Skip to main content

Cat and mouse

Ngoc Hoang was king who ruled in heaven. As other kings, he had stores which storied all treasures belonging to him. The stores needed a person to manage them. Thu was one of gods living in heaven, clear and hard work. Therefore, Ngoc Hoang entrusted the job, taking care of the   stores, to Thu. Ngoc Hoang gave him keys and said:
“Though all things in heaven are unlimited, we shouldn’t waste them. Therefore, I need a person to manage them. That is you. You don’t need to report to me daily. Twice a year are enough”, said Ngoc Hoang.
“Follow your words, my king”, said Thu.
vietnamese fairy tales
Thu happily received his new position. Few years later, Thu did his duty well he set things at their places, didn’t wasted anything. Ngoc Hoang was very satisfied but nothing could keep its initial state pass time. Because things which belonged to Ngoc Hoang were very great none could count or measure, Thu thought about stealing.
“Only a little could be enough for my family to live till they died”, he thought. Then, he did as his thinking. He and his family had easy lives from that time. They put on nice clothes, ate delicious dishes they had never eaten, course, turned more beautiful. Day by day, he stole more and more. At last, he turned reckless and stole as much as he could.
Short time later, Ngoc Hoang found out. Thu was caught while he was stealing things from a store. Ngoc Hoang turned angry, he immediately forced him to live on ground with shape of an animal. The little animal, later, was called mouse.
Though Thu had been punished, he still continued doing what he had done, stealing. He stole things from people who lived in ground. Because he, now, was small in new shape, he stole small things, ate food, tore clothes of people. Therefore, people very hated him. They planned to catch and killed him but they couldn’t catch him. Besides, he had given birth too many other mouses since he was threw out heaven. Therefore, he and his offspring had destroyed many things.
At last, people had to beg Tho Cong the gods managed on ground and also the god who transmitted people's wishes to Ngoc Hoang. Tho Cong understood people’s wish and knew how to be serious if Thu continued giving birth to other mouses. Immediately, Tho Cong moved up heaven and reported to Ngoc Hoang.
“My king, my dear king, people on ground can live or not depending on your kindness. You know though stores in heaven are unlimited have been deficited because of him. Now, he was forced to live with people who had all things limited. King, you have to find out someway to destroy them before people on ground extinct”.
Ngoc Hoang was very surprised he had never thought that the small animal he created could do terrible thing. He thought a little then called Mieu, another god, to him. He said:
“I have never thought that Thu who was punished to live on ground can do terrible thing to people but, now, is too late to ask him to come back heaven. Therefore, I need you to move down ground and help people punish him and his family. You have to let him know that people are poor and he is not allowed to destroyed people’s things”, said Ngoc Hoang.
Mieu had a little worry. He said:
“According to Tho Cong’s words, Thu have given birth to many mouses. Uhm, you know it is very difficult for me to catch them if I have only myself. Besides, they are small and easy to hide themselves”, said Mieu.
“Course, I know. Therefore, I will change you into an animal which is three times than mouses. I give you sturdy muscles, sharpen claws and sparkling eyes which help you can catch them though you are in dark”, said Ngoc Hoang.
Mieu still didn’t like Thu so he agreed. He nodded and Ngoc Hoang changed him into another animal which, later, was called cat.
Mieu had worked very hard since he lived on ground. He used to warn mouses not to destroyed people’s things because they were very poor (cat spread sounds, meow which is pronounced like “nghèo” which have same meaning with poor in English). On other side, he also had huntings and killed many mouses.
Mouses seemed to have less chance to steal and destroy things in people’s house from the time cat landed on ground. Therefore, people felt grateful him so much and treated him very well, giving him delicious food on dish.Later, Mieu also gave birth to children, cats. His offspring continued doing his duty, protecting people’s assets from Thu and his family, mouse.
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!

Comments

Post a Comment

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!

Bài 14: Danh từ đếm được số ít và số nhiều và quy tắc thêm chuyển từ danh từ đếm được số ít sang số nhiều.

      Như chúng ta đã biết danh từ thường phân thành nhiều loại nhưng về mặt ngữ pháp bạn chỉ cần biết danh từ gồm hai loại: danh từ đếm được và danh từ không đếm được. Về cơ bản mình sẽ nói qua một chút về danh từ đếm được và danh từ không đếm được vì bài này chủ yếu xoay quanh danh từ đếm được. Về bản chất danh từ đếm được là những từ bạn có thể kiểm soát nó bằng mặt số lượng tức là bạn có thể đếm 1, 2, 3 cái gì đó và nó có sự phân biệt giữa số ít (một) và số nhiều (hơn một) của loại từ này trong ngữ pháp của câu. Ví dụ: I have  bananas và  I have  a banana  có sự khác biệt rõ ràng, bạn có nhận thất mạo từ  “a”  ở trước banana không? Thêm nữa Bananas  are  yellow và a banana  is  yellow bạn có nhận thấy động từ đi kèm có sự khác biệt không; danh từ số nhiều sẽ tương đương vói ư chỉ ngữ they và danh từ số ít sẽ tương đương vói it. Cơ bản là thế. Còn về danh không đếm được thì bạn phải cân, đo, đong như những...

Thi Kinh Bodhisattva

A  person had been born times, lived other lives. Each time being born, the person was always a monk or a nut, lived with strong religious belief. She or he had passed nine lives but still   didn’t reach Nirvana. At the tenth, the person was reborn in the form of a girl. She was daughter of a normal family who lived in Cao Ly and her name was Thi Kinh. Thi Kinh was a calm, kind-hearted girl. She was the person who loved her mother and father, using to help them homework. When she grew up, he parent let her married with a student whose name’s Thien Si. Thien Si was born in normal family, not richer than her family but he was very hard in studying. Therefore, Thi Kinh had nothing more pleased than undertaking all homework for her husband to have time to study. One normal night, Thien Si sat on floor reading book while his wife, Thi Kinh, was staying by sewing. Front their face was only an oil lamp. Later, Thien Si felt tired, he laid down his head was on his wif...

