VIETNAMESE FOLK TALES
AND LEGENDS
Adapted by Quy Nguyen
from oral tales and traditional, non-official history
of the Vietnamese Peoples
Written in June-July 2005
in Federal Way
FWSD/ELL
1. The Legend of the Origin of the Vietnamese Peoples
2. The Legend of the Heavenly King of Phu-Dong Village
3. The Legend of Betel Leaf and Areca Nut of the Vietnamese
Peoples
4. The Tale of the Thick Round and the Square Glutinous
Rice Cakes
5. The Greedy Brother and the Star Fruit Tree
The Legend of the Origin
of the Vietnamese Peoples
Legend has it that Lac Long Quan was born to King Kinh Duong Vuong and
Long Nu, a dragon incarnate; and Lady Au Co was a daughter of King De Lai and a Fairy
in a northern country. Lac Long Quan was king of the immense region, which is now the
whole area of South China and the northern part of Vietnam.
Lac Long Quan married Lady Au Co, and she gave birth to a huge sac containing
one hundred eggs. On the day the eggs hatched, one hundred healthy boys walked out of
their shells. The hundred boys grew up quickly. When they were ten years old, they
already looked like young men.
One day, Lac Long Quan told his wife, “I came from the line of the Dragon, and
you are from the line of the Fairy. We cannot live together forever. Therefore, you will
take our fifty sons and go up to the highland and mountains and teach them a trade so
they can feed themselves and take care of their families. I will take the other fifty sons to
the sea and its adjacent low lands and teach them how to work to sustain themselves so
they can raise their own families.”
No sooner said than King Lac Long Quan and his wife parted. Each spouse took
fifty sons to their new lands. In the mountainous areas, the young men made their living
by hunting and gathering at the beginning, then they practiced nomadic farming, and
finally they settled down permanently whether in natural, limestone caves, called dong or
in many mountainous villages called soc or buon. The fifty sons later became the leaders
of the ethnic, minority tribes in the highlands.
Among the other fifty young men, who went to the sea 1 with their father, some
settled in the lowlands 2 and later became peasants, artisans, or merchants. Others went to
live and work on the rivers or at sea. They became fishermen, who lived whether on their
boats most of their lives or built their permanent houses by the riverside or on the sea
shore. A group of twenty houses was called xom chai (a fishing sub hamlet,) and a much
larger group was called lang chai (a fishing village).
Later, Long Quan made his eldest son King of Van Lang3. Through the ups and
downs of history during the course of over thirty centuries, the Viet people and their
kings moved steadily south to their present geographical location.
The number one hundred used to count the eggs has caused many heated debates
among the Vietnamese. Some believed that the number one hundred accounted for the
Bach Viet4 of the time. Others believed that it matched the number of one hundred
powerful clans who lived there at the time.
However, every one is unanimously agreed that the Vietnamese peoples are the
descendants of the Dragon and the Fairy in the legend. In fact, in Vietnamese literature
whether oral or written, the phrase “con Rong chau Tien” (descendants of the Dragon and
the Fairy) was used over and over for centuries. Moreover, the picture of the dragon has
long been used in national emblems, logos, and many other designs to represent Vietnam
and its peoples.
Adapted from Vietnamese oral literature
and traditional belief by Quy Nguyen
1 South China Sea
2 The Yangtze Basin
3 One of the oldest names of Vietnam
4 The Hundred Viets
2
The Legend of the Origin of the Vietnamese
Huyn Thoi v Ngun Gc
Các Dân Tc Vit Nam
Truyn thuyt Vitnam nói rng Lc-Long-Quân là con ca vua King-Dng-
Vng và Long-N (là rng hóa-thân). Bà Âu-C là con ca vua -Lai và mt tiên-n
mt nc phng Bc. Lc-Long-Quân là vua ca mt vùng t rng ln mà ngày nay
là min nam nc Trung-Hoa và min bc nc Vit-Nam.
Lc-Long-Quân ly Bà Âu-C sinh ra c mt cái bc trong có mt trm qu
trng. Ngày trng n, mt trm cu bé khe-mnh p v trng bc ra. Các cu ln lên
rt nhanh. Khi các cu c mi tui trông ã ging nh nhng chàng thanh-niên vy.
Mt ngày kia Lc-Long-Quân nói vi v rng: “Ta là ging Rng, nàng là ging
Tiên. Mình không th sng mãi vi nhau c. Vì vy nàng s a nm mi ngi con
ca chúng ta lên núi và dy chúng mt ngh t nuôi sng c bn thân và gia ình.
Còn ta, ta s em nm mi a kia xung bin và vùng ven bin dy chúng ngh nghip
làm n và gây dng gia ình.”
Nói xong hai v chng chia tay nhau, mi ngi em theo nm mi ngi con
n vùng t mi. trên núi, thot u, các chàng trai sng bng ngh sn bn và nht
hái qu, ht. Sau ó, chuyn sang du-canh du-c, nay ây mai ó. Cui cùng sng nhc
trong các hang á vôi thiên-nhiên gi là ng hoc sng chung thành làng chân núi
gi là sóc hay buôn. Nm mi ngi con này v sau thành th-lãnh các sc-tc min
núi.
Trong s nm mi ngi con theo cha xung bin, mt s nh-c ti vùng t
thp. V sau, h tr thành nông dân, th th-công, hay nhà buôn. Mt s khác sinh sng
trên sông hoc trên bin và tr thành dân chài. Ng-dân hoc sng luôn trên thuyn ánh
The Legend of the Origin of the Vietnamese
cá hoc làm nhà c-nh ven sông hay trên bãi bin. Mt nhóm khong hai mi nhà
c gi là xóm chài. Nhóm nhiu hn hai mi nhà thì gi là làng chài.
V sau Lc-Long-Quân phong cho ngi con trng làm vua nc Vn-Lang.
Theo bin-thiên thng-trm ca lch s qua hn hai mi th-k, các vua Vit và ngi
Vit tin dn v phng nam cho n v-trí a-d hin nay.
Con s mt trm dùng m s trng trong bc ã gây nên nhiu cuc
tranh- lun sôi-ni. Mt s ngi cho rng con s ó ch trm sc dân sng trên t
Vit c xa. Mt s ngi khác tin rng con s mt trm dùng ch hn mt trm
th-tc hùng-mnh1 sng trên t nc Vit c ngày y.
Tuy nhiên mi ngi u ng ý rng các dân tc Vitnam thc s là giòng-ging
Rng Tiên. Tht vy, trong vn-chng Vitnam dù là truyn-khu hay thành vn, nhóm
t “con Rng cháu Tiên” c dùng liên-tc qua rt nhiu th-k. Hn th na, hình nh
con rng ã c dùng rt ph-bin trên huy-hiu quc-gia, trên phù-hiu quân-chng,
binh-chng, khu-hiu, và trong mu mã qung cáo ch Vitnam, thuc Vitnam,
và các dân tc Vitnam.
Vit phng theo vn-chng truyn-khu
và truyn-thuyt dân gian.
Qúy Nguyn
1 nhng ngi dân Bách Vit
The Legend of the Heavenly King
of Phu-Dong Village
During the reign of King Hung1 the Old Kingdom of Vietnam was peaceful and
prosperous. Peasants and farmers often harvested two good crops a year. So, the country
became richer and richer everyday, and that made the poor neighboring tribal countries
crave strongly for its wealth.
Meanwhile, the An Barbarians in the north of his kingdom had lost their crops
several years. Facing inevitable starvation, they organized a huge army to invade this rich
kingdom to rob of its food and resources.
Wherever the An came, they killed people, burned their houses, and robbed
whatever they could eat and take away. Animals of burden and domestic fowls were
slaughtered for food to eat right on the spot or to bring along with their army. The whole
country suffered a lot from this war inflicted destruction.
King Hung had to call up his reserved troops to strengthen a strong army and sent
many special envoys to all parts of the country to look for a man or woman with
extraordinary, military skills to lead this army to defend the country and to kill foreign
invaders.
1 The Old Kingdom of Viet of the time had 18 Hung Kings
Many years before the An Barbarians invaded Vietnam, at Phu-Dong village
lived a young female peasant. She was not married yet because she had not found a man,
who could match her idealized picture of a husband. In fact, she had refused many good
marriage proposals in her region.
She had a small thatch roof house facing east. The walls of the house were made
of yellow clay and the door of hard wood. Many kinds of flowering plants, flowery
bushes, orchids, dahlias, lilies, chrysanthemums, and roses abounded the front garden
yielding her humble abode the beauty of a fairyland.
The scenery of the back side of her house was also as beautiful as that of the front.
Banana trees clustered around her two bamboo windows rending the whole house a
pleasant coolness during the summer.
She was quiet, diligent, and very active. In the morning she came to work in her
rice field. In the afternoon, she worked around her house tending her flowers, two
vegetable beds, and a few fruit trees. At night, she practiced some kung fu, took a bath,
and went to bed.
Early one morning when she came to her rice paddy to weed the rice plants, she
was aware of two new, huge footprints left on the soft mud. She came close to look at
them and wondered, “Who was that that had such big feet?” Curiously, she stepped right
on those footprints to compare how much bigger they were than hers. As soon as she was
standing inside those footprints, she felt a strange frisson, which made her feel both at
ease and sick.
2
And at the end of that year, she gave birth to a chubby baby boy. She fed her son
with her milk and rice gruel. Her son grew like all other normal children. But he never
cried, cooed, smiled, sat up, walked, or talked at all. The superstitious villagers believed
that her son was a ghost or a devil incarnate. And they dared not venture near her house.
Even though her son never talked, she really loved and cherished him.
The boy just lay on his back and did not say a word until when he was three. The
day he began to talk was the day the king’s envoy came to his village. The Royal Crier
cried aloud the king’s decree as follows,
“I, King Hung request all the people of this beautiful country stand up to fight
foreign invaders. Whoever had special talent or strategy that could help defeat the
invaders and protect his fatherland would be made Commanding General of my
army. All requests concerning defending our fatherland will be satisfied by my
envoy.”
A long while before the Royal Crier read the decree; the boy had already sat up,
called his mother in, and told her, “Mom! In a short while when the Royal Crier has
finished reading the king’s decree, please tell the envoy to come in to meet me, so I can
give him my order.”
His mother was astonished that he could speak so clearly. But she just stood there
staring at him in awe for she dared not tell the envoy what her son wanted. She knew
from all along that any one, who dared lie to the king, would be beheaded.
To calm down her fear, he said,
“Don’t be afraid, Mom! I am your own son, and I will do you no harm at all. I am
“truly a general from Heaven. I am here to defend our country and to destroy the
“invading enemies.”
3
Half doubtful, the mother came out and told the envoy all his words. On hearing
this order, the envoy became very confused, but he decided to come in to see for himself.
Inside the house, the boy had the envoy stand in front of him and asked,
“Are you the Special Envoy of King Hung?”
“That’s true!”
“Yes, Sir!” The boy corrected.
“Yes, Sir!”
“Are you sure that the king and you will satisfy all my requests concerning killing the
foreign invaders?”
“Yes, Sir! I believe so because the decree says that.”
“That’s great!”
“Hmm …”
“You tell the king I want a giant, iron war horse and a fighting stick, which is two armstretches
long exact and made of pure iron.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Now, you may leave!”
The envoy had his blood up, but somehow he did what he was told.
Meanwhile, in the capital, the king had sat up several nights to think of a possible
way2 to save the people from the calamity of war. One night, he dozed off for a while and
heard a voice telling him that in the very near future, a general from Heaven would help
him defeat the enemies.
When the king heard of the boy Giong3 and his strange demand for war material,
he was still thinking of the voice in his dream. As a consequence, the king himself
supervised the making of the iron horse and the fighting stick.
2 Strategy
3 Name of the boy
4
While the king’s army camped on the open rice fields of the village of Phu Dong
waiting for its Commander in Chief, a bach (a group of 100 soldiers) was carrying the
iron horse and the fighting stick to the boy’s house.
The villagers were astonished at the news that Giong was able to sit up and talk.
In addition, he had already given order to the king’s envoy, and he would go to war to kill
the enemies. The villagers packed their small court to witness their own village’s historic
event.
On hearing that everything was ready for the war, Giong walked out of his house
to greet his village people and the king’s envoy.
When the boy walked out, he had a stately carriage. He bowed at the people and
stated gravely, “My fellow-countrymen! Please don’t be afraid of me or my mother! I
will kill the enemies and stamp out the disaster of war.” His voice rang sonorously like
the rings of a pagoda bell. “Now I need you to feed me before I can go to war,” he said.
The crowd began to discus noisily because they did not know how and what the
boy wanted to eat. Finally, an old man ventured a question.
“What do you want to eat and how much is enough?”
“Rice, I want rice! I will eat fifty bowls of rice,” answered the boy.
People were whispering again, “How could a boy eat fifty bowls of rice?”
When the rice was cooked and brought in, Giong sat down and began eating.
After a while, the fifty-cup cooker was empty. When he had eaten all the rice, he stood up
and stretched. The whole crowd could not believe in what they saw: The little boy stood
ten feet tall after his rice eating. He bowed to the villagers and thanked for the rice.
5
Giong, the young general approached his mother and quickly knelt down and
solemnly gave his mother three kowtows.4 Then he picked up his iron fighting stick as if
he picked up a straw and mounted his iron horse. The horse gave out a merry, sonorous
neigh and trotted toward the king’s army. The whole village followed closely behind his
miraculous horse.
Giong stopped his horse in front of the king’s army and said briefly.
