The hundred-knot bamboo

There was a rich devious landowner who used all kind of tricks to exploit his servants and laborers. He had a beautiful nubile daughter . Khoai lived as a servant in this household from the time he was a young boy. He had to work very hard. He is now in his late teens. The landowner was afraid that Khoai will leave the household and thus he would lose a very hard working helper. So, one day he called Khoai and told him:
"If you stayed in the household and work hard day and night, I will give you my daughter in marriage."
Khoai believed the landowner and was very happy. He redoubled his efforts to win the heart of the landowner. Three years have passed. The daughter is now grown. In the region, there is this very wealthy village chief, who eyed the daughter for his son. So, the village chief came and ask for the hand of the daughter. The landowner agreed and set out to prepare for the wedding.
When Khoai realized that he has been taken advantage of, he was mad and went to the landowner to complain. He asked the landowner:
"You have promised your daughter to me. Why are you going back on your promise now?"
The landowner did not like to be addressed in such a manner. He was going to beat him, but taking another look at the young man, he dared not. He told him instead:
"My son, you are mistaken! My daughter is now of age and the preparation for the wedding that I am undertaking now is actually for you. However, if you want the wedding to take place, you must accomplish the following task. You need to find a bamboo with one hundred knots. Then you will need to cut it up into chopsticks for the wedding feast. That is my condition for giving you my daughter's hand in marriage."
Khoai again believed him and went up the forest in search of the bamboo with 100 knots. He searched for days on end and went from one end of the jungle to the other without success. In despair he sat down in the jungle and wept in despair.
Suddenly he saw an old cheery man with all white hair but with rosy complexion. The old man approached him and asked:
"Son, why are you so sad?'.
Khoai told him his story. The old man told him:
"Go and cut 100 stems of bamboo and bring them back here".
Khoai went out and brought back the bamboo that the old man asked. The old man then gave the command
"Stick together! Stick together" (Kha('c nha^.p)
The bamboo sticks that were lying here and there on the ground immediately came together all in a row to make a bamboo with 100 knots. Khoai was filled with joy. He wanted to thank the old man, but he has disappeared. He realized that he has met Buddha. He set out to bring the bamboo back. But there was no way for him to load this long bamboo on his shoulder. He kept on running into other trees. He sat down again in despair and wept. Immediately he saw the old man reappear. Buddha asked him:
"Why do you weep?"
He explained his situation. Buddha pointed at the bamboo and said
"Unstick! Unstick!" (Kha('c xua^'t).
and the bamboo came apart in 100 stems. And Buddha disappeared. Khoai tied up the 100 bamboo stems and proceeded to take them home.
When he arrived home, he found the two families preparing to feast in the courtyard. The village chief family has come for the wedding. Khoai was really mad and ran to the landowner to ask for an explanation. The landowner told him
"I asked you to get me a bamboo with 100 knots, not 100 stems of bamboo!"
Both family stopped their feasts and laughed derisively at Khoai, and joked about his naivety. Khoai told the landowner that he has the bamboo and the courtyard and the landowner should come out and examine it. As the landowner approached the pile of bamboo, Khoai said in a low voice "stick together! stick together!". Immediately the bamboo stems came together and the landowner was also stuck at the end of the bamboo. The landowner tried to pull himself away but failed. The future in-laws came to his rescue. Khoai waited until the village chief has touched the landowner before he said "stick together! stick together!". Immediately the village chief became stuck to the landowner. The same fate happened to the village chief's son. The more they tried to pull away, the harder and more painful they became stuck. Both families were now in panic. Nobody dared to pull the three men away any longer nor joked about Khoai. They lined up and asked him to pardon the 3 men stuck at the end of the bamboo.
Khoai had the landowner promise his daughter to him and the village chief has to agree not to seek vengeance. Then Khoai said "unstick! unstick!" and they all became free.
The village chief and his party quickly left the festivities. And Khoai moved into the bridegroom chair and the celebration continued!

The Monkey and The Crocodile

Once upon a time, a clever monkey lived in a tree that bore juicy, red rose apples. He was very happy. One fine day, a crocodile swam up to that tree and told the monkey that he had traveled a long distance and was in search of food as he was very hungry. The kind monkey offered him a few rose apples. The crocodile enjoyed them very much and asked the monkey whether he could come again for some more fruit. The generous monkey happily agreed.

The crocodile returned the next day. And the next. And the next one after that. Soon the two became very good friends. They discussed their lives, their friends and family, like all friends do. The crocodile told the monkey that he had a wife and that they lived on the other side of the river. So the kind monkey offered him some extra rose apples to take home to his wife. The crocodile’s wife loved the rose apples and made her husband promise to get her some every day.

Meanwhile, the friendship between the monkey and the crocodile deepened as they spent more and more time together. The crocodile’s wife started getting jealous. She wanted to put an end to this friendship. So she pretended that she could not believe that her husband could be friends with a monkey. Her husband tried to convince her that he and the monkey shared a true friendship. The crocodile’s wife thought to herself that if the monkey lived on a diet of rose monkeys, his flesh would be very sweet. So she asked the crocodile to invite the monkey to their house.

The crocodile was not happy about this. He tried to make the excuse that it would be difficult to get the monkey across the river. But his wife was determined to eat the monkey’s flesh. So she thought of a plan. One day, she pretended to be very ill and told the crocodile that the doctor said that she would only recover if she ate a monkey’s heart. If her husband wanted to save her life, he must bring her his friend’s heart.

The crocodile was aghast. He was in a dilemma. On the one hand, he loved his friend. On the other, he could not possibly let his wife die. The crocodile’s wife threatened him saying that if he did not get her the monkey’s heart, she would surely die.

So the crocodile went to the rose apple tree and invited the monkey to come home to meet his wife. He told the monkey that he could ride across the river on the crocodile’s back. The monkey happily agreed. As they reached the middle of the river, the crocodile began to sink. The frightened monkey asked him why he was doing that. The crocodile explained that he would have to kill the monkey to save his wife’s life. The clever monkey told him that he would gladly give up his heart to save the life of the crocodile’s wife, but he had left his heart behind in the rose apple tree. He asked the crocodile to make haste and turn back so that the monkey could go get his heart from the apple tree.

The silly crocodile quickly swam back to the rose apple tree. The monkey scampered up the tree to safety. He told the crocodile to tell his wicked wife that she had married the biggest fool in the world

The Chinese Dragon: a Symbol of Strength and Power

As is an imaginable paws of the tiger, the beard of the goat, the scales of the carp and the belly of the snake. According to legends, the Chinese dragon is able to breathe fire, summon wind and call for rain, fly into the clouds and hide at the bottom of the sea; it's also capable of becoming as large as the sky or disguising itself by being as tiny as a pinhead.