155. Sự tích hoa cẩm chướng

:spin2: --Cẩm chướng,đóa hoa hồng như những viên bông gòn,không hương nhưng lại rất đẹp. cái đẹp thầm lặng. Cẩm chướng rất quan trọng trong cuộc sống của người Hy Lạp và Ý. Vào thời phồn thịnh của Ý cẩm chướng trở thành biểu tượng của sự hùng mạnh. Cẩm chướng cũng được gọi là loài hoa vủa Jove,vì Jove là một trong những vị thần được quý chuộng nhất. --Những sự tích về loài hoa này xuất hiện từ thánh kinh. Chuyện kể rằng khi đức mẹ Đồng Trinh Mary nhìn thấy chúa Jesu bị đóng đinh,bà bật khóc. Từng giọt nước mắt của bà rơi xuống chân Chúa,thấm vào lòng đất và từ đó mọc lên những cây hoa cẩm chướng đủ màu sắc. --Cẩm chướng còn được dùng trong việc tiên đoán tương lai của người con gái vị thành niên ở Đại Hàn .Ba đóa hoa cẩm chướng sẽ được cài lên búi tóc của cô gái theo thứ tự. Nếu đóa hoa nào tàn trước,chẳng hạn như đóa hoa cuối cùng,cô bé sẽ chịu khổ cực suốt cả cuộc đời. Còn nếu là đóa hoa trên cùng thì những ngày cuối đời cô ta sẽ phải chịu nhiều đau khổ. Khoảng đầu đời của cô ...

Truyện 166. Vợ chàng Trương

Ngày xưa, ở làng Nam-xương có cô gái tên là Vũ Thị Thiết, người đã xinh đẹp lại thùy mị nết na. Nàng lấy chồng là Trương sinh vốn là người cùng làng. Trương sinh có tính cả ghen, hay để tâm xét nét vợ, nhưng vợ chàng thường giữ gìn khuôn phép nên không có chuyện gì xảy ra. Vợ chồng hương đượm lửa nồng chưa được bao lâu thì bỗng nghe tin chốn biên thùy có giặc, chồng vâng lệnh quan phải từ giã mẹ và vợ đi lính thú. Bấy giờ vợ đang có thai. Buổi chia tay thật là bịn rịn, mẹ chúc cho con chân cứng đá mềm, chồng khuyên vợ gắng phụng dưỡng mẹ già và nuôi con khôn lớn. Sau khi chồng trẩy được mươi ngày thì Vũ Thị Thiết sinh được một đứa con trai, đặt tên là thằng Đản. Thằng bé sởn sơ mạnh khỏe, còn bà nội của nó vì nhớ con sinh ra đau ốm. Vợ chàng Trương hết lòng mời thầy chạy thuốc, nhưng bệnh của mẹ chồng mỗi ngày một nặng, chẳng bao lâu thì mất. Nhờ có bà con xóm giềng, mọi việc tống táng đều lo liệu chu toàn. Đã mấy thu qua không thấy chồng...

GIỠ HAO JRANG chapter 4

Their fighting was very noisy. When their knives hit against the others or hit again shields it rumbled as thunders. The place between sky and ground where they fought was covered by dusts. They wrestled, punched and kicked other by their feet. They burked others by their huge hands. Daytime as like nighttime they fought without resting. Sometime, GiỡTuKrong and his fellows got advantage but sometime, they lost. Long time had passed but they still didn’t find out the winner. BokKiekLaDiaKlaKong clawed on GiỡTuKrong’s face by his pointed hard fingernails but all his fingernails were broken while GiỡTuKrong’s face had no scratch. GiỡTuKrong raised his hexagonal rod which was made of brass and lashed on BokKiekLaDiaKlaKong’s face. BokKiekLaDiaKlaKong dizzied and fell on ground he fainted.

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.

Honorable thief

Long  time ago when the country was reigned by Thanh Tong Le in Thang long (the old name of Ha noi) lived a great thief whatever he wanted he could find the way to get it. He used to make mandarins and landlord afraid.    Mandarins and landlord had gone to catch him but they couldn’t touch to him he appeared and also disappeared as a wind. So, people called him Quan “gio” with “gio” was his nickname it meant wind. vietnamesefairytales.blogspot.com One day which was near Tet holiday the king pretended as a poor student traveled to have sight about people’s lives. He came and knocked on Quan gio’s door in accidental. The king show him his proverty and said pitifully: “I teach children in Dong xuan and have saved some money to bring to home to manage this Tet holiday. Unfortunately”, he creamed, “when I was on my way my money was stolen by theifs. Now I had no way to go. Please, let me stay in here for a night, dear you.” Quan gio gave him sympathy. He said: ...

GIỠ HAO JRANG chapter 3

BokKiekLaDiaKlaKong kept crying and wriggling as a worm. “How’d you dare? Dare to cut my longan tree? Dare to steal my longans”, he roared, “If you wan, you have to ask me and letting you or not is my decision”. Then, hundreds of people, thousand of people started speaking: “No village here, no field here, there are only trees and mountains. We think it’s a wild longan tree and of course, it’s really a wild longan tree. It’s born and grew up itself no one planted and took care of”. BokKiekLaDiaKlaKong turned angry, again.