“To all my soldiers, you don’t be afraid of me. I am a general from Heaven. And
“today, I am your Commanding General. I will lead you to kill and defeat our
“enemies in one single battle and then you will go home to your wife and
“children.
“Don’t be afraid of the enemies! We will kill them as easily as chopping the
“banana trees.
“Now, follow me and charge at the enemy lines!”
As soon as he stopped, he prodded his horse on. His horse gave out a thunderous
neigh, spat out fire, and charged at the enemies. The whole army fought with great
fortitude closely by their saintly leader.
Wherever Giong’s army came, the enemies were killed, their camps burned.
Within one day, the invaders and all the stationed occupying troops were destroyed.
Some time during the course of his mighty fight, his iron fighting stick broke.
Giong had to uproot many bamboo clusters on the sides of the roads to strike the enemies
down. The bamboo trunks could not stand so many repeating impacts and broke to
pieces.
Each time his army left a battlefield, the ground was almost covered with enemy
corpses and strewn with countless pieces of yellow bamboo.
4 The long bow with the forehead touching the ground while kneeling. Here the kowtow was and act of
reverence and apology of Giong to his mother.
6
After the enemies and their invading forces were totally destroyed, he rode his
horse into the mountains. At the foot of Mount Soc, he shed off his bloody war dress.
Then his horse gave out a long, thunderous neigh, kicked hard on its hind legs, and
soared into the sky belching out fire. Then they disappeared in the heavenly clouds.
Legend has it that after having saved his motherland, Giong and his horse
returned to their previous positions in Heaven.
To honor his glorious feat of arms and to observe his services rendered to his
peoples and to his mother land, King Hung had sumptuous temple built for him.
He also issued a decree to award him the title “The Heavenly King of Phu-Dong.”
The villagers venerated this name and preferred to address him as Saint Giong.
Post Script
At present, there are two large depressions on the huge rock of Mount Soc, which
people believed to be the vestiges of the hind hooves the holly horse left when he took off
to Heaven.
In addition, the species of big, straight, yellow bamboo with several green stripes
running along its body abounded in many villages in North Vietnam. Tradition has it that
when Giong killed the enemies with yellow bamboo clusters, he broke a huge number of
bamboo trunks. As a consequence, where a broken piece of yellow bamboo hit the
ground sprang up a large, yellow bamboo bush.
From now on, if you see such phrases as Phu Dong Youth, growing as fast as Phu
Dong, or growing as fast as Thanh Giong in a Vietnamese written work, you will know
that the author wants to mention the ability without bound of Vietnamese youth.
Adapted from Vietnamese oral folk tales
and non-official oral history
by Quy Nguyen. July 2005
7
The Legend of the Heavenly King of Phu Dong
Truyn Thuyt Phù-ng Thiên-Vng
Di triu i Hùng Vng,1 Vng Quc Vit (Vn-Lang) rt thanh-bình,
thnh vng. Nhà nông và nhà vn thng thu hoch hai v mùa tt mi nm. Vì vy
t nc càng ngày càng giu. Chính iu này làm cho các nc b-lc lân-cn
thèm-khát ca ci ca vng-quc này.
Trong thi gian ó, R Ân phía bc vng-quc này ã b mt mùa nhiu nm.
Trc nn ói không th tránh c, chúng t chc mt o quân tht ln i xâm chim
và cp phá t nc giu có này.
Ni nào gic Ân n, chúng git ngi, t nhà, và cp bóc tt c nhng gì
chúng có th n và ly mang i. Trâu bò cày ba và gia-cm b git chúng n ti
ch và mang theo. Toàn th t nc chu au kh vô cùng vì chin ha này.
Vua Hùng phi gi thêm quân tr b và cng c quân i. Ngài gi các c-s i
khp min t nc tìm ngi tài gii, không k àn ông hay àn bà min là có tài
iu-binh khin-tng bo-v t nóc và git gic ngoi-xâm.
Nhiu nm trc khi gic Ân xâm ln nc ta, làng Phù-ng có mt ngi
nông dân tr. Bà cha lp gia ình vì bà cha chn c ngi va ý ging nh hình nh
ngi chng lý-tng trong tim bà. Tht vy, bà ã t chi rt nhiu ln mai mi tt
trong vùng.
Bà có mt ngôi nhà tranh nh quay mt v hng ông. Tng nhà làm bng t
sét vàng, ca làm bng g tt. Có rt nhiu cây hoa, khóm hoa, lan, thc-dc, hu, cúc
1 Nc Vit c có 18 Vua Hùng Vng
1
The Legend of the Heavenly King of Phu Dong
i-óa, và hng trong vòn nhà phía trc khin cho ni n-s ca bà ging nh
cnh thn-tiên vy.
Cnh-tng phiá sau nhà bà cng p nh cnh phía mt tróc nhà. Nhng bi
chui vây quanh phía ngoài hai cái ca s làm bng tre ã khin cho ngôi nhà mát-m d
chu trong sut mùa hè.
Bà là ngi ít nói, cn-mn, và rt nng-ng. Bui sáng, bà ra rung làm vic.
X tra và chiu, bà làm vic quanh nhà; chm sóc hoa, hai lung rau, và vài cây n qu.
Bui ti, bà luyn võ-công, i tm, ri i ng.
Mt bui sáng kia, khi bà ra rung tính làm c lúa thì bà nhn thy có hai vt chân
tht to in trên lp bùn mm. Bà n gn xem cho rõ và thc-mc, “Ai kìa mà có vt
chân to nh vy?” Tò-mò, bà bc vào trong vt chân y m th xem vt chân y to
c nào. Khi bà ã ng trên hai vt chân y, bà thy ngi rung ng; na nh b bnh,
na nh khoan-khoái.
Cui nm y, bà sinh c mt bé trai b bm. Bà nuôi con bng sa m và bng
cháo go. Cu bé ln lên nh nhng a tr khác. Tuy nhiên cu không khóc, ci, hóng
chuyn, ngi dy, i, hay nói nng gì ht. Nhng ngi mê-tín trong làng tin rng con bà
là ma quái hay qu hin-thân. Và h không dám bén-bng n nhà bà. Dù rng úa bé
không bit nói, bà vn yêu qúy cu.
Cu bé vn nm nga không nói mt li cho ti nm cu lên ba. Ngày mà cu bt
u nói là ngày s-thn ca vua n làng. V Quan Xng-Ngôn c to sc-lnh nh sau:
“Trm là Vua Hùng yêu cu toàn th dân chúng ca t nc ti p này ng
lên chng ngoi-xâm. Ai có tài nng l và chin-lc tt có th ánh bi gic xâm-lc
2
The Legend of the Heavenly King of Phu Dong
và bo-v c quê cha t t s c phong làm Nguyên-Soái o quân ca trm. Tt c
yêu cu liên-quan n vic chng ngoi-xâm s c s-thn ca trm gii quyt.”
Trc khi Quan Xng-Ngôn c sc-lnh mt hi lâu, cu bé ã ngi dy, mi
m mình vào, và nói vi bà: “M i! Lát na ây khi Quan Xng-Ngôn c sc-lnh
ca vua xong, xin m hãy mi ngay v s-thn vào cho con ra lnh.”
M cu rt ngc nhiên khi thy cu có th nói rành-rt nh vy. Nhng bà ch
ng yên nhìn cu ng-ngàng, vì bà vn bit là bt k ai nu dám nói di nhà vua thì s
b cht u. Bà thc không dám nói li nhng gì con mình ã nói.
trn-an m, cu nói: “Xin m ng s! Con là con trai ca m, con s không
làm gì hi m âu! Con thc s là Tng Nhà Gii xung ây tr gic ngoi-xâm
và bo v quê hng.”
Na tin na ng, bà i ra và nói li vi v s thn nhng li con bà nói.
Nghe xong, v s thn rt phân-vân, nhng ông quyt nh i vào xem cho rõ s tình.
Trong nhà, cu bé bo v s thn ng trc mt mình và hi ông:
- “Phi ngi là c-S ca Vua Hùng không”?
- “úng vy!”
- “Tha Ngài, úng vy!” Cu bé chnh li.
- “Tha Ngài, úng vy!”
- “Ngi có oan chc rng nhng yêu cu ca ta c Vua Hùng và ngi thi
“hành không?”
- “Tha Ngài, úng vy! Tôi tin-tng th vì sc-lnh có nói rõ nh vy.”
- “Tuyt”!
- “Hm…”
- “Ngi hãy nói vi nhà vua, ta cn mt con chin-mã khng-l úc bng st và
“mt roi dài úng hai si tay bng st ròng.”
- “Tha Ngài, vâng!”
- “Bây gi Ngi có th lui!”
V s thn tc sôi gan, nhng không bit sao ông li làm úng nh ã nghe li dn.
3
The Legend of the Heavenly King of Phu Dong
Trong khi ó kinh ô, nhà vua ã thc nhiu êm tìm cách cu dân chúng khi
thm-ha chin tranh. Mt êm, vua chp mt và nghe thy có ting ngi nói bên tai
rng: “Trong tng lai rt gn, mt v Tng Nhà Gii s giúp ông ánh tan quân gic.”
Khi nhà vua nghe tin v cu bé tên Gióng và nhng yêu-cu l-lùng v chin-c
ca cu, ông vn còn ang ngh-ngi v nhng li nói ã nghe trong m.
Kt qu là ích-thân nhà vua trông coi vic ch-to nga st và cây gy.
Khi quân i ca vua óng ch nhng ám rung trng ca làng Phù-ng,
thì mt toán gm mt trm ngi lính khiêng nga st và roi n nhà Gióng.
Dân làng rt ngc nhiên khi nghe tin là Gióng ã có th ngi dy và bit nói.
Ngoài ra, cu ã ra lnh cho s-thn là mình s ra trn ánh gic. Dân làng kéo n cht
ních cái sân nh tróc nhà Gióng xem bin-c lch-s ca chính làng h.
Khi nghe tin là mi vic ã sn-sàng cho chin trn, Gióng bc ra khi nhà
chào mng dân làng và s-thn.
Khi bc ra, cu có dáng uy-nghi l lùng. Cu cúi chào dân làng và nói mt cách
long-trng: “ Kính tha ng-bào! Xin quý v ng s hãi tôi hay m tôi! Tôi s git ht
gic và dp tan chin-nn.” Ging cu rn vang nh chuông chùa. Ri cu nói: “Bây gi,
tôi xin ng-bào cho tôi n tôi có th ra trn.”
ám ông bt u bàn-tán n-ào vì h không bit cu mun n gì và n thì n ra
sao. Sau cùng mt c già ánh bo ra hi mt câu.
- “Cu mun n gì và n bao nhiêu thì ?”
- “Cm, tôi mun n cm! Tôi mun n nm mi bát cm!” Cu bé tr li.
ám ông li bàn-cãi rì-rm na, “Làm sao mà mt cu bé li có th n c nm mi
bát cm?”
4
The Legend of the Heavenly King of Phu Dong
Khi cm ã chín và c mang ti, Gióng ngi xung và bt u n. Chng my
chc, cái ni nm mi ã ht sch. Khi ã n cm xong, cu ng lên và vn vai. Tt
c mi ngi trong ám ông không th tin mt h na: Cu bé n cm xong, ã cao
mi b. Anh cúi chào dân làng và cám n ã hin cm.
Gióng, v tng tr tui tin n gn m ông và lp tc qùy xung, long-trng ly
bà ba ly. Xong ông cm cây gy st lên nh th cm mt cng rm vy và nhy lên lng
nga st. Con nga hí lên mt ting hí vui, vang lng và i nc kiu v phía oàn quân.
Gióng dng nga và nói ngn gn:
“Hi các binh s ca ta! Các ngi không nên quá s hãi ta! Ta vn là Tng Nhà
“Gii. Hôm nay, ta là Nguyên Soái ca các ngi. Ta s hng dn các ngi git
“và ánh bi k thù trong mt trn ánh thôi. Ri, các ngi s tr v vi v con.
“ng s hãi k thù! Ta s git chúng d nh cht chui vt thôi.
“Bây gi, hãy theo ta và tn-công phòng-tuyn ca gic!”
Ngay khi ngng nói, ông thúc nga tin ti. Con nga hí vang nh sm rn, phun
la và phóng thng vào quân ch. C oàn quân anh-dng chin-u sát bên v ch-soái
thn-thánh ca h.
Ni nào quân ca Gióng n, ch b git ht, doanh-tri b t sch.
Trong vòng mt ngày, toàn b quân xâm-lc và quân chim óng b tiêu-dit sch.
Trong trn chin oanh-lit này, cây roi st b gãy, Gióng phi nh nhng bi tre
moc ven ng p cht quân gic. Nhng thân cây tre không chu ni chn-ng
liên-tc ã gy vn tng khúc.
Mi ln quân Gióng lìa chin trng, mt t ph y xác ch, và vô-s nhng
mnh tre vng-vãi khp ni.
5
The Legend of the Heavenly King of Phu Dong
Sau khi toàn b quân xâm-lc b tiêu-dit, Gióng phóng nga vào núi. Ti chân
núi Sóc-Sn, ông ci b chin-bào m máu. Con nga hí lên mt ting rn tri, p
mnh hai chân sau, bay thng lên tri va bay va phun la; ri khut hn sau lp mây
thiên-ng.