Unlike castle-burning dragons of Western stories, Chinese Dragons are a benevolent symbol in Chinese culture. From celebrations to the Zodiac, to historical rulers, the dragon has played a large part in China’s rich history.

Symbolic Value

It was said that Yangdi (a legendary tribe leader) was born by his mother's telepathy with a mighty dragon, who, with the help of the dragon, allied with Huangdi (a legendary tribe leader) against Chi You (a legendary barbarian tribe leader) and defeated him in the battle of Zhuolu (presently Yuncheng of Shanxi Province), opening the prelude to Chinese civilization; so Yandi and Huangdi were considered as ancestors of the Chinese people. As time has gone by, the Chinese people refer to themselves as the descendants of Yangdi and Huangdi, as well as the descendants of the dragon.

The Ap (Cambodia) and The Krasue (Thailand)

This gory old ghost story is told in many different ways and there are almost identical versions in both Cambodia and Thailand. The tale begins when a beautiful young woman walks outside her house at night. As she walks, she notices a mysterious red glow in the air, and she walks toward it only to be confronted with the ghastly floating head of a beautiful young woman. Below the head, the ghost is a mess of entrails—spine and bloody organs hanging from the neck down. The beautiful woman screams but alas, it’s already too late. This particular Southeast Asian myth, may sound bizarre but it's a persistent legend throughout both Cambodia and Thailand. How this neatly floating head came to be is debatable but the most enduring version of the myth states that women who abuse black magic may be forced to turn into an Ap or a Krasue as a penalty for their wicked ways. The strange dark practices of the Ap don’t stop there though; she’s said to feed on blood and foetuses and many say is particularly interested in imbibing the innards of pregnant women. Legend goes on to state that the Ap can be repelled if you put thorny vines outside your house, as the dangly heads with equally dangly entrails may get caught in them. There are two ways that you can become an Ap or Krasue—by straying down the dark path of black magic, or the Ap herself can turn you into one by having you ingest her saliva. If she offers you a glass of water, or a quick kiss, we suggest turning her down…as politely as you can.

Lady Nak of Phra Khanong (Thailand)

This legend tells the story of a pregnant woman by the name of Nak. She was deeply in love with her husband Mak, who was sent away to war, and while he was gone, Nak and her unborn child died. A tragedy to be sure but when Mak returned home he found his wife and child alive and well, and they lived together happily for some time, before he eventually realised, through a mixture of neighbourly rumours and strange occurrences at home, that he was living with ghosts. Mak eventually fled and took refuge in a temple (a holy ground that is off-limits to supernatural entities such as ghosts) which enraged Nak so much that she haunted the region of Phra Khanong, until she was eventually captured by an exorcist who imprisoned her spirit in an earthenware jar and tossed it into the river.

From there the legend branches off into many different endings as these things often do. Some say that she was released after being fished out of the river accidentally, while others speak of a monk—the famous Somdej Toh no less—who recaptured the soul and trapped it inside the skeletal remains of Nak’s own body and wore it as a wrist band, and later passed it on for safe keeping to the Royal Family of Thailand. However, if you prefer a happy ending, then this variation might be for you: Somdej Toh is said to have captured Nak and convinced her that all would be well when reincarnated, and she could join Mak again in her future life, and so so she left this world in peace. To this day people still visit the shrine which was created in Phra Khanong, Bangkok to ask the spirit for favours such as successful births, and that their husband be left at home—not forced into military service. To visit the shrine go to: Mae Nak Shrine, Wat Mahabut. Phra Khanong, Sukhumvit Soi 77

Baby hair (funny photo)

COCONUT TREE

The coconut tree or palm is consider on the Philippines the second national tree, also is the only one that is 100% usable (people use the fruit, leafs and the trunk). Let me tell you the Coconut tree legend.

Coconut Tre
One legend says that a long time ago, in the kingdom of Bangonansa Polangui (Kingdom by the River), used to have a kind Ruler, but the kingdom was better know for her beautiful daughter Putri Timbang-Namat.

From all over the seven seas admirers came to see Putri, but she wanted no one. When the Ruler saw all the pretenders, but not interest from her daughter, he told her:

"I want a baby boy to take my place when I die, I would love to carry him and see him before I'm gone". And so, he decided to create a contest to decided who would marry Putri.

But what the Ruler didn't know, it's that Putri met a young gardener in the Palace garden with the name of Wata-Mama. One day Wata told his past to Putri, that he was a royal descent, but that his father was killed by his uncle and he was vanished out of his kingdom when he was three. Putri answered: "We love each other, that's all matters".

One of Putri's pretenders saw her with wata and got jealous, so one night he hid on a dark corner and waited for the lovers, when he saw them walking near him, he struck Wata's head, cutting it off. Putri, fearless, picked up his lover's head.

Putri buried Wata's head and aftewr a few days she noticed a tiny plant growing on the spot the head was buried, and suddenly grew into a big tree, reaching Putri's window, also it produced a fruit of the size of a man's head.

Another version of this legend says that a long time ago, a Chamorro family that was part of the Achote tribe, had a young daughter and she was very beautiful, for this reason she had many admirers.

One day the young girl was very thirsty and she asked people for the juice of a special fruit, everyone tried to find the fruit to give to the young girl, but they couldn't find it. Sadly the girl got sick for the thirst and died.

The father, full of sorrow, took the girl's body and buried it on a hill near the village. Then he put a beautiful headstone, which was covered with flowers by the people.

One day, the villagers saw that a plant they never saw before started to grow on the girl's grave, they built a shelter to protect the plant. After some years passed by, the plant grew twenty feet tall.

The plant also had a strange fruit that grew in it and one of them felt to the floor and cracked open. The chief called the father of the girl to eat the fruit, but he didn't do it, and called the girl's mother to eat it. She did it and described the fruit as chewy and sweet.

From that day on, the plant was called coconut tree, and it became one of the most love trees of that people.

Historical Post Office building in Sai Gon

Located in the downtown Sai Gon (Ho Chi Minh City) close to Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral and Diamond Plaza, Sai Gon Central Post Office is one of the historical buildings of Ho Chi Minh City which attracts a lot of tourists both Vietnamese people and foreigners during their visit to this city.

It was built between 1886 and 1891 based on the design of Gustavo Eiffel- a famous French architect in the influences of the mixture of Gothic, Renaissance, and French architectural style. It also represents the French colonial style.

