had earned enough to buy rice, fish and vegetables and even some roasted peanuts for her daughter.

Tu-tu-mu, Tu-tu-mu, look what mother has for you!” she called from afar. But nobody answered. Where was her child? Had she gone into the forest? Then saw the open door, the pot that the giant had kicked away, the furniture that was overturned, and she understood that the giant had taken her dear little girl. Tu-tu-mu”s mother began to cry, but she was a courageous woman.

“I shall go and kill the giant. How dare he take away my child!” he cried out. She took the big, sharp kitchen knife and with this weapon in hand set out at once to look for the giant. She did not have to look for a long time however, for not very far away from the house she saw the terrible giant lying motionless on the ground, and from his stomach she heard her daughter’s voice, “ Mother, help me, help me!”

Tu-tu-mu’s mother used the big kitchen knife to cut open the giant’s stomach, and rescue her little girl. How happy they were to see each other again!

Thereafter, the two of them lived happily and peacefully in their hut in the forest. No one troubled them any more. Instead, many people now came to their house to visit them. Tu-tu-mu’s mother still made porridge every day, but now it was not for a cruel and greedy giant, but for her own dear little daughter and herself.