Truyn-thuyt nói rng sau khi git xong gic cu nc, Gióng và con nga ca
mình tr v nhn li chc c ni thiên-àng.
ghi nh chin-công hin-hách và công-c ca ông i vi dân vi nc, Vua
Hùng-Vng ã lp n th tht tráng-l cho ông. Vua cng ban sc-lnh sc phong cho
ông danh-hiu Phù-ng Thiên-Vng tc Vua Tri làng Phù-ng. Dân làng tôn-trng
danh-hiu này và ch thích gi ông là Thánh Gióng.
Ghi Thêm
Hin nay còn có hai vt lõm sâu trên mt khi á ln ti núi Sóc-Sn mà ngi ta
tin rng ó là hai vt chân nga thn ã li trc khi bay v tri.
Thêmna, tre ng-ngà là ging tre màu vàng ln và thng có nhiu vt dài màu
xanh chy dc sut thân tre, mc rt nhiu các làng Bc Vit. Tc truyn rng khi
Thánh Gióng git gic bng các bi tre, ông ã làm gãy rt nhiu tre. H ni nào có mt
khúc tre ri xung t, ni ó mc lên mt bi tre ng-ngà ln.
T nay v sau, nu bn trông thy nhóm t “tui tr Phù-ng,” hay “ln nhanh
nh Phù-ng,” hoc “ln nhanh nh Thánh Gióng” trong các tác-phm Vit-Nam, bn
s hiu ngay rng tác gi mun nói n kh-nng vô-tn ca tui tr Vit-Nam.
Phóng tác t truyn truyn-khu
và ngoi-s Vit-Nam.
Qúy Nguyn, July 2005
6
The Legend of Betel Leaf and Areca Nut
of the Vietnamese Peoples
Once upon of time, in a poor, small village of the Ancient Vietnam lived two
brothers. The elder brother was Tan Sinh, who was only one year older than his brother
Tan Lang. Their father was a widower, but he did not want to remarry for he wanted to
muster all his effort and wealth to raise his two sons to become educated peasants. One
day, knowing that he would not live long, the peasant summoned his two sons to his
dead-bed and ordered them to fulfill his last three wishes.
The first wish was that his sons would continue to work on their land for a living.
The second wish was that they would go to the famous teacher in the neighboring village
to study. And the third was that they had to love and take care of each other forever.
No sooner was the old man buried properly in the village burial-ground than the
two brothers began to realize their father wishes. They ploughed the wetland to cultivate
water rice and grew fruit trees on their dry land while taking lessons with the teacher in
the neighboring village. Their diligent work, their love to study, and their fraternal love
and care for each other were widely known and praised throughout their region.
Time passed swiftly, and three full years had passed before the two young,
handsome men realized that they were both deeply in love with the beautiful, only
daughter of their teacher. The girl was aware of their feelings from all along, but she
waited until they both went out of mourning1 and told her father and asked for his
decision.
On hearing this news, the old teacher became undecided: He was wavering
between choosing one of the two brothers. During the previous three years, the teacher
always treated his two special students equally because either of them was really correct
and decent in his words, deeds, and manners. In short, they were both educated men and
1 When one of the parents or grandparents died, children and grandchildren would be in mourning for
twenty seven months (capital mourning). During this period of time they should wear clothes of plain, dark
color and were not allowed to organize or attend any joyful activities. Weddings were strictly prohibited
when one of the future spouses was in mourning.
excellent in all aspects. Finally, the teacher had to marry his beloved daughter to the elder
brother because the social norms and tradition of the time required that all elder brother
and sister should be married before any of their younger siblings could.
Even though Tan Lang felt very sad at the news that the girl he loved could not
marry him but would marry his brother Tan Sinh instead, he still helped his brother
enlarge their paternal house for the wedding.
Tan Sinh married the girl he loved, and the couple lived happily in their enlarged
house2. Sinh indulged himself with love so much that he practically forgot that he had a
younger brother, who lived under the same roof.
Tan Lang, the silent sufferer and admirer could no longer bear the pain of seeing
the happy couple enjoying their conjugal life. But he did not want to destroy the
happiness of his beloved, who were his own brother and his dream woman. The only
thing he could do to conserve their fraternal love, save his own virtues and conducts, and
protect their happiness was that he would leave them forever.
His determination to sacrifice was adamant: He left his native land without
leaving a word for any body at all. Tan Lang aimed at the highest mountain peak, and
towards it he went. After many, many days of going up and down hills, crossing many
desert fields, swarms, and virgin woods; he came to a wild, big river. There was no boat
to cross the river, and there was nobody in sight or houses nearby to buy anything to eat
or to work in exchange for food. Worst of all was that there was nothing edible in that
immense region. Finally, Tan Lang sat himself down at an even and flat place near the
riverside to take a rest and to think of his beloved.
No one knew for sure how long Tan Lang had sat there before he died. But legend
has it that he sat there and died and that his corps changed into a huge limestone seam on
the riverside.
2 Right after the wedding, the daughter-in-law came to live with her husband in his parents’ house.
2
Several weeks later in his native village, the newly-wed couple became aware of
his absence. When they recognized that their negligence had driven him away from
home, they knew that they could no longer enjoy their happiness if their brother had to
drift about in strange lands to make ends meet. The husband repented of his mistake and
decided to go searching for his brother to bring him home. His wife packed ten days of
dry food, threaded a string of copper coins,3 and urged him to begin his search as soon as
possible.
Judging from his geographical knowledge of the region, Tan Sinh surmised that
his brother had gone to the direction of the highest mountain. Therefore, Tan Sinh aimed
at the highest mountain and began his search. After many, many days of plodding up and
down hills and crossing many desert fields and swarms, and virgin woods; he came to the
same wild, big river. There was no boat to help him cross the river. There was nobody in
sight or houses nearby to buy anything to eat or to work in exchange for food. Worst of
all was that there was nothing edible in that immense region. Dead tired and hungry, Tan
Sinh found the limestone, and onto which he lay down and rested.
No one knew for sure how long Tan Sinh had lain there before he died. Legend
has it that he lay down and died and that his corps changed into a huge areca tree standing
by the limestone seam.
After many weeks of waiting in vain for her husband and his brother to return, the
wife planned to go and search for her husband and her brother-in-law. She forced herself
to believe that her husband had found his brother, but the latter might have been sick.
Therefore, her husband had to stay longer to take care of him. This time the faithful wife
packed enough dry food for three people to use and brought along all the strings of coins
they possessed in case of need.
Knowing that her husband had taken the bearing on the highest mountain, she
began her search in that direction. After many, many days of plodding up and down hills
and crossing many desert fields and swarms, and virgin woods; she came to the same
wild, big river. There was no boat to help her cross the river. There was nobody in sight
3 Ancient money
3
or houses nearby to buy anything to eat or to work in exchange for food. Worst of all was
that there was nothing edible in that immense region. Desperate, tired, and hungry, the
faithful wife sat on the limestone, leaning against the areca tree. She tried not to cry, but
tears kept falling down all over her pale cheeks. Her strength waned, and she died.
Legend has it that the woman sat on the limestone leaning against the areca tree
and wept incessantly to her death. Her corps changed into a luster twiner, which climbed
up and embraced the trunk of the areca tree with its many enter-twining vines. That
twiner was later known as the betel vine.
When the king went on an inspection tour in this region of his country, the wild,
immense region had become populous and wealthy. One day, the king happened to stand
on the limestone seam and gazed at the spectacle of a luster vine intertwining a strange
tree bearing bunches of green nuts. He wanted to stay there longer to study the tree and
the vine.
The king talked to the elders in this region about the strange vine and the tree.
They told him the legend of the couple and their brother. The king was deeply moved by
the story of their tragic fate, and he ordered to camp there for a time. He wanted to do
something for the three lovers.
After much thinking the king ordered that chunks of limestone be baked in the fire
then mixed with water to make a soft, lime gel. This lime was to be used to test the betel
leaf and the areca nut. The king employed several prisoners under dead sentence to test
his new mix, which was comprised of. a piece of an areca nut, a half of a betel leaf, and a
dash of lime gel. Each prisoner was to chew that mix to see what would happen. The king
told the prisoners if they survived the chewing test, their dead penalty would be reversed.
After chewing that mix (the quid), the prisoners looked merrier. Because of their
chewing the betel leaf and areca nut; their cheeks turned pink, their eyes were brilliant,
and their lips crimson red. They became more vivid than ever. Seeing such a result, the
soldiers and the villagers asked the king if they could volunteer to chew the quids, and
the king granted them his permission.
4
At the end, the king also chewed the quid, and he became very fond of the new
taste and enjoyed the pleasant mood ensuing from the chewing. He ordered the local
authorities to grow more areca plants from the ripen nuts and more betel vines from short
lengths of the old vines.
The king himself wrote a pair of parallel sentences in big characters to praise the
spirits of the three good brothers and sister in this tragedy. The royal sentences for them
were as follows, “Harmonious Brothers” and “Faithful Couple”.
Later the king issued a decree that ordered betel leaf and areca nut be offered in
all worship and sacrifice. By and by, betel leaf and areca nuts were chewed in all
festivities of all the peoples in Vietnam. Finally, betel leaf and areca nuts have become an
essential engagement present in a traditional Vietnamese wedding.
Today, betel leaves and areca nuts are being sent by air freight to all parts of the
world because the Vietnamese living abroad still consider them the symbol of faithful
love. Therefore, the presence of betel leaves and areca nuts in a Vietnamese traditional
wedding is a must.
Adapted from Vietnamese oral tales
By Quy Nguyen
5
The Legend of Betel Leaf and Areca Nut
S Tích Tru Cau Vi Vôi
c xong truyn này bn s hiu
vì sao trong mt ám ci Vit-Nam
luôn luôn có tru và cau
Ngày xa ngày xa, trong mt làng nh bé ca nc Vit Nam c, có hai em nhà
h Cao. Ngi anh là Tân Sinh ln hn em là Tân Lang mt tui. Cha ca h hóa v sm
nhng ông không tc-huyn1 vì ông mun tp trung sc lc và tin ca nuôi dy hai
con thành ngi nông dân bit ch. Mt ngày kia, bit mình không th sng thêm na,
ông gi hai ngi con n bên ging và bt h ha vi ông hai iu.
iu th nht là h tip tc canh-tác t ai ông li sinh-nhai. iu thú hai
là h s sang xin hc ch vi ông thy ni ting làng bên. iu th ba là h phi
thng yêu chm sóc nhau mãi mãi.
Ngay sau khi chôn ct cha àng hoàng ngha a làng, h bt u thc hin li
c nguyn ca cha. Hai anh em cày rung thp trng lúa nc và trng cây n qu
trên t vn.; ng thi h xin hc ch vi ông thày làng bên. S làm vic siêng
nng, vic hc-hành chm ch, và tình anh em ca h c truyn xa và khen-ngi khp
vùng.
Thi gian qua tht là mau, và ba nm tròn ã qua i tróc khi hai chàng trai tr
nhn bit rng h cùng yêu say-m ngi con gái xinh p c nht ca thày mình.
Cô gái ã bit tình cm ca h t lâu, nhng cô i n khi hai ngi ã mãn tang cha2
mi tha vi cha mình xin ông quyt nh.
1 ly v khác
2 Khi cha m, ông bà cht i, con cháu phi tang 27 tháng gi là i tang. Trong thi gian này h phi
mc qun áo sm mt màu và không c t chc hoc tham d mt cuc vui nào c. Vic ci g hoàn
toàn cm i vi nhng ngòi ang có tang.
1
The Legend of Betel Leaf and Areca Nut
Nghe tin này, ông thày già không th quyt nh c. Ông phân-vân trong vic
chn mt trong hai ngi. T ba nm qua, ông luôn luôn i x tht công-bng vi hai
ngi hc trò c bit ca ông bi vì c hai ngi ai cng hoàn-ho t li n ting nói
n hành-vi c-ch. Tóm li c hai u c giáo dc tt và hoàn-ho trên mi phng
din. Cui cùng ông phi g con gái cho ngi anh vì theo chun-mc xã-hi thi by
gi, anh, ch ln phi có v có chng ri thì các em nh tui hn mi c lp gia ình.
Dù rng Tân Lang rt bun vì ngi mình yêu không th ly mình mà s ly
ngi anh rut ca mình, anh vn giúp ngi anh ci nhà cho rng ln thêm ra làm
ám ci.
Tân Sinh ci c ngi mình yêu, và ôi v chng sng trong ngôi nhà ã ci
rng. Sinh chìm m trong tình yêu và thc s quên mt là mình còn có mt ngi em
cùng sng chung di mt mái nhà.
Tân Lang, ngi âm-thm au kh, không còn chu ni ni au hàng ngày nhìn
thy hnh-phúc la ôi cu anh mình. Nhng anh không mun phá-hoi hnh-phúc ca
nhng ngi thân yêu: Mt ngi là anh rut, mt ngi là ngi mình yêu trong mng.
Cách hay nht mà anh có th làm c va gi c tình anh em, va bo-tn c
phm-hnh, o-c ca mình, và gìn-gi c hnh-phúc ca h là anh phi vnh-vin
ra i.
Quyt-nh hy-sinh ca anh tht cng rn: Anh b làng i không nói vi ai mt
li nào. Tân Lang nhm hng nh núi cao nht và i v phía y. Sau rt nhiu ngày lên
dc xung èo, bng qua ng vng, m hoang, và rng nguyên-sinh3; anh gp mt con
sông ln nc chy sit, chn ngang ng i. Không có thuyn bè sang sông, không
có bóng ngi hoc nhà ca trong vùng mua n hay làm thuê làm mn i ly
3 rng hoang cha có vt chân ngi
2
The Legend of Betel Leaf and Areca Nut
cm n. T nht là, c mt vùng rng ln ó không có mt th gì n c. Cui cùng,
Tân Lang ngi xung mt ch t bng phng ngh và suy ngh n nhng ngi thân.
