All in Vietnam :: Hotels, Travel, Destination, History, Myths and Legends ...

Stretching the truth

2013-03-27T16:53:00.000+07:00

One day, four mandarins proposed to hold a competition to find out which of them was the most skilled in magnifying things beyond the limits of truth.

They had been drinking ruou (rice wisky) all afternoon and by evening their fibs became more and more grandiose.

The first mandarin began by saying with a straight face:

"The other day I saw a buffalo which was so big that with one sweep of its tounge it cropped half a rice field."

"That's nothing," snorted the second, "for I've seen a rope that could serve to tether a much bigger animal. It was as thick as 10 columns of our communal house tied together."

"How can you be so proud of your experience with such trivialities?" said the third mandarin.

"I know of such a long bridge that a son living on one side of the river, upon hearing news of the death of his father who was living on the other side, started out immediately on the journey to cross it, yet didn't arrive before the period of mourning lasted three years."

He was just telling himself that was sure to carry off the palm when the fourth mandarin, who had looked thoroughly unimpressed throughout, said in a voice ringing with conviction:

"I wonder if your bridge, if you could stand it on one of its ends, could be as high as the tree I've heard about?"

"The tree is so tall that some eggs had fallen from a bird's nest on its top," he started.

"Before they reached the ground, they had hatched and the chicks had grown big enough to be able to fly away on their own."

The four mandarins, breaking into tumultuous laughter, congratulated themselves on the power of their imagination with another shot of whisky.

Suddenly a thunderous voice was heard from behind them.

"You big-mouthed liars! You should all be gaoled for your scandalous lies."

Trembling with fear, they all turned and saw no one but a humble servant, who had been fanning them all this time.

"How dare you say such things to your masters?" they cried angrily.

The man bowed and said meekly: "Your stories so excited my imagination that I wondered if you would be fooled by my own hoax."

The jar of gold

2013-03-27T16:52:00.000+07:00

There once lived a poor farmer and his wife, who led a very quiet life in the countryside. Every morning at dawn, they would get up and toil in their fields until dusk. The farmer's father had done the same, but the farmer did not think of the past. For him, the important thing was to complete each day's task within the allotted time. So he lived one day at a time, unconcerned with the ambitions of other men.

One morning in his field, his foot struck something hard. He scraped the dirt from around the object and was surprised to uncover an earthen jar. It was extremely heavy. He pried open the lid and was surprised to see not one, not two but hundreds of gold coins inside. He buried the jar where he had found it and went home.

His wife was elated upon hearing the news, but became concerned when her husband told her he had buried it again.

"Why didn't you bring the jar homer" she asked. "It is a gift from heaven and if you don't bring it home for safe-keeping, someone might steal it from under our noses."

The farmer was unconcerned. "If it is really a gift from heaven," he said, "no one will take it. If on the other hand it is not a gift from heaven, then I don't want it."

During this argument, two thieves happened to be passing the farmer's house. Upon hearing the tale of the gold, they took precise notes and hurried to the spot the farmer had described. They turned over the freshly-dug soil and found the jar the farmer had reburied. The thieves carried the jar to their evil lair and opened it.

Inside the jar they found, much to their surprise, not gold coins but a family of snakes. Furiously, they closed the jar again and threw it away.

The following morning, the poor farmer returned to his fields and immediately discovered that the jar was missing. He worked until dusk, returned home and told his wife that the gold had been taken.

"Of course," she said sarcastically, "who except you would leave a jar of gold coins in an open field."

It so happened - perhaps not surprisingly - that the two thieves had returned to the farmer's house that night.

The mere mention of gold aroused some latent evil in them and they plotted to get revenge on the farmer for his trick.

They brought the jar back to the field and buried it, hoping the snakes would bite the man when he opened it again.

The man arrived at the field in the morning and was surprised to see that the jar had returned. But he felt no desire to open it and thus left it where it was. That evening he told his wife the jar had been returned.

"One day you find a jar of gold coins, the next day you lose it and now you tell me you have found it again. What am I to believe?" she wailed.

The husband assured her that he was speaking the truth.

"Then go back to the field and bring home the jar," she demanded. "Then I know that you are a man of your word. It must be a gift from heaven - it has returned to the field."

"No," replied the husband, "if it is a gift from heaven, it will find its own way here without our help."

The two thieves listened to this conversation intently and their desire to get revenge grew.

They were certain that the farmer and his wife had deliberately made fools of them and thus intended to teach them a lesson.

So they went to the field, dug up the jar and carried it to the farmer's hut, placing it neatly on the farmer's doorstep. Then they hid behind a clump of bamboo to see what would happen.

The next morning, the farmer opened the door and saw the jar on the doorstep.

His wife came running upon hearing the news. She picked up the jar of gold and tipped it upside down. A stream of gold coins poured onto the ground.

The two thieves realized that they had been dealing with a higher power and thus stole away.

The farmer and his wife were now wealthy. The woman bought a new wardrobe of clothes and assumed superior airs.

But the advent of wealth did not alter the farmer's disposition. He continued to labour at the tasks that life has assigned him in the same way until the day he died.

A perfect friendship

2013-03-25T16:51:00.000+07:00

Duong Le was a poor student who had to work hard as a common laborer in order to finance his studies. On the other hand, his friend, Luu Binh, had inherited a small fortune and seemed well-situated for life. When Luu Binh learned that Duong Le's studies were suffering because of the long hours of work he determined to invite him to live at his home until the triennial examination.

Thereafter, the two friends shared the same food and studies beneath the light of the same lamp. As often happens, Duong Le was conscious of his needy situation and worked hard, spending long nights in study.

Meanwhile, Luu Binh became over-confident because of the security of wealth and ceased to study as before. When the examinations were held, Duong Le passed as expected, and was appointed mandarin. Luu Binh failed. The wealthy young man returned home despondently. In his despair he gave himself up to self-indulgence and recklessly squandered his fortune. In desperation he tried the examinations again, but again met with failure.

Recalling that Duong Le was in charge of one of the district administrations in the area, he swallowed his pride and turned to him for assistance. To his surprise, Duong Le not only refused to receive him, but also ordered his guard to drive him away.

Luu Binh trudged on with his small bundle of possessions at the end of a stick. His weary gait and downcast mien told the story of a man's failure in life. That night Luu Binh arrived at a small roadside inn and made the acquaintance of the mistress, a comely young woman named Chau Long. She welcomed him with a cup of steaming tea and listened sympathetically as Luu Binh recounted the long story of his failures. Chau Long encouraged him to try again. She suggested that he remain at the inn and promised to help him in every way possible.

Freed from the temptations of excessive wealth, Luu Binh devoted himself exclusively to his studies. The tender days passed quickly and the time for the examinations approached. When the results were published, Luu Binh's name was at the top of the list. He returned to the inn with the good news, but to his dismay Chau Long had disappeared. He searched for her everywhere, but she was not to be found. Finally, the new mandarin resigned himself to unhappiness and departed for his post.

Many years passed until one day, in the execution of his duties, Luu Binh happened to be passing through the district of his old friend, Duong Le. The memory of his friend's ingratitude did not prevent him from paying a visit. This time Duong Le welcomed his fellow mandarin with great pleasure and offered him tea.

As they were drinking and talking, a woman entered the reception room. She approached the two men smiling. Consternation and astonishment crossed Luu Binh's face, for in the woman he recognized Chau Long, the supposed mistress of the inn.

Duong Le then explained to his old friend that if he had helped him openly it would have produced no reform. Therefore he had sent his own wife to encourage and aid him, until he would pass the examinations. He had been willing to make this sacrifice in the name of friendship. And that is why people in Vietnam nod understandably and refer to the example of Duong Le and Luu Binh whenever they hear the story of a deep, unbreakable friendship.

She lives in a lime pot

2013-03-25T16:50:00.000+07:00

Once upon a time, there was a very beautiful, very rich, but very proud young girl. Women avoided her and young men more often than not hated her for she usually offended her suitors.

For a long time, she remained single while all the other women in the village had begun families. She finally got hitched but she became so bored with him, they divorced each after just six months.

Ascribing her misfortune more to fate than to her nasty nature, she converted to Buddhism. For 20 years, she led a secluded life in a small pagoda in the forest among wild animals.

"Why haven't I met Buddha yet?" she would ask the chief monk. "Who knows the prayers better than I. Who can lead a life as pure as mine?"

One day she decided to pack up her things and go on a quest to the Promised West, or the Land of Buddha (Tay Truc) in the hope of answering these questions and many more. Alone, she set off on the long journey.

After many days, she arrived at the foot of a mountain, where she stumbled across a hut. The host and her daughter gave her a warm welcome.

The nasty nun told the pair about her quest and the woman and her daughter, who were both devote Buddhists, greatly admired her for her patience and faith.

As they wanted to meet Buddha too, they offered to accompany the nun on her quest.

"Come along with me then," said the nun, a little reluctant to let a couple of heathens tag along. So all three women set out and soon arrived in the Land of Buddha. The nun, however, was becoming concerned that one of her companions might be a little more pious than her.

"It would be shameful," she muttered under her breath, "if they were more successful than I." Buddha, who was aware of all three women's intentions, watched as the women approached the gates of heaven.

The nun, who by now wanted to get rid of her companions, said: "Don't you see that enormous banyan tree? It is under that tree that Buddha himself spent his life before attaining enlightenment."

"People say that if you climb to the top of the tree and say a prayer, you can fall right into heaven."

Without suspecting a thing, her companions climbed to the top of the tree and followed the wicked nun's advice. As they fell from the top of the tree, however, Buddha appeared, caught the naive pair and carried them to heaven.

The nun gaped at them, but pulled herself together and climbed to the top of the tree. She said a prayer, closed her eyes and let herself fall. Buddha, however, wanted to punish her for the trick she tried to play on her companions, so didn't catch her in her fall.

