Skip to main content

The poor and god

Gods treated them too bad that his grandpa and his father both lived in poverty till they died.
He, now, also lived in poverty like them though he worked very hard. He was a student who worked hardly in daytime and tried to study in nighttime with hope he could change his fate on a day. But, his fate seemed not to change a little. Therefore, he decided to set off and ask god how to change his fate. According to rumors, God used to land on an island which stood in middle of sea whenever he wanted to avoid problems in heaven. The way leading to the island was very long and dangerous but it didn’t make him give up.
vietnamese fairy tales
He had gone for ten day, walking in daytime and resting in nighttime but food and money he brought also nearly had gone. Therefore, he went in a building and asked the owner to help him. The owner of the building was a landlord who invited in his home and treated him well.
“Where are you going?” asked the landlord as they were in the dinner.
“I am on the way going to the island at the middle of sea where god usually lands on and relax. I want to ask him how to change my fate, getting rid of poverty”, he said honestly.
“Really”, snapped the landlord happily, “I have a daughter but she’s mute. I have asked many doctors to cure her but she is still mute. So, could you ask God how to cure my daughter when you met him”, he added.
The student agreed. The next morning, he set off with some money the landlord gave him. Few days later, the money had gone, he one more time made his way to a house and asked the owner to help him. That time, the owner also treated him a meal. He asked him about the place where he was going. The student honestly told him about his purpose, going to god asking him how to change his fate and how to cure the mute girl. The owner gifted him some money and said:
“If you meet God, please ask him why my orange trees don’t bear though they are very luxuriant”.
The student agreed and set of in the next morning. He kept going till he came to the shore. What front his eyes that time was broad sea but there had no boat crossed. He sat on the shore and wanted. Three days had passed but no boat crossed the place, he started feeling impatient. At last, a giant turtle emerged from water and approached him.
“What are you doing?” asked the turtle.
“I am waiting for a boat which can bring me to the island at middle of sea. I must ask God how to change my fate, how to cure a mute girl and why orange trees don’t bear”, he replied.
“Sit on my back. I will bring you to the island but you have to ask him why I can not rebirth though I have lived for one thousand years”, said the turtle.
He agreed then sat on the turtle’s back. They pushed off. The island emerged more clearly after days. He landed on the island and climbed on the top of the mountain, the place God used land on. He stayed at the place and waited. Three days later, when he just woke up, he saw a light suddenly drop on the top of mountain.     
God appeared on throne, enjoyed sun lights. The student didn’t hesitate, approached God and kneeled.
“What do you want?” said God.
Firstly, he asked God why the turtle couldn’t rebirth.
“Ask it to spit the pearl in mouth out”, said God.
At second, he asked God about orange tress.
“Take jars of gold under their roots, they will bear”, said God.
 At third, he asked God about the mute girl.
“She will speak when she meet a valedictorian”, said God.
When three questions of others had the answers, he was going to ask God about his fate but God shouted in anger:
“I go here to avoid my job and relax but you have destroyed all”.
God mounted on cloud and flew up the sky at one. Thought that his fate was too unlucky, he turned back to the shore of the island. The turtle was waiting for him at there. He mounted on its back and went toward the land.
“How did God say about my problem?” said the turtle.
“Only if spit the pearl in your mouth out, you can rebirth”, he said.
When they came to the land, the turtle spitted the pearl out and gifted him. It said:
“This is magical pearl. If you bring it, you will know everything in the worth”.
The turtle disappeared after that. He found the way to turn back the owner of orange trees. The owner was happy as he met him.
“How did God say about my orange tree?” said the owner.
“Dig up jars of gold under their roots, they will bear”, he said.
Of course, when the owner dug up, he found jars of gold under roots. He happily divided the gold in two and gave the student a half.
The student continued going, he met a crowd on his way. He asked people and they said him that the king was organized a contest to find talents who would help him manage the country. He registered the contest. He used gold to buy books, pens and all necessary things, rented a room to study. The pearl seemed to help him so much that he could remember and understand all things he had read. That contest, he was the person who had highest score. The king was very happy, ordained him to be a mandarin.
Short time later, he went back hometown to hold a ceremony to thank his ancestors. He went crossed the building of the landlord and remembered to the mute girl. He stopped his horse, got down and walked in the building. The landlord immediately wore nice clothes, showed up to receive them. The landlord looked rather surprised as the mandarin he saw was not anyone but the student who had come his home before. He not yet said the landlord the answer, his daughter had appeared and greeted him.
Because the landlord wanted to thank him, he let his daughter to marry with him. At last, though he didn’t have the answer for himself, the student still had a dream-life after he helped others.
THE END        
"Translator: Hung Nguyen"