Không ai bit c là Tân Lang ngi ó bao lâu ri mi cht. Truyn thuyt nói
rng anh ngi ó ri cht, và xác anh hóa ra mt va á vôi ln nm trên b sông.
Nhiu tun sau ni làng quê, cp v chng mi bit s vng mt ca ngi em.
Khi h nhn bit c rng chính s th- ca h ã làm cho ngi em phi b nhà ra i.
H hiu rng t nay h s không th vui hng hnh-phúc riêng t na, nu nh ngi
em ca h phi trôi-dt tha-hng kim sng. Ngi chng vô cùng hi-hn và quyt
nh i tìm ngi em v. Ngi v sa son cho chng mi ngày lng khô và mt xâu
tin ng 4 ri gic chng i tìm em càng sm càng tt.
Suy t s hiu bit v a-th trong vùng, Tân Sinh phng oán rng em mình ã
nhm theo hng núi ln mà i. Vì vy Tân Sinh bt u tìm em theo hng i ó.
Tân Sinh nhm hng nh núi cao nht và i v phía y tìm em. Sau rt nhiu ngày
lên dc xung èo, bng qua ng vng, m hoang, và rng nguyên-sinh; anh gp mt
con sông ln nc chy rt mnh, chn ngang ng i. Không có thuyn bè sang
sông, không có bóng ngi hoc nhà ca trong vùng mua n hay làm thuê làm
món i ly cm n. T hn na là, c mt vùng rng ln ó không có mt th gì n
c. Cui cùng, ói và mt, Tân Sinh nm trên va á vôi bên b sông ngh mt.
Không ai bit rõ là Tân Sinh nm ó bao lâu ri mi cht. Truyn thuyt nói rng
anh nm ó ri cht và xác anh hóa thành mt cây cau ln mc ngay cnh va á vôi.
4 tin ngày xa, thung c xâu thành xâu cho khi b ri.
3
The Legend of Betel Leaf and Areca Nut
Ti ni làng c, sau my tháng ch i hoài công, ngi v quyt-nh i tìm
chng và em chng v. Ngi v t trn-an mình bng cách tin rng chng mình ã tìm
thy ngi em nhng vì ngi em b m nng nên ngi chng phi li sn-sóc em.
Ln này ngi v em theo lng khô dùng cho c ba ngi và tt c các xâu tin
ng h có, phòng khi cn n.
Bit chng i theo hng núi ln, ngi v bt u i tìm theo hng ó.
Sau rt nhiu ngày ln-li lên dc xung èo, bng qua ng vng, m hoang, và rng
nguyên-sinh; ngi v gp mt con sông ln nc chy rt mnh, chn ngang ng i.
Không có thuyn bè sang sông, không có bóng ngi hoc nhà ca trong vùng mua
n hay làm thuê làm món i ly cm n. T hn na là, c mt vùng rng ln ó
không có mt th gì n c. Cui cùng, tuyt vng, mt, và ói, bà ngi ngh trên va á
vôi, ta lng vào thân cy cau. Bà không mun khóc nhng nc mt c tuôn trào xung
ôi má nht-nht ca bà. Sc lc tàn dn và bà cht.
Truyn thuyt nói rng ngi àn bà ngi trên va á vôi, da lng vào thân cây
và khóc cho n cht. Xác bà hoá thành mt loài dây leo xanh tt qun quanh thân cây5.
5 Loài dây leo sau này là dây tru.
4
The Legend of Betel Leaf and Areca Nut
Mãi v sau, khi nhà vua i tun n vùng t này thì c min hoang-dã rng ln
ó ã thành ông-úc và trù-phú. Mt ngày kia, nhà vua vô tình ng trên v á vôi và
ngm mt loài dây leo qun quanh mt thân cây l có mang rt nhiu chùm qu nh màu
xanh. Vua cm thy l và mun li ni ó nghiên cu v cái cây l và dây leo này.
Vua nói chuyn vi các bô lão6 trong vùng và c bit câu chuyn thng-tâm
ca ôi v chng vi ngi em trai này. Vua rt cm ng vì thm-cnh ca h và
quyt-nh li ây làm mt iu gì ó cho h.
Sau khi ã suy ngh k, nhà vua ra lnh ly á vôi em nung trong la, ri hoà vi
nc thành mt th keo mm dùng th lá ca dây leo và trái ca cây l7 ó.
Nhà vua dùng my ti nhân t-ti th hn-hp mi này. Hn-hp gm na lá
dây leo, mt phn qu l, và mt qut vôi mm. Mi ngi t-ti s nhai cùng mt lúc
hn-hp này8. Nhà vua cho các t-ti bit trc là nu h nhai th mà không sao thì
án t-hình ca h s c hu b.
Sau khi nhai xong hn-hp (ming tru) ó, trông nhng ngi t-ti khác hn
lên: Má h ng hng, cp mt long lanh, ôi môi hng thm. H tr nên sinh-ng hn
tróc nhiu. Nhìn thy kt qu nh vy, my ngi lính ca vua và mt s dân làng xin
phép vua cho h nhai tru th. Vua cho phép h c nhai.
6 nhng ngi nhiu tui
7 cây cau
8 ming tru
5
The Legend of Betel Leaf and Areca Nut
Cui cùng nhà vua cng nhai tru na, và ngài rt thích hng-v mi và tâm-thái
vui v do vic n tru em li. Vua ra lnh quan dân a phng trng thêm nhiu cây
cau na t nhng qu già màu vàng và thêm nhiu dây tru t nhng khúc dây già.
Nhà vua ích-thân vit mt câu i bng ch ln khen ngi tinh-thn ca ba
ngi trong thm-kch. Câu i nh sau: “Anh em hoà-thun” và “V chng tit-ngha”
V sau nhà vua ra lnh là t nay trong các cuc t l nht nh phi có món cau
tru. Dn dn, mi ngi u nhai tru trong các dp hi hè vui v ca ngi Viêt Nam.
Cui cùng, tru cau ã tr thành mt món l-vt không th thiu trong l ính-hôn và
ám ci c truyn Vit nam.
Phóng tác theo truyn truyn ming dân gian
Qúy Nguyn
Federal Way, tháng By, 2005
6
The Tale of the Thick Round and
the Square Glutinous Rice Cakes
After reading this tale, you will know
why many Vietnamese celebrate their new year
with the round and the square glutinous rice cakes.
NVQ
Once upon a time in the Old Kingdom of Vietnam lived an old king, who wanted to
chose his crown prince among his many princes; but he could not come to any decision
because all the princes were almost equally good.
One day the king summoned all his sons to his court and declared his decision in front of
his hundreds of mandarins1. The king said he wanted all his princes to participate in a
special food preparing competition.
The prince who offered the best food would be the crown prince.
The recipe of the awarded dish would be taught to the royal cooks; and on the first
day of spring the king would offer this new food to Providence and to his
ancestors.
The competition was nine months away, so the princes had plenty of time to prepare their
entries. Most of the rich princes sent their chief cooks to far away countries to buy
expensive food materials, special seasoning, and exotic flavors for their dishes for the
food competition. Each tried his best and believed his special dish would win him the
throne.
1 Public officials of the king
The king had many wives, and all of them were rich. When the queens were rich, their
sons were rich too. But this was not the case. There was the youngest prince who was
really poor. His name was Lang Lieu.
Lang Lieu was poor because his mother died when he was very young.
In his small palace lived eleven other people. They were his wet nurse, one cook, two
maids, two servants, three gardeners, his assigned body guard, and an old scholar who
was his designated teacher. Twelve people subsisted on his small yearly allowance given
to the whole palace.
Because they did not have enough money, they only had frugal meals all year round.
They led a morally pure life and treated one another as if they were kin relatives.
The scholar taught the prince everything he knew.
And the body guard, who excelled in traditional Vietnamese kung fu, taught the prince
this art on the pretext of keeping him healthy and preventing sickness.
Time went by swiftly. Prince Lang Lieu became a well educated man. In fact, he was
perfect in every aspect. Nobody except the people in his palace knew that he was a man
of letters and an expert in martial art.
2
On hearing the king’s order about the food competition, the poor prince became very
thoughtful. He did not know what to do because he did not have enough money to think
of any delicatessen at all. In addition, he could not think of any food, which was both
yummy and cheap.
Lang Lieu sat up several nights to think of the food, but he could not find any possible
solution. One night, he saw a kind, respectable old man standing in front of his desk. He
hurriedly rose, bowed his head, and greeted the man.
Prince Lang Lieu asked the old man to sit down and asked him if he could do anything
for him. The man replied that he did not need anything. He only wanted to discuss with
him the art of managing state affairs. They talked and talked for a long time. Finally, they
realized they had many agreeing points of view.
When the old gentle man asked if he wanted to ask him anything, Lang Lieu told him his
worry about the oncoming food competition. The man smiled kindly and advised him to
make many thick and round, plain glutinous cakes and square glutinous rice cakes for the
competition. Then he taught him how to make the cakes.
Lang Lieu woke up and realized he had had a conversation in his dream with either one
of his ancestors or with a good genie. He joined his hands and made three long bows in
the air to show his gratitude to the man. He wrote down all information of the cakes
before he went to bed.
3
Two days before the competition, Lang Lieu and his folks began to make ten square
glutinous rice cakes. The shell of the cake was made of glutinous rice, and the fillings
were of green bean paste and fat pork. The cakes were wrapped in banana leaves and
cooked in boiling water for eight hours and then were pressed inside square wooden
boxes to get the perfect square shape.
The day before the competition, Lang Lieu and his folks began to make ten thick round
cakes. Thirty cups of new glutinous rice was cooked and pounded until all the grains
blended together making a big mass of dough. The dough was then made into big round
cakes of one inch thick. Each cake was put on a round mat cut from banana leaves and
displayed on a big plate.
On the day of the competition, all kinds of delicatessens were prepared and displayed in
the court in front of the royal palace. Each prince displayed his special dishes on a big
round table.
The king, his many queens, and his high-ranking mandarins would walk around each
table to watch and taste the displays. When the king had finished tasting a piece from a
specific dish, the queens and the mandarins would take turn to taste that same food.
The competitor and his chief cook stood by their table to greet the king and to answer the
questions concerning their food entries.
4
Slowly, the king led his entourage through all the tables. He stopped at each table and
tasted some of the displayed food. The queens and the mandarins followed the king’s
example and tasted the same food. The king did not taste most of the entries for he had
eaten these delicatessens before.
When the king and his entourage came to Prince Lang Lieu’s table, he said he wanted to
taste his cakes. On hearing that, the queens and many mandarins looked at those simple
looking cakes with their disbelieving eyes.
Prince Lang Lieu cut a wedge from the round plain glutinous rice cake and put it on a
blue ceramic saucer. Then with both hands, he respectfully presented it to his father the
king.
At his first bite, the king with his gifted delicate sense of smell recognized immediately
the scent of delicacy emanated from the new glutinous rice. He ate the portion slowly
while his eyes gleamed with excitement. He wanted a second wedge and finished it with
great pleasure.
Then the king said he wanted to taste his square-shaped cake. Lang Lieu pealed off the
banana leaves from the cake. The banana leaves gave the shell a greenish tinge, which
was pleasing to the eyes. Then he used its own strings to cut it into nine square pieces.
Next he put the middle piece of this bread on a white ceramic saucer and offered it to the
5
king. During all this time, the king watched his youngest son serving him with
anticipation.
The king tasted the new cake slowly and enjoyed every bit of it. The perfect combination
of the fragrance of the new rice and that of the cooked banana leaves aroused his sense of
smell. Upon his first bite into the portion of the bread, the flavor and the taste of green
been, pepper, salt, and fat pork fully awoke his sense of taste. Consequently, he really ate
two portions of the square bread.
The king was very pleased with Lang Lieu’s cakes. He ordered that a piece from each
cake be served to the queens and his mandarins at once.
While watching his queens and his entourage enjoying the cakes, the king asked his son
about the meaning of each cake. Lang Lieu replied that the white round cake represented
the sky and the square cake represented the earth they lived on.2
He also explained to the king that the greenish color of the cake represented the trees and
vegetables, which covered the earth surface. The green bean paste, pepper, salt, fat pork
found in the fillings represented all the elements and materials found below the earth.
The whole idea3 of making the cakes was that people lived harmoniously in the care of
Father Sky and Mother Earth. Moreover, people could eat these cakes to subsist because
the materials to make these cakes were cheap and easy to get.
2 At the time of this story, the earth was believed to be square.
6
Overly happy, the king talked to his youngest son about the art of managing state affairs.
Lang Lieu discussed the art with him exactly as if he was discussing with the old man in
his dream. The king was very pleased with his choice: He proclaimed Lang Lieu his
crown prince.
Late that year, the old king resigned after teaching Lang Lieu a lot more about the art of
managing the peoples in his kingdom. Prince Lang Lieu succeeded to the throne and
became the most enlightened king. He led his kingdom to peace and prosperity forever
after.
The recipes of his round and square cakes were taught to all his peoples, so every family
in his kingdom knew very well how to make these cakes and enjoyed eating them.
This practice has been observed for over tens of centuries. The round and the square
glutinous rice cakes have become an indispensable offer among the foods to be offered to
the ancestors of each Vietnamese family during their Tet (New Year Celebration).