Instead, he trapped the nun in an old lime pot, the type old women in the countryside ransack when they make their betel quid. She's been stuck there ever since.

The golden buffalo

2013-03-25T16:49:00.000+07:00

During the time of King Ly in the 11th century, there lived a huge man named Khong Lo. Khong Lo, which means "Giant", joined the monastery as a young boy. Wherever he traveled, he carried an iron bar and a magical bag, which, no matter how much was crammed inside it, never became full.

At that time, the king of Dai Viet wished to cast some bronze statues as offerings to the Buddha. Since there was no black bronze to be found in his kingdom, the king asked Khong Lo to travel to China to collect some. Carrying his magic bag, Khong Lo set off to the north.

Some months later Khong Lo arrived at the Chinese court and was taken to meet the king. "I have come to ask your highness for some black bronze so that we may expand Buddhism in Dai Viet," said Khong Lo. "I came here alone with just this one bag," he said. "I ask for one bag full of bronze."

Seeing the small bag; the Chinese king smiled. "Even if you needed hundreds of bags, it would be our pleasure to supply bronze for such a good cause." The Chinese king then told his store-keeper to allow Khong Lo to take as much black bronze as he needed.

In front of the king's warehouse stood a large statue of a buffalo, made of solid gold. The store-keeper pointed to the golden buffalo and teasingly asked Khong Lo: "Do you need this buffalo?"

"No, thank you," answered the monk. "I only need some black bronze." Khong Lo started to put bronze into his bag. Even when he had taken all of the bronze in the Chinese king's storeroom, his bag was not yet full. By the time the Chinese king realized that all of his bronze was gone, Khong Lo had already travelled 300 kilometres. Feeling cheated, the king sent 500 soldiers in pursuit of the giant monk. Arriving at a wide river, Khong Lo heard the Chinese soldiers approaching. Khong Lo jumped into the river and began to swim. He was some way across when a Chinese soldier called out: "Please wait! Our king told us to help you to carry the bronze and to escort you safely to your own country."

"Please send my thanks to your kind-hearted king," replied Khong Lo. "But it's only one bag so I don't wish to trouble you."

Some days later, Khong Lo hitched a ride on a ship bound for Dai Viet. After some days of smooth sailing, a violent hurricane blew up. In the eye of the storm, a giant sea serpent leapt from the waves and began to pursue the boat.

"Keep silent and I will kill this monster," said Khong Lo, who then threw a large pumpkin into the sea serpent's mouth. As the serpent was choking on the pumpkin, Khong Lo beat it over the head with his iron rod. Unable to flee, the sea serpent broke into three parts, which later became three islands. No sooner had the sea serpent been killed when the storm died down.

The ship sailed peacefully on to Dai Viet, where King Ly was anxiously waiting. The king asked Khong Lo to cast four offerings. Khong Lo divided the bronze into four piles: one part to cast the nine-tiered tower of Bao Thien; one part to cast a 24-metre-high Buddha statue; one part to cast an urn big enough to fit 10 people; and the final part to cast a huge bronze bell. When this massive bell was finished, its peals could be heard as far away as the Chinese capital.

Upon hearing the sounds of the distant bronze bell, the golden buffalo that stood in front of the Chinese king's warehouse woke up. Since black bronze is the mother of gold, the golden buffalo set off in search of its mother. In no time at all, the golden buffalo has found the bell and settled nearby. Khong Lo was afraid that whenever the bell was struck it would attract golden objects. To avoid earning the hatred of neighbouring states, Khong Lo asked the king to get rid of the bell. Not wishing to provoke a war, the king agreed.

Khong Lo threw the bell into West Lake. Hearing the peals of the bell as it sank into the lake's depths, the golden buffalo followed. Because of this story, West Lake is sometimes called "Golden Buffalo Lake." And Khong Lo is recognized as the man who introduces bronze casting to Vietnam.

The Lion and the leaves

2013-03-23T16:46:00.000+07:00

Once upon a time, in a small landlocked region lived a greedy king and his three daughters, Ca, Hai and Ba.

On the King's 50th birthday, his daughters bought him a tree with gold leaves. The King loved the tree and the tree loved the King.

But after a week had passed, the King noticed that the tree was missing a few leaves.

The King huffed and puffed so he gathered his daughters around him. "I want those leaves returned!" he bellowed. "Whichever one of you finds them will rule this kingdom once I am gone."

Ba, being the wisest of the daughters, successfully traced the thiefs whereabouts to the royal court of the Dank Flatlands.

On the third day of her trip, she came across a lion trapped in a snare and freed him. The lion was so grateful for being released that it promised to help Ba whenever she needed assistance. The lion plucked three whiskers from its face and told Ba to burn a whisker every time she needed help.

The Dank Flatlands was ruled by a grisly king who had it in for Ba, for she was the known daughter of his oldest adversary. Upon entering the citadel, Ba was immediately set upon and thrown in gaol. Ba pleaded her case to the King and said, she knew he had her father's leaves and demanded them back. The King promised to release her and hand over the leaves if she brought him the leggendary horse that could travel many moons in a single day, known in those parts as Thien Ly Ma.

So, with the word out to all his men to keep and watch over Ba, the King sent Ba into the forest near his castle to find the horse.

Ba was worried sick at the task. But her despair traced turned to joy when she stumbled upon her lion friend out strolling through the forest.

"Don't worry," the lion told her. "I'll help you find that old blaggard friend of mine, Thien Ly Ma!"

With that the lion started leading her back to the castle.

As they neared the King's lair and still had no sign of the horse Ba's worries rose again.

But suddenly the lion turned himself into Thien Ly Ma and said: "Here's your horse. Present me to the King."

The King was surprised to see that Ba had actually found the horse and readily accepted the gift. He also made good on his promise, gave Ba the leaves and released her on the spot.

But suddenly the horse changed back into a lion and roared through the court which scared the pants off the King and his men.

The lion then ran out of the court and into the forest without struggle.

With that Ba started off for home. The next day she met up with her sisters along the road, and they swapped stories of their travels.

Realizing Ba had the throne well locked up, her sisters became extremely jealous and hatched a plot to take the leaves.

When Ba wasn't looking, Ca and Hai jumped her and beat her up, stealing her leaves and leaving her dazed by the side of the road.

By nightfall Ba could barely move, and she feared she'd freeze to death without food or shelter. Just as her despair was at its highest, she remembered the whiskers.

After scrounging in her pockets and finding one last match, she lit fire to a whisker. In a minute the lion appeared.

The lion used his magic to heal Ba's wounds and supply her with a quick passage home so she arrived at the palace before her sisters. Ba and the lion explained what happened to the King.

When Ca and Hai arrived, their father informed them they'd each be spending a month in their rooms and that Ba had been appointed Queen-in-waiting.

Ba appointed the lion to the post of special advisor; the kingdom lived in peace, and the golden tree glimmered brighter..

The Gecko's tale

2013-03-22T16:46:00.000+07:00

Everyone in Vietnam has heard the gecko's call but few remember how the tiny lizard got its voice.

Long ago, there lived a man named Gecko, who, together with his wife, survived by begging. They were a frugal pair and, despite their poverty, managed to put aside a tiny portion of the food or money they were given. Eventually, their savings added up and Gecko took great pleasure in courting his hidden nest-egg.

One evening, on his way home, Gecko saw two water buffaloes fighting: "This is a sign," he told his wife, "A terrible storm is approaching. Can't you feel it in your bones?" Following his hunch, Gecko took their savings and bought bags of rice.

Sure enough, a typhoon hit the next day. The river overflowed its banks and still the rain continued. Crops, livestock, houses and even a few unlucky villagers were swept away by the flood's fury. When the skies finally cleaned, the fields were in ruins; there would be no harvest that autumn.

The village, normally so prosperous, had a new resident: Hunger had moved in, and only Gecko welcomed his arrival. Finally, when the price of rice had climbed to ten times its usual value, he brought out his hidden bags of grain. "We are rich," he laughed, clapping his wife on the back. "I'll lend you money to rebuild your houses," he told his neighbours, and then proceeded to charge outrageous interest rates.

As Gecko's wealth increased, so did his greed. He opened a pawn shop, befriended pirates and thieves, and took to reselling stolen property.

After ten years Gecko's wealth was uncountable. The only thing that he lacked was respectability but this too could be bought. In exchange for chests full of jewels and ivory, the king offered Gecko a post as a minister. Gecko and his wife moved to the court, built their own immense palace and lived like royalty.

Gecko's life revolved around pleasure. At one of the many parties he attended, he met the queen's brother, a man named Vuong who was rumoured to be as rich as Gecko. The two wealthy men eyed each other warily: "I must buy whole warehouses of silk just to clothe my servants," Vuong sighed. "Well my servants eat as much rice as an entire province," said Gecko with a shrug.

"In my kitchen we use cinnamon bark instead of wood for the cooking fires," countered Vuong. And so it went on, with each of them trying to outdo the other.

"Enough," said a bystander. "We need proof. Why don't you both show us your properties? We will judge which is grander and the loser must give the richer man ten chests of gold and a basket of rubies."

Gecko and Vuong agreed. At home, they both set about preparing for the contest. Vuong directed his servants to sew mosquito nets from silk gauze; Gecko ordered curtains of the finest crepe silk; Vuong had his entire house roofed with glass; Gecko had his floor tiled with precious jade.

The judges toured the men's homes and were stunned. "How can we possibly decide?" they asked one another. But Gecko and Vuong waved their fears aside. "Whoever has the rarest and most valuable possessions will win," suggested Gecko, "Vuong, do you have any coral?"

Vuong ordered his servants to bring out a massive piece of coral. "Do you have a rhinoceros horn?" he asked Gecko. This went on for hours, until the judges' heads swam. Never had they seen such treasures: rare plants, mysterious creatures from under the sea, a magic horse that could run 1,000 miles in a single day...