It is no doubt the biggest post office in Vietnam and is an important commercial center of Ho Chi Minh City. Many years ago, there is the limited Internet access in business and hotels in Saigon so the Central Post Office served as a major communication center of the city where natives and tourists got in touch with the rest of the world.

The building is highlighted with its typical French colonial features and it fascinates the visitors from the first sight by the exterior and interior decorations. The details are equally divided apart and opposite to each other by a central axis. Its facade is built in blocks with arches over the doors and windows. Etched into the face are the names of famous Frenchmen, such as Voltaire, Laplace and Arage and notable inventors. There are also engravings of men and women adorned with laurel wreaths. The architecture is simple and modestly dotted with decorations of the dragon's head, flower branches and plants. The pillars and the eaves have all cubic composition. On the top of each pillar there are delicate engravings and bas-reliefs. Under the arch outside the building, there is a huge clock, which is as old as the building and continues to keep proper time.

Walking inside, the things visitors will notice are the two maps with the captions in French, "Saigon et ses environs 1892" (Sai Gon and its environment 1892) and "Lignes telegraphiques du Sud Vietnam et Cambodge 1936" (Telegraphic lines of Southern Vietnam and Cambodia 1892), which is over 100 years of existence. Also, there is a tall and spacious hall with its dome having steel frames and decorative designs. The ceiling was design with arc shape. The building looks just perfectly with the outside because of its arched windows designed with engaged piers, green window shutters. In addition, the entire building is spacious and well ventilated and full of sunlight. The elegant interior is considered to be the most interesting feature of the Central Post Office in Ho Chi Minh City.

Sai Gon Post Office joins other architectural highlights of the young city to create a group of architectural works with an open space harmonious with the surrounding green trees, thus making them romantic and solemn looking.

Ba Den mountain and its story

Ba Den mountain is a historical heritage, well-known for its charming sceneries and many Tay Ninh legendary tales. It is the highest mountain in Southeast Asia (986km), a symbol of the local people.

 In the middle of 18th century, the fights between Lord Trinh and Lord Nguyen led the people to many hardships. Nguyen Hue led Tay Son movement and put an end to the civil war. At that time, there was a man named Le Sy Triet, who is brave, strong and loyalty sacrificed his love with Ly Thi Thien Huong accompanying Nguyen Hue to protect the country. Ly Thi Thien Huong was a beautiful and ethical woman with honey skin (Ba Den). Her lover was on the battle field while she was surrounding by bad guys. Without the protection of Sy Triet, they planned to rape her. For her lover, she protected her virgin by throwing herself down from the mountain. She was dead, her spirit entered a dream of the chief monk and told him where her body was. After that, she was buried and worshiped. The rumor quickly spread out and many people come to this mountain to pray for her. The chief built a temple so that pilgrims can pray for her every time they come. The pilgrimage in spring, became a part of Vietnamese people since then.

Climbing Ba Den Mountain is a chance to be closer to nature and get some good exercise at the same time. From the peak, visitors will enjoy a perfect view of the valley that immediately relieves the fatigue of the climb.To get down the mountain, most young tourists chose to take a grass slider trip. It is a soft adventure activity and safe as the slope is gentle and tourists can control the brake of the slide.

A round trip cable car ride from the foot of the mountain is also offered. Soaring on the cable car, visitors will catch a view of a sparking waterfall under the glistening sun, mysterious caves and dense forest.

There are two main festivals occurring at Ba Den Mountain annually: Spring Festival, from the 15th to the 18th day of the first lunar month and Via Ba Festival lasting from the 5th to the 6th day of the fifth lunar month

Man feeds his son (funny photo)

The Origin of Lightning

There was once a great chief who desired above all things to be happy in the future life; therefore, he continually made feasts for the priests and the poor, spending much money in making merit.

He had ten wives, nine of whom helped him in all the merit-makings, but the head wife, his favorite, would never take part. Laughing and making herself beautiful in soft garments and jewels, she gave naught to the priests.

And on a day, when the great chief and his nine merit-making wives were no more but had gone to live in the sky on account of their merit-making, the great chief longed for his favorite and, taking a glass, he looked down on the earth to see her. After many days, he beheld her as a crane hunting for food on the border of a lake.

The great chief, to try her heart and to see if she had repented, came down from his home in the sky in the form of a fish and swam to the crane. Seeing the fish, the crane pecked at it, but the fish sprang out of the water, and when the crane saw it was alive, she would not touch it. Again the fish floated near the crane and she pecked at it, but on finding it was alive let it escape.

Then was the heart of the great chief glad, for he saw that his favorite wife would not destroy life even to satisfy her hunger, and he knew that her merit was such she could be born in the form of a woman again.

It happened on a day that the crane died and, when again born, had the form of a gardener’s child. As the child grew in years and stature, she was fairer than any other in the land and, when a maiden, the father and mother made a feast, inviting all the people to come. During the feast, they gave a wreath of beautiful flowers to their daughter and said, “Throw this into the air, and on whosesoever head it falls, that one will be to thee a husband.”

The great chief, her husband of old, seeking her, came down to the earth in the form of an old man and, when the maiden cast the wreath into the air, it fell on the head of this old man.

Great sport was made of him, and tauntingly the people cried, “Does this bent stick think he is mate for our lotus flower?”

But the fair maiden placed her hand in the old man’s hand and, together, they rose into the air.

In vain they sought to detain them — the father even shot at the old man, but they were soon lost to sight and to this day, when the people see the chain lightning in the sky, they say it is the wreath of the beautiful maiden; when the lightning strikes, they say it is the gardener shooting at the old man; and, when the heat lightning flashes, they say it is the great chief flashing his glass over the earth in search of his favorite and beautiful wife.

The Spirit-Guarded Cave

When the people of the far north were molested by their foes and were in continual fear, they consulted together, saying, “Our lives are spent in trying to escape from our enemies and no joy can be ours. Let us flee to the south country where, if the people make slaves of us, we can at least know that our lives will be spared, and life, even in slavery, is better than this constant fear of our enemies destroying both ourselves and our dwelling-places and taking our cattle for their own.”

Therefore, they gathered together all their household goods, secreted their money and jewels about their persons and, loading their cattle with rice, they commenced their toilsome journey through the narrow jungle paths and across the high mountains on their way to the south, where they hoped for peace and safety.

The way was long and difficult, and the rice was all eaten and the cattle killed and consumed before they had nearly reached their journey’s end. Then the fugitives commenced to use their money to buy food that they might have strength for the journey, and they whispered one to another that the people looked with covetous eyes on their hoard of money and jewels, and they feared they would be slain because of the greed of the people.