Adapted from Vietnamese oral folk tale
and non-official oral history
by Quy Nguyen
July 2005
3 philosophy
7
The Tale of the Thick Round and Square Glutinous Rice Cakes
Truyn Bánh Chng và Bánh Dày
c truyn này xong, bn s hiu vì sao
nhiu ngi Vit Nam thích n
bánh chng và bánh dày vào dp Tt.
NVQ
Ngày xa ngày xa Vng-Quc Vit c có mt v vua già mun nhng ngôi
cho con nhng không chn c ai ht vì tt c các hoàng-t u tài gii và c-hnh
ngang nhau.
Mt hôm vua triu các hoàng-t lên triu và tuyên b quyt-nh trc bá quan
vn võ rng tt c các hoàng-t phi d mt bui thi tài ch bin món n mi.
Hoàng-t nào dâng c món n ngon nht s c phong làm Hoàng-Thái-T.
Cách thc ch bin món n ó s c dy cho u bp ca vua ngày mng
mt tt h s nu món ngon y t tri và cúng t tiên nhà vua.
Còn chín tháng na mi ti ngày thi, vì vy các hoàng-t có y thi gian
sa son món d thi ca mình. a s các hoàng-t giu có u gi u bp chính ca
mình i n các nc xa xôi mua vt liu, gia-v c-bit, và các hng thm l cho
cuc thi nu n. Mi hoàng-t u c gng ht sc mình và u tin vào món n c-bit
ca mình s giành c ngai vàng v cho mình.
Nhà vua có nhiu v và tt c các bà u giu. Khi hoàng-hu giu thì ng
nhiên con trai ca h (hoàng-t) u giu. Nhng không úng nh vy. Có mt hoàng-t
tr nht li là ngi nghèo nht. Tên ông ta là Lang-Liêu.
Lang-Liêu nghèo bi vì m ông mt t khi ông còn bé. Sng chung trong t-dinh
nh bé ca ông có mi mt ngi na. ó là bà vú nuôi ca ông, mt ngi u bp,
hai ngi n-tì, hai ngi y t, ba ngi làm vn, mt ngi v-s do vua c bo v
1
The Tale of the Thick Round and Square Glutinous Rice Cakes
ông, và mt hc-gi già là ngi vua ch-nh dy ch cho ông. Mi hai ngi sinh
sng bng s tin nho nh cp phát hàng nm cho c t-dinh ca ông.
Bi vì h không có tin nên h ch có nhng ba n thanh-m quanh nm.
H sng mt cuc sng thanh-bn và i x vi nhau nh ngi rut tht. V hc-gi dy
hoàng-t tt c nhng gì ông bit. Còn ngi v-s vn d rt gii v môn võ c-truyn
ca ngi Vit dy ông môn ngh-thut này; nhng nói tr i là tp rèn luyn thân th
khe mnh và phòng chng bnh tt.
Thi gian thm thot và hoàng-t Lang-Liêu ã tr thành ngi c dy d n
ni n chn. Tht vy, ông thc s là ngi hoàn-ho trên mi phng din. Không ai
ngoài nhng ngi sng trong t-dinh vi ông bit c là hoàng-t vn võ toàn tài.
Sau khi nghe lnh vua v cuc thi nu n, v hoàng-t nghèo tr nên trm-ngâm.
Ông không bit làm gì vì ông không có tin ngh n mt món cao-lng m-v
nào. Ngoài ra, ông cng không ngh c mt món n nghèo nào va r li va ngon c.
Lang-Liêu thc nhiu êm suy ngh các món n nhng không th tìm ra mt
gii-pháp nào c. Mt êm kia, ông thy mt ông già hin lành, o-mo ng trc bàn
ca mình, ông vi-vã ng lên cúi u chào hi ông già.
Hoàng-t Lang-Liêu hi ông già xem hoàng-t có giúp gì cho ông c không.
Ông già áp là ông không cn gì c, ông ch mun bàn v cách tr nc vi Lang-Liêu
mà thôi. Hai ngi nói chuyn và nói mãi. Sau cùng. hai ngi cùng nhn thy là h có
nhiu im rt ging nhau v cách tr nc.
Khi ông già thanh-lch hi Lang-Liêu xem ông có mun hi mình iu gì không
thì Lang-Liêu by t vi ông v ni lo lng ca mình v cuc thi nu n. Ông già ci
2
The Tale of the Thick Round and Square Glutinous Rice Cakes
hin-hòa và khuyên hoàng-t nên làm nhng cái bánh dày tròn và nhng cái bánh chng
vuông d thi. Sau ó ông ch dn cách làm hai loi bánh này cho Lang Liêu.
Lang-Liêu tnh gic và hiu rng mình va nói chuyn trong m vi mt trong
các v vua t tiên ca mình hoc vi mt v phúc-thn nào ó. Ông chp hai tay li và vái
vng vào khong không bày t lòng bit n ca mình. Xong ông ghi li nhng chi-tit
v hai loi bánh trc khi i ng.
Hai ngày trc cuc thi, Lang-Liêu và nhóm ngi ca mình làm mi cái bánh
chng vuông. V bánh làm bng go np mi, nhân bánh bng u xanh chín giã nhuyn
và tht ln m. Bánh c gói trong lá chui, luc tám ting ng h, ri ép trong khuôn
g to dáng tht vuông-vc.
Mt ngày trc cuc thi, Lang-Liêu và nhóm ngi ca mình làm mi cái bánh
dày bng go np mi. Ba mi bát go c nu thành xôi ri giã nhuyn ti khi nhng
ht np kt dính vào vi nhau thành mt khi bt mn ln. K ó bt c bt thành bánh
tròn, dày khong hai t ngón tay. Bánh dày bt xong c t trên bng lá chui ct
tròn ri bày trên a bàn ln.
Vào ngày thi, tt c các món n trân-quý c trng bày trc sân rng. Mi
hoàng-t bày món n d thi ca mình trên mt bàn tròn ln.
Vua, các hoàng-hu cùng các quan i-thn s i vòng quanh tng bàn ngm
thng và nm các món n ó. Khi vua ã nm xong mt món n, các hoàng-hu cùng
các quan i-thn s ln lt n th món n ó. Hoàng-t d thi và u bp chính ca
mình ng gn bên chào ón vua và phái oàn và tr li các câu hi liên-quan n
món d thi.
3
The Tale of the Thick Round and Square Glutinous Rice Cakes
Vua chm rãi dn phái oàn i nm qua ht các bàn. Ông dng li mi bàn
ngm và nm. Các hoàng-hu và các i-thn ai cng làm theo. Nhà vua b không nm
rt nhiu món cao-lng m-v vì nhà vua ã tng n qua các món ó.
Khi nhà vua và oàn tùy-tùng n bàn ca hoàng t Lang Liêu, vua nói là vua
mun n th bánh ca Lang Liêu. Nghe thy th, các hoàng-hu và các i-thn nhìn my
cái bánh trông rt gin-d vi ánh mt y nghi ng.
Hoàng t Lang-Liêu ct mt ming bánh dày, t lên mt a s nh màu xanh.
Ri bng hai tay, ông kính-cn dâng lên vua cha.
Ngay ming cn u tiên, vi khu-giác tuyt vi ca mình, nhà vua ã nhn thy
mt mùi hng thanh-tao ta ra t go np mi. Ông n ming bánh dày rt t-tn, ánh
mt ông ngi lên vì thích thú. Ông mun n thêm ming na, và ông ã n ht hai ming
bánh vi s ngon ming him thy.
Tip n nhà vua nói là mun n th cái bánh vuông. Lang-Liêu bóc bánh chng.
Lp lá chui to cho v bánh mt màu xanh dìu-du a nhìn. Ông dùng dây gói bánh
ct bánh thành chín ming vuông vc. on ông xúc ming bánh chính gia, t lên
mt a s nh màu trng ri dâng lên vua. Trong sut thi gian này, nhà vua ngm
ngi con trai út ca mình sa son bánh cho mình mt cách nôn-nóng.
Nhà vua thng-thc ming bánh chng mt cách chm rãi và tn hng tng
ming nh mt. Thot u, s phi-hp hài-hòa ca hng np mi và hng ca lá
chui kích-thích khu-giác ca nhà vua. n khi cn vào ming bánh, hng và v ca
u xanh, ht tiêu, mui, và tht heo m thc s ánh thc khu-v ca vua. Kt qu là
vua n ht hai phn bánh chng.
4
The Tale of the Thick Round and Square Glutinous Rice Cakes
Nhà vua rt hài lòng vì bánh ca LangLiêu. Ông truyn lnh các Hoàng-Hu và
các i-thn, mi ngi phi n th ngay mt ming bánh dày và mt ming bánh chng.
Trong lúc ngm các hoàng-hu và i-thn ca mình n th bánh, nhà vua hi con
v ý ngha mi loi bánh. Lang-Liêu tha rng cái bánh dày trng hình tròn là tngtr
ng cho Tri và bánh chng vuông là tng-trng cho t.
Hoàng-t cng gii thích cho vua cha hay là màu xanh ca bánh chng tngtr
ng cho cây ci hoa c trên mt t. Nhân u xanh, tiêu, mui, tht, m tng-trng
cho các cht, vt liu di và trong lòng t.
Ý ngha chính ca hai loi bánh là con ngi sng hòa-hp trong s chm sóc ca
Cha Tri M t. Hn na, ngòi ta có th n bánh dày và bánh chng sng vì các vt
liu làm bánh tng i r và d kim.
Quá vui mng, nhà vua nói chuyn vi con v ngh-thut tr nc. Lang-Liêu
tho-lun vi cha cng ging ht nh lúc ông tho-lun vi ông già trong m vy. Nhà
vua rt c ý v s la chn ca mình: Ông tuyên b Lang-Liêu là Hoàng-Thái-T.
Cui nm y, sau khi dy thêm cho Lang-Liêu v ngh-thut iu-khin và
s-dng các sc-dân trong vng-quc, nhà vua truyn ngôi cho con.
Lang-Liêu k-v cha và tr thành mt v minh-quân. Ông ã dn dt vng-quc
ca mình n thanh-bình thnh-vng mãi v sau.
Cách thc làm bánh dày và bánh chng c dy cn-k cho mi ngi trong
vng-quc, vì vy toàn dân u thích n hai loi bánh này. Tp tc này c lu-truyn
qua hàng chc th-k. Ngày nay, bánh chng và bánh dày ã tr thành mt món dâng
cúng không th thiu trên bàn th ông bà ca các gia ình Vitnam trong nhng ngày
vui tt thng xuân. (Phóng tác t truyn phong tc truyn ming. Quy Nguyen ’05)
5
The Tale of the Thick Round and Square Glutinous Rice Cakes
6
The Greedy Brother
and the Star Fruit Tree
Once upon a time, there was a rich peasant who lived happily with his two sons
and a daughter-in-law. They always had their meals together on the same table because
the old man paid for everything. His elder son married a girl from the neighboring
village. Even though his daughter-in-law was from a rich family, she was stingy and
hard-hearted. When his younger son was eight, the old man became seriously ill.
Knowing that he would die soon, the sick father summoned the married couple to his
dead bed and asked them to promise him two things. The first thing was that they would
take good care of their younger brother until he was married. The second thing was that
they would give half of the legacy to their younger brother the day he was married. The
elder son and his wife promised solemnly that they would do exactly what their father
wanted. The old man looked very pleased and died.
Right after the old man’s interment, the stingy woman told her husband not to
allow his younger brother to eat with them on the same table in the dining room. Since
then the boy ate only the leftover food with the servants in the kitchen. Time went by
swiftly, and their younger brother learned all the life skills and husbandry with the hired
laborers and their servants.
When their younger brother came of age, the stingy couple told their old maid to
marry her eldest daughter to their brother. Such an arrangement saved them a lot of
money for wedding gifts. The newly wed was happy because they had known each other
and worked together for years.
The greedy couple did not keep their promise, which was to give their brother half
of his father’s property. They only gave him a small rice paddy, which did not yield much
rice and a small tract of exhausted farmland on the far end of their immense farm as their
wedding gift to the couple. On that portion of the land were a small hut by a weakly old
carambola tree and a long, thick bamboo hedge. On their part, the greedy couple had the
big ancestral house, other small houses, many servants, a lot of farmlands, many good
quality rice fields, money, and gold.
The younger couple was pleased with what they were given, because they deemed
their gift to be the heritage of their parents. They believed that the venerated souls of their
parents would be very pleased if they kept working hard on the land. They cut elephant
grass to fix their leaking roof and bamboo to make the sides for their hut.
Every day the husband and wife carried water hauled from a deep well to water
the carambola tree. At first, they earned their living from hand to mouth. Luckily, the old
tree rejuvenated and gave them plenty of good star-shaped fruits to trade for their rice and
corn kernels. Consequently, they had enough to eat year round.
Every year, when the star fruits were ripe, the whole tree turned brilliant yellow
with fruits. Each branch looked heavier than before because it borne many bunches of
shiny, yellow fruits. One year, the poor brother and his wife were happy because of their
imminent, good crop. They planned to pick the fruits and sell and trade them at the next
market-day. They took turn to guard the tree for fear that the bat would come to eat and
damage some of the ripe fruits.
2
Late one afternoon, the wife saw a huge black bird perching on the top of their
tree. She ran back to the hut to call her husband to help ward off the strange bird. They
hurried to the tree. Her husband carried a long, bamboo pole with the intention to poke at
the bird and shoo it away. When they came, the bird had finished eating a big bunch of
their juicy fruits.