"I have this chip of jade," said Gecko, "That cools me in summer and keeps me warm in winter. There is none like it."

Vuong frowned. His sister, the queen, also owned a magic jewel; perhaps he could borrow it. But one of his mandarin whispered into his ear. Vuong cleared his throat. "You have many luxurious possessions but your house still lacks many things," he told Gecko.

Gecko was annoyed. "How can you say that?" He stamped his foot imperiously: "I have everything. Show me one thing that I lack and I will give you all that I own."

So the stakes were increased, with each man wagering his entire property. The judges shook their heads in awe. "Now;" said Vuong, "Show me your clay cooking pot, one that is well-used and chipped."

Gecko stared in confusion. An old clay cooking pot? There was nothing luxurious about that! Even the poorest beggar in the countryside had one. He ordered his servants to find one and bring it to him immediately.

They searched the whole estate; there were bowls made of silver and gold, bowls carved from teak and sandalwood, even a bowl studded with diamonds, but no worn clay pot.

"How can this be?" thundered Gecko. He thought back to his former life, when he had rummaged through garbage piles to salvage the chipped clay pots discarded by his richer neighbours. "Where did those clay pots go?" he bullied his bewildered wife, who stood by, wringing her hands.

As agreed, Vuong took over Gecko's entire estate. "My jade floor tiles, my silk curtains, my mythical beasts and magical jewels!" wailed Gecko in despair. He was left with nothing but a small bamboo hut, where he sat, dwelling on his loss. For miles around people could hear him, sighing and clucking his tongue in vexation. Finally, regret froze his blood and he died.

After death, Gecko was transformed into the small1izard that bears his name. Still today you can hear him sighing and crying out in exasperation over his lost fortune.

How monkeys reddened their rears

2013-03-22T16:44:00.001+07:00

In ancient times, a young orphan girl lived in a small village. Her parents had died years before, saddling her with a huge debt to the village lord which she couldn't pay.

So, in lieu of cold cash, the lord forced the girl to become his maid servant. Time passed and the girl grew up to be a healthy but not particularly stunning woman. When she was 18, she found herself acquiring a strange black complexion. She was embarrassed by this and as such preferred staying in her thatched hut to going out and talking to people.

One day, on her way to the village well to take some water, she met an old woman in ragged clothes with a filthy appearance and a strange, fetid body odour .

The woman was begging villagers for a drink of water, but her appearance and smell dissuaded anyone from helping her. But the girl took pity, filled her bucket with well water and offered it to the old woman.

The old woman thanked her, but then suddenly fainted. The girl again tried to help her, and when the old woman came to she said she was hungry.

Though all she had with her was a small portion of steamed rice, she offered it to the old woman.

The old woman ate the whole piece, then, much to the girl's surprise, suddenly turned into a fairy with a glittering halo.

"You've proven you have a good heart" the fairy told the girl. "Now I'll grant you a wish, whatever it may be."

"The only thing I want now is to improve my appearance, so that I can make more friends" the girl replied.

"Simple," said the fairy. "Just take this white flower and sniff it. Within a week, you'll see a change."

Then she vanished.

A week later the girl found herself changing, and gradually she became the most beautiful girl in the village.

Her lord, however, was quite surprised, and upon hearing her story figured he wanted a dose of the same magic. He and his wife started taking buckets to the well in the hope of meeting the fairy's favour.

But at home, things got worse. The lord and his wife forced the girl to do more work than before and never let her out of the house.

One day, the lord and his wife met the old lady at the same place where the girl had. The same routine happened, and when they asked for a better and younger appearance, the fairy gave them two flowers to sniff.

But instead of becoming more beautiful, long, black hair started growing out of their bodies, which irritated the skin. The more they scratched, the longer the hairs grew. Within a week, the lord, his wife and their two sons had all turned into monkeys, leaving them with no other recourse than to run into the jungle.

The girl and many of the other villagers were happy, thinking they could now live in peace, and the lord's belongings were divided equally among the villagers.

But the monkey still longed for their possessions and returned to the village in the night, knocking at every window of every home, especially their old one. There they sat at the doorstep until daybreak, then they returned to the jungle.

The girl was petrified and prayed to the fairy for help. The fairy returned and told the girl to heat some ploughshares and leave them on the doorstep.

The girl did so and told other villagers to do the same thing.

Night fell and the monkeys came again. But when they tried to sit on the doorstep they burned their behinds on the ploughshares. They shouted and ran into the jungle, where they've been ever since.

But the red behind has stood the test of time.

The story of Nam Xuong woman

2013-03-22T16:44:00.000+07:00

Once upon a time, in the region of Nam Xuong, lived a woman whose husband had been sent with the army to a border post on the northern frontier. At that time, means of communication were difficult, so news came rarely from her husband or his command.

The woman resigned herself to her fate and stayed at home to do housework, tend the fields and look after their one-year-old son. She would cast her eyes upon the horizon every evening, yearning for the return of her cherished husband. Time went by.

Then winter came and one evening, a violent storm arose. The wind howled and moaned, and the house was shaken with every gust. Inside, the woman was sewing by the flickering light of an oil lamp. She stopped working from time to time to pat the back of her lovely child lying asleep in the bed.

Suddenly, a large gust of wind threw open the door. The lamp flickered out and a clap of thunder made the little boy awake from his sleep. Frightened, he began to scream. The mother clasped her child to her breast and lit the wick, which had been extinguished by the wind. Pointing her finger at her own shadow on the wall, she comforted her son: "Don't be afraid, darling. Daddy is there to take care of you."

The little boy looked at the quivering shadow and stopped crying immediately. The mother hummed a sweet lullaby and the child soon fell asleep again. The next evening, before going to bed, the little boy called for his father. A smile lighted up in the face of his mother. She placed herself so that her child might see her shadow on the wall. Then she taught him to clasp his hands before bowing to the shadow and saying: "Good night, Daddy."

The salutation eventually grew into habit and took place every evening. When the child was asleep, the mother stayed there at his bedside, alone with her shadow, late into the night.

Some time later, the man returned to his home and family. The woman was overcome with joy however, like most woman of that time, she did not reveal this to her husband. Only when tears had come to her eyes and run down her cheeks did she tell her husband: "We must thank our ancestors. I will go and get some food. Prepare the altar and look after the child. I will be back in a little while."

In the absence of his wife, the man made a quick acquaintance with the little boy. However, when he tried to persuade the child that he was his father, the little boy refused to accept his story.

"You are not my Daddy," said the little boy. "Daddy is not here now. I always say good night to my father before I go to bed."

Too shocked to say anything and too proud to question his wife, the man did nothing and kept silent.

Upon her return from the market, the woman felt a strong premonition that misfortune was coming to her home. It had come, indeed, and when she spoke to her husband, he turned away in silence. Her usual discreet words and reserved manner only inflamed the doubt in the heart of the man.

Silently, he prostrated himself before the ancestral altar and silently, he folded up the mat to prevent his wife from performing her rites. When the meal was served, the husband did not lay his hands on the chopsticks. The food cooled and, without speaking, the man walked out of the house and did not look back.

The woman spent many days in solitude with only her child, clinging to the slightest hope of her husband's return. One day, unable to suffer her sorrow and loneliness any longer, she gave her child a farewell embrace and entrusted him to a neighbour. Then, after running like a mad woman, she threw herself into the river and found everlasting peace in the spirit world.

The death of his wife came as a severe shock to the man, whose heart had grown cold with old age. Suspicion gave way to sorrow and the man eventually returned home to look after the child. In the evening he lit an oil lamp and was amazed to watch his son clasp his hands, bow to his shadow and say: "Good night Daddy."

At once he realised his disastrous blunder, but it was too late. An altar was set up on the bank of the river and a three-day mass of requiem was celebrated. As for the man, he neve

Legend of Vong Phu

2013-03-22T16:41:00.000+07:00

(The wife waiting for the husband's return)

Once upon a time there lived in the highland of northern Vietnam a boy orphaned of both his mother and father. He lived with his little sister in a small cottage on the slopes of a hill.

Every day at early dawn he went to the forest not far from his house to chop wood. He took the wood to the market to sell for food and provisions. The rest of the day he devoted to his little sister, whom he cherished and cared for lovingly.

The brother and sister were very happy in their small cottage, until, one day, a stranger arrived. The newcomer was an old man, who, passing by the place one evening, asked for lodging.

When the brother learned that the stranger was a prophet, he eagerly requested his guest to foretell the future. The old man referred to his book and told the boy: "The date and hour of your birth most certainly indicate that you will some day marry your own sister."

The old man continued: "It is irrevocable. No-one can act against his fate." The boy regarded the old man's words as nonsense and did not care about them any more.

One nice day, the young man brought his sister with him to the forests. There, the little girl was watching and listening to the birds, while her brother chopped wood.

Suddenly, the hatchet's edge dropped upon the girl's head. The little girl fell down. Her head was bloody. The young man thought his sister died. He was very afraid of his crime, therefore, he ran away from the forest.

He did not want to return to his home and wandered far into the highland. He changed his name and settled in a place that is far from his home. He was most unhappy and grieved over the terrible thing he had done to the sister he had always loved.

However, he gradually lost himself in hard work and, at last, began to build a new life for himself.

Fifteen years later, he grew up and became the proud husband of the daughter of a very rich tradesman. A lovely child was born to complete the happiness of the devoted couple.

One day, on coming into the back yard, he found his wife drying her hair in the sun. She had removed her upper garments and when she threw her hair forward to comb it, he saw, for the first time, a deep ugly scar on her back. He approached his wife and asked her what had caused it.

The woman said in a tearful voice: "I am not the real daughter of the man you know as my father. Originally, I came from a place far away, where 1 lived in a small cottage with my elder brother. He was very kind to me and I loved him dearly."

"However, one day, 15 years ago, I went into the forests with my brother to chop wood. He made me injured by his hatchet. Thinking I was dead, he ran from the forest."

