Clever Boy

Once upon a time, at a country where was reigned by a king who was looking for people who had talent to help him develop the country. He forced his servants went arround, gave all people who lived where they had gone hard riddles but they had never found.

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One day, a servant went to a village. He saw a man and his son was ploughing. He stopped to ask them:“How many fields does your buffalo plough a day, man ?”, he said

While the man who had heard still didn’t how to answer this question, the son who was about 7 or 8 years old had replied the servant quickly: “Dear Sir, if you can tell me how far your horse could go a day, I will let you know how many fields our buffalo can plough.”

The servant was surprised as he heard the boy asked against and he himself now didn’t know how to answer boy’s question. He thought that the person he was looking for was nobody but that boy. He asked them their name and address the rode quickly toward the castle.

The king was happy as heard that the servant had found a person who was enough quality he needed but he wanted to to check for sure that is a talent boy. Therefore, he forced the servant to bring 3 male buffaloes and 3 crates of rice to the village then commaned them took care for buffaloes that how to make them born 9 other buffaloes. Next year, if they couldn’t submited 11 buffaloes they would be punished.

As people heard the request they fell in worry. They have so many meeting but all of them couldn’t find out how a male buffalo can bear. The worry became deeper that made them thought that is a disaster.

As the news came to the boy he said his father immediately: “Father, you go and talk to everyone that they don’t need to be worried, talk them that they can use 2 buffaloes and 4 crates of rice to make a meal, and about the other buffalo and crate of rice, we will sell and take the money to come the castle.”

“My son, you don’t to be stupid. If we eat buffaloes we will lost our heads” said the man sadly

But the boy didn’t seem to stop. He said assuredly:”You and everybody don’t worry. I will solve everything”

The man followed boy’s words, talked people all of whole words his so had said but almost of them didn’t believe. They made them sign in a commitment.

Few days later, they two led themselves toward the castle. After arriving the castle, the boy said his father waited in a inn for his win. About him, while soldiers were not noticing he sneaked in the castle-yard then cried loudly.

The king who heard the cry forced his to bring the boy came in. He asked: “Boy, why do you cry?”

“Dear Sir. My mother has died for 5 years and I have no brothers or sisters to play with. It makes me so sad, so my King you can make my father bear a little child, please.”

After hearing boy said, the king and his servant brust into loud laugh.

“If you want to have a bother or sister, you have to ask your father marry with a woman. Don’t you think that a male can bear” said the king still laughing

The boy stopped crying and said happily:”Sir, you are right a male can not bear but why did you force we made the male buffaloes bear. It is a joking, isn’t it.”

“I only wanted to challenge you. You don’t know to use them for a party, do you?” said the king.

“Dear Sir, we knew that was the gift you gave us so we had splitted buffaloes and cooked the rice to make a party.”said the boy

The king had to agree that the boy was clever but he still wanted to challenge another time. Next day, when the boy and his father was having lunch, a servant appeared, gave them a small bird and talked the king asked you had to make dishes for dozen of people from this bird.

The boy said his father brought a needle, gave to the servant then talked: “You take this needle to the king and ask him that if he can make a knife from this needle I will make a meal from the bird.”

After hearing the servant said the king agreed completely that the boy was a talent person. He gift them very much treasures.

Meanwhile, a neighbor country which wanted to attack the country but they wanted to make sure that the country didn’t have any talent people. Therefore, they gave the king a hard riddle that how to lead a clew through a spiral conch.

The king and his servant had tried so many ways. Some one used their mouth to inhale the clew from a side, some one waxed the clew to make it hard but all things were not effective. At last, they gave up. The king, another time, had to ask the clever boy. A servant rode toward boy’s house immediately. After hearing the servant talked, the boy who was playing with his friends didn’t answer, he sang a song ( that had mean that you had to catch a ant, tied the clew around its body then covered the spiral conch by a paper. One side you put the ant and the other side greased. The ant would went through with the clew from the side to the other)

The servant was happy. He rode immediately toward the castle to report the king. Of course the clew was through the conch front the surprised eyes of the messenger. So the neighbor country didn't dare to attack the country. People were so happy. To thanks the boy, the king let him become a nobles and built him a building near the castle that he could ask the boy everything if people around him didn't know the answers.

THE END

"Translated by Hung Nguyen"

Book Introductions

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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

3. The Treasury of Fables

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