The carpenter in Nam Hoa

Once upon a time, a skillful carpenter, named Chuan, lived in Nam Hoa village. When he was young he went around country to work and learn skill from other carpenters. He found the way to meet all people who he heard about their name to ask them teach him though he had to do the hardest job. However, he still didn’t find out great skillful teacher after decades.

One time, he participated to build a temple in a village. In the lunch, while people were eating, a beggar came and prayed for food. Others dodged him but he separated his food in two and gave the beggar a half.

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When they finished and went back to their work, the beggar aproached to Chuan and asked him to try. He gave the beggar his chisel and let him try but he had never thought that the beggar so skillful. Animals which were chiseled on wood looked like as real animals that gave him an idea they could move. He stood on his knees immediately and asked the beggar to teach him the skill.

He became skillful that none could compare with him. Not only chiseled beautiful but also he could do very fast. He could build all wooden constructions though they were very hard to build.

After years working, he came back hometown. That moment, the next to village was building a wooden temple. They spent very much money for the temple and course only great carpenters were chosen. The work had proceed for three months but they only built a little of the temple. He heard about the temple and wanted to see it. He pretended as he was a beggar. He came to the place and prayed for food and staying at there. The next morning when carpenters woke up, they discovered that their guest had burned a column which had been chiseled. They brought him to leaders of village. They asked him to pay for it. Front leaders, he said:

“I burned the column so I will pay for it. Could you give me another column? I will chisel and if you think what I chisel is not valuable to pay I will volunteer to work here without salary”.

Short time later, he had chiseled with finely shapes. All people liked that. The leaders of village knew that he was a great carpenter and showed their idea they wanted him to build the temple. But, other carpenters were not satisfied. They said:

“We don’t want him to lead us. So, divide wood in two, we will build half of temple and he will build the other part. We will compete and the team who build the part of temple more beautiful, more delicate will have the wage of the other team.

Though the other team had done for three months, he accepted the challenge. He did alone but very fast the other carpenters couldn’t catch his speed. Course, he also chiseled beautifully. At last, other carpenters knew that they couldn’t win so they stopped and wen away. The temple was completed after that short time. Majestic and wonderful were words to talk about the temple. Especially, shapes on wood were very beautifull which attracted people’s eyes.

His name was spread every where. All people wanted him to build their house, temple. His skill always made them satisfied.

One day, when he was building a temple next to sea. The temple was nearly completed. One night, while he was sleeping, he heard knocks on the door. He woke up to open the door and saw two strangers.

“King of sea heard about your name and wanted you to build for him a new castle”, they said.

He felt scared and tried to refuse but their faces turned solemn.

“You can not refuse the king. Bring necessary things, we will go now”, they said.

He carried chisel, saw and followed them. They asked him to close his eyes. Water parted and they went on bottom of sea to the castle. King of sea was happy as he saw him. He said:

“I have heard about your name for long time but till now I have chance to meet you”, he stopped a little, “I don’t like the recent castle, it is too small. I want to have another castle, bigger and more beatifull. And you should know I have chosen a place to build new castle and now I need you. Try your best and build a magnificent castle with a great tower which every one living in sea can see it from any where and, admires, three palaces and six building surround the tower. Remember, you have to decorate them beautifully and brilliantly. I will give you all things you need, wood, workers…”

He had a little scare but he thought that was the opportunity for him to show all his skill. Therefore, he decided to build the castle by his best. None could know how much wood, taken from forests on ground, was used for the castle. He drew and chiseled, day by day. That work made him have no time to remember about his family, rest and eat. Three year devoting, at last, the great castle was completed. The wild place, now, stood palaces, buildings, towers, houses, bridges, corridors… Every one who could have chance to see the place could only said: “Unbelievable! That is real”. The castle, course, was very very beautiful and brilliant.

The king and his servants were satisfied as they saw the castle. The king gave him praises. They held a party to celebrate the day castle was complete. The king asked his sevants to take a small wooden box and give him, he said:

“I am grateful you who have built the castle. To show my gratitude, I gift you this box. But, you had remember one thing that all things you see and hear and know about this place, you must not say to others”.

He promise but the king didn’t trust him 100 percents. The king gave him a leaf and asked him to swallow. The king continued saying.

“If you say any thing the leaf will cut your throat”.

He nodded his head. Later, the king asked the servants, who had brought him to the sea, now led him to get back ground. They went toward Nam Hoa village. He felt as though he had been just reborn as he stepped on ground. He came home and realized that his family had set an altar for him but it couldn’t reduce the happiness when he and his family met. Remerber king’s word he didn’t talk to them about things he had known. Therefore, he said them a false story. When they opened the box, they see 30 glittering pearls. He and his wife decided to sell some of them to buy food. But, they got no much money because traders didn’t know about pearls’ value till the 20th was sold, the trader couldn’t cover his surprised as he saw the pearl. He said:

“This is “Minh Chau” pearl. Very, very valuable”.

Then the trader gave him all money he had and took the pearl away. He became rich from that time. Keep two pearls and sold all of the others, he bought houses, fields and lived an easy life.

When he was 80 years old, he knew that he had no long time to life. Therefore, he called people in his family. He talked to them about the day he was taken to bottom of sea, days he built the castle and whatever he had heard, seen and known about people living in the sea. He said very fast and very detailed. When his story finished, he fainted.

People realized a leaf had cut his throat. He died. People held a feast for him. The remaining pearls also disappeared as he died.

THE END

"Translated by Hung Nguyen"

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