"I was saved by a tradesman who had just lost his daughter. He took pity on me and adopted me. I have never seen my brother again and I shall never know why he left me alone. We had loved each other very much."

The woman's eyes were filled with tears. The man struggled to control his emotions and enquired for the name of her own father and that of her native village.

There was not the shadow of a doubt. The girl he had married was his own sister.

The shame and painful feeling swept over him. He assumed he made a terrible evil. The following morning, he found a pretext to leave his home, promising to return within six months.

Time went by, six months passed and still, the husband bad not returned home. Every night, at twilight, the anxious wife carried her child to the high peak of the mountain, overlooking the road, and watched in vain for so many days, months and years, that one day she turned to stone. There, on the lonely mountain peak, mother and child keep their eternal vigil.

The tree angel

2013-03-21T16:43:00.000+07:00

The tree angel had 36 sons, each of whom helped in the family business, designing trees. Every three years the old man organized a meeting in which he judged the new tree designs thought up by his many sons.

The tree angel's youngest son, Tieu Ly, had recently married and had his own son. Tieu Ly was so thrilled with his infant son that he could spend the whole day just watching him. One day, while playing with his baby, Tieu Ly was inspired to design a new tree.

This tree, he decided, would have a plump trunk and large leaves, as smooth as his baby's skin. The tree would bear delicious fruit, tasting of milk and molasses and shaped like a baby's fingers. Furthermore, when ripe the fruit would be easy for small hands to pick.

Tieu Ly got to work, creating a tree with huge leaves. When his son was older, thought Tieu Ly, these leaves could shield him from rain or sun. He finished the tree and planted it in his garden, very pleased with his handiwork.

Unfortunately, Tieu Ly was not the only one attracted by this new tree. A giant bird, seeing this odd tree, came to investigate. Then, when Tieu Ly turned his back, the bird stole all of the tree's seeds.

Tieu Ly went back to the drawing board. He decided that, to protect the tree from this ferocious bird, the tree would reproduce from its roots. The seeds would remain in the fruit, but they would never bud.

The bird watched Tieu Ly's work with interest. That night, it flew into the garden and ate most of the fruit. Tieu Ly spent many sleepless nights trying to guard his tree. But the moment he shut his eyes the bird would swoop down and steel the precious fruit.

One night, Tieu Ly woke with a start to see the bird tugging at the tree's fruit. Tieu Ly lunged at the bird but it was too quick, leaving him with nothing but a handful of feathers. The bird, however, was alarmed by its close call and, from then on, kept a careful eye on Tieu Ly's hands. This gave Tieu Ly an idea: He would arrange the fruit in clusters that were shaped like a human hand.

The bird saw what looked like hands sprouting from the tree and was too afraid to come closer. The fruit, therefore, ripened and the tree grew strong and straight.

Finally it came time for the tree angel to review his sons' trees. Tieu Ly was the last to appear, placing his little tree beside his brothers' creations. There were some amazing trees, some big, some small, and in many different colours.

The tree angel stopped beside each tree and listened to his sons' explanations. The more he saw the more impressed he was by his children's creativity. Finally he stood before Tieu Ly's tree. When Tieu Ly explained that his tree was designed to please babies, the old man was delighted. With a joyful laugh he announced that Tieu Ly's tree was the winning design.

Everyone spoke of Tieu Ly's entry as the "last" tree. The Vietnamese word for "last" is "cuoi", and this word was eventually mispronounced as "chuoi", or banana.

Today, the "hands" on a banana tree have more than five fingers. Since children love to eat bananas, Tieu Ly's helpful tree has adapted to give them more fruit. In this way the banana tree continues to serve the purpose of its creator Tieu Ly, the child-loving son of the tree angel.

The legend of Truong Chi

2013-03-20T16:41:00.001+07:00

Once upon a time, there was a very beautiful girl named My Nuong, the only daughter of a powerful mandarin. Like all the maidens of her station in life, she met no-one and was kept secluded in a high tower in the palace.

She spent most of her time reading, knitting or standing by the little window in order to cast her eyes upon the Tieu Tuong River, which passed directly beneath her.

Gliding along, from time to time, was the small boat of Truong Chi, a poor angler. The man sang while he fished.

From afar she could not see his face, but could hear him singing. His singing was lovely and his voice melancholic.

No-one knew what feelings the song and voice produced in the heart of the girl.

However, one day the boat was not seen on the water and she began to wait. After waiting in vain for many moons, she fell ill.

The mandarin became very anxious. Even the most famous doctor of the time could not discover the cause of his daughter's illness.

One morning, to everyone's joy and surprise, the girl suddenly recovered her health. The little boat had returned to the river and the voice of the man again filled the sky.

The mandarin called the angler in and brought him before the daughter.

But after just one glance, she did not wish to see the man any more: he was so ugly.

Nevertheless, the meeting was a fatal one. It put an end to the love in the bosom of the girl, but gave birth to a desperate one in the heart of the poor angler.

Worn with a hopeless love, he pined away in solitude and finally drew his last breath one dark autumn evening.

He took the secret of his unrequited love with him into the next world.

Many years later, the family of the dead angler exhumed his remains in order to transfer them to the family tomb. In the coffin, they found a marvellous piece of gemstone, which they put on the prow of the boat as a decoration.

One day the old mandarin passed by the place. Taken aback by the splendour of the precious stone, he brought it and ordered a clever turner to make a beautiful teacup from it.

It was then that he made a very strange discovery. Every time the cup was filled with tea, there appeared the image of the poor angler rowing his boat around the cup.

When My Nuong was informed of the marvel and wanted to see it herself, she poured some tea into the cup. The image of the poor ugly man appeared and she immediately burst into tears. A teardrop fell into the cup and melted in the water.

Coconut

2013-03-20T16:38:00.001+07:00

From their childhood a peasant couple worked for a rich landlord. They had no children. The woman, who was over fifty, was very sad.

One day, when she was collecting firewood in the forest, she wanted to have a drink. But there was no spring in the neighbourhood. Neither pond nor stream. Suddenly, at the foot of a tree she found a human skull still containing some rain water. As she couldn't resist the temptation she put it to her lips. She felt at once a strong feeling of well being.

Soon after that she was with child. At that juncture her husband died and all the chores fell on her. She was overwhelmed by hardship and weariness. However, in her heart of hearts she was happy. She was going to give birth to a baby.

That day arrived at long last. The poor woman gave birth to a ball of flesh with two eyes, two ears, a nose and a mouth, but neither body, nor legs, nor arms...

She was about to throw the thing away when she heard it say:

- I am a human being, Mother. Have pity on me.

The woman was moved to tears and gave it the breast.

The landlord ordered her to bury this ball, but she refused to obey him. So she was obliged to live alone in her hut in the middle of a field of manioc.

Her child, whom she called Coconut, was highly intelligent. When she left for work she asked him to behave himself.

The poor woman said:

- On my return, I will give you a good handful of cooked rice.

But as soon as his mother left, the ball turned into a little boy who did all the chores in the house, then turned again into his original shape and slept in his straw bed.

His mother was puzzled, but there was nothing she could do to solve the enigma.

In the meantime, Coconut rolled like a ball wherever he went. At first the local people were much afraid, but they gradually got used to this abnormal child.

One day, seeing that his mother was sadder than usual the boy asked her the reason.

The mother said:

- When they are seven years old children usually look after buffaloes and goats. What shall we do with the pack of goats, which our master cannot find anyone to look after?

Then, he told his mother:

- Mother, I can look after the goats all right. Please go and talk to the master about it.

It was quite a job for her to persuade the landlord to accept the offer. In the end, he said:

- Tell him to come here every morning to lead the goats onto the hill and to bring them home in the evening.

The next morning, Coconut rolled to the farm. Rain or shine, he did his work everyday, and never had goats grown fat so quickly. The landlord was very pleased, because he only had to pay the goat herd boy a poor salary. "Two handfuls of cooked rice a day. That's all."

He had three daughters who differed in character from one another. The eldest was naughty, the second had a heart of stone, but the youngest was as sweet as she was good.

At harvest time, when everybody was busy in the fields, the girls took turns to bring Coconut his meals on the hill...

One day, it was the youngest girl's turn to do the job. When she came to the foot of the hill she stopped, struck by the melodious tunes of a flute. Noiselessly she climbed the slope and, hiding in a thicket, she looked out. A very handsome young lad about seventeen years old was lying in a silk hammock. Birds perched on his shoulders while he was playing. The tune was so beautiful that the girl's heart beat to the rhythm of the melody. She leaned against a branch. The branch broke. On hearing this noise, Coconut, for it was he, changed back into his primitive shape.

From that day, the girl tried by every means to bring the best dishes to the strange boy.

Coconut loved his mother and understood her secret sadness. One day, he told his mother:

- Mother, buy a bunch of areca nuts and go to the master's house to ask for the hand of one of his daughters.

His mother could not help laughing:

- Who would like to marry you, my poor child?

However, at his insistence, she agreed to go to see the landlord. Stroking his beard the landlord said:

- How could such a monster mount an elephant?

But on second thoughts he said:

- Tell your son that I will give him the hand of one of my daughters on some conditions. He must bring here a gold grain pot, ten pieces of pink flowery silk, ten fat pigs, also ten goats and ten jars of the best alcohol. I require also a tile-roofed brick house whose main beam and columns are made of silver and the other beams of copper. I will give him my daughter on these conditions.

The poor mother returned home down hearted. But to her stupefaction she heard her son said:

- Mother, go to the landlord and tell him I accept very willingly.

His mother, not believing ears, nevertheless went to give the reply. This time the landlord pondered:

- I must know which of my daughters will accept his offer.

The two elder sisters leapt up with indignation.

But the youngest girl said:

- Father, I will do what you want.

