Deeply in forest where rarely people stepped on there had a pond which were filled by cool clear water. The pond had never dried so that was where fairies used to gather. They often took water from the pond and sometime they waded in it to bath. And while they were bathing they always left their clothes on shore. Though, they had never been discovered by anyone who lived on ground.
He, a woodcutter, lived alone in a hut standing by edge of forest. His name was Nguu. Everyday, he went in forest, cut down tree then brought it to market to sell. One day, he went in forest to deeply that he didn’t remember the way to get out the forest. It’s random he headed to the pond at the middle of forest. That time, three fairies were romping in the pond. And of course they were the most beautiful girls Nguu had ever seen so he immediately was enchanted their beauty. Then, he caught a plan that he wanted a fairy to be his wife. He saw sets of white clothes which were left on grass next to the pond and luckily the fairies didn’t pay much attention in them. He made his way to them, grabbed one and hid himself after an ancient tree.
After bathing, they went on ground. Two of them had their clothes then flew up the sky. There had only one of them who was searching everywhere to find his clothes. She was Chuc, the youngest fairy, the most beautiful fairy and that was the first time she followed her sisters down this pond. She’s innocent and had no much experience. She nearly burst into tears after long time searching her clothes.
“What are you doing?” said Nguu suddenly, going out from his hide.
The fairy was startled, at one hid herself after flower bush.
“I am looking for my clothes. If I don’t have it, I can’t go home”, said the fairy sadly.
“God! You are so poor”, said Nguu, “Have you searched whole this place?”
“Yes, I have but I can’t see it I have gone”, she replied.
“Poor”, cried Nguu, “I think you need something to wear”, he gave her his coat. “If you aren’t afraid you can go with me to my home and stay at there for few days before you can find your clothes”, he added.
She had no choice but to follow him to his house. Her tears dropped along on the way they went but Nguu seemed kind he helped her much, giving her food to eat, preparing for her a bed to sleep and the way he took care of her made her feel relieved. Next day and the other next days, she found the way to the pond but she couldn’t find her clothes because Nguu had hid her clothes in somewhere in his house. At last, he accepted her fate, staying on ground and lived with Nguu as a couple. Their lives were not convenient as in heaven where she lived but they had happy lives. Short time later, she gave birth to a son. Year passed and their son had gone to three of age. He could say some words but that time, his wife one more time wanted to find her clothes.
One time, he had to go out for few days. His wife and his son stayed at home. It’s lucky for her but not good thing for him that their son was too hyperactivity and found out the clothes of her. She hurriedly put in her clothes and tried to fly up but many years living and eating food on ground made her too heavy to fly. So that the next days, she always put in her clothes and practised flying. Her son seemed to have more joy seeing her fly. He laughed as he saw she turned dull in midair. She scolded him but that couldn’t stop the innocent child laughing. She was accustomed to flying after few days but her child was only thing she didn’t want to leave. It’s too cruel if she left him when he was too young but the more day passed the day her husband came back more nearly and when he came back she would lost the chance flying back heaven. At last, she decided to left at the before day his husband came back. That afternoon she cook many pies and directed her son to take them if he felt hungry. She gave her son a comb.
“Take this comb for your father. He will come back son”, she said then put in her clothes. Later, she flew up and vanished in air.
Nguu came back home but he didn’t see his wife. Besides, he saw her comb he fastly knew that she had gone, coming to the place she belonged to, heaven. He’s sad and his son was too he cried whole day asking for his mother.
Few days later, he decided to find the way to the pond in middle of forest. He still remembered the way leading to there but it’s not easy. That time, grassed grew up and covered the road to the pond. Day by day, she wandered in forest with his crying son in his arms. At last, he arrived to there. He hid himself and waited, hoping that he could meet his wife again. He waited for long time but there’s only an old fairy flying down to get water from the pond. He went out, kneeled on ground and begged.
“Please do me a favor old fairy”, he said.
“What do you want?” asked the fairy.
“I am husband of a fairy and this is,” he turned to his son, “our son. I don’t know why but she left without saying goodbye me. This is her comb, “he gave the the comb to the old fairy, “hope you can give her and say that we are waiting to meet her and ask her something”.
“I know her. She is Chuc, a weaver on heaven. Okay, I will help you send the words to her”, said the old fairy.
He and his son continued waiting while the old fairy went away. Next afternoon, two fairies flew down from the sky. They brought a big bag that he and his son could stay in. Later, they flew up, brought the bag with he and his son staying in. He and his son were forced to keep silent and shut their eyes. They arrived to heaven at night and when they were allowed to open their eyes, they had been in Chuc’s house. They were happy as they met the others but it’s not a long time he and his son had to leave heaven after two days staying in there. The king who ruled heaven was very stern that anyone who dared to stay in heaven without his agreement would be considered as an invader and the fairy who let the invader stay in her and his house will be punished. Chuc loved her husband but she couldn’t live with him so they had to separate.
The day they left, Chuc cook them a great meal. When they were enough, she led them to edge of heaven, dropped a very long rope ladder down the ground.
“When you land on ground, drum it up to let me know. I must cut off this ladder”, she said, giving the a drum.
Later, they followed the rope ladder down but when they were just on half of their way, the child felt hungry and so he cried loudly. The child dropped rice on the drum and crows saw it they immediately approached them and tried to eat grains of rice on the drum.
Chuc heard drum-beats and thought that they had land on ground so he cut off the rope ladder and therefore, they fell down. At one the crows flew up heaven and caw loudly that others could save them but that way also their crime was discovered. The thing came to king of heaven.
After hearing whole their story, king of heaven allowed he and his son to stay in heaven as herdsmen. They were forced to herd on meadow by one side of Ngan Ha, the river on heaven, while Chuc stayed at the other side weaving. They were allowed to meet the other one time per year that was the seventh of July on Lunar calendar. That day, the crows would gather to make a bridge for them to go pass and met. Because of that, the crows had their heads bald and today, their offspring still do their duty making a bridge for Nguu and Chuc with bald heads they inherited from their ancestors.
It always have drizzle on the seventh of July on Lunar calendar people told that it’s tears of Chuc and Nguu dropped as they met. They only have a day to meet and are forced to left, waiting for one more year to have chance meeting again.
THE END
"Translator: Hung Nguyen"
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