One man, wiser than the others, said, “Why do we endanger our lives for our possessions? Can we not find some secret place in which to leave our money and jewels and, when brighter days come to us, we can return and find them even as we left them?”

All the people cried, “Your words are wise. Let us do accordingly,” and as these people were loved of the spirits, they were led to a deep cave in the midst of a wood where man seldom came, and there they left their possessions in the care of the spirits who promised to guard them until in the days when, life being brighter and more secure, the owners would come and claim them.

The people journeyed on to the south country, and there lived as slaves. Many generations of them lived and died, but they could not escape nor come to claim the vast wealth and jewels which they had left in care of the spirits of the cave.

The story became known, and the inhabitants of all the surrounding countries went to the cave and sought to secure the treasure. But such was the care of the spirits that no man with safety could enter the cave. A light was instantly extinguished if let down into the deep pit leading into the chamber where the treasure was, for the spirits blew their breath upon it and it was no more.

All devices were tried to obtain the treasure, and from all parts of the country the people came to try to overcome the charm which the spirits had placed upon the cave, but no one was able to break it. One man went even into the treasure chamber and filled his hands with the precious stones, but he was overcome by a deadly sickness and was forced to replace the jewels in the treasure chest and flee for his life so as to escape the wrath of the guarding spirits.

Even the white, foreign strangers, who have come into the land and placed their strong hands on the elephants and the trees of the forest and claimed them for their use, were baffled and driven back by the faithful spirits when they endeavored to enter the treasure chamber, and for all time this treasure shall remain there, for if the white foreigner, by his wisdom or by his craft, fails to obtain it, verily it will remain untouched forever.

The Goddess and the Ogre

Once upon a time in the land of Cambodia, there lived a hermit. People rarely saw him, for he lived in solitude at the top of a mountain. Still, people always talk, and so word spread that the hermit possessed magical powers.

Many wanted to learn the hermit's secrets, and among those longing to learn was the lovely goddess of water, Moni Mekhala. Nimble and brave, she could swim through water and air, but she wished to know still more. And so she swam through the air to the hermit's home and asked him to be her teacher.

The hermit agreed.

Soon the ogre known as Ream Eyso, a terrible giant who frightened all who saw him, decided that he too wished to possess magical powers. And so Ream Eyso climbed the mountain and knocked on the hermit's door with his enormous clawlike hands. When the hermit answered, he asked to become a student.

The hermit agreed.

The hermit did not care if one was a goddess and another was an ogre. He wanted to spread knowledge to all who wanted to learn.

The lessons began.

Ream Eyso and Moni Mekhala were attentive students. As time passed, they learned a great deal of magic from their teacher.

As their lessons came to an end, the hermit decided he would offer his students a test. He called them to his side and offered each an empty glass.

"Take this glass," he said, "and return to me tomorrow. Your glass must be filled to the very top with dew. The first who returns with a full glass will win a prize."

And so Moni Mekhala and Ream Eyso departed, glasses in hand.

When the ogre arrived home, he got into bed and smiled to himself. He would wake before the world stirred, and in this way, he was certain, he would be the first to collect a glass full of dew. He fell asleep filled with confidence.

The goddess had a different idea. When she had reached the bottom of the mountain, she laid a large cloth upon the meadow. Then she lay down beside the cloth to sleep.

The next day, before sunrise, Ream Eyso made his way into a grove of trees, and there he began to pluck leaves. These he pinched and squeezed, watching as the dew collected in his empty glass, drip by drip.

When Moni Mekhala awoke, she reached for the cloth beside her. It was soaked with morning dew. She rolled it into a ball and squeezed it over the glass. In a matter of moments, her glass was full. She hurried to the hermit's hut, taking care not to spill the dew.

"You have won," the hermit told her as he took the glass from her. Then he handed her the prize he had promised. It was a beautiful glass ball, studded with jewels. "Guard this wisely," the hermit said, "for it is a powerful tool."

Overjoyed, she thanked the hermit for all he had taught her, and then she departed, her precious gift in hand.

Soon afterward the ogre arrived at the hermit's hut and happily handed over his glass. "I have won!" he cried.

But the hermit shook his head. "The goddess was here before you."

Ream Eyso was furious. "I must win a prize!" he roared.

"So you shall," said the hermit, and he handed Ream Eyso a gleaming ax made of solid gold.

But when Ream Eyso learned of the magical ball, he stormed out of the hermit's hut without a word of gratitude. Determined to have that magical ball, he immediately set off for the heavens, where he knew he would find Moni Mekhala.

When he saw her among the other gods, he smiled tenderly. "Ah," he said, softening his usually harsh and raspy voice, "it is the beautiful and talented goddess. I wanted to congratulate you, so I have come to do just that. May I see your prize?"

But Moni Mekhala did not trust the ogre. He had never before been charming. Keeping her distance, she lifted the ball above her head. "This is my prize," she said.

"Goddess," he teased, "you haven't the skill to use such a gift."

The goddess laughed. "You squeeze dew from leaves, and you question my skill?"

Infuriated with her taunting, the ogre rushed toward her. "Give me that ball." He raised his ax above his head. "Give it to me or I will destroy you."

Moni Mekhala rushed away, but the ogre chased after her. As he ran, he flung taunts, threats and curses at her -- and then he threw his ax with all his strength. It whirled across the empty air.

The goddess picked up speed, and so the ax narrowly missed her. When it landed, the heavens shook with the thundering sound.

Moni Mekhala angrily tossed her ball above her head. When she did, it radiated a streak so bright, it blinded the ogre, and Moni Mekhala flew into the clouds.

"Ream Eyso howled and rubbed his eyes, but by the time he could see again, Moni Mekhala was far away, lost in the clouds.

"I will find you," he cried. "I will chase you forever and ever," and with that he too raced into the clouds.

Rain began to fall.

This, the people of Cambodia say, was the origin of thunder and lightning. Every year, as the people pray for the rains to return to nurture their land after the dry season, they listen for the thunder of Ream Eyso's ax and look for the radiance of Moni Mekhala's magical ball. And they tell again the story of the never-ending chase in the sky.