Then the landlord, turning to the woman, agreed on the day for brining the betrothal presents. The man added, however:

- It will cost you your life if you try to offend me.

Coconut continued to guard the goats, as calm and confident as before. His mother, tormented with worry, often told him:

- How can we get out of this dilemma?

He smiled.

At last, the great day arrived. The poor mother looked in vain around her. There were only some torn pieces of mats and some chipped earthen pots in the humble straw hut. Desperate, she threw herself on the pallet and dropped off to sleep.

When she woke up she could not believe her eyes. Her bed was made of carved wood, and her covering was made of brocade. No more mud dwelling, but a brick house with silver columns and copper beams. In a corner was the gold grain pot, and pieces of embroidered silk. She saw the goats under the verandah, and the very fat pigs near some jars full of alcohol.

But alas! Only her son had not changed! He remained a ball as before.

He rolled out of his bed onto the ground and said:

- Eh! Come here!

Twenty servants entered the room.

Dazzled, the mother looked at everything without understanding anything.

The presents were carried to the master's house.

Coconut rolled and the mother followed him.

The master, whether he liked it or not, was compelled to comply.

That same evening Coconut organized a reception to welcome the bride to his family home.

It was the most sumptuous feast ever seen. The whole village was invited to attend.

When night came, Coconut disappeared. Everybody wondered where he was. Suddenly the couple came in. A handsome man was standing near the bride. Coconut said:

- Ladies and gentlemen, my dear parents, I am Coconut. My young wife and I wish to convey to you our respectful greetings and our sincere thanks for your presence. Let's drink a cup of alcohol together to seal forever our great friendship.

When the news of Coconut's transformation reached the master's house the two sisters were eaten up with jealously.

The young man started his studies. When the mandarin examinations were held, he easily won the first place with the title of Doctor. Unfortunately his mother died at this juncture and he had to go back to his native village.

A little while later he was appointed ambassador by royal decree. Before he left he gave his young wife a piece of flint, a knife and two eggs and advised her to carry them with her all the time.

However, the two elder sisters became more and more jealous of their youngest sister and decided to kill her.

One calm night, they came to see her and asked her to go out boating. She accepted the invitation without suspecting anything. The wicked sisters took the boat to the mouth of the river where enormous fish were living. When among the huge waves they jumped onto the shore taking the oars with them and violently shoved the boat away. Caught in the whirlpools the boat turned over.

The two sisters called for help saying that their careless sister had drowned.

She was not drowned. The young woman did not lose her presence of mind in the belly of a big fish. With her knife she killed the fish whose corpse floated to the surface and was thrown onto the shore. The young woman then cut some of the flesh of the fish and put the salty pieces in a hallow tree to make some pickling brine out of them. She gathered some twigs and striking the flint she made a fire to warm and feed herself.

She made herself a shelter with bamboo and leaves.

Everyday she went into the forest to gather fruit and yams.

Her two eggs, which were kept in the warmth of a straw nest, finally hatched out. She had two chickens, which she fed on caterpillars and which soon became a cock and a hen.

Time went by. The river was deep and the forest dense. How to get out of them?

One evening, the young woman heard her cock cry:

- Cock-a-doodle-do, if it is the Doctor's boat, perhaps he is coming to look for my mistress.

She rushed towards the river bank. A man was standing at the prow of the boat. As the boat came nearer the silhouette became clearer. She cried:

- Coconut!

It was indeed he. The couple feels into each other's arms, shedding tears of joy. Then she told him about her painful experiences.

When they were back home. Coconut asked his wife to hide in a room. Then he invited his relatives and in-law's to a great party.

The two elder sisters, in their loveliest attire, vied with each other in coquetry towards the presumed widower, pretending to bemoan their youngest sister's tragic death.

Hardly had the guests emptied their first cups of alcohol when Coconut disappeared.

When he returned with his young wife at his side, the two wicked sisters turned pale and ran away.

Banh Chung (Square rice cake) in Vietnamese Lunar New Year (Tet)

2013-03-20T16:36:00.003+07:00

Banh Chung (Square rice cake) is a traditional Vietnamese rice cake which is made from glutinous rice, green beans, pork and other ingredients.

Its origin is told by the legend of Lang Liêu- the son of 6th Hung King. Hung King wanted to find the one to inherit his position and sit on the throne to lead the country when he was too old. Therefore, he held a cooking contest for his 21 sons, and who could fully satisfy his taste would be the next King. Most princes go everywhere to find special, exotic and far-fetched food, except for Lang Lieu – the 18th son of Hung King, also the poorest and loneliest since he lost his mother at a young age. Not having enough money to buy delicacies, Lieu just stayed around his house.

Thanks to the help of a fairy in his dream, Lieu came up with 2 types of cake called ‘Banh Chung’ and ‘Banh Day’ and started making exactly like what he had been told. On a spring day on which all the princes’ labor had to be presented, Lang Lieu and his wife brought Banh Chung and Banh Day to the King while other princes presented such expensive and unusual dishes.

Others sneered at Lieu’s cakes, but his Father was deeply impressed by the special flavor of these cakes. He asked Lieu about the meaning of these cakes. Lieu said that he had cooked the glutinous rice, then molded it into a round rice cake, and called it Banh Day as it symbolized the sky; he also cooked a square rice cake, stuffed it with cooked bean paste and ground meat in the middle, and called it Banh Chung, which was symbolic of the earth we live on.

After that, Hung King decided that Lieu was the winner and passed his throne to him. Since then, Banh Chung and Banh Day become traditional foods during the Tet holiday.

There are also many variations of Banh Chung according to regions, religions and likings such as Banh Chung Gu (Humped Banh Chung) of San Diu people, Banh Chung Chay (Vegetarian Banh Chung) for vegetarians and Buddhists, Banh Chung Ngot (Sweetened Banh Chung), etc.

Before Tet holiday, each Vietnamese family often makes Banh Chung and this becomes a traditional custom of the country. The process of making Banh Chung is an occasion for Vietnamese family members to get together. Sitting around the warm fire, talking and telling each other past stories, they get ready for a New Year with lots of good wishes.

Nowadays, because of the busy life not many Vietnamese families keep this habit anymore, Banh Chung is still an irreplaceable dish of Vietnamese ancestor altar on Tet. It is the evidence of the Vietnamese loyalty and great gratitude to their ancestors.
Author: Cam Lien

The God Gióng

2013-03-20T14:40:00.001+07:00

The God Gióng

During the reign of King Hung there lived a woman who had never married. When the sun rose one morning she went to her small garden, and to her surprise found an enormous footprint. In the middle of it was a single tomato seed.

"Oh, how big it is," she cried in wonderment. "Surely such a mark could only have been left by a giant."

Eventually her curiosity got the better of her, and hesitantly she placed her own tiny foot in the huge imprint to compare the sizes. Her whole body quivered as she felt a strange sensation surge through it, and in the passage of time she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy whom she named Gióng.

She loved him dearly and cared for him well, but when he was three years old he could not speak, sit up or even roll onto his side.

It was at that time that the armies of Ân invaded the realm of King Hung. The vicious interlopers razed villages, slaughtered the people and ravaged the countryside. In vain did the brave warriors of the nation sacrifice themselves to protect their beloved country, and the barbaric hordes spread further and further across the kingdom.

The king sent messengers throughout the land seeking one who could save the people in their time of peril. In due course one of them arrived at the village of Gióng and his mother.

When the aged woman learned of the purpose of the visit of the king's courier she joked with her child. "Oh my love," she whispered, "perhaps you, who are so slow to learn to speak and to walk, will one day be strong enough to save us from the armies of Ân."

To her astonishment the child sat up and spoke for the first time. "Mother, please invite the messenger into our home." Then he fell silent again.

The woman was both confused and happy, and she rushed to her neighbors to tell them of the miraculous happening. "What should I do? What should I do?" she asked nervously.

Everyone considered the event most remarkable, and after much discussion one old villager advised, "Invite the messenger into your home. Then we will know what the child wants."

When the messenger entered the house he was shocked and angry. "What foolishness is this?" he demanded. "This is only a child. How dare you waste the time of the king's messenger with such stupidity. I will ...."

"Silence!" Gióng spoke again in a stern and commanding voice. "Tell the king to have made a suit of iron armor and an iron helmet fit for a warrior ten truong tall. Say to him also that he must have crafted an iron sword that many soldiers cannot lift, and, to bear this burden, a giant horse of iron."

Such was the authority in the child's voice, and such was the aura that surrounded him, that the messenger knew this was no mortal. He sped to the king to tell him of the divine instruction.

The king ordered that all of the iron in the citadel be collected and that mighty forges be built. Long did the smiths and the armorers labor, using all their strength and cunning to create as never before. The night skies were made bright by the sparks from their anvils, and the air was filled with the ringing of their great hammers on the true metal. When they were finished, twelve strong men could not lift the sword, and many were needed to carry all the armaments to the child Gióng.

When she heard of the approach of the jubilant host the mother was distraught. "The task of saving this country is not a joke," she rebuked her son. "The multitude bearing that which you requested draws ever nearer, but you are still a child who cannot walk."

Gióng rose to his feet and spoke. "Do not distress yourself beloved mother. All you have to do is bring as much food as I can eat. Then you will see a change."

His mother prepared a large jar of rice which he ate in the blink of an eye. Then another, and another, until the house was barren of food. As he ate he grew, and as he grew the neighbors brought jar after jar of rice and much fruit, meat, and vegetables to help him grow even more.

Gióng spoke again. "My mother, I must have some clothing."

The villagers brought woven cloth and fashioned garments, but so quickly did he grow that they had to enlarge them again and again.

When the soldiers and servant of the king arrived bearing their precious load Gióng stepped from his mother's house and spread his shoulders. Before them stood a giant ten truong tall.

"I am the Son of Heaven," he cried in a thunderous voice.