Book Introductions

1. Complete Collection of Vietnamese Fairy Tales - A Treasury of Legends and Folklore

Discover over 240 enchanting Vietnamese fairy tales, translated into English and beautifully illustrated. This collection is a treasure trove of legends and folklore that reflect Vietnam's rich cultural heritage. Available as an ebook on: Kobo, Apple Books

2. Vietnamese Fairy Tales - Stories in English and Vietnamese

This bilingual collection features 162 Vietnamese fairy tales in both English and Vietnamese, with stunning illustrations. Ideal for language learners and cultural enthusiasts. Available as an ebook on: Kobo, Apple Books

3. The Treasury of Fables

An enchanting collection of timeless fables, written in English and beautifully illustrated. Perfect for all ages, these stories offer valuable moral lessons. Available as an ebook on: Kobo, Apple Books

Read more: 
-----

Essential Reads: Engaging Books You Can't Miss!

Ebook Banner

Comments

BÀI ĐĂNG ĐƯỢC XEM NHIỀU

List of Vietnamese fairy tales

Vietnamese  fairy tales includes many stories as Tam and Cam; So Dua; Hundred – knot- bamboo tree... which were spread in folk. Each stories has  its own meaning. I think I can not translate exactly each word into english but I will try my best to convey its meaning to you. Hope you like them!

Truyện 69. Hổ, Thỏ và gà

Thỏ, hổ và gà có lần ở chung với nhau để hợp sức phát nương rẫy. Ngày đầu tiên, thỏ và hổ đi cắt tranh, giao cho gà nhiệm vụ trông nhà và nấu ăn. Sau khi quét dọn trong nhà ngoài ngõ, gà nấu cơm. Cơm chín, gà bắc một nồi nước lên bếp. Nước sôi gà nhảy lên miệng nồi, đẻ vào nồi một quả trứng, rồi cất lên mấy tiếng "cục ta cục tác".  Trứng vừa chín thì thỏ và hổ cũng vừa về. Gà bắc trứng ra. Thỏ, hổ vừa mệt vừa đói nên ăn rất ngon miệng. Thỏ hỏi: "Chị gà ơi! Chị làm thế nào mà có món ăn thích khẩu thế?". Gà nói thực cho biết cung cách mình đã chế ra món ăn đó. Sáng hôm sau, họ lại dậy sớm tiếp tục đi cắt tranh. Lần này hổ đi cùng gà, còn thỏ đến lượt ở nhà nấu ăn. Hổ còn dặn thỏ cố lo làm sao có bữa ăn ngon như gà đã làm hôm qua. Thỏ đáp: "Việc đó không khó, bác cứ tin ở tôi!". Sau khi nấu cơm, thỏ cũng bắc một nồi nước sôi rồi cũng đứng lên thành bếp chìa đít vào nồi và rặn như kiểu gà đã dạy. Xong việc, thỏ hý hửng ra cửa đón hổ và gà về. Bữa ăn...

Thuong Luong

Thuong Luong was common name of creatures which are in people’s imagines. They are distant relatives of dragons. While dragons are worshiped as gods, the gods ruled rivers and sea and the gods can make rains, Thuong Luong is not respected as dragons that the creatures are too amorous, combative, wild, and have bad behaviors. All most of them like to harm people.

Wishing pearl

De was a young boy. His parent was servants of a landlord. Every morning, De led landlord’s cattle to meadow and brought them back at nightfall. De used to be excited in playing with his fellows and when he was in his game he didn’t care anything. Many times the cattle he herded ate rice on field and the owners used to beat him pained but he still left cattle and joined in his fellows. One normal day, he and his fellows had a swimming competition. An award was given to the winner that he couldn’t refuse. Therefore, he participated in the competition and left his cattle on a wild hill. They swam and dived in water until noon and when they walked on ground, a cow had disappeared. The cow belonged to no one but his master. Children separated to find the cow but the cow seemed to vanish they couldn’t find it. Sun was going to down, children made their ways to home they left De staying at there. Day stayed at there alone crying. After that, he fell in sleep. Latter, he was woken up b...

