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The Tale of Ba Bể Lake

Once upon a time, at a village where people followed Buddha very hard, one day people held a festival for their Buddha to pray what they wish. Suddenly, an ugly woman nobody knew where she came appeared at the festival. She was wearing torn clothes that couldn’t cover her body was sore and emanated a disgusting smell that filled up all people’s nostrils when they passed her so they went away her but the poor woman trudged toward everyone and said with a weak voice:  “Sir, goddess sir, could you give me something to eat, please. I am so hungry, please!”
vietnamese fairy tales
But until afternoon she had not been given anything. All where she had come people had expelled her especially young girls that they thought she had leprosy so they had dodged her. People who were participating the festival were angry, so they roared at her. At last, guards appeared and forced her away the festival. She left and swept to deep village in which people also forced her away. She went to intersection and approached to a woman and her daughter who immediately felt sorry the poor woman and gave her a ball rice to eat. 
At that night, when the woman and her daughter were sleeping they heard a knock on their door. They opened the door and saw the poor woman who talked them to sleep in their house because nobody let her to go in their home. The husbandless woman let her in and lie on her hammock then she anh the child spread their mat on the ground to lie. 
Midnight, they were woken up by thunder voice snore. They looked around to find out what happen and then: “Omg, front their face, now, that is a long gigantic dragon. It is lying on their hammock, hissing loudly”
They were frightened so that they didn’t dare to call any help, pulled over their blanket and kept themselves silent and prayed the God would save their lives. But next morning when they woke up they was unbelievable on their eyes that which on the hammock was poor woman who was going to leave. After left, she had said coldly:
 “They, followed Buddha but they have no compassion. They will be punished.” “About you two, you are kind so I give you the pocket of ashes you have to drop it around your home or go up to mountain, before tonight that will save your lives” she added gently
“How can I save others?” asked the woman 
The poor woman had speechless for minutes the she putted out a grain of rice bitten it and gave its peel to her and said: “This peel will help you.” Then she disappeared. They followed the woman’s words dropped ashed around their house and also talked to other went up moutain but nobody had heard them.
At night when the festival was crowed, suddenly a water column puffed up from the ground. They thought the Buddha was going to appear and felt happier but the water was tronger and stonger until that place had been flooded they was going to leave but in the meanwhile the ground on their feet was splitting, shaking and fell down. Then all of them were sinking in the water, yelling. This sight was horrible. Felling sorry to them, the woman and her daughter putted the peel and putted it on water. Immediately, it transformed into 2 boat. They jumped on the boats rowed toward people who was swimming in the water and saved their life,
Today, this place is known as “Ba bể” lake and the woman’ house is called Po-gia-mai, still stand at the middle of lake. if you want to come to take a look, go to Bac Can, Viet Nam.
THE END
 "Translated by Hung Nguyen"

Book Introductions

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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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