Once upon a time, farmer couple was very old but they hadn’t given birth to a child. They used to beg God to give them a child but it seemed their begging didn’t come to God. One day, the husband came back from field and saw two strange eggs which were blue and as big as golf balls. The husband brought the eggs to home and let his wife see. Later, he planned to jettison them but the wife prevented him.
“Don’t”, she said, “I want to know what will break out from those eggs”. The she placed the eggs next to their fireplace. Few days later, something started breaking eggshells.
“Come on! Look, they started breaking out”, said the wife to her husband who was hurrying in from outside.
“Omg! Pretty”, said the wife, looking warmly on two blue baby snakes which were blinking at them.
“Disgusting!” said the husband, “Had better we kill them before they can grow up and harm us”.
“It’s so cruel husband”, said the wife, “Look! So sweet”, she looked at the snake which was rubbing its head on her finger, “They think I am their mother. We need to take care of those babies”.
“Well”, the husband said, looking at the other snake which was looking at him by its innocent enormous eyes, “You can be right”.
The snakes were agile and wise they used to follow the husband to field after his plow finding things to eat. They grew up so fast that only short time they had been as big as the big toe. One day, one snake due to following the plow to close was cut into two.
“Omg! Awful”, said the wife, running toward the snake which was writhing painfully on ground. She picked it up and carefully bandaged its injury it lost a little tail. “That must be so pained, right? But now it will be oke” she said while the other snake and the husband were looking to them nervously.
From that time, the injured snake was called Short and the other Long. Though they were nurtured by human, they still kept their wildness they used to catch and kill chickens belonging to people who lived around. Short seemed to have more wildness than its fellow since it was injured. People could easily discover the thieves so that they made their way to the couple’s house and scolded them.
“We can’t keep them anymore. We need to let them go”, said the husband and his wife agreed. They brought them to a river, let them down on ground.
“Go and live your lives our son”, said the wife.
When Short and Long vanished in water, the couple made its way to home. That night, they appeared in the couple’s dreams and informed that they were allowed to rule the river by king of sea, Long Vuong, and rivers.
From that time Short and Long was respected as like gods in that area. They built a temple to worship them and called them Mr. Short and Long. But, Mr. Short turned wilder and more amorous that it used to sink boats to get treasures or beautiful women. The couple heard about the thing so they did go to the riverside to request Mr. Short stopped but it didn’t.
One day, merchant ship went to that river. The owners of that ship were a young couple who had a job to do at there. The mistress was a beautiful woman her beauty made Mr. Short infatuated. At night, when people still awoke, two emerged from water they brought presents and placed them front the husband and said:
“Those are presents my lord, Mr. Short gift you. He has never done things like this but he want to have your wife in peace”, said the women.
He husband was so angry the shouted:
“Bring the presents back to your lord and talk him to stop his bad behaviors. I don’t scare him and I will never let him have my wife”.
When he finished his words, the women disappeared. Though assumed as if he didn’t scare Mr. Short, stories people told him about Mr.Short frightened him. He hurriedly left the ship with his wife they went deeply in village but Mr. Short didn’t let them have chance to do that it chased after them, used its power to make a rainfall and strong winds to prevent their steps. Therefore, the husband had no choice but to bring his wife went in a temple near there. They stayed in the temple waiting for the rain to stop but it didn’t the rain took place all night. Next morning, when the husband woke up he found out that his wife had gone. He followed footsteps, ran toward the riverside but what he saw was only his wife’s clothes which was left on ground.
Too sad, he decided to stay at there and found chance to revenge. He wandered around that area each day. Months had passed but he still didn’t have his chance. One day, he met a whimsical fortune teller on street. He approached the fortune teller and asked him about his future.
“You are in trouble?” said the fortune teller.
“Can you speak more clearly?” he said.
“Your wife was kidnapped by some guy powerfull”, said the fortune teller.
“You are right.” He said, “How is she now, my wife? Can I meet her again?”
“I can let you know I am Bach Hau who was responsible for making rain at there. Mr. Short was my fellow but I can accept what he did. Though he was powerful but he can not stand against our king. So, I will help you accuse him. Firstly, we need to find out where your wife is that will be the best witness”.
“So now, you need to follow me”, added Bach Long.
Immediately, the husband kneeled he bowed his head deeply that was the best way he could to show his gratitude. Later, he followed Bach Long. When the arrived to riverside, Bach Long asked him to shut his eyes. Water parted, showed a path. They followed the path which led them to an island in middle of sea. They stayed on that island one night. The next morning, before Bach Long left
“Do you have something that made your wife realize you?” he asked.
“Yes”, said the husband, “I have a hair brooch of my wife”.
Bach Long took the brooch and hurriedly went. Two days later, he came back.
“Your wife still loves you so much. I mean she is a faithful wife. Tomorrow”, he highed his voice, “I will bring you to my king to accuse and we will request your wife to be the witness. But, the first thing you need to do was writing a letter”.
It only needed there days for the case. Mr. Short had never thought that the wife would be the witness because he and she had had a child. The king of sea was very unsatisfied about Mr. Short.
“Exile him to the most remote area. This woman is allowed to come back and live with her husband.” the king judged. “And, child will come with his father, Mr. Short”.
The day Mr. Short left, inhabitants living in the river he ruled gathered so crowded to say goodbye. Mr. Short and soldiers had gone toward the north for many days.
“Where is this?” they asked inhabitants in there.
“This is the end of this country”, they said, “If you continue going, you will go to other country.”
“Here is the place we will stay.” He said, turning to soldiers. All of them found the way to go in a river. The river that time was rule by a strong creature, Thuong Luong. Thuong Luong didn’t want to share this river with Mr. Short so that they had a fighting to find out who was the lord of the area. A dreadful fighting had happened that ruined riverside, broke people’s houses standing by riversides and also taken away people’s lives. After the fighting, many creatures in water died. Mr. Short had many injuries on body, Thuong Luong also had serious injuries and lost an ear. The news of the fighting came to king of them he sent a messenger to them and transmited his order. The king wanted them to divide the river in two and each of them ruled a part and no one was allowed to create more fighting. The king’s order was transmitted and none dared to refuse. Mr. Short placed a big rock which looked like a skull on a riverside and Thuong Luong placed a big bell on the other side and they were boundary. Though, Thuong Luong still felt unhappy that Thuong Luong didn’t like to share the area to any other. Therefore, Thuong Luong always found the way to create a fighting. Whenever people heard the bell ring that was the time a dreadful fighting started. The behavior of Thuong Luong was reported to their king so later, their king ordered underlings to go and enchain Thuong Luong. They gave Thuong Luong to a mountain-god near that to guard and Mr. Short was allowed to rule whole the river.
Now day, the river is known as the name Ki Cung. It flows through Lang Son province there still has a big rock on a side and an enchained bell hung in an ancient temple on the other side. People told that the enchained bell was the embodiment of Thuong Luong, the creature was guarded there.
THE END
"Translator: Hung Nguyen"
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