Bawang Merah and Bawang Putih

Bawang Merah  and Bawang Putih

Bawang Merah and Bawang Putih were the hottest issue in Indonesia.  that was last month (or last couple months?).

I wanted to cover hot issue, making amigurumi of that when the issue were still fresh, but I had this severe laziness and too many excuses.  And making amigurumi based on actual news is tiring.

Bawang Merah and Bawang Putih were the hot topic because the prices are ridiculously high since the last couple months.  Who doesn't know the importance of Bawang Merah and Bawang Putih?  Even me who never cook, knew that Bawang Merah and Bawang Putih are the crucial ingredient for Nasi Goreng (fried rice) and many other Indonesian food.

quick bahasa (Indonesian language) lessons:

Garlic in bahasa is Bawang Putih (white bawang)

Shallot in bahasa is Bawang Merah (red bawang)

Onion in bahasa is Bawang Bombay (bawang from Bombay)

Bawang Merah, the bully

Maybe because we use Bawang Merah and Bawang Putih everyday, the names are used for a folktales.

Here's the story:

Once upon a time there's a girl named Bawang Putih,  she lives with her stepmom and her stepsister, Bawang Merah. The stepmom and stepsister treat Bawang Putih like a slave.  

One day, Bawang Putih go to the river to wash the clothes.  When she was washing the clothes, one of her stepmom's selendang (a piece of cloth) fall into the stream and missing.   Bawang Putih is so helpless, she's crying by the river and so afraid to go home because her stepmom would be mad at her.  She walk by the riverside, looking for the selendang, and meet an old man fishing.  

She asked the old man, "Good old man,  I lost my stepmom's selendang on the river, my stepmom would be mad if I don't find it, did you see it?".  

Feeling sorry for Bawang Putih, the old man answers, "No, I didn't see it.  Poor girl,  I have some pumpkins,  why don't you pick one and bring it to your stepmom so she wouldn't be so mad?"

The old man offering the biggest pumpkin he has.

"Thank you, you're too kind, I would be grateful with the smallest one", Bawang Putih politely accept the smallest pumpkin, and then she go home.

Knowing that Bawang Putih dropped the selendang, the stepmom is furious (and beating Bawang Putih with the broom, while Bawang Merah just laughing and cheering on her mom).  Bawang Putih crying and telling the story about the old man and the pumpkin.  

The stepmom and Bawang Merah grab the pumpkin, and prepared a knife to cut the pumpkin to eat it.  What a surprise, the pumpkin is full of jewellery!  All of them are surprised.  The greed stepmom and Bawang Merah take all the jewellery and leaving Bawang Putih with nothing.   

Reminded of Bawang Putih story, the stepmom now wondering how many jewellery would be in the greater pumpkin?  Bawang Putih was too dumb to pick the small pumpkin!  The stepmom then asked Bawang Merah to bring another selendang  to the river.

So, Bawang Merah go to the river, she never wash the clothes herself, so she just throw the selendang to the river, and then looking for the old man.

"HEY, OLD MAN! I just lost my selendang.  Can you give me a pumpkin, so my mom wouldn't get mad?", Bawang Merah rudely asked the old man.

Although the nice old man know she's obviously a different girl, he still offering his pumpkins and ask Bawang Merah to pick one.

"Just give me the greatest one!", Bawang Merah grab the biggest pumpkin and go home.

At home, her stepmom has prepared a knife to cut the pumpkin.  As she cut open the pumpkin, instead of glittering gold, the stepmom and Bawang Merah find a big snake.  The snake kill them instantly, leaving Bawang Putih with the small pumpkin full of jewellery.  and she lived happily ever after. (I guess).