Once upon a time, a boy worked as a farmer living in a small village. He was hard work person but the poverty seemed to attach to him. At last, he decided to sell all field and buy an ax. He became a woodcutter with hoping that the job would help him get rid of poverty.
But that was not easy as he thought, collecting wood. One day, he went to the forest deeply and felt very fortunate as he discovered a tree which he could cut down. He raised his ax up and nearly banged on body of that tree, a devil showed up from the tree and started begging him. The devil stood on his knees and begged him violently. He stopped bowed his head looked at the devil and asked:
“What do you want?”
“Don’t cut down this tree, please”, said the devil.
Thought the tree seemed to be important to the devil, he pretended raised his ax again to cut down the tree.
“Why not. I had spent long time going and finding till I see this tree. Think you that my effort is not worthy to have it. Go away and let me do my work”, he said then raised his ax higher.
“Pleaseee… don’t, this tree and me were one. I can not leave this tree. Pleaseee, you, could you give me a little pity? I will gift you a present for your kindness”, said the devil.
“What? Give me now”, he said.
The devil asked him to wait few seconds. He disappeared and turned back at one with a copper tray on his arms.
“Sir, this thing will help you very much. Whenever you felt hungry, you only need to knock on this tray three times and many delicious dishes will appear front of you”, said the devil.
This tray seemed to make him much satisfied. He took the tray, turned back and didn’t forget promising that he would let the devil live peacefully.
He crossed a market on the way toward his home. He went in the restaurant he usually came in asked for some food before selling his wood. That time, he wanted to show people in there his magical tray. He put the tray on table front master and mistress of the restaurant, knocked on it three times. Suddenly, many dishes poured out from the tray and filled full of the table. The delicious dishes made people who in the restaurant surprised. He invited the others to join and enjoy them.
When he had eaten, he felt sleepy so he laid himself down the table and took a rest. The master of restaurant turned desirous when he saw woodcutter seem to catch off guard. He went toward his room and chose a tray which looked like as the tray of the woodcutter. When the woodcutter woke up, his tray had been replaced by another though he didn’t know. He grabbed the tray went straight his home. On his way he thought that he should treated his neighbors a meal. Therefore, he turned to village hall and drummed loudly. All people who living the village made their way came to village hall. When they had arrived to his face, he said ceremoniously:
“Not many times, we have chance to sit and drink together. Therefore, today, I ceremoniously invited all of you here sit down and enjoy a party which I specially prepared for everyone”.
He put the tray down and knocked on it but there was nothing happened. Surprised and a little shocked he tried again but the tray seemed to lose its magic. People around him turned impatient they thought that he was cheating on them. Therefore, some of them caught and beat him painfully.
He found the way dragged his body to home. The more he thought the more he felt angry. He thought the devil himself had cheated him. The next morning, he brought his ax and headed to forest arrived to the place where the tree stood. He gave a strong bang on the tree. The devil begged bitterly.
“Pleaseee, stoop, I will give you another gift, a horse which can poured out gold from its asshole”.
“Give me now, swindler”, he shouted.
Few seconds later, a horse appeared. He mounted on the horse rode few rounds around the place. Course, gold dropped from the horse’s asshole. He felt happy took the gold put it in his pocket and got again horse’s back then rode toward home.
He stopped at the restaurant and bragged about his horse to others. He made the horse pour out gold then picked up and gifted the master of restaurant. But, the master was greedy person he wanted the horse belonged to him. Consequently, he immediately set a great meal to treat the woodcutter. He served the woodcutter much as much wine the woodcutter could drink. The woodcutter bent down and slept deeply after drinking too much, he didn’t know that in the time he was sleeping his horse had replaced by another looked like it.
When the woodcutter woke up, he didn’t have any doubting mounted on horse’s back and went straight home. On his way he thought: “The last time I made people think that I was a swindler so this time I will gift people gold and clean my name”. Therefore, he turned to village hall and one more time drummed strongly. When people arrived to him, he said proudly:
“I’ve gotten a rare horse which can pour gold from its asshole. I want all of you have a little from my fortune”.
Then he mounted on horse rode several rounds to make the horse shit but what horse dropped had no difference with other horses. That time, people beat him more painfully than the previous time because he dared to cheat them again. Besides, they confiscated his horse and left him at there.
As the people he felt very angry as he himself also believed that the devil had cheated him again. Next day, he woke up early brought his ax and went straight to the tree. He banged strongly on the tree few times. The devil appeared cried and begged violently.
“Why don’t you dare to cheat me again?”, he took each word clearly, “Your tray and your horse are only dirt cheap”.
The devil tried to prove he exposed the master ’s sin then he said:
“This time I will give you a thing which can help you get again what you’ve lost. A tube”, the devil gave him the tube and continued saying, “anyone will be forced to stand by their hand if they pointed this tube at the sky three times and they only get back their feet till you use the tube knock on ground three times”.
He made the devil to show him its magic then he turned back toward the restaurant. That time the owners of the restaurant noticed that he brought a strange thing as previous times. They asked him but he seemed to want to keep it in secret that made them had more curiosity. So, the master and mistress of the restaurant set a great meal to treat him as normal. The master served him much wine as previous times. When he completely fell in sleep because of drunkenness, the master and mistress grabbed the tube and started disputing to look through the tube to discover what was in it. When he woke up, the owners had stood by their hand for long time. That time, he found out what the devil said was true and the owners of the restaurant were thieves.
The owners, on other side, thought that he had found out their sin before that and had planned to punish them so they begged him bitterly. They swore that they will return him his tray and his horse immediately after they were released from the state. He grabbed the tube and knocked on ground three times. Immediately, they fell down and helped the other get their feet at one. They found the way brought the horse and the tray to give back him.
He rode straight village hall and drummed strongly as previous times. People one more time aggregated in village hall. He put down the tray and knocked on it and course that time many dishes poured out from they tray which was enough to provide to all people who stay at there. Didn’t need to spend much time appreciating people started enjoying attractive dishes front their eyes. Later, when they finished the meal, he led them out and pointed at the horse.
“You will feel pleasant if I give you some gold, won’t you?”.
None felt uncomfortable with his suggestion. Therefore, he asked some people to go behind his horse and picked up gold as he rode. Of course, the horse shit gold as he said. He separated gold to others who were sunk into happiness. Later, he raised his tube and asked:
“Who here want to find out what is its magic?”
The crowd seemed to be excited. They screamed, yelled to show him know that they really wanted to know.
“Do it yourselves”, he said and threw the tube in the crowd. The crowd turned chaotic that they tried to grab the tube. The tube was raised and downed in people’s hands. Later, almost of them stood on their hands. There had a landlord who had a beautiful daughter and he, the woodcutter, had fallen in love with the landlord’s daughter after they had some conversations but the landlord prevented her to meet him. Therefore, he didn’t wasted the chance approached the landlord and asked him to marry with his daughter. The landlord had no choice but to agree. He happily knocked the tube on ground three times and helped people to get rid of the state.
Later, he married with the girl and they had their journey to new lands with three magical things.
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THE END
"Translator: Hung Nguyen"
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