Three boys

Once upon a time, Le family had daughter who was not only beautiful but also great in knowledge and skillful that none could be better than her. When he was old enough to marry, many people had come, mandarins, landlords, students… but her father refused all of them. He said to them:

“My daughter doesn’t need to be mandarin’s wife, landlord’s wife. She only wants a husband who had a skill but he has to be great in the skill. If people who don’t have the thing don’t come to my home”.

The news the girl need a husband spread largely so many people came and tried but nobody could made the father satisfied.

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One day, three boys came to meet him. All of them were young, handsome and healthy. After the father heard them introduce themselves, he knew that they came from three places and just met the others as they arrived to there. One of them was an archer who could shoot any thing though it was far away or close, big or small. The second boy was a diver who could live in water weeks and could find any thing in sea though it was very small. The third boy was a doctor who could cure any illness; especially, he could save dead people.

The father was happy. He led the first boy to back garden and showed him see a high pine. He said:

“Climb to top of the tree and ticked on a leaf. And use your talent to make the leaf fall down. We will trust you if you can do that”.

The first boy pleasantly agreed. He found his archery and arrows. Course, when arrow was shot, the sticked leaf fell down front surprised eyes.

Then the father led the second boy to the shore. He showed him a ring and said:

“I will give the ring to a ferryman who will drop the ring into water. Use your talent and bring the ring back”.

The second boy nodded his head then he took off his clothes and jumped into water. Only a short time, he emerged from water with one raising hand to show people see the ring.

The third boy was led to a market. They found a beggar who nearly died and asked him to cure the beggar revive. The third boy checked then he went toward bush and picked up some leaves. He boiled the leaves and helped the beggar drink. Short time latter sat up and asked for food as that he had just woke up after long sleep.

The father knew that all of them were talent. He admitted:

“All of you were talent and it was lucky as my daughter can be wife of one. But, I have only one daughter. So, I think we should come to village hall and pray god to give a signal. If anyone who has the lucky, I will let my daughter marry with him”.

Four went to village hall but when they arrived to the hall, a person hurriedly ran to and said them that girl was brought away by a giant eagle when she was working in field. All of them sprinted toward field and saw the eagle was flying toward sea. The first boy grabbed his archery and shot. He didn’t need the second arrow, the eagle’ wig was broken and the eagle fell down sea with the girl. Immediately, the second boy jumped into water and dived toward the place where the girl dropped. He brought the girl to the shore but now the girl was died. That is the turn the third boy showed his talent. He found some leaves and helped the girl drink. Latter, the girl disgorged much water and regained consciousness.

Now three of them competed that he was the most deserved to marry with the girl. They said to the father.

“If I had not shot the monster all you would have not had any mark to save her”, said the first boy.

“Wait, if I had not saved her from water though how much you shoot well which also would had been useless”, said the second boy.

“But, if I hadn’t cured her what you would have had now was only a dead. So I am the person who deserve to marry with her”, said the third boy.

None wanted to give up. The father and others who were standing around felt confused. At last, they pulled others to mandarin to judge.

After some days thinking, the mandarin called them, the father and the girl to come. Front their faces, the mandarins said:

“All you have same merits in saving this girl. But, doctor you can not say that. If you only cure her and make her marry with you, that is not reasonable. With her, you are only a benefactor”, he turned to he second boy, “You, archer, should know that if we don’t have the diver, what you have done was only revenge and that is not save her. Course, you could shot the eagle but her that is a good thing but you didn’t think that the eagle fell down and she also fell down. That is your mistake”, “So, two of you are benefactors”, “Diver who save this girl from water and he had no choice but to hug her. All you know that a girl and a boy can not touch to other if they are not a couple. Therefore, don’t you think she should marry with diver? And you, diver and girl have to treat doctor and archer as your brothers to thank them.”

Mandarin’s word was reasonable. They agreed the result. Three boys became brothers and the diver married with the girl. The wedding was very beautiful with the participation of the doctor and the archer.

THE END

"Translated by Hung Nguyen"

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