Donning the cunningly wrought armor and the massive helm he grasped the mighty sword and sprang onto the great horse. Instantly it was filled with life and the ground trembled at its snorting. As Gióng lightly touched his heels to its flanks the steed reared and breathed forth flames and smoke. With a great bound they soared over the villages and fields towards the armies of Ân.

In brief moments they were among the enemy in their camp in the forest. Mighty were the blows of the blade of Gióng as it flashed with lightning strokes, slaying the foe in droves. He struck time and time again and his terrible horse breathed fire onto the tents and huts of the Ân, turning them into bright, glowing pyres. A great fear was in the hearts of the barbarians.

The Ân general urged more and more of his men into the fight, but with each approaching wave Gióng became stronger.

So often and so powerful were his blows that even a blade forged by the greatest craftsmen in the land could not endure. The glorious iron snapped at the hilt. Without pause Gióng tore a massive bamboo from the earth and belabored his foes with even more deadly strokes.

Their spirits broke and they fled. The vengeful Gióng pursued them until he had slain their general, and the remaining few had humbled themselves before him. In half of one day Gióng had conquered the invaders.

His task finished, the god guided his horse to the Soc Mountains. There he put aside the armor of iron and the great war helm, and softly touching his heels to the flanks of the fiery steed flew towards the heavens.

Today, traces of the marks of the hooves of the wondrous beast remain as ponds in the villages of Kim Ang and Ða Phúc, which nestle in the Soc Mountains. There is also a village called Làng Cháy (Burnt Village) which, people say, is near where Gióng and his fiery steed wreaked vengeance on those who disturbed the peace of the homeland.

Source: Vo Van Thang and Jim Lawson, Vietnamese Folktales (Nha Xuat Ban Da Nang, 1993), pp. 21-25. No copyright notice.
This legend (or myth) is similar to European folktales of type 650A "The Young Giant."

The Saint Giong

2013-03-20T14:39:00.003+07:00

It was said that, under 6th King Hung dynasty, there was an old couple in Giong village. They were kind and worked very hard but having a child was still their wish. Once day the wife came to the field and happened to see a large footprint, she then tried

Accidentally she was pregnant and born a son twelve months later. The old couple was very happy but the baby himself could not smile or speak. He just lied wherever he was placed even though he was three years old.

The country at that time was under the danger of being occupied by invader from the North. The invader was so strong that the king had to ask envoys to search for those who could fight against the enemy. When hearing the envoy's voice, the child began asking his mother to call the envoy. The man came in and was surprise to hear that the child wanted to have a horse, an amour and a rod all made from iron to fight for the country's peace. Immediately he returned to the court and reported what had happened to the king and then all the requirements of the child in Giong Village were fulfiled through days and nights as the king's order.
It was more surprising that from the day the child met the envoy, he grew rapidly. The old couple did not have enough food and clothe for their son. However, all the villagers were always available to help them for no one of them wanted to live under the enemy's rule.

The invader was about to reach to the root of Trau mountain, all and sundry panicked. But at that time the envoy came with iron horse, amour and also rod. The child stretch his shoulders, rose himself and turned to a valiant man more than a truong2 high. The valiant man stately stepped to the horse and flapped it so that it was neighing loudly.
He then worn amour, took the rod and jumped on the horse's back. The horse began erupting fire and was push to Trau mountain to wait in front of the enemy.

There was drastic and keen fight between the powerful, dense enemy and the valiant man himself. The man on the iron horse fought so bravely that the enemy died like flies. Suddenly the ironed rod was broken but he continued struggling by rooting up all the bamboo groves and used it as his former weapon. The invader's willing was absolutely broken. They all shattered and trampled on others to run away. The man ran after them to Soc Son mountain. At last he reached the top of the mountain then put off his amour and finally flew into the heaven together with the horse.
To show the deep gratitude to the valiant man the king conferred a title Phu Dong Thien Vuong3 on him and set up a temple for memory.

It was said that fire erupted from the horse had made bamboo in Gia Binh province become shiny yellow called Tre Dang Nga4 and burnt a village on the way it came to the battle so the village was named Chay5 Village.

1.Thanh Giong means the saint of Giong village.
2. Truong: about 3,33m. It can be understood that the man was very tall.
3. Phu Dong Thien Vuong: General of God who came to help and protect people.
4. Tre Dang Nga: a kind of bamboo with shiny yellow color.
5. Chay: Mean being burnt

How the Odd Couple Came to Love Each Other

2013-03-20T14:37:00.000+07:00

Once upon a time, at a small village in today’s Bac Ninh province, there was a beautiful and diligent girl born from a poor family. No matter how hard her parents worked, they could not get out of debt. The beleaguered parents had no choice but to give their daughter’s hand in marriage to a landlord’s son so as to clear their debts.

After the marriage the couple moved into a separate home and after a few years a small child was born. But every chore in the house was left for the wife as the husband was a good for nothing dolt of a man.

One day, when the child fell ill and the wife had to stay at home to take care of him, she told her husband to sell their dog at the market. Of course, the man was very reluctant as such responsibility was overwhelming for him. So, the wife repeated the instructions very clearly several times over: “Sell it at once, if someone offers eight dong or four dong now with four dong owed. If not, bring the dog home.”

At the market, the gormless husband met an old man and told him the deal for the dog. The old man thought it was sound offer and decided to pay him four dong but when he paid up left the husband with a riddle: “In three days, come to my house and I will pay you the rest. My house is situated at the north of this market. It is where there is water without fish and fish without water.”
The husband returned home mumbling the old man’s words to tell his wife.

Three days later, the child was still sick. The wife explained to her husband how to get the rest of their money: “Go north on the main road. If you see a watch-post (to monitor river flooding) with a fish-shaped bamboo bell at the head of the village, the man’s house must be there.”

Following the instructions, the husband found the old man, who pleasantly surprised the man had found him, invited his guest inside for a meal and poured him some rice wine. The husband explained that his wife had sent him and the old man immediately paid the debt. Then he gave the husband a gift to give to his wife.

Back at his house, the wife was very glad to receive both the money and was also intrigued by the gift. Inside the parcel she found a handful of delicious rice and some rotten egg-plant. It was a sign from the old man thought that her marriage had been a foolish one.

So that very night she carried her child away but reaching the river she could not cross as there was no ferry boat. She saw an old man wading in the mud on the river bank.

“What are you looking for?” she asked.
“I am busy finding a needle,” the man answered.
“Why do you waste so much time trying to find a needle?”
“When my wife passed away, she left this needle to me and told me not to lose it. It is small, yet priceless to me. She and I had shared both life and death together, so we will keep loyalty to the end of time.”

On hearing that the wife suddenly returned home and from that day on she tried to help her husband focus on his household duties and be more responsible. And so through good times and bad they remained together.

Shoot at The Moon

2013-03-20T14:36:00.003+07:00

A long time ago, three were no stars or moon; only the sun. When the sun went down, everything would sink into darkness. Once night, a glowing moon suddenly appeared. The moon was so hot, it set everything on fire. In the evening, the hot moon made the weather misty and muggy. Nobody could sleep.
“My God!” muttered the people, their breath panting. “We don’t need such a fatally hot moon like this! Let’s shoot it down!”

At that time, at the foot of Lon mountain, there lived a couple. The husband, An, was a skilled hunter in the mountain’s forests. The wife, Ninh, was very proficient in weaving fabric.
One day, Ninh told An, “You’re a skilled bowman. So go and shoot the moon down to save mankind!” An agreed. He took his bow and arrows and climbed up to the top of Lon mountain. He concentrated, aimed, and shot at the moon, but the arrow fell down halfway there. He shot again a hundred times, but in vain.
When An had no more arrows left, the moon was still burning in the sky. An looked down on the mountain’s foot and saw that the trees were dried and that the people had heat stoke. “So sad,” he sighed. Suddenly there was a loud clack and the rock behind him opened up, revealing a doorway. A snowy-haired old man walked out and said:
“Southern Mountain has big tigers, Northern Mountain has tall deer. Want to be strong? Eat tiger meat, eat deer meat! Make a bow from a tiger’s tail and tendon! Make an arrow from deer’s antlers, then you will shoot the moon down.”
As the rock doorway began to close, the old man stepped back and disappeared into the mountain.
Determined to follow the old man’s instructions, An went back home and consulted with his wife to find out however to catch a tiger and a deer.” You are a skilled archer. Why don’t you shoot them with your bow and arrow?” suggested Ninh.
“I tried” An explained. “But the Southern Mountain tigers and Northern Mountain deer have thick skin that my arrows can’t pierce. The only way is to use a large net. But where can we find a good one?” Ninh thought for a while, touching her hair, and then replied:” Weave my hair into a big huge net.”
After weaving the net, the couple went to the Southern Mountain, encircled the tiger’s cave, and caught the big tiger when it ventured out for food. The tiger resisted violently, but An killed the tiger and carried it’s body home. Ninh and An went to the Northern Mountain, and used the same scheme to catch the deer. After eating all the tiger and the deer meat, An felt his strength rise up a thousand times. As the old man in the mountain advised, An fashioned a bow from the tiger’s tail and tendons, then carved arrows from the deer’s antlers. An climbed up Lon mountain once again. He concentrated, aimed, and shot. The arrow flew up high and, and when it hit, pieces of the moon exploded out, turning into stars. An shot at the moon continuously with his antler arrows. After one hundred attempts, the moon began to spin. But it was still hot, dying up plants and the life on earth.
Turning home, An felt defeated. He asked his wife: “My dear, what can I do now? The Moon is still burning. I wish I had something to cover the moon up with.” Ninh was busy embroidering a picture of a family. On the embroidered silk, there was a pretty house, a yellow cinnamon tree, and herd’s sheep and rabbits eating grass in a field. Ninh has created her own image sitting at the cinnamon-tree’s foot, and she was about to stitch in an image of her husband. Hearing An’s distraught voices, Ninh sad:” My darling, shoot this embroidered silk at the moon to cover its burning glow. An did as his wife advised and he was successful.
Once covered, the moon did not burn, but just shined lightly. At the foot of Lon mountain, the people celebrated An with happiness. Pleased, An gazed up at the moon. Suddenly, he saw the images in the embroidered picture begin to shift. He glanced over and saw his wife flying up to the moon, to become the woman that she had embroidered. Watching Ninh fly away, An was panic-stricken: “Ninh! Why didn’t you embroider my image too? Come back here to me!”
Up on the moon, Ninh was frightened too. She plaited her hair into a long braid. She waited until the moon passed over Lon mountain, then she dropped her braid down, and let her husband climb up to the moon. From then on, the embroidery’s images carried on: Ninh always sat at the cinnamon tree weaving silk and An always was in the field tending sheep, their lives passing by happily.