THANH GIONG

It was said that, under 6th King Hung dynasty, there was an old couple in Giong village. They were kind and worked very hard but having a child was still their wish. Once day the wife came to the field and happened to see a large footprint, she then tried her foot on to compare. Accidentally she was pregnant and born a son twelve months later. The old couple was very happy but the baby himself could not smile or speak. He just lied wherever he was placed even though he was three years old.
The country at that time was under the danger of being occupied by invader from the North. The invader was so strong that the king had to ask envoys to search for those who could fight against the enemy. When hearing the envoy's voice, the child began asking his mother to call the envoy. The man came in and was surprise to hear that the child wanted to have a horse, an amour and a rod all made from iron to fight for the country's peace. Immediately he returned to the court and reported what had happened to the king and then all the requirements of the child in Giong Village were fulfiled through days and nights as the king's order.
It was more surprising that from the day the child met the envoy, he grew rapidly. The old couple did not have enough food and clothe for their son. However, all the villagers were always available to help them for no one of them wanted to live under the enemy's rule.
The invader was about to reach to the root of Trau mountain, all and sundry panicked. But at that time the envoy came with iron horse, amour and also rod. The child stretch his shoulders, rose himself and turned to a valiant man more than a truong2 high. The valiant man stately stepped to the horse and flapped it so that it was neighing loudly.
He then worn amour, took the rod and jumped on the horse's back. The horse began erupting fire and was push to Trau mountain to wait in front of the enemy.
There was drastic and keen fight between the powerful, dense enemy and the valiant man himself. The man on the iron horse fought so bravely that the enemy died like flies. Suddenly the ironed rod was broken but he continued struggling by rooting up all the bamboo groves and used it as his former weapon. The invader's willing was absolutely broken. They all shattered and trampled on others to run away. The man ran after them to Soc Son mountain. At last he reached the top of the mountain then put off his amour and finally flew into the heaven together with the horse.
To show the deep gratitude to the valiant man the king conferred a title Phu Dong Thien Vuong3 on him and set up a temple for memory.
It was said that fire erupted from the horse had made bamboo in Gia Binh province become shiny yellow called Tre Dang Nga4 and burnt a village on the way it came to the battle so the village was named Chay5 Village.


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

DRAGON'S CHILDREN, FAIRY'S GRAND CHILDREN

Once upon a time, in the land called Lac Viet, there was a saint named Lac Long Quan, whose mother was a fairy but the father was a dragon. He was extraordinarily strong and had many miracles. He usually lived under the water and sometimes turned to the land to help people suppressing demons, taught them to grow rice and cut wood for building houses.
He then got married with Au Co - daughter of Agriculture Saint - and the couple lived in harmony in Long Trang Palace on the land. Later Au Co gave birth to a 100-egg bag hatching to 100 sons.
Once day Lac Long Quan felt that it was impossible for him to live permanently like that so he told his wife that:
- I'm a son of dragon and I accustomed to live under the water while you belong to fairy race in the land. We could not share our lives for long so I will take 50 of our sons to settle down into the sea, the remainder will follow you to go up to the mountain. Although we separate, remember to help and protect each other in need. Don't forget my words.
The wife and all the sons obeyed him then they said farewell.
The eldest son, who had followed the mother with 49 brothers, attained the highest honors as King Hung. He set up his capital in Phong Chau and gave country the name Van Lang. There were military and civilian officials in the court. Throne would be ceded to the eldest son called King Hung from generation to generation
For the story Vietnamese are always proud of the noble origin - dragon's children and fairy's grand children.

THE MOON BOY

Long, long time ago there was a clever boy whose name was Cuoi. He did nothing with his cleverness but to play trick on people around him. He lived with his uncle and aunt who were usually suffered from his cheats.
Once day Cuoi came to the field and broke the bad new to the uncle that his wife had fell down from the ladder and bled. The man was so frighten that he ran to his home without saying a word. Cuoi at that time reached the house before his poor uncle by a short cut then broke another bad new to his aunt that her husband was collided by the buffalo and was going to died. The poor woman was scared and immediately ran out to the field. Suddenly she bumped to a man and recognized that it was her husband who was panting and sweating like her. The poor couple came back with anger and decided to imprison him into a bamboo cage then drifted him in the river.
In the afternoon when Cuoi was carried to the river's bank, he regretfully said sorry to them and asked them to come back home to bring him a book hidden behind the basket of rice that taught him telling lie as the last favour. They both agreed and returned home to satisfy their curiosity without saying a word.
After that Cuoi saw a blind man passed by. He then asked the man to untight the cage if he wanted to have his eyes cured. At last Cuoi was free and hid himself in a bamboo grave and luckily found a jar of gold. He came back and gave it to his uncle and his aunt to atone for faults while the poor blind man was waiting for his eyes treated.
Later Cuoi got married with a girl in the village and went on pulling people's leg. Once morning he came into the forest and saw a tiger mother picking leaves from a kind of tree to cure her son's wound. Immediately the wound was recovered and the tiger baby could follow his mother to continue their trip. Cuoi grasped the opportunity to uproot the tree and rose it in the garden behind his house. He called the tree Banyan and took good care to it. He always reminded his wife that the tree was magic one so it was impossible to pour dirty water or dump the garbage at its root otherwise it would fly to the heaven. His poor wife sometimes envied with the tree so she dumped garbage at the tree root once day.
When Cuoi came home he found the tree was shaking and flying higher and higher in the sky. He tried to hold its root to pull it back but he couldn't. The tree actually pulled him farther and farther from the earth until it reached the moon.
It is said that there is still image of Cuoi sitting at the root of Banyan tree and looking down to see the world and there is also a Vietnamese saying " lie as Cuoi".

SUE GOD FOR RAIN

Once upon a time, there was no rain for long, long time. The ground cracked all over, all plants withered, animals had to suffer from thirsty.
There was so great a toad that he tried to find way to the heaven to let God know what life on the earth stood. He departed his trip and on the way to the heaven he was supported and followed by a crab, a bee, a fox, a bear and a tiger.
At last they all were at the place they wanted to come. The toad saw a drum at the heaven's gate so he asked the crab to hide himself in the jar of water then told the bee to take shelter behind the door. After all he suggested the rest to wait outside and came back when needed. Then the great toad marched forward and took the drumstick and beat the drum far-resoundingly. Thunder genie was asked to come out to see what happened. He immediately turned back and said that there was no one but a little toad himself beating the drum. The news was annoying God so he asked a cock to peck the obstinate toad. However, this cock was unlucky one, he was killed by the fox after he fulfilled the duty. Suddenly a dog appeared and tried to attack the fox but it was the right time for our bear showed his power. The poor dog was hurled down right away and died an instant death.
The failure was instantly broken to God. He was extremely angry and sent Thunder genie out to punish troublemakers at gate. The genie violently came out with his thunder maker, unfortunately he was attacked by the bee as premonition. The genie was so frighten that he had to jump into the jar of water and immediately jumped out because it was impossible for him to continue suffering pain from the crab's sharp pincers. At last the tiger showed himself so bravely that made the violent genie stood as a stone status.
God was in an awkward situation so he had to invite the great toad and all of his friends into the court. The toad after that told God that there was no rain in the earth for four years. Everything had faced death. If things went on like that, there would be nothing survive.
God was very much afraid of the earth's rebel so he immediately made rain and carefully told the toad just to grind his teeth if the earth needed water. From that day on it may rain if toad grinds his teeth so there is a Vietnamese saying:
"Toad is god's uncle
Beat him, god beats back".

