This tale comes from Java, the main island of the country of Indonesia. Indonesia itself lies entirely on islands, stretching across the Pacific Ocean between southeast Asia and Australia. Over 200 million people live there, and each major island has its own distinctive culture.
The culture of Java is an eclectic one, and this story echoes motifs from many lands. Japan has the tale of “The Inch Boy,” a Tom Thumb character who jumps into an ogre’s stomach and defeats him with his sewing-needle sword. Africa has many stories of mothers who rescue children from the belly of an elephant or giant caterpillar. In Western culture, Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother are taken from the stomach of the wolf. “Too-too-moo” blends these elements with a distinctive Javanese flavor.
To my knowledge, this is the first time the tale has been published outside of Asia. It is here retold chiefly from “Tu-tu-mu and the Giant,” in Favourite Stories from Indonesia, by Marguerite Siek, Heinemann Educational Books, Kuala Lumpur, 1972.
