Othok-othok Ship (Traditional Toys)

This is a story about traditional toys of children in Java. Saturday afternoon, my brother joined the children's dance performance at the folk market festival , that exist only once a year, in the month of Maulud in Javanese calendar (or Maulud in the Islamic calendar). We called Sekaten folk market festival.

After my brother finished the show on stage, he wanted to buy a toy boat. Almost every year he bought this toy. We called the othok-othok ship. Because sound of boat toy is like this; "othok .... othok ... othok ...". We went home it was night and we immediately went to bed.

Sunday morning we wanted to play a toy boat. The first, we prepared a basin and filled it with water until full. While my brother filled the tank with water until the boat's tank was full, I prepared the fuel, that was cotton which given coconut oil thereon . When everything was ready, I will started burning cotton wick and put it into the boat. Othok-othok ship was ready for action.

Actually, this toy was old and only found at the Sekaten festival. The toy made from zinc and has principle works like a steam ship. My father also liked it when he was child. Even my grandfather who had died also played a toy boat like this in many years ago. So the toy boat has been there since decades. At this time, toy sellers like this such as few, only a few sellers who were there. I hope there are still toy seller like this in the future.

Please, play this video till the end and you'll get a sweet smile my younger brother!!