THACH SANH - LY THONG

Long time ago there was a kind and old but childless couple. They had to cut wood in the forest for rice. God felt moved then sent his crown prince to them so the old woman was pregnant for years. After the husband died, she gave birth a son.
The child was named Thach Sanh and became parentless some years later. He lived lonely in a shabby cottage under the old Banyan tree. He owned nothing except a hammer inherited from the father. When he was able to use the hammer, he was taught all kinds of kungfu and magic power by angles from heaven.
Once day there was an alcohol seller called Ly Thong passed by. He saw Thach Sanh carrying a heavy load of firewood. He knew there would be considerable benefits if he could persuade the young man to live under his roof. He did it. Thach Sanh was pleased and hoped that he would never be alone again.
At that time there was a man - eating ogress. No one could kill the evil so people had to make it a temple and offer it a man annually. Unfortunately, once day it was Ly Thong's turn to come to the evil's temple. He and his mother thought that the only way to keep his destiny is to ask his adopted brother for help. This evening when Thach Sanh came home he was offered a big meal then asked for nothing but just simply guarding the temple for a night. The kind fellow accepted.
At mid-night when Thach Sanh was having half-closed eyes from sleepiness in the temple, the ogress appeared and was about to catch him with its sharp claws. Without huming and hawing he fought back bravely with the hammer handed down from his father and finally split the rival into parts and took its head and golden bow and arrows back. Hearing the voice of Thach Sanh in the front door Ly Thong and his mother were so afraid because they thought that it was only the soul of the victim coming back to revenge. Thach Sanh got into the house and told them what had happened and once again he was told that the ogress he had killed was the king's. The fellow was so frightened and was advised to return to the old cottage while Ly Thong brought the evil's head to the court for award and was conferred as a duke.
The king at that time had a graceful and nubile princess, many neighboring princes who wanted to ask for her hand. Once day when walking in the royal garden, she was caught by a huge eagle. Luckily Thach Sanh saw the eagle when it was flying by the Banyan tree with the claws carrying a young lady so he shot the eagle a golden arrow and traced to it's cave by the bloody mark on the surface.
At this time Ly Thong was in the charge to find the princess, he didn't know what to do but came to see Thach Sanh for another help. Thach Sanh was once again honestly told Ly Thong what he had done and then took him as well as his escorts to the eagle's cave. He crept into the cave by a string, had a drastic fight with the evil eagle and finally saved the princess. He tightened her with the string and made a signal for the escorts to pulled the princess out of the den. After that the cave became darker and darker, he knew that its mouth was filled so he got deeper in the cave to find the exit. On the way to be out of the cave he saved the sea king's son who was captured by the eagle long ago. He was invited to visit his palace in the sea and offered treasures before he came back to the land but he only suggested for a guitar and a small pot.
Because of being defeated by Thach Sanh, souls of the ogress and the evil eagle were roaming and accidentally they met each other once day. They stole the king's gold and hid it in their enemy's cottage to accuse him of theft. Thach Sanh was thrown in jail for long. Once day he began playing the guitar to kill sadness, actually melodies from the guitar resounded to the king's palace, the princess who was so sad after being saved life by an unknown young man that she lived without smiling or saying began speaking and smiling happily. Thach Sanh after that was invited to the court. There he retold to all the court what had happened to him and how he had saved the princess's life. Everything was made clear then. Thach Sanh was asked to judge lives of Ly Thong and his mother. However, they were freed to returned to their hometown for Thach Sanh's kindness but they both were killed by thunderer on the way home and turned to Dor-beetles.
The wedding of Thach Sanh and the princess was celebrated so magnificent that made all the princes of the neighboring countries who had failed for asking the princess's hand. They rose army of 18 countries for war. Thach Sanh asked the king for going to the battle where he did not fight but play the guitar and made the enthusiasm of princes' army damped by melodious sounds. They all put off their amours and gave up. Thach Sanh offered all the princes and their army a meal but brought out a small pot of cooked rice only. They felt strange when they found that it was impossible for them to eat all the cooked rice in the small pot. The pot was filled again and again whenever cooked rice was taken out. After that they showed their deep gratitude to Thach Sanh and returned to their countries.
The king had no son so he ceded the throne to Thach Sanh.