As they approached the tree, the bird soared and made big circles high above the
tree and cried out loudly. The couple stared at the strange big bird and was startled to
hear its call, because it was human speech and rhymed like a poem.
Children of the raven!
Grandchildren
of the raven!
Come here quickly!
Eat yummy fruits
Get equal share
Caw! Caw!
When the big black bird stopped calling, a flock of raven arrived and perched on
all the branches of the carambola tree. Soon the tree was covered with black raven, which
started feeding on those succulent, star-shaped fruits. Perhaps the big raven was the
leader of the flock because he circled high above watching his flock eating.
Seeing that heart-breaking sight, the poor couple knew that they could not ward
off or shoo the raven away. They dropped down on their knees, bowed their heads, and
prayed them to stop feeding on their star fruits. Because if all the fruits were gone, they
would have no fruits to exchange for rice and that meant they would be hungry and
starve. The prayers of the couple were very loud, but the hungry raven kept on eating
their fruits.
3
The leader of the flock heard their prayers, so he chanted clearly to their ears
Eat your star fruits
We pay you gold
Make three-span pouch
To carry gold
Caw! Caw!
The couple did not believe in what they heard. And because they could not stand
seeing their fruits disappear, they cried and lamented loudly.
As thin as a lath
And seedily poor
If fruits were gone
We surely starve!
Again, the biggest of the flock tried to ease their trouble by chanting clearly to
their ears.
Eat your star fruits
We pay you gold
Make three-span pouch
To carry gold
Caw! Caw!
The couple, however, did not hear a word because they were busy crying and
wailing loudly. This time the raven leader shouted at them.
You stop crying!
You stop kneeling!
Nobody starves!
Nobody dies!
Then he sang.
We eat your fruits
We pay you gold
Make three-span pouch
To carry gold.
Caw! Caw!
4
During all this time, the flock of raven was busy enjoying their feast; sometimes a
raven stopped amid its eating and cried out, “Caw! Caw!” merrily then resumed eating. In
no time, their feast ended. They began to soar, one after another. Soon, they gathered into
a big flock circling above the tree and chanting in chorus.
We eat your fruits
We pay you gold
Make three-span pouch
To carry gold.
Caw! Caw!
Then they flew away. Soon the whole flock resembled a huge black cloud in the horizon.
When the raven left, the poor couple looked at their star fruit tree and cried. It
looked as if a hurricane had hit the tree. In fact, the carambola tree looked destitute. The
branches were almost denuded of their ripe fruits. Here and there, below the tiny green
leaves were some small bunches of green fruits dangling in the evening breeze. The poor
couple could not do anything but crying. The more they cried, the louder their cries.
Even though their cries were loud, they still heard the raven’s last song
completely because every word of his song seemed to be poured directly into their ears.
‘member my words
At first cock-crow
Heaven and Earth
Start to glow
Get on my back
In rice paddy
On raven back
In rice paddy
Caw! Caw!
5
We eat your fruits
We pay you gold
Bring three-span pouch
To carry gold
Caw! Caw!
Then, the raven leader flew away to catch up with his flock.
During all the while the raven gobbled up their star fruits, the greedy couple was
having dinner with plenty of food and fragrant rice in their big house. They heard the
noisy caws, but they did not mind to go out to see what happened to their brother’s
family.
But on hearing the loud, wailing cries of the poor couple, they came at once to
investigate. Looking at the damaged tree and his brother’s face, the rich man said nothing
and left. But his hard-hearted wife lingered to give the couple a cynical laugh and said,
“Now you have no star fruits to sell and you two will starve!”
Having cried profusely over their lost crop, the poor couple cried again over the
cruelty of their kinfolks. They cried until their tears drained, and they were too exhausted
to cry any more.
When they regained part of their strength, they started to think of the raven leader.
The more they thought of the raven’s songs, the stronger their belief in the bird. They told
each other that they had better prepare the pouch to carry gold in case the raven came
back. At last, they made a pouch from the strong piece of cloth they had saved for many
years. When they measured the finished pouch, it was exactly three spans each side. The
woman sewed a strong neck strap on the pouch, so her husband could wear it on his neck.
6
When the pouch was finished, they could not sleep. The wife urged her husband
to take a good sleep because he was the one that would ride the raven. Then she lay
awake thinking of the risks her husband would be facing. Long before dawn, she heard
the faint sound of wing flaps and the soft calls, “Caw! Caw! Remember pouch to carry
gold!” They hurried to the rice paddy and saw the raven there.
The raven was much bigger than it looked the previous day. Its huge body scared
the husband, so he trembled. The bird, however, looked very kind when it turned its head
to have a good look at him. It looked as if it were smiling with him.
The skinny husband mustered all his courage and climbed on the raven’s back. He
hung the pouch on his neck and waved his wife good bye. The woman knelt down and
prayed gods to protect him during his adventurous flight with the bird.
The raven flapped its gigantic wings three times and soared smoothly into the sky
carrying the man on its back. His wife stood on tiptoe to have a good look of them until
their silhouette vanished in the clouds at the horizon.
At first, the poor man was so afraid that he would fall to death that he closed his
eyes tightly. But later when his fear waned and his curiosity increased, he opened his
eyes slightly to watch. He saw below him huts, small houses, big houses, gardens,
orchards, rice paddies, ponds, rivers, hills, and mountains move swiftly toward him then
fly away.
7
With both arms, the man embraced the raven tightly about its strong neck while
his cheek leaned comfortably against the warm down of its neck. He heard the bird ask,
“Are you sleepy?”
“No”, he replied.
“You had better gaze at everything below you”, said the bird.
“It’s the chance of a life time. No one had ever seen these things from the
sky because man had never known how to fly. If you see anything you
don’t know, just ask me!”
“I guess so!”
The bird did not have to flap his wings all the time to fly. It only spread its big
wings fully open, and it glided smoothly in the air. Several hours later, the man saw they
were flying over a large body of water. He wanted to ask the bird, but he did not know
how.
“Er…, er…”
“What?”
“Er… Mister… Raven!”
“Ha! Ha! Mister Raven! Nobody called me Mister Raven before!”
“Why, why, the Pond down there too big and blue?”
“The Pond? What Pond?”
“The Pond below us, down there.”
“O, the Sea! That is the Sea, Not the Pond!”
“The Sea?”
“Yes!”
“Thank you! Mister… Raven!”
“Not at all!”
8
Several hours later, the man saw a shining huge mountain standing in the middle
of the blue sea in front of them. He asked,
“Mister Raven! Why is that mountain yellow?”
“Yellow? No, it is gold; the color is gold because it is the Gold Mountain”
“The Gold Mountain?”
“Yes, the Gold Mountain!”
“Gee!”
When they were very close to the Gold Mountain, the man saw many beautiful
giant trees and strange flower plants on this mountain as the raven make a wide turning
circle and landed on a flat place near the top of the mountain. The raven showed him the
entrance to the gold caves and said, “You can take whatever you like to fill your pouch
while I take a good rest. We will have a long flight home.”
The man found the caves, and he went to see everything inside these caves. There
was gold, and gold was strewn everywhere. There were big chunks of gold, which
resembled the big boulders on the side of the mountain; big nuggets of gold the size of
the loaves of bread, and bars of gold like the blocks of brick. There were also many
beautiful stones of different colors. Each stone was the size of an egg. Finally, he chose
gold coins and filled his pouch with those tiny shiny coins. He drew the drawstring to
close the pouch and hung it on his neck. He went back outside to eat his dry cake and
wait for the bird.
9
On the way home, the sun was behind them. They did not talk much, so he felt
asleep at first. Then he slept straight to home. When the bird landed in the rice field at
night, his wife was already there waiting for him. When she saw him, she cried because
she was so happy that he was alive.
The man slid off the smooth back of the raven with the gold pouch hung heavily
on his neck. He bowed his head and said to the raven, “Thank you! Mr. Raven” The
raven nodded its head and replied, “Not at all! Mister Good Man! Caw! Caw!”
Then the raven flew away without making a noise. The man and his wife stood
erect, looking in the direction of the bird until it vanished in the clouds and murmured,
“Thank you, my Raven God!” before they went straight home.
Inside their hut, the man handed his wife the pouch of gold in the dark and told
her to put her fingers inside the pouch to feel the coins. They dared not to contemplate the
coins for fear that some thieves might happen to see their coins and they might lose them
to the thieves.
The following morning, the wife worked outside their hut to warn her husband in
case someone approached their hut. The man dug four small holes right below their
bedposts; then he put the bed back on top of the holes. Later they both worked outside
their hut in order to guard their treasure.
The poor couple did not know that coins were counted, not measured by
measuring cup. That night, the woman went to her in-laws and told them she wanted to
borrow their measuring cup to measure the corn kernels they had. Her in-laws did not
believe that the poor couple had any corn to measure. Because they eagerly desired to
10
know what the grain was, they covered the bottom of the measuring cup with a thick
layer of the sticky sap of the jackfruit before handing it to their sister.
The poor couple measured their coins in the dark for fear that somebody might
see their gold. They knew for sure they had four cups full of gold coins. Each time the
husband poured a cup of gold coins on a piece of rag, the woman put two coins in the
husband’s pocket. He carefully wrapped each cup of gold with that rag and fastened the
packet with bamboo lath. Then, he buried the packets of gold coins in the four holes
below their bedposts. Finally, the woman hurried back to her in-laws’ to return the
measuring cup.
The rich brother and his wife checked their measuring cup immediately, and they
found some glittering spots on the bottom of the cup. It turned out that the four glittering
spots were four shiny, tiny gold coins. They stared at each other in awe because their
poor brother and sister had too many gold coins that they had to measure them by cup.
Their finding made them so unhappy and resentful that they could not sleep at all
that night. However, they pretended not to know anything so that they could spy on the
poor couple in secret. They wanted to find out how and where the couple got their coins.
The poor couple did not know that their in-laws already knew of their wealth from
all along and that they were being watched. They used the eight gold coins to buy new
tools for their agricultural work and some new clothes and good food for them. They did
not need to go out to work for other people as hired laborers anymore. They worked on
their small tract of land and built a small house near their old hut and the tree.
11
When the rich brother could not find anything, he became so irate that he abused
and threatened them for the source of the gold coins. Finally, the younger brother had to
tell him everything. He told him it was the raven that ate their fruits and carried him to
the Gold Mountain in return for the fruits they had eaten.
The greedy couple could not stand the impact of the news. Their greed grew day
after day without bound. One day, they forced their brother to trade his small tract of land
and the star fruit tree for their big house, lands, rice paddies and all the money and gold
they had. Finally, the younger brother and his wife had to dig up their gold before they
exchanged the tree and their small tract of land for all the property of their rich, elder
brother.
*
* *
The rich couple became real, poor peasants; and they really worked hard on their
small tract of land. They watered the star fruit tree daily hoping that when the raven
returned to eat their fruits, they would be much richer than his brother’s family. They
waited and waited, but there was no sight of a raven. They did not know that the tree only
yielded fruits once a year.
The day the raven came to eat their star fruits, they cried, prayed, and repeated the
same sayings and prayers the poor couple had used in the previous year. The raven songs
were the same. Everything happened almost the same way; and at last, the greedy brother
was inside the gold caves.
12
In side the gold caves, the elder brother could not decide what to take. He picked
something up and then put it down right away and so on. Finally, he crammed a lot of big
chunks of gold into his pouch, which was not a three-span pouch. The pouch was so big
that he could not carry the half-full pouch, and he had to trail it along to meet the raven.
With all his greedy strength, he pulled the gold bag up on the back of the raven and sat
behind the bag embracing it tightly with both arms. He did not mind to hold on the
raven’s neck.
As soon as the raven took off from the summit of the Gold Mountain, he urged
the man,
Throw away a bit
To save your life
If wings were tired
I could not fly
The man pretended not to hear the raven. Pretty soon, the raven lamented again,
but this time in weaker voice
Too great your greed
You may be drown
The sea is big
My wings are tired
Shore can’t be reached
We all may die.
Release your pouch
So I can fly
Cling to your pouch
We all may die
13
But the man disregarded the warning of the raven. He closed his eyes and held his
gold bag tightly against his belly. Suddenly the birth cried angrily,
You, greedy head
Will die with gold
I’m now exhausted
And down we fall
Angry and tired, the raven failed to flap its weary wings properly and came into a
rolling dive. At the first instant the raven was flying up side down, the gold bag fell off its
back pulling the man down with it. The man clung to it as they fell. While falling, he
embraced his gold bag tightly and also tried to keep it between his legs. He hit the sea
with a big splash, and sank all the way down to the bottom. He died embracing his gold
with all his arms and legs.
The raven recovered its balance after a few rolls, but it had to run for a while on
the water with its wings spread to cushion the fall. Upon that unwanted, water landing,
the raven was totally exhausted. Finally, on the calm, blue sea, floated the resting raven,
which looked like a fake, gigantic black swan.
14
At home, the wife of the greedy brother waited and waited in vain for her husband
to return. Finally, she thought that her husband had run away with all his new found gold.
She became severely sick and later was taken care of by her good in-laws.
When she was fully recovered, she resumed working on her small tract of land
and took care of the star fruit tree. She believed that she would have more gold than her
husband and his brother. One year later the raven came, ate her fruits, sang the raven
songs, and took her to the gold mountain.
After the greedy woman found her way to the gold caves, she could not decide
what to take and what not to take. Finally, she came out and told the raven that the gold
mountain was hers and that the raven could eat all the fruits free of charge if there were
any; but from then on, the raven had no right to take anybody to her gold mountain.