How The Odd Couple Came To Love Each Other

2013-03-20T14:36:00.000+07:00

So that very night she carried her child away but reaching the river she could not cross as there was no ferry boat. She saw an old man wading in the mud on the river bank.

The Hundred-Knot Bamboo

2013-03-20T14:33:00.001+07:00

There was a rich devious landowner who used all kind of tricks to exploit his servants and laborers. He had a beautiful nubile daughter. Khoai lived as a servant in this household from the time he was a young boy.

He had to work very hard. He is now in his late teens. The landowner was afraid that Khoai will leave the household and thus he would lose a very hard working helper. So, one day he called Khoai and told him:
"If you stayed in the household and work hard day and night, I will give you my daughter in marriage."

Khoai believed the landowner and was very happy. He redoubled his efforts to win the heart of the landowner. Three years have passed. The daughter is now grown. In the region, there is this very wealthy village chief, who eyed the daughter for his son. So, the village chief came and ask for the hand of the daughter. The landowner agreed and set out to prepare for the wedding.

When Khoai realized that he has been taken advantage of, he was mad and went to the landowner to complain. He asked the landowner:

"You have promised your daughter to me. Why are you going back on your promise now?"

The landowner did not like to be addressed in such a manner. He was going to beat him, but taking another look at the young man, he dared not. He told him instead:

"My son, you are mistaken! My daughter is now of age and the preparation for the wedding that I am undertaking now is actually for you. However, if you want the wedding to take place, you must accomplish the following task. You need to find a bamboo with one hundred knots. Then you will need to cut it up into chopsticks for the wedding feast. That is my condition for giving you my daughter's hand in marriage."

Khoai again believed him and went up the forest in search of the bamboo with 100 knots. He searched for days on end and went from one end of the jungle to the other without success. In despair he sat down in the jungle and wept in despair.

Suddenly he saw an old cheery man with all white hair but with rosy complexion. The old man approached him and asked:

"Son, why are you so sad?'.

Khoai told him his story. The old man told him:

"Go and cut 100 stems of bamboo and bring them back here".

Khoai went out and brought back the bamboo that the old man asked. The old man then gave the command

"Stick together! Stick together" (Kha('c nha^.p)

The bamboo sticks that were lying here and there on the ground immediately came together all in a row to make a bamboo with 100 knots. Khoai was filled with joy. He wanted to thank the old man, but he has disappeared. He realized that he has met Buddha. He set out to bring the bamboo back. But there was no way for him to load this long bamboo on his shoulder. He kept on running into other trees. He sat down again in despair and wept. Immediately he saw the old man reappear. Buddha asked him:

"Why do you weep?"

He explained his situation. Buddha pointed at the bamboo and said

"Unstick! Unstick!" (Kha('c xua^'t).

and the bamboo came apart in 100 stems. And Buddha disappeared. Khoai tied up the 100 bamboo stems and proceeded to take them home.

When he arrived home, he found the two families preparing to feast in the courtyard. The village chief family has come for the wedding. Khoai was really mad and ran to the landowner to ask for an explanation. The landowner told him

"I asked you to get me a bamboo with 100 knots, not 100 stems of bamboo!"

Both family stopped their feasts and laughed derisively at Khoai, and joked about his naivety. Khoai told the landowner that he has the bamboo and the courtyard and the landowner should come out and examine it. As the landowner approached the pile of bamboo, Khoai said in a low voice "stick together! stick together!". Immediately the bamboo stems came together and the landowner was also stuck at the end of the bamboo. The landowner tried to pull himself away but failed. The future in-laws came to his rescue. Khoai waited until the village chief has touched the landowner before he said "stick together! stick together!". Immediately the village chief became stuck to the landowner. The same fate happened to the village chief's son. The more they tried to pull away, the harder and more painful they became stuck. Both families were now in panic. Nobody dared to pull the three men away any longer nor joked about Khoai. They lined up and asked him to pardon the 3 men stuck at the end of the bamboo.

Khoai had the landowner promise his daughter to him and the village chief has to agree not to seek vengeance. Then Khoai said "unstick! unstick!" and they all became free.

The village chief and his party quickly left the festivities. And Khoai moved into the bridegroom chair and the celebration continued!

Van Lich's coins

2012-12-31T16:54:00.000+07:00

Once upon a time, there lived a merchant named Van Lich. One of the richest men of his generation, Van Lich owned nearly one hundred trading ships, all of which were laden with furniture crafted from solid silver and gold.

Despite Van Lich's wealth, he was unhappy. His business forced him to travel a great deal and, during these trips, he suspected that his wife, the young and beautiful Mai Thi, was unfaithful.

One day, Van Lich's ship cast anchor in a lonely river. A fisherman approached Mai Thi, who was sitting on the prow, and asked her for a quid of betel. Feeling sorry for this poor fisherman, Mai Thi gladly gave him some betel.

Seeing this, Van Lich flew into a jealous rage. When the fisherman had gone, he ordered his wife to leave. Carrying the one bar of gold and one bar of silver given to her by her enraged husband, Mai Thi set off down the shore. She had not gone far when she met the fisherman. Mai Thi sobbed as she told her story to the astonished fisherman.

"My husband thought that I was in love with you," cried Mai Thi.

"Now he has thrown me out. I would like to become your wife, even though you are very poor. Please, we must try our best to get by."

Given the circumstances, the fisherman felt that he could not refuse Mai Thi's proposal. He took her back to his tent on the riverside. Everyday, the man went fishing while Mai Thi stayed home, tending the chickens and ducks. Despite their hard life, the couple was very happy.

One day, it was raining too hard for the man to go fishing. Seeing that the chickens were pecking at the rice basket, the fisherman grabbed his wife's gold bar to throw at them. Unfortunately, he threw the bar too far, so that it flew into the river.

"Oh my god!" screamed Mai Thi. "Do you know what you just threw?"

"No," said her startled husband.

"That was gold," said Mai Thi. "It's the most valuable thing in the world."

"What?" said her husband. "But I know a place where there are lots of bars like that. I didn't bring home because I could see no use for them."

Mai Thi instructed her husband to retrieve the gold bars. Sure enough, the bars were real gold, and each of them bore Van Lich's stamp.

In the three years since Van Lich had abandoned his wife, his business had faltered. The final blow came when most of his fleet was sunk in a storm. Although Van Lich's ship survived, much of his gold was lost. As it happened, much of Van Lich's vast treasure had somehow ended up near Mai Thi's tent. With some of this money, the couple built a big house. Mai Thi ordered fine clothes for herself and her husband. While life was easier, Mai Thi felt dissatisfied. In this wealthy setting, she realized that her husband was uneducated. She encouraged him to go and make friends and learn new skills, but none of the people her husband approached seemed to like him.

"I don't know why you're so stupid that nobody wants to be your friend," complained Mai Thi. "I bet the only one able to stand your company is the clay statue of the giant guard."

Upon hearing this, Mai Thi's husband went to the local pagoda and started talking to the clay statue. When the statue didn't answer, the man became angry and toppled it. He then went home, where he told his wife of his failed attempt. Thereafter, Mai Thi lost all hope of educating her husband.

Shortly after the felling of the statue, the king fell ill. Despite the attention of the kingdom's best herbalists, the king's condition worsened. A seer was called in, who told the king that his illness stemmed from the toppling of the sacred statue. Soldiers were dispatched to set the statue upright, but no amount of pulling could cause the statue to budge.

Upon hearing this, the king grew very alarmed. He offered a reward to anyone who could set the statue upright. Mai Thi approached her husband and asked if he could right the clay statue.

"Yes," he said. "I think I can."

Sure enough, the fisherman was able to raise the statue. Shortly thereafter, the king began to recover. The grateful king offered Mai Thi and her husband a lot of gold, but Mai Thi refused.

"Please grant my husband a position in the Feudal Customs House," she begged.

So it was that, along with their wealth, the couple gained respect. They built an even bigger house and became very famous.

One day, Van Lich's ship stopped at the Feudal Customs House to pay tax. Upon seeing his former wife and the fisherman, Van Lich felt terribly ashamed. Unable to bear the thought of seeing the couple every time he passed by this river, he wrote a will leaving all his remaining riches to Mai Thi. Then Van Lich killed himself.

With the king's permission, Mai Thi transformed the gold left her by Van Lich into coins. These, she distributed to the poor. To this day, if you are very lucky, you might find some of Van Lich's coins.

Soul move

2012-12-25T16:57:00.000+07:00

Very long ago, there lived a young man named Truong Ba who was very good at Chinese chess. Truong Ba's fame as a chess player spread far and wide, throughout Vietnam and even China.

At that time, the Chinese chess champion was a man named Ky Nhu. When he heard of Truong Ba, Ky Nhu set off to Vietnam to challenge his rival to a game. They played two games, each of which ended in a draw. During the third game, Ky Nhu got into trouble. Seeing that his opponent was trapped, Truong Ba said haughtily: "Even the Chess Deity De Thich could not find a way out of my moves."