LOVE STORY OF MY CHAU AND TRONG THUY

After helping An DuongVuong - king of Au Lac nation - build Co Loa citadel, saint Kim Qui* offered him one of his claws to make a trigger of crossbow to protect the citadel from enemies. As the saint's words this crossbow was magic one. Every arrow shot from the crossbow with magic trigger would hit a thousand of enemies at the same time.
The king chose Cao Lo, one of the mandarin's household butlers, who was the most skillful crossbow maker in the country to be in charge of the heavy responsibility. However, this kind of weapon only suited to athletes to use. The king extremely treasured the crossbow so he hung it in his sleeping room.
At that time, Trieu Da was the governor of a country adjoining Au Lac at the north. He had failed to occupy his neighboring nation for many times so he tried to guard his country by all means and waited for the right time. He then sent his son named Trong Thuy to Au Lac to seek a marriage alliance.
Trong Thuy then met My Chau, a dear daughter of An Duong Vuong. She was the most graceful lady of the country at that time. They were soon in love with each other and to be side by side to every where in the citadel. Witness the passionate love of the young couple, the king doubtlessly allowed Trong Thuy to take his dear daughter as a wife.
One night, when sitting in the garden in the moonlight, Trong Thuy asked his wife why there was no one who could defeat the country and if there was a secret. Honestly the innocent princess replied her husband that there was nothing but solid defence works in the citadel and a crossbow with a magic trigger which was kept in the king sleeping room. Trong Thuy was so surprise as if it had been the first time he heard that. The princess immediately took the crossbow out and showed it to the man. She also told him the way to use the crossbow.
One day later, Trong Thuy asked the king for permission to visit his father. He retold his father what he had known and they all agreed to find someone to make trigger reproduction. Finally Trong Thuy came back; he was offered a feast to celebrate the occasion of reunite. Trong Thuy drunk half-heartedly while An Duong Vuong and the princess so enjoyed the feast that they both were drunk at the end. Catching the chance, Trong Thuy secretly broke into the king's room and exchanged the magic trigger by a false one.
Once again Trong Thuy asked the king for permission for returning to his country for some days. The two then were loath to path with each other. Trong Thuy said to his beloved wife that he had to come back to depart a trip to the remove place in the North and it was hard to know when they could met again because of the troubled times. The poor wife released her husband that she had a fur coat so she would make marks on the way she went through with fur in order that he could find her. She then sobbed her heart out.
In a few days time Trieu Da rose troops to Au Lac. When hearing the news, An Duong Vuong didn't take any precaution against. He waited until the enemy reached to the citadel and asked his butler to bring the crossbow to fight back. Unfortunately it wasn't magic one. The citadel at last was occupied; An Duong Vuong had to evade with his dear daughter on a horse's back. The princess remembered what she had told to her husband before they separated so she took the fur coat along with her and marked the way with fur.
King An Duong Vuong and his daughter were on the horse's back for days, they had went through many rocky mountains and many bumpy paths and reach to the seashore while the enemy was tracing behind them. The king got down, turned his face to the sea and prayed saint Kim Qui with supplication. A whirlwind rose to replied the king's words. After that the saint appeared and told him that the enemy was at his back. An Duong Vuong woke up to reality. He drew sword out and cut off his dear daughter's head then jumped into the sea.
Trong Thuy at that time followed the marks to the seashore and found his wife lying dead on the grass with her unchangeable appearance. He burst out crying then buried her in the citadel and jumped into the well where his wife usually washed her hair.
Nowadays, in Co Loa village, there were a temple of King An Duong Vuong and a well called Trong Thuy's in front of the temple. It is said that when My Chau died, her blood leaked into the sea, oyster ate it then born precious pearl. If this kind of pearl was washed by water from Trong Thuy's well, it would be much brighter.

* In Vietnamese folk literature Kim Qui was a saint with an appearance of a tortoise.

THE STORY OF TAM AND CAM

Long, long ago there was a man who lost his wife and lived with his little girl named Tam. Then he married again a wicked woman. The little girl found this out on the first day after the wedding. There was a big banquet in the house, but Tam was shut up in a room all by herself instead of being allowed to welcome the guests and attend the feast.

Moreover, she had to go to bed without any supper.

Things grew worse when a new baby girl was born in the house. The step-mother adored Cam--for Cam was the name of the baby girl--and she told her husband so many lies about poor Tam that he would not have anything more to do with the latter.

"Go and stay away in the kitchen and take care of yourself, you naughty child," said the wicked woman to Tam.

And she gave the little girl a dirty wretched place in the kitchen, and it was there that Tam was to live and work. At night, she was given a torn mat and a ragged sheet as bed and coverlet. She had to rub the floors, cut the wood, feed the animals, do all the cooking, the washing up and many other things. Her poor little soft hands had large blisters, but she bore the pain without complaint. Her step-mother also sent her to deep forests to gather wood with the secret hope that the wild beasts might carry her off. She asked Tam to draw water from dangerously deep wells so that she might get drowned one day. The poor little Tam worked and worked all day till her skin became swarthy and her hair entangled. But Sometimes she went to the well to draw water, looked at herself in it, and was frightened to realize how dark and ugly she was. She then got some water in the hollow of her hand, washed her face and combed her long smooth hair with her fingers, and the soft white skin appeared again, and she looked very pretty indeed.

When the step-mother realized how pretty Tam could look, she hated her more than ever, and wished to do her more harm. One day, she asked Tam and her own daughter Cam to go fishing in the village pond.

"Try to get as many as you can," she said. "If you come back with only a few of them, you will get flogged and will be sent to bed without supper." Tam knew that these words were meant for her because the step-mother would never beat Cam, who was the apple of her eyes, while she always flogged Tam as hard as she could.

Tam tried to fish hard and by the end of the day, got a basket full of fish. In the meantime, Cam spent her time rolling herself in the tender grass, basking in the warm sunshine, picking up wild flowers, dancing and singing.

The sun set before Cam had even started her fishing. She looked at her empty basket and had a bright idea. "Sister, sister," she said to Tam, "your hair is full of mud. Why don't you step into the fresh water and get a good wash to get rid of it? Otherwise mother is going to scold you."

Tam listened to the advice, and had a good wash. But, in the meantime, Cam poured her sister's fish into her own basket and went home as quickly as she could. When Tam realized that her fish were stolen away, her heart sank and she began to cry bitterly. Certainly, her step-mother would punish her severely tonight!

Suddenly, a fresh and balmy wind blew, the sky looked purer and the clouds whiter and in front of her stood the smiling blue-robed Goddess of Mercy, carrying a lovely green willow branch with her. "What is the matter, dear child?" asked the Goddess in a sweet voice.

Tam gave her an account of her misfortune and added: "Most Noble Lady, what am I to do tonight when I go home? I am frightened to death, for my step-mother will not believe me, and will flog me very, very hard."

The Goddess of Mercy consoled her. "Your misfortune will be over soon. Have confidence in me and cheer up. Now, look at your basket to see whether there is anything left there."

Tam looked and saw a lovely small fish with red fins and golden eyes, and uttered a little cry of surprise. The Goddess told her to take the fish home, put it in the well at the back of the house, and feed it three times a day with what she could save from her own food.

Tam thanked the Goddess most gratefully and did exactly as she was told. Whenever she went to the well, the fish would appear on the surface to greet her. But should anyone else come, the fish would never show itself. Tam's strange behavior was noticed by her step-mother who spied on her, and went to the well to look for the fish which hid itself in the deep water. She decided to ask Tam to go to a far away spring to fetch some water, and taking advantage of the absence, she put on the latter's ragged clothes, went to call the fish, killed it and cooked it.

When Tam came back, she went to the well, called and called, but there was no fish to be seen except the surface of the water stained with blood. She leaned her head against the well and wept in the most miserable way. The Goddess of Mercy appeared again, with a face as sweet as a loving mother, and comforted her: "Do not cry, my child. Your step-mother has killed the fish, but you must try to find its bones and bury them in the ground under your mat. Whatever you may wish to possess, pray to them, and your wish will be granted."

