The thief teach his followers

A thief was great but now he was old and wanted to have some people to teach them the secret. Though many people had come to ask him for that but one of them had to pass the challenge that they had to steal something with him in one night.

A person named Duoc living nearly brought a big plate of sticky rice and a boiled chicken come and asked him to become his follower. Duoc was dummy so the thief didn’t want to accept. But, Duoc insisted and at last the thief accepted.

“Right, Tonight you go to there and go with me to steal something then I will have a decision.”

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That night, they made their way to another village after having preparation. They sneaked to a house then unlocked the door.

“This is the house of a widow. She has a cloth store. Tonight, most people go away but a girl and they leave their cloth at head of bed. Go in and take it.”, said the thief.

Then they sneaked into the house toward the room placing cloth. When Duoc was groping in the room he suddenly heard a person screamed at the door: “Thief, thief, a thief was in house.”

He found his way to break out of the room but the girl woke up and grabbed his hair. The girl screamed for others’s help.

Duoc felt confused and didn’t know to do any thing he asked the thief for a help.

“Master, she grabbed my hair. What do I have to do now?”, said Duoc.

“Don’t worry. You are very lucky as she grab your hair so you can cut it if she grab your nose or your ear you can’t.”, said the thief.

The girl heard the word so she took off her hand to grab his noise. Duoc because of that escaped. People who heard the girl screamed ran toward the house from all direction. They were in dangerous case and made their way to escape. Duoc found baboo trees by the road and went into trees. Though he was harmed by thorns but none could see him. Therefore he stayed in the place till people went away.

But when people went away he couldn’t find the way to went out because the trees were thick and had many thorns what made him hurt. So, he had to sat in the place the night.

The next morning he still couldn’t find the way. Fortunately, his master’s wife went cross the place on her way to the market. He hinted her to come near and talk her to come home and ask his master for his help. the thief went but he didn’t help him but screamed:

“Come on, I catch the thief here, he is here.”

Duoc was frightened he broke out of the trees immediately and sprinted toward his house.

The second person who went to pray for the thief’s teaching was clever boy named Lau and he had his challenge as Duoc. A night, he and his master found their way to a landlord’s house. Though the fence was high but it couldn’t prevent Lau. Lau sneaked into the house easily. When they were in a room they saw a large copper. The thief unlocked the coffer then asked Lau went into.

“All valuable things were stored in the coffer. You go in and choose some.”, said the thief.

Lau followed his word went in the coffer but while he was groping his master shut the lip and locked. He still didn’t know what was happening he had heard the noise his master took out the key. Lau pained he had never thought that his master would do that thing. But Lau had an idea to escape after short time sitting in the coffer. He took clothes in coffer and put on and wore a mandarin’s hat which covered almost his face. Then he kicked on the coffer hardly. He screamed:

“People living in house. Come on and hear my word.”

People heard the noise then ran into the room. He felt surprised as they heard the noise spread ot from the coffer. Then Lau continued screaming.

“I am a god who has given you your wealth. Now, I come to give you more wealth. Hurry up, unlock the coffer to let me out.”

The landlord had feeling between surprised scared he unlocked the coffer and asked others to cooked a feast for the god.

The landlord invited people in the village to participate in the feast. People went to have a look about the god. They grouped and kneeled in the room and looked at the coffer. When the coffer was opened Lau was wearing a red cloth which covered his face he jumped out and shouted:

“Follow me to the village hall then he sprinted to the gate. People who followed him seem to respect the fake god.

When Lau arrived the village hall he went in cavalierly, sat on the altar and asked: “Put the feast down and go out. if ony one dare to stay I will punish them to bleed. People made their way to go out. But Duoc who saw the crowd as he went cross he went to have a sight he asked people what happened and they said him the story. He also heard the voice of god and realized the voice that was his fellow. Then he made his way to come in though people prevented. When he was in the village hall, of course, that was his friend. He smiled and asked Lau to separate the feast. Lau hinted Duoc to keep silent. He said: “Right, I will separate to you. Don’t make it to be complex but I and you have to make a oath if one don’t do he will be punish by the god.”

“How to do?”, said Duoc.

“You stick out your tongue and I will lick it then i stick my tongue and you will lick it”, said Lau.

But when Duoc stuck his tongue, Lau bite his tongue hardly. Duoc sprinted out with his mouth full of blood. People seem to be frightened because of the sight .They found their ways to get out of the place immediately. Therefore, Lau got his safe to go his home.

THE END

"Translated by Hung Nguyen"

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