Upon hearing this the raven shook its head and sung sadly
Your greed’s so big
You die on gold
Nothing to eat
Can you eat gold?
Your greed’s so big
You die on gold.
Caw! Caw!
Meanwhile at their own village, the good couple found their sister-in-law
disappeared. They hired many people to find her, but nobody knew of her where about.
The couple went on taking care of the star fruit tree. In addition, the hard-working couple
bought more land nearby to plant more star fruit trees. Each year, when the fruits were
ripe, many flocks of raven from all corners of the sky came to their star fruit orchard. The
15
couple invited them to eat free of charge. Year after year, the couple came to the tree
waiting for the big raven. But the big raven never showed up.
The good couple had a lot of children and grand children and lived happily
forever after. Even though their children and grand children knew by heart the story of
their star fruit tree and their god-like raven, they still asked them to tell their story over
and over again.
Nowadays, few people understand the bird language, but the raven still remember
some human speech. In fact, when they are talking to one another, they often cry Caw!
Caw! Perhaps they are telling this story.
Till today there is one thing nobody knows is that the raven and all other kinds of
bird never pay gold when they eat fruits. Have they the invitation from the good couple
or the order from the woman, who owned the whole gold mountain? Nobody can find the
answer to this question. But I think they have both.
So from now on, if you see a bird or a couple of bird feed on your fruit trees, do
not shoo them away. Stay still, contemplate them, and think of this story. You will be
happy! I guarantee you that.
Adapted from Vietnamese oral tales
by Quy Nguyen
16
The Greedy Brother and the Star Fruit Tree
Truyn Ngi Anh Tham-Lam
và Cây Kh
Ngày xa ngày xa có mt ngi nông dân giu có sng rt hnh-phúc cùng hai
v chng ngi con trai c và a con trai út còn nh. H luôn n cm cùng bàn vì ông
già chi tt c mi phí-tn trong nhà. Ngi con ln ca ông ci mt cô gái làng bên.
Tuy là con nhà giu, nhng tính cô keo-kit và ác-c. Khi ngi con trai nh ca ông
mi tám tui, ông già b bnh rt nng. Bit rng mình không th sng thêm c na,
ông gi hai v chng ngi con ln n bên ging và bt h ha hai iu:
iu th nht là h s sn-sóc ngi em trai cho ti khi nó lp gia ình.
iu th hai là ngày mà a em ly v h phi chia li cho ngi em mt na
phn di-sn ông li cho hai anh em.
Hai v chng ngi con c long-trng ha vi ông là h s làm y li ông dn. Ông
già có v rt hài lòng ri cht.
Ngay sau khi chôn ct ngi cha xong, ngi àn bà keo-kit bo chng t nay
không cho a em chng ngi n cùng mâm na. T ó a em trai ch n n tha
di bp vi ám ngi . Nm tháng qua mau, a em hc cách sng và ngh nông vi
nhng ngi th n làm thuê và ám ngi làm trong nhà.
Khi ngi em trai n ti trng thành, cp v chng keo-kit bo mt ngi
y t già g a con gái u lòng cho em mình. Mt s giàn xp gin-d nh th làm
cho h phi tiêu tn mt s tin rt ln cho quà ci. Cp v chng mi ci rt vui
mng vì h ã bit nhau t lâu và ã làm vic chung vi nhau t thu nh.
ôi v chng tham-lam không gi li ha vi cha mình là chia na phn gia-tài
ca cha h li cho a em. H ch chia cho a em mt tha rung lúa nh, sn-lng
thp và mt mnh t vn nh, bc màu nm tít phía tn cùng cái nông tri ln ca h
và nói ó là quà ci ca h cho a em. Trên mành t nh y có mt túp lu con bên
cnh mt cây kh già và mt hàng rào tre dài và dy. V phn ôi v chng tham-lam, h
giành hu ht gia-sn gm mt ngôi nhà t ln, nhiu nhà nh hn, nhiu rung lúa
thng hng, tin, và vàng.
Cp v chng tr rt hài lòng vi nhng gì c cho. Bi vì h coi cái phn h
va nhn c là di-sn ca cha m li. H tin tng rng hng-hn ca cha m h
s rt hài lòng nu nh h làm vic chm-ch trên mnh t y. H ct c tranh lp li
mái lu dt, và cht tre an li phên vách cho túp lu ca h.
Hàng ngày hai v chng kéo nc t ging lên ti cây kh. That u, h
sng rt cht-vt1mi tm n. May-mn thay, cây kh già hi-sinh, tr li và cho h rt
nhiu qu ngon ngt bán và i ly go, ngô. Kt qu là h có n quanh nm.
Hàng nm, n mùa kh chín, toàn th cây kh tr nên vàng m vì qu. Mi
cành cây trông nng hn trc vì chúng mang rt nhiu chùm kh vàng, ng . Nm y,
hai v chng ngi em nghèo rt vui vì h ã nhìn thy rõ ràng là h c mùa kh. H
nh s hái kh em bán và i go vào phiên ch ti. H thay phiên nhau canh gác cây
kh vì s l di n n và làm h nhng qu chín.
1 Khó khn, khéo lm mi khi b ói
2
Mt bui chiu kia, ngi v trông thy mt con chim en tht ln u trên ngn
cây kh. Ch ta chy vi v nhà kêu chng ra ui giúp con chim. Ngi chng chy n,
cm theo mt cây sào dài nh s chc và ui con chim i. Khi h ti, con chim ã n
ht mt chùm qu chín mng.
Khi h tin n gn gc cây, con chim ln bay lên và bay thành vòng tròn ln
phía trên ngn cây và kêu gi m-. Hai v chng nhìn sng con chim l và git mình khi
nghe chim nói ting ngi và nghe nh là nó c th vy.
Con qu kêu nh sau:
Qu con qu cháu
Hãy n cho mau
Qu ngon qu ngt
Chia s cùng nhau
Qu! Qu!
Khi con chim en ln ngng kêu, mt by qu en bay ti, u trên các cành cây.
Chng my chc cây kh b qu en ph kín; chúng bt u m n nhng qu kh ngon
ngt này. Con qu ln có l là con u àn vì nó ch bay phía trên canh cho àn qu n.
Nhìn cnh au lòng này, cp v chng ti nghip bit rng h không th ui
c bày chim này i. H qu xung, cúi u, và cu xin by qu ng n kh ca h
na. Bi vì nu kh ht ri, h s không còn gì na i go. Và iu ó có ngha là h
s b ói ri cht ói. Ting cu xin ca h tht to nhng by qua ói vn tip tc n.
Con qu u àn nghe c li cu xin ca h, nên nó hát vào tai h nh sau:
n kh tr vàng
May túi ba gang
em theo mà ng
Qu! Qu!
3
Cp v chng không tin nhng gì tai h nghe thy. Và bi vì h không th chu
c cnh tng nhìn kh ca h c bin mt dn vào bng àn qu, h gào to và than
khóc k l nh sau:
Nghèo x nghèo xác
Nghèo rt mng ti
n ht kh ri
Chúng tôi cht chc.
Mt ln na, con qu u àn c gng trn-an h bng cách hát rõ vào tai h:
n kh tr vàng
May túi ba gang
em theo mà ng
Qu! Qu!
Tuy nhiên, ôi v chng không nghe c li nào vì h mi khóc và kêu gào ln
quá. Ln này con qu to ting quát h:
Hãy ngng khóc lóc!
Cng ng van xin!
Không ai b ói!
Không ai cht ói!
Ri nó hát tip:
n kh tr vàng
May túi ba gang
em theo mà ng
Qu! Qu!
Trong sut thi gian này, àn qu mi-mit vui hng ba tic ngon ca chúng.
Thnh-thong, mt con qu ngng n và kêu lên my ting “Qu! Qu!” mt cách
4
thích-thú ri li tip tc n. Ch mt thoáng thôi, ba tic ã tàn. Chúng bt u bay lên,
tng con mt. Chng bao lâu, chúng ã hp thành àn bay vòng phía trên cây kh và
ng thanh hát rng:
n kh tr vàng
May túi ba gang
em theo mà ng
Qu! Qu!
Hát xong, àn qu bay i. Mt lúc sau, c àn qu trông ging nh mt ám mây en
cui tri.
Khi by qu bay i ri, ôi v chng nhìn cây kh ca h và khóc. Trông cây kh
ging nh th nó va b mt cn bão ln tàn phá vy. Tht vy, cây kh rt x-xác.
Nhng cành kh hu nh ã mt ht các qu chín. Ri-rác vài ch, di nhng chùm lá
nh, còn thy vài chùm kh xanh ong-a trc gió chiu. Hai v chng ti nghip còn
bit làm gì hn là khóc. H càng khóc thì ting khóc ca h càng ln.
Du rng ting khóc ca h rt to, nhng h vn nghe c bài hát cui cùng ca
con qu u àn bi vì mi li hát dng nh c rót thng vào l tai h vy.
Nh li ta dn
Vào lúc rng-ông
Tri t ng hng
Leo lên lng qu
gia cánh ng
Leo lên lng qu
gia cánh ng
Qua! Qu!
5
n kh tr vàng
May túi ba gang
em theo mà ng
Qu! Qu!
Hát xong, con qu ln bay i, bay ui theo by qu.
Trong sut thi gian àn qu n ngu-nghin nhng qu kh ca h thì cp v
chng keo-bn ng vui v n nhng thc n ngon him vi go thm. H nghe qu
kêu om-xòm, nhng không bun ra xem chuyn gì ang xy ra cho gia ình ngòi em
trai.
Nhng khi nghe ting than khóc ln ca v chng ngi em, h chy vi ra lp
tc xem. Nhìn vào cây kh b thit hi và gng mt ngi em, ngi àn ông giàu có
không nói mt li nào ri b i. Nhng ngi v c-ác ca anh ta nán li ci khy
và nói vi ging anh-á: “Gi thì không còn kh bán, và chúng mày s cht ói ht.”
Hi v chng ngi em ã khóc quá nhiu vì mt ht mùa kh, gi ây h li
khóc na vì cách i-x ca ngi thân. H c khóc mãi cho n khi nc mt ca h
cn khô và h mt quá không th khóc tip c na.
Khi sc lc ca h hi-phc c phn nào, h bt u ngh n con qu u àn.
H càng ngh n nhng bài hát ca con qu, h càng tin li con qu. Hai v chng bàn
vi nhau là nên may cái túi, phòng khi con qu tr li tht. Cui cùng, h may c mt
cái túi t mt ming vi dày mà h ã dành t lâu. Khi h o cái túi ã may xong, mi
chiu qu tht là úng ba gang. Ngi v khâu thêm mt cái quai eo c tht chc,
ngi chng có th eo cái túi lên c.
6
Khi ã may xong cái túi, h không th nào ng c. Ngi v gic chng c
ng mt gic ngon vì chính anh ta là ngi s ci trên lng qu. Trc khi tng sáng
mt lúc lâu, ngi v nghe thy ting v cánh nhè-nh và ting gi khe-kh trên mái nhà:
“Qu! Qu! Nh em cái túi ng vàng y!” H vi-vã chy ra rung lúa và ã thy
con qu ó.
Trông con qu ln hn ngày hôm trc nhiu. Cái thân hình tht ln ca nó làm
cho ngi chng phát s. Tuy nhiên, con qu trông rt hin khi nó quay u nhìn anh ta.
Trông ging nh là con chim ang ci vi anh ta vy.
Ngi chng gy-gò thu ht can-m leo lên lng con qu. Anh eo cái túi lên c
và gi tay ra vy t bit v. Ngi v qùy xung t và cu khn thn-thánh bo v
chng mình trong chuyn bay y bt-trc vi con qu.
Con qu v ôi cánh khng l ba ln và bay vút lên tri tht êm, mang theo ngi
àn ông trên lng mình. V anh ta king chân lên c nhìn anh cho rõ n khi bóng anh
và con chim mt hút sau nhng ám mây cui tri.
Thot u, ngi àn ông ti nghip quá s hãi vì anh ta ngh rng anh ta s ri
xung t và cht nên anh ta nhm nghin hai mt li. Nhng sau ó, s s hãi tan dn và
tính tò-mò ca anh tng lên; anh hí mt ra nhìn xung. Anh trông thy phía di bng
mình, nhng túp lu, nhà nh, nhà ln, vn rau, vn cây n qu, rung lúa, ao h,
sông, i, và núi chy nhanh v phía mình ri bay tut ra phía sau tht nhanh.
7
Bng c hai cánh tay, anh ôm cht ly cái c cng, khe ca con chim và má anh
áp sát vào lp lông t m c nó. Anh nghe con chim hi:
“ang bun ng h?”
“Không.” Anh áp.
“Ngi nên ngm mi th phía di i”, con chim nói.
“ây là dp may him có y! Cha ai c ngm cnh vt t trên tri xung âu
bi vì con ngi không bit bay. Nu ngi thy có gì không hiu, c hi ta.”
“Tôi cng ngh vy”.
Con chim không phi v cánh liên-tc bay. Nó ch vic xoè ôi cánh ln tht
rng ra, là lt nh-nhàng trên không . Nhiu ting ng h sau, anh ta thy mình ang
bay trên mt vùng nc rng ln. Anh mun hi con chim, nhng không bit hi sao.
“… …”
“Gì th?”
“…Ông…Qu!”
“Ha! Ha! Ông Qu! T tróc ti nay, cha ai gi ta là Ông Qu c!”