Tam followed the advice and looked for the fish bones everywhere but could find none. "Cluck! cluck!" said a hen, "Give me some paddy and I will show you the bones.

Tam gave her a handful of paddy and the hen said, "Cluck! cluck! Follow me and I will take you to the place." When they came to the poultry yard, the hen scratched a heap of young leaves, uncovered the fish bones which Tam gladly gathered and buried accordingly. It was not long before she got gold and jewelry and dresses of such wonderful materials that they would have rejoiced the heart of any young girl.

When the Autumn Festival came, Tam was told to stay home and sort out the two big baskets of black and green beans that her wicked step-mother had mixed up.

"Try to get the work done," she was told, "before you can go to attend the Festival." Then the step-mother and Cam put on their most beautiful dresses and went out by themselves.

After they had gone a long way Tam lifted her tearful face and prayed: "O, benevolent Goddess of Mercy, please help me." At once, the soft-eyed Goddess appeared and with her magic green willow branch, turned little flies into sparrows which sorted the beans out for the young girl. In a short time, the work was done. Tam dried up her tears, arrayed herself in a glittering blue and silver dress. She now looked as beautiful as a princess, and went to the Festival.

Cam was very surprised to see her, and whispered to her mother: "Is that rich lady not strangely like my sister Tam?" When Tam realized that her step-mother and Cam were staring curiously at her, she ran away, but in such a hurry that she dropped one of her fine slippers which the soldiers picked up and took to the King.

The King examined it carefully and declared he had never seen such a work of art before. He made the ladies of the palace try it on, but the slipper was too small even for those who had the smallest feet. Then he ordered all the noblewomen of the kingdom to try it, but the slipper would fit none of them. In the end, word was sent that the woman who could wear the slipper would become Queen, that is, the King's First Wife.

Finally, Tam had a try and the slipper fitted her perfectly. She then wore both slippers, and appeared in her glittering blue and silver dress, looking extremely beautiful. She was then taken to Court with a big escort, became Queen and had an unbelievably brilliant and happy life. The step-mother and Cam could not bear to see her happy and would have killed her most willingly, but they were too afraid of the King to do so.

One day, at her father's anniversary, Tam went home to celebrate it with her family. At the time, it was the custom that, however great and important one might be, one was always expected by one's parents to behave exactly like a young and obedient child. The cunning step-mother had this in her mind and asked Tam to climb an areca tree to get some nuts for the guests. As Tam was now Queen, she could of course refuse, but she was a very pious and dutiful daughter, and was only glad to help. But while she was up on the tree, she felt that it was swaying to and fro in the strangest and most alarming manner.

"What are you doing?" She asked her step-mother.

"I am only trying to scare away the ants which might bite you, my dear child," was the reply. But in fact, the wicked step-mother was holding a sickle and cutting the tree which fell down in a crash, killing the poor Queen at once.

"Now we are rid of her," said the woman with a hateful and ugly laugh, "and she will never come back again. We shall report to the King that she has died in an accident and my beloved daughter Cam will become Queen in her stead!"

Things happened exactly the way she had planned, and Cam became now the King's first wife. But Tam's pure and innocent soul could not find any rest. It was turned into the shape of a nightingale which dwelt in the King's garden and sang sweet and melodious songs.

One day, one of the maids-of-honor in the Palace exposed the dragon-embroidered gown of the King to the sun, and the nightingale sang in her own gentle way: "0, sweet maid-of-honor, be careful with my Imperial Husband's gown and do not tear it by putting it on a thorny hedge." She then sang on so sadly that tears came into the King's eyes. The nightingale sang more sweetly still and moved the hearts of all who heard her.

At last, the King said: "Most delightful nightingale, if you were the soul of my beloved Queen, be pleased to settle in my wide sleeves."

Then the gentle bird went straight into the King's sleeves and rubbed her smooth head against the King's hand. The bird was now put in a golden cage near the King's bedroom. The King was so fond of her that he would stay all day long near the cage, listening to her melancholy and beautiful songs. As she sang her melodies to him, his eyes became wet with tears, and she sang more charmingly than ever.

Cam became jealous of the bird, and sought her mother's advice about it. One day, while the King was holding a council with his ministers, Cam killed the nightingale, cooked it and threw the feathers in the Imperial Garden.

"What is the meaning of this?" said the King when he came back to the Palace and saw the empty cage. There was great confusion and everybody looked for the nightingale but could not find it.

"Perhaps she was bored and has flown away to the woods," said Cam.

The King was very sad but there was nothing he could do about it, and resigned himself to his fate. But once more, Tam's restless soul was transformed into big, magnificent tree, which only bore a single fruit, but what a fruit! It was round, big and golden and had a very sweet smell.

An old woman passing by the tree and seeing the beautiful fruit, said: "Golden fruit, golden fruit, drop into the bag of this old woman. This one will keep you and enjoy your smell, but will never eat you." The fruit at once dropped into the old woman's bag. She brought it home, put it on the table to enjoy its sweet-scented smell. But the next day, to her great surprise, she found her house clean and tidy, and a delicious hot meal waiting for her when she came back from her errands as though some magic hand had done all this during her absence.

She then pretended to go out the following morning, but stealthily came back, hid herself behind the door and observed the house. She beheld a fair and slender lady coming out of the golden fruit and starting to tidy the house. She rushed in, tore the fruit peel up so that the fair lady could no longer hide herself in it. The young lady could not help but stay there and consider the old woman her own mother.

One day the King went on a hunting party and lost his way. The evening drew on, the clouds gathered and it was pitch dark when he saw the old woman's house and went in it for shelter. According to custom, the latter offered him some tea and betel. The King examined the delicate way the betel was prepared and asked: "Who is the person who made this betel, which looks exactly like the one prepared by my late beloved Queen?"

The old woman said in a trembling voice: "Son of Heaven, it is only my unworthy daughter."

The King then ordered the daughter to be brought to him and when she came and bowed to him, he realized, like in a dream, that it was Tam, his deeply regretted Queen Both of them wept after such a separation and so much unhappiness. The Queen was then taken back to the Imperial City, where she took her former rank, while Cam was completely neglected by the King.

Cam then thought: "If I were as beautiful as my sister, I would win the King's heart."

She asked the Queen: "Dearest Sister, how could I become as white as you?"

"It is very easy," answered the Queen. "You have only to jump into a big basin of boiling water to get beautifully white." Cam believed her and did as suggested. Naturally she died without being able to utter a word! When the step-mother heard about this she wept until she became blind. Soon, she died of a broken heart. The Queen survived both of them, and lived happily ever after, for she certainly deserved it.