Bài 1.5: Cách sử dụng at, on, in cho thời gian, ngày, tháng, năm, mùa.

Chào các bạn! Bởi vì mình có hay dich truyện và một vài thứ linh tinh khác nên thường bắt gặp ngày, tháng năm. Thật ra khôngkhó để sử dụng đúng nhưng mỗi lần cần đến mình lại phải tra lại tra cứu. Điều đó rất mất thời gian nên hôm nay mình viết một bài liên quan đến at, on, in + thời gian để giúp bạn nào chưa biết và giúp chính mình nhớ được cách sử dụng của các giới từ at, on, in và dạng thời gian được theo sau giới từ đó.

Story 1. Cong Uan Ly, the first king of Ly dynasty.

As  a fairy tale when he who was a poor farmer  with no field had to work for monks staying in   Tien   Son temple which was placed in   Bac   ninh   province loved a nun in the temple. Then the nun  was pregnant  and couldn’t keep the thing in secret months. Then the abbot found out and was very angry. The abbot expelled the nun   immedately . He and she went away they took a rest in a forest. The man felt thirty and went away to find water. He saw a well and bent down to drink.   Unfortunely , he fell down into the well and died. The nun had waited for long time but didn’t see the man come back. She went to find him but as she arrived the well had been buried by termites. None knew that the place had a “dragon stream” which was only intended for blessed person. So painful the nun creamed but meanwhile she felt her stomach painful. She knew that she nearly gave birth to a child.  Therefore, she tried her best to go to a ...

220. Người Chết Đi Kiện

Ngày xưa, ở tỉnh Bình Thuận, có một người làm hương chức tên là Định. Một hôm, có trát quan về đòi đi gấp, xã Định cưỡi ngựa phóng nước đại lên huyện. Trên đường cái ra khỏi làng, có một ngôi miếu thờ bà, có tiếng linh thiêng lắm, bất cứ ai đi ngang qua cũng phải xuống võng, xuống ngựa, cất nón, nghiêng dù, bằng không thì bị bà vật chết. Lúc xã Định cỡi ngựa đến đó thì trời đã tối mới van vái:  "Tôi phải đi việc quan đòi khẩn cấp, đêm tối tăm, xin phép bà cho tôi cỡi ngựa đi luôn, kẻo xuống thì trễ ra, lại sợ cọp nữa, để về nhà tôi sẽ cúng bà". Xã Định khấn khứa xong rồi phóng ngựa đi luôn, xong được một lúc thì thổ ra huyết. Anh ta ráng đi xong việc quan rồi, trở về ngang miếu, lại thầm xin cho mạnh khỏe về đến nhà sẽ cúng bà một con heo. Nhưng về tới nơi, bệnh tình càng thêm nặng, xã Định tức giận thốt ra: "Bà làm bậy, muốn bắt chết tao thì bắt, nhưng tao có chết xuống âm phủ thì tao kiện cho tới cùng". Tính không sống được nữa, xã Định gọi vợ con lại d...

Thanh Giong

Once  upon a time, a woman was old but she had not given birth a child. One day, when she went to her field, she saw a stranger footsore on the ground. The big footsore made her surprise and said: “omg, this footsore is so big” the she put her foot into the footsore. More 9 months later, she gave birth to a little boy named Giong. The boy was extraordinary that he was over three years old but had not spoken. He only knew lying and smiling. vietnamesefairytales.blogspot.com That year, the enemies they were known An planed to attack the country of the boy. They were merciless. Wherever they had gone, houses were ruined, fields were fired, people were killed. The sight behind them is mess of corpse and blood and ashes.The King was worry he forced his servants to look for person who could fight against the enemies.  One day, a servent went to Giong’s village while the woman was holding the boy in her arms, she said sadly that: “Giong, I wonder that when you hav...

Bùi Cầm Hổ - The great Mandarin

Discover Enchanting Fairy Tales! Immerse yourself in the magic of  "Vietnamese Fairy Tales - Stories in English and Vietnamese."  Unveil a world filled with captivating stories and timeless lessons that will enchant readers of all ages. Get your copy now on: Kobo:   Vietnamese Fairy Tales - Stories in English and Vietnamese Apple Books:   Vietnamese Fairy Tales - Stories in English and Vietnamese Thank you for your support, and happy reading!