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Reluctant doctor

Once upon a time, there was where a farmer whose name’s Tan lived. He was clever and timid man but with his wife he seemed not to treat her well that made her hate him and always found the chance to let him know the feeling when some body was beaten. That’s the feeling she used to get.
One day when the wife was on the way to market, she heard some body, exactly that’s king's messenger, finding a doctor to cure princess.  A fish bone was stuck in princess’ throat and couldn’t take it out. It hurt the princess very much. So, her father, the king, who loved her much sent messengers to whole of the country to find doctors to help his daughter take the fish bone out. Anyone who could do the thing would have a worthy award money and name.
The wife made her way to the messenger.
“Dear sir,” she said, “I know a person. Best of best doctors. He can cure even people who nearly die”.
“Really? What you just said”, said the messenger.
“Yeah. That’s right but his behavior isn’t normal. He will never admit he’s doctor if you ask him. He always acts stupidly and refuses if you ask him to cure. He’s headstrong man but it’s not   impossible you can make him admit and cure by the way beating him”, said the wife.
“Where is he?” said the messenger.
“Follow this road which leads you to the farm. Find a person who had moustache and was plowing with a black cow on sweet potato field. His name was Tan, the doctor you need to find”, said the wife.
The messenger and people following him left. They hurriedly followed the road to field. It’s not difficult to find out the person they needed. The messenger approached and politely he said:
“Are you Mr. Tan?”
“Yes. I am”, said Tan.
“I am king’s messenger who was ordered to find doctors to cure princess. Now, I come here to invite you, the person is known as great doctor here, to come and help our princess take the fish bone stuck in her throat for three days out”, said the messenger.
“There seems to be some confusion”, said Tan, “I am just a farmer rustic and goofy, not the doctor you want”.
That’s what the messenger was warned. He planned to forced Tan at one but he stopped and tried to ask him in peace so gently he said:
“Please! Don’t hide your profession. It’s very urgent and besides it’s king’s order. You shouldn’t refuse but to follow us and cure princess”.
“It’s real what I said you I’m not a doctor”, cried Tan, “I’m only a farmer. Planting and plowing are only things I do everyday.”
“As like the woman said he would not admit unless I give him a beating”, thought the messenger so at one the messenger ordered people following him to beat him, Tan. Of course, Tan couldn’t stand the painfully beating. Only few minutes latter, he begged to stop.
“Please! Stop! I’m the doctor you need”, said Tan.
Very happy the messenger and others rode back castle, brought Tan with them.
People led Tan to princess’room as soon as he came. The princess now was lying on her bed motionlessly she seemed to be waiting to die. The fish bone was very headstrong that she couldn’t get rid of it though she had tried all of the ways she could. Tan approached her but he turned confused he didn’t know to do anything. His body started shaking and he couldn’t help it. At last, he had an idea.
“Ah! I will try it making her laugh. It may be useful”, thought Tan then he started making his face look funny what he did best and always made people around him laughed. Course, it’s useful the princess and her maids laughed and they couldn’t stop it. It’s very simply the fish bone stuck in princess’ throat was out of her mouth without any noticing. The princess was cured. People and especially the king and the queen were surprised and happy. They made their ways to princess’ room at one they heard the news. The king immediately rewarded Tan a lot of gold and gave him the position royal doctor but Tan was enough smart to know that’s not the position belonging to him.
“This time I’m very lucky but I stay here more, I only get more danger. Maybe I lose my head in some case so I have to refuse him”, thought Tan. Then, he said:
“Oh my king, my wise king. I am only a farmer rustic and goofy. I’m not worthy to have that position. It rather belongs to others, the real doctors and I had better to come back home and work as a farmer for rest of my life.”
Of course, the king was reported all about Tan including his behavior so he didn’t need to think much he ordered soldiers to take rods. So, Tan hurriedly received the clothes the king rewarded him.
The news a great doctor was in castle spread out whole of the capital. That attracted patients from whole the place to come and got cured. Only few days, eighty patients had come and blocked at the gate of castle. Though soldiers had tried their best to chase them but the patients didn’t move away. That thing was reported to the king and the king wanted to resolve that thing in peace. So, he summoned Tan.
“I can’t feel pleasant while people who live in my country are suffering from illnesses. You, a doctor, use your ability and help them to get rid of the illnesses”, said the king.
“Oh my king”, said Tan, “I don’t have much that talent while the patients are too crowded. How can I cure all of them?”
At one the king hinted soldiers to take their rods and then Tan couldn’t dare to refuse. Tan received king’s order but he also asked the king to give him a private room for him and patients. The king agreed he led Tan and patient to a clinic in castle.
When Tan and eighty patients were in the clinic. Tan ordered soldiers to close all of gates, no one outside was allowed to come in and only people inside were allowed to go out. After that, he ordered soldiers to stacked fire-wood at middle of yard then fired it and then Tan stood front of all patients and gave them a news.
“It’s not easy curing for all of you but I will try. I have a secret method that I will burn a live person and then use the ashes to create medicine and cure the others. It take me three months to create the medicine but when I have it I can cure all illnesses in the the world”, said Tan, “What I need now is a volunteer who will donate his or her life to save the others. Volunteer steps toward me.”
Patients before that were dashing, now turned scared all of them got their white faces.
“Come on!” added Tan, “unless people who have minor illnesses, people who have serious illnesses should do that thing and save others. Come one! The most serious patient”.
No one moved. Tan continued saying.
“You all may not know how much serious your illnesses are so I will check whole of you one time and find out the person most serious”.
Tan pointed at the patient nearest.
“You. I see you haggard it means you are very weak. Come here”.
The patient didn’t dare to move up. His body started shaking but he forced himself to open his mouth and sputtered:
“I’m…I’m very healthy”, said the patient.
“You are healthy”, repeated Tan, “So why do you come here?”
The patient stepped backward and then he turned around and ran toward the gate and broke out.
Tan pointed to the second patient and said:
“You, I see you very skinny. Come here. I will check you.”
“No, I’m not”, said the patient, trying to forced his face to look nice. Then, as like the first patient he hurriedly got out of that place. The same thing happened until the last patient left. That time was also the king came he met the last patient at the gate.
“You have been cured?” asked thing, “Your illness is serious, isn’t it?”
“Yes, my king but now it have relieved”, said the last patient. Then, he left.
The king went in when there had no patient in. he felt really happy and had no reason to refuse Tan. He allowed Tan to come back home.
Tan got the chance to come home with a lot of gold he was rewarded. He lived a normal life avoiding all of dangers coming from capital where the king lived.
THE END
"Translator: Hung Nguyen"

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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

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