Upon hearing Truong Ea's words, the Chess Deity decided to teach the young man a lesson. As Truong Ba and Ky Nhu sat hunched over the chessboard, an old man came to sit nearby. This old fellow made a suggestion to Ky Nhu, who followed his advice and won a dazzling victory.

Truong Ba was furious but, seeing the old man's glowing white beard, it occurred to him that he might be a god. To play it safe, Truong Ba sank down on one knee before the old man and said: "You must be De Thich. I am terribly sorry."

"I heard you claim to be the best chess player," said De Thich. "So I came to see you."

Truong Ba invited De Thich to stay at his house and organized a large party in his honor. De Thich took a liking to Truong Ba and agreed to help him to improve his game. "Whenever you need my help, burn some incense and I'll come to you," promised the deity.

Some years later, Truong Ba caught the flu and died suddenly. His wife found some of De Thich's incense and lit it, causing the Chess Deity to appear. When he discovered that Truong Ba had been dead for over a month, De Thich was distraught. "Why didn't you call me as soon as he died?" he asked Truong Ba's wife. "Now that he's been dead for a month it's difficult to help."

Faced with the woman's sobs, De Thich came up with a plan. "Has anyone in the village passed away recently?" he asked. Truong Ba's wife replied that the butcher had died the night before.

"Then take me to the butcher's house," cried De Thich. "I will bring your husband back to life!"

Moments later, the mourners crowded around the butcher's open coffin were terrified to see the corpse sit up. Without uttering a word, the butcher jumped up, threw off his shroud and ran towards Truong Ba's house. When the butcher's wife and children found him, he was sitting with Truong Ba's wife. The butcher's family demanded that he come home, but the butcher refused, leading to an ugly scene. Finally, a village official was called in to arbitrate the dispute.

The village official found two women claiming the same man as their husband. Turning to the butcher's wife, the official asked about her husband's job. "He's a butcher," said the woman. "He's a famous chess champion," said Truong Ba's wife.

The official ordered his servant to fetch a pig, then told the butcher to kill it. The butcher had no idea how to slaughter or carve up a pig. The official then invited a good chess player to play against the butcher, who quickly won the game. Seeing this, the official issued a verdict in favour of Truong Ba's wife.

To this day, people have a saying inspired by this tale: "Truong Ba's soul in a butcher's body".

Spring love

2012-12-25T16:55:00.000+07:00

Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful girl who was very skilled at embroidery. Many rich men hoped to marry her, but the girl wasn't interested.

"I will marry a man who can dye threads with pink that will never fade and weave ten meters of silk without any seams," said the girl.

Some ten miles away there lived a young weaver. His parents had died when he was very young, so that his only companions were a small swift and a tree. One day, the baby swift had flown into his weaving loom and broken its wing. The young man had nursed the bird back to health, after which it stayed by him. The weaver's mother, meanwhile, had planted the tree before she'd died.

One day, the swift returned with some important news. "Ten miles away there lives a beautiful girl who is a skilful embroider," it said. "She has set a challenge that she will marry a man who can weave ten meters of silk without seams and dye threads in pink that will never fade."

The young man chose his best silk threads and started to weave. He could easily weave ten meters of seamless silk, but how could he dye threads in a pink that would never fade? Luckily, the swift had a solution. He led the young man to a fairy, who lived high in the mountains. This fairy specialized in embroidery and, after hearing of the young man's mission, promised to help. "All colors fade with time," said the fairy. "The only dye that will not fade is blood. You must prick each of your fingers and collect the blood, then use this blood to dye the silk."

The young man followed the fairy's instructions but, after seven days, he had lost so much blood that he could barely stand. Again, the swift came to his aid, bringing him food and medicinal herbs. After ten days, the threads were dyed a beautiful shade of rose.

Accompanied by the swift, the young man took his cloth and his bundle of threads to the girl's house. Her wealthy suitors were also there, all carrying bolts of silk and bundles of threads, which they had hired other people to make. The girl collected the silk cloths and the threads. Then she brought out a small mirror and a needle, which she had inherited from her father. She held the mirror close to some fabric and, in the mirror's reflection, saw the seams in the cloth. By threading a strand of pink thread into her needle, she saw that the colour was pale. The girl repeated these tests again and again, until she came to the cloth woven by the young man.

Looking into her mirror, she saw that the silk shone as smooth as a moonlit river. And when she threaded her needle with his rose-tinted thread, the thread glowed a deep pink. So it was that the girl agreed to marry the weaver. Many people came to congratulate the couple, but the girl's rich suitors went away angry.

One of these rejected suitors went to see the king, an old man who, due to his irrational fear of fire, never left his palace. Despite his advanced age, the king longed for the company of beautiful young women. Upon hearing of the lovely embroiderer, the king ordered his guards to abduct her and bring her to his palace.

The young couple, meanwhile, was unaware of any approaching danger. The girl was busy sewing a silk shirt. After her husband told her how he had dyed the pink threads, she embroidered flowers with five petals on the shirt to symbolize her husband's five bloodied fingers.

That shirt was so beautiful that many people came to admire it. The young wife had just put it on when the king's soldiers appeared. The soldiers overpowered the weaver and dragged the girl away. When the swift tried to help her, a soldier killed it.

It was a long journey to the royal palace. The further she got from home, the more desperate the girl became. She tore the embroidered flowers from her shirt and threw them to the wind. "Oh wind," she sobbed, "Please take these flowers to my sweetheart."

The wind did as she'd asked, carrying the embroidered flowers to her husband's house. When he came outside, the weaver was surprised to see the tree that his mother had planted covered in red flowers. Unable to bear the thought of living with the old king, the young girl hung herself with her silk shirt. When the soldiers reached the palace, they were summoned before the king. "The girl missed her husband so much that she killed herself," explained the soldiers. Upon hearing this, the king flew into a rage. He ordered his men to imprison the weaver.

The next morning, as the young weaver tended his flowering tree, he heard a whisper on the wind: "My sweetheart, I must hide the flowers before the soldiers destroy them. And you must go far away." No sooner had the words faded when a strong wind blew up and carried the red flowers away.

The young man decided to go to the capital, where he still hoped to find his wife. On the way, he stopped at the house of the fairy. "To see your wife again you must kill the wicked king," said the fairy. "What you need in order to succeed," continued the fairy, "is the help of the small swift."

"But the swift is dead," replied the weaver, sadly. "How can I return it to life?"

The fairy told him to bury the swift's body under the tree that his mother had planted. "When spring comes, it will rise from the dead." The weaver followed her instructions and, next spring, small pink buds appeared on the tree. A few days later, the swift reappeared. Accompanied by the swift, the weaver set off towards the capital. Disguised as a coal vendor, he carried a single sprig of pink blossoms.

When he reached the court, the weaver approached a guard and requested permission to present the king with his flowering branch. The king ordered the stranger to approach. As the king bent to peer at the flowers, the branch suddenly burst into flames. The king's beard caught fire and the flames quickly spread to his robes and devoured him.

It was not magic that had caused the branch to burn but the weaver's cunning. He had placed a piece of burning coal in the branch and, upon handing the branch to the king, had blown on the embers.

The weaver found the shirt with which his wife had hung herself and buried it under his mother's tree. Next morning, the shirt was covered with flowers.

The swift then led the weaver far, far away, into a dense forest. Inside a cave lay a large tree trunk, which contained the body of the weaver's wife. Following the swift's instructions, the weaver wrapped the trunk in his shirt. Suddenly, the wood split into thousands of pieces and the young woman stepped out, alive and well.

The weaver, his wife and the swift made their way home. Eager to share their happiness, they presented their neighbours with pink flowers from their tree. These pink blossoms, now known as peach flowers, are a symbol of devotion. Each spring, these beautiful flowers reappear, as do the faithful swifts.

Wisdom - Trang Quynh tales

2012-12-18T16:59:00.000+07:00

A farmer was ploughing his field. Now and then, he shouted at and beat the buffalo that was pulling the plough.
A tiger happened to stroll along the edge of the field.
"Buffalo, you are so big. Why do you let this puny man beat you?", he asked.
The buffalo answered. "The man is small but his wisdom is big".

The tiger did not understand what wisdom was so he growled at the man. "Hey you, man,what is wisdom? Let me see it".
"Wisdom? Oh, my wisdom it at home" replied the man, eyeing the tiger's teeth and claws.
"Go home and get it. Bring it here so that I can see it". The tiger ordered.
"Oh,no! I am afraid that you will eat my buffalo while I am gone. If you agree to be bound with rope, I will run home and fetch the wisdom ".
The tiger agreed .After binding the tiger the farmed beat its back.
"Here is my wisdom. This is my wisdom", he explained.

One - Pillar Pagoda

2012-12-12T17:03:00.000+07:00

Hanoi capital has "The One - Pillar Pagoda" which was built in the Ly dynasty in the early eleventh century. Ho Chi Minh City has "The One-Pillar Pagoda" located on Dang Van Bi street in Thu Duc. The One - Pillar Pagoda in HCMC was founded and built by senior monk Thich Tri Dung. The great supporter is Mrs. Do Thi Vinh. Both of them are in charge of the total expenses of construction. The work was started on April 8, 1958 and it was completed in 1977.

The Southern One - Pillar Pagoda is modeled exactly after that of Hanoi, highlighting the dream of the Ly dynasty kings. They built this pagoda with a view to helping the Southern Buddhist faithful to pay tribute to the Buddha recalling the origin of our ancestors and nourishing the hope for the people's welfare and the nation's prosperity.
The pillar of the pagoda is made of reinforced concrete. The pagoda has curved tiled roofs like those of Hanoi's. Around the pagoda is a square lake called Long Nhan Lake. (In the lake there are tortoise and multicoloured ornamental fish abound in the lake). The compounds of the pagoda are vast and shady thanks to the belt of century - old trees. The Buddhist faithful and foreign tourists from all part of the country often frequent pay a visit to the pagoda.