“Ti sao, Ti sao… cái ‘h’ di kia to và xanh quá vy?”
“Cái h? Cái h nào?
“Thì cái ‘h’ ngay phiá di bng chúng ta ó, di kia kìa.”
“, bin! ó là bin, Không phi là h.”
“Bin h?”
” úng vy!”
“Cám n ông! Ông …Qu!”
“Không có chi!”
8
Nhiu ting ng h sau, anh ta thy mt qu núi to, sáng ngi ng gia bin
xanh xa xa phía ng trc. Anh hi:
“Ông Qu i! Ti sao cái núi kia li màu vàng?”
“Màu vàng? Không, ó là màu vàng-kim, màu ó là màu vàng-kim bi vì ó là
Núi Vàng.”
“Núi Vàng ?”
“úng vy, Núi Vàng ó!”
“i Tri!”
H bay n Núi Vàng. Anh trông thy nhiu cây khng-l rt p và nhiu cây
hoa l mc trên núi này trong lúc con qu o mt vòng ln và áp xung ch t bng
gn nh núi. Con qu ch cho anh bit ng vào nhng cái hang cha vàng và nói:
“Ngi có th ly bt k th gì ngi mun, còn ta, ta phi i ngh cho kho. Mình còn
mt chuyn bay dài na mi v ti nhà ngi.”
Ngi àn ông tìm thy nhiu ca hang, và anh ã i vào xem mi th bên
trong. Vàng! Khp ni u là vàng! Có nhng tng vàng to nh nhng tng á ln bên
sn núi. Có nhng khi vàng to nh nhng bánh mì, và có nhng thi vàng to bng
nhng viên gch. Lai còn có rt nhiu cc á, màu sc khác nhau. Mi cc á màu này
to nh qu trng vt vy. Cui cùng, anh chn nhng ng tin vàng; và anh nhng
ng tin nh lp lánh này vào y túi. Ri anh kéo dây rút ct ming túi li và eo cái
túi lên c. Xong anh i ra bên ngoài ly bánh lng khô ra n và ch con chim bay v.
Trên ng bay v nhà, mt tri chiu phía sau lng h. Ngi và chim không
nói chuyn vi nhau nhiu, vì th anh bun ng và ri ng mt mch ti nhà. Khi con
qu áp xung rung lúa vào ban êm, v anh ta ã ng sn ó ch anh. Trông thy
anh, ch ta khóc vì quá mng khi thy anh còn sng.
Ngi chng tut khi lng qu vi túi vàng nng tru eo trên c. Anh cúi u
và nói vi con qu: “Cám n Ông! Ông Qu.” Con Qu gt u và nói: “Không có chi!
Anh Ngi Tt! Qu! Qu!”
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Ri con qu bay i tht êm, không gây thêm mt ting ng nào na. Hai v
chng ng thng ngi, nhìn v hng con chim bay i cho ti khi nó bin mt trong
ám my và nói kh: “Cám n Ông! Ông Qu Thn ca tôi!” Ri i thng v lu ca h.
Khi ã vào hn bên trong lu, ngi chng a cho v cái túi vàng trong bóng
êm và bo v hãy thò tay vào trong túi mà s nhng ng tin vàng. H không dám
ngm nhng ng tin vì s nh có k trm trông thy thì h có th b mt trm ht tin
vàng.
Sáng ngày hôm sau, ngi v làm vic ngay phía ngoài lu báo ng cho
chng bit phòng khi có ai n gn lu ca h. Ngi chng ào bn cái l nh ngay phía
di chân ging, ri anh ta kê ging li ch c che kín ming l i. Sau ó, c hai v
chng làm vic quanh-qun phía ngoài lu canh gi gia-tài ca h.
Hai v chng nghèo khó không hiu rng ngi ta m tin ch không ong tin
bng u 2. êm hôm ó, ngi v n nhà ngi anh ch chng và hi mn cái u
ong ngô. Hai v chng nhà này không tin là v chng ngi em nghèo li có tha ngô
ong. H khát-khao mun bit hai v chng mn u ong th ht gì cho nên h
bôi mt lp nha mít tht dy phía di áy cái u trc khi a cho ngi em dâu.
Hai v chng ngi em ong s tin vàng ca h trong bóng êm vì s nh có ai
trông thy vàng ca h thì thêm rc-ri. H bit chc-chn là h có bn u y tin
vàng. Mi ln ngi chng mt u tin vàng lên mt ming gi, ngi v li ly ra
hai ng và b vào túi áo ca chng. Ngi chng gói mi u vàng bng mt ming gi
và ct li tht cht bng dây lt tre. Xong, anh ta chôn bn gói vàng xung bn cái l ào
ào sn di chân ging, ri kê ging úng vào ch c. Sau cùng, ngi v em cái
u tr li cho v chng ngi anh.
Ngi anh giàu có và v anh ta khám k cái u ngay lp tc, và h nhn thy có
my ming lp-lánh di áy cái u. Hóa ra my cái im lp-lánh ó là bn ng tin
vàng nh, sáng ngi. H nhìn nhau sng-st bi vì hai v chng ngi em nghèo li có
nhiu tin vàng n ni phi ong bng u.
iu phát giác ca h làm h ganh-ghét và kh-s n ni h không th nào ng
c tí nào êm hôm ó. Tuy nhiên, h ng ý vi nhau là gi v không bit gì ht h
có th bí-mt rình-rp v chng ngi em.
2 dng c ong khô, dung-tích khong mt lít.
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Hai v chng ngi em không bit rng anh ch h ã bit t lâu và h ang b
theo dõi ngm. H dùng tám ng tin vàng mua dng-c mi làm rung và mt ít
qun áo mi mc. H không i ra ngoài làm công cho ngi ta na, mà ch làm vic
trên phn t nh ca mình thôi. H còn làm thêm mt cn nhà nh gn túp lu c tin
vic chm-sóc cây kh.
Khi ngi anh không th tìm hiu thêm c iu gì c, hn tr nên cáu-knh và
ti tra-kho, chi-bi ngi em. Cui cùng, ngi em phi k ht mi chuyn cho ngi
anh nghe. Anh ta k rng chính àn qu n n ht kh và ch anh i ly vàng bù li
nhng qu kh chúng ã n.
Cp v chng tham-lam không th nào chu ni nh-hng to-ln ca tin tc này.
Lòng tham ca h càng ngày càng ln n ni mt hôm, h ép buc ngi em phi i
mnh t nh có cây kh ly toàn b gia-tài ca h gm có ngôi nhà ln, nhiu nhà nh,
vòn, rung, tin, và vàng. Cui cùng, ngi em và v anh ta phi ào bn gói tin vàng
ca h chôn di chân ging lên, ri i mnh t y cho ngi v chng ngi anh.
ôi v chng ngi anh giu có ngày trc, nay ã tr thành nông dân nghèo
thc- s. H làm vic rt siêng-nng trên ming t nh mi i c. H ti cây kh
hàng ngày vi hy-vng là khi àn qu tr v n kh ca h, h s giàu hn gia ình ngi
em. H c ch, và ch mãi. H không bit rng mi nm cây kh ch cho qu mt ln.
Ri cng ti ngày àn qu n n kh ca h. H khóc-lóc, cu khn, và lp li
nhng li nói và nhng li van xin mà hai v chng ngi em ã nói nm trc. Mi
vic din ra ging y ht nh ã din ra nm trc vy. Và cui cùng, ngi anh tham-lam
cng n c nhng cái hang núi cha y vàng.
Khi ã trong hang vàng, ngi anh không th quyt-inh c là s ly cái gì.
Anh bê mt cc vàng lên xem xong li b xung ngay và c th tip tc mãi. Sau cùng,
anh nhét tht nhiu tng 3 vàng ln vào cái túi ca anh ta. Hóa ra cái túi ó không phi
úng ba gang mà nó ln hn nhiu, vì mi na túi vàng thôi anh ã không nào th xách
lên c. Anh phi kéo lê cái túi ra ch con qu.
3 tng là mt cc tht là ln
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Vi tt c sc mnh ca lòng tham, ngi àn ông kéo c túi vàng lên lng con
qu. Anh ta ngi ngay sau túi vàng, hai tay ôm cht cái túi thay vì ôm c con qu cho
khi b ngã.
Ngay sau khi con qu ct cánh ri nh Núi Vàng nó ã vi-vã gic anh vt bt
vàng nó sc bay v an-toàn:
Vt i vài tng
Tính-mng làm u
B xa vàng nng
Không bay ti âu!
Ngi àn ông gi v nh không nghe thy li con qu nói. Chng my chc, con qu li
than-th na, nhng ln này ging nó yu hn nhiu.
Lòng tham không áy
Ephi cht trôi
B xa cánh mi
Chimrt bin khi
Ri ging nó chuyn sang na nh thuyt phc, na nh khuyên rn:
Vt b túi vàng
Ta còn bay c
Víbng tic ca
Cht gia trùng-dng
Ngi àn ông vn pht l li cnh cáo ca con qu. Thình-lình, con qu kêu lên
gin-d:
Thamvàng quá mc
S cht vì vàng
Taà kit sc
ang rt ràng-ràng
Mt phn vì tc gin, mt phn vì mt; con qu p cánh không u nên b xoay
tít sp nga liên-tc và ri chúi mi xung. Ngay ln u tiên khi con qu b lt nga, túi
vàng ri khi lng qu và lôi ngi àn ông theo. Trong lúc ang ri, ngi àn ông vn
ghì cht túi vàng. Anh còn xoay-s c hai chân qup cht ly túi vàng. Anh ri xung
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bin vi mt ting “tõm” tht ln và chìm-lm ngay xung áy. Anh cht, hai tay hai
chân còn ôm, qup cht túi vàng.
Con qu sau vài vòng b lt sp lt nga ã ly li c thng-bng, nhng nó vn
phi chy mt lúc lâu trên mt nc vi ôi cánh giang rng gim au lúc ng nc.
H cánh ép buc xong, con qu hoàn toàn b kit sc. Sau ó, trên mt bin xanh mênhmông,
con qu ngi gc u th dc. Nhìn con qu ging ht nh mt con thiên-nga gi,
màu en, có thân hình khng-l, nhng có cái c tht ngn.
nhà, ngi v ca ngi anh tham-lam ch mãi không thy chng v nên ch ta
ngh là anh ã trn i ni khác vi s vàng va kim c. Bà ta phát m rt nng và bà
c hai ngi em cha tr thuc-thang rt tn tình.
Khi ã hoàn-toàn bình-phc, bà ta tip-tc làm vic trên ming t nh và chmsóc
cây kh rt k. Bà ta ngh rng ri ây, bà ta s có nhiu vàng hn ngi chng và
hn c v chng ngi em na. Mt nm sau, àn qu n n kh, hát nhng bài hát ca
loài qu, và ch bà ta n Núi Vàng.
Sau khi ngi àn bà tham-lam ã vào c nhng cái hang cha vàng, bà ta
không th quyt-nh c là bà s ly nhng gì và s không ly nhng gì. Cui cùng, bà
ta i ra và bo con qu u àn rng Núi Vàng bây gi là ca bà ta và loài qu có th n
kh không phi tr tin nu nh còn có kh n; và t nay tr v sau, loài qu không
c ch ai n Núi Vàng ly vàng ca bà na.
Nghe bà ta nói vy, con qu u àn lc u và hát tht bun nh sau:
Ngi tham vàng quá
Cht trên ng vàng
Vàng không n c!
Ngi bit hay chng?
Con qu c hát nh th nhiu ln ri bun bã bay i.
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Khi hai v chng ngi em thy ngi ch dâu i mt tm mt tích, h thuê ngi
i tìm khp ni nhng không ai bit bà ta âu. Hai v chng tip-tc chm sóc cây kh.
Ngoài ra, h mua thêm nhiu t gn ó trng thêm kh.
Hàng nm, khi mùa kh chín, có nhiu àn qu t bn góc tri bay n vn kh
ca h. Hai v chng mi chúng n không phi tr tin. Nm nào h cng ra vn kh
trông ch con qu u àn, nhng nó không bao gi quay li.
ôi v chng tt bng sng hnh-phúc rt lâu v sau và h có rt nhiu con cháu.
Dù rng con cháu ca h ã thuc lòng câu truyn và có th t chúng c truyn c,
chúng luôn luôn òi chính h phi k truyn cây kh và con qu thn cho chúng nghe.
Ngày nay, rt ít ngi hiu c ting ca loài chim; nhng loài qu vn còn nh
c vài ting ngi. Tht vy, nhng khi chúng t-tp, hay bay chung vi nhau; chúng
hay kêu “Qu!” “Qu!” Có l là chúng ang k cho nhau nghe câu truyn này ó.
Tuy nhiên, còn có mt iu mà mãi cho ti bây gi, cha ai bit c rõ-ràng là
loài chim qu và các loài chim khác không bao gi tr vàng khi chúng n qu chín trên
cây c. Phi chng là chúng nhn c li mi ca v chng ngi em tt bng, hay là
chúng c phép ca ngi àn bà có cái núi vàng kia? Tôi ngh là chúng có c hai ó.
Bi vy t nay, nu em thy mt con chim hay c mt àn chim n qu chín trên
cây nhà em, em ng xua ui chúng i. Hãy ngi im mà ngm chúng và ngh n câu
truyn này. Em s thy em rt vui-sng. Tôi cam-oan vi em nh vy ó.
Phóng tác
t truyn truyn-khu Vit-Nam
Quý Nguyn, June-July 2005
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