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The tale of "Gươm" lake

That time Viet Nam was dominated. Their enemies treated them like trash. Mean time, in Lam Sơn, Thanh Hoa people had grouped to fight but they were too weak. Therefore, they had to separate every time whenever they attacked with their enemies. King of dragon, the master of seas, wanted to help them so he decided to let them borrow his sword.
Le Thuan who lived in Thanh Hoa that time worked as a fisher. A night when he went fishing as he had done every night he met a strange thing.
vietnamese fairy tales
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The first time when he dropped his fishing net down the water and pulled it up he was so happy because he felt it so heavy. He thought that he had caught a big fishes but when he had pulled up the fishing net he realized the thing in his fishing net was only an iron bar. Disappointed he threw the iron bar down the sea, went to other place and dropped his fishing net one more time. That time as the time before his fishing net was so heavy and when he had pulled up it he saw the iron bar another time was in his fishing net. He took it up and threw.
Go away to drop his fishing net, but as two time early the iron bar another time was in his fishing net. He felt so surprised and wanted to know what exactly what he had. Take his torch near the iron bar to see he realized the iron bar now was a sword without hilt. He screamed: “OMG, this is a sword.
vietnamese fairy tales
http://vietnamesefairytales.blogspot.com
Short time later, he stopped fishing to participate in army. He devoted by his best for his master who now was Le Loi that made his master was very pleased. One day, Le Loi and his fellows came to his house. In the dark which covered whole his house the iron bar suddenly glowed. Feel strange, Le Loi went toward the iron bar, grabbed it and he realized 2 words was notched on it “Thuận Thiên” (follow the God’s meaning) but nobody knew that was magical sword.
One day, Le Loi and his fellows were chased by enemies. They went to every direction. Le Loi went to a forest. While he was going and suddenly saw a light glowing on top of a tree. He climbed and realized the thing glowing was a hilt. At the moment he remembered the sword he had seen at Le Thuan’s house.
Three days later, Le Loi met his fellows and Le Thuan. He took the hilt out and front surprising of people the hilt and the sword were fit. Then he talked them about the random he had the hilt. All of people also thought that that sword was a gift the God gave them. Le Thuan heavied the sword over his head and said:
“Master, the God gave us the sword to fight against our enemies. We were pleased to give our lives to you, fought against enemies.”
From that time Le Loi had the sword their fighting spirits became stronger. Grab the magical sword in his hand, Le Loi got victories in battles. Their enemies were frightened. They didn’t need to hide in forest now they went to find enemies to attack them. Short time later, no enemies was alive in the country. Le Loi became king.
One year later, when Le Loi was sitting on a boat which went around a lake which was front of the castle the dragon king asked golden turtle swimming up to regain the magical sword.
vietnamese fairy tales
http://vietnamesefairytales.blogspot.com
When the boat was in middle of the lake a golden turtle suddenly went up from water. The king forced his soldiers to stop the boat. The sword which was hung on his belt shook up. The golden turtle went toward the boat and said:
“I come to regain the sword.”
After hearing the king understood immediately he took the sword and gave to the turtle. The turtle bit the sword and disappeared. The story was talked to everyone living in the country and the lake had named “Hồ Gươm” from that time to now
THE END
"Translated by Hung Nguyen"

Book Introductions

1. Complete Collection of Vietnamese Fairy Tales - A Treasury of Legends and Folklore

Discover over 240 enchanting Vietnamese fairy tales, translated into English and beautifully illustrated. This collection is a treasure trove of legends and folklore that reflect Vietnam's rich cultural heritage. Available as an ebook on: Kobo, Apple Books

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

An enchanting collection of timeless fables, written in English and beautifully illustrated. Perfect for all ages, these stories offer valuable moral lessons. Available as an ebook on: Kobo, Apple Books

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Truyện 166. Vợ chàng Trương

Ngày xưa, ở làng Nam-xương có cô gái tên là Vũ Thị Thiết, người đã xinh đẹp lại thùy mị nết na. Nàng lấy chồng là Trương sinh vốn là người cùng làng. Trương sinh có tính cả ghen, hay để tâm xét nét vợ, nhưng vợ chàng thường giữ gìn khuôn phép nên không có chuyện gì xảy ra. Vợ chồng hương đượm lửa nồng chưa được bao lâu thì bỗng nghe tin chốn biên thùy có giặc, chồng vâng lệnh quan phải từ giã mẹ và vợ đi lính thú. Bấy giờ vợ đang có thai. Buổi chia tay thật là bịn rịn, mẹ chúc cho con chân cứng đá mềm, chồng khuyên vợ gắng phụng dưỡng mẹ già và nuôi con khôn lớn. Sau khi chồng trẩy được mươi ngày thì Vũ Thị Thiết sinh được một đứa con trai, đặt tên là thằng Đản. Thằng bé sởn sơ mạnh khỏe, còn bà nội của nó vì nhớ con sinh ra đau ốm. Vợ chàng Trương hết lòng mời thầy chạy thuốc, nhưng bệnh của mẹ chồng mỗi ngày một nặng, chẳng bao lâu thì mất. Nhờ có bà con xóm giềng, mọi việc tống táng đều lo liệu chu toàn. Đã mấy thu qua không thấy chồng...

List of Vietnamese fairy tales

Vietnamese  fairy tales includes many stories as Tam and Cam; So Dua; Hundred – knot- bamboo tree... which were spread in folk. Each stories has  its own meaning. I think I can not translate exactly each word into english but I will try my best to convey its meaning to you. Hope you like them!

Thuong Luong

Thuong Luong was common name of creatures which are in people’s imagines. They are distant relatives of dragons. While dragons are worshiped as gods, the gods ruled rivers and sea and the gods can make rains, Thuong Luong is not respected as dragons that the creatures are too amorous, combative, wild, and have bad behaviors. All most of them like to harm people.

The Tale of the Hundred - knot Bamboo tree

Once upon a time, there had a boy who was poor, had no field. Therefore, he found the way to work for a landlord. He was healthy, worked hard and great in working so the landlord wanted him to work for him long time without any pay. One day, he called the boy to come. "You are honest and healthy. If you agree to work for me in three years without pay, I will let you marry with my only daughter after that." The boy agreed. He believed completely. He worked very hard, help the landlord turn richer that he could build more houses, buy more fields and cattles. Then, time passed. Three years nearly crossed, the boy always remembered his master's promise while his master, the landlord didn't want to do his promise. He in secret had found another boy for his daughter, a son of another landlord in that area. Therefore, what he need was a reason to refuse the boy. One day, he called the boy to come. "You have worked very hard for three years, waken early, slept late....

The heir

Once  upon a time, there had a sixty-year-old man, Le. Le was wealthy but he didn’t have son he had only a daughter. Besides, his wife had died so the girl was his only relative. When his daughter grew up, she married with a man in that area. Bui was his son-in-law and he married with his daughter because of his wealth. Le also thought that he would give them his assets when he died. “Now, I am over sixty years old, too old to give birth to any child. Son or daughter is also my child so that he or she also can be the heir”, thought him. And his intent turned more certain as his daughter had a son. One day, he went to his Bui’s house to meet his grandchild he now was three years old. While he was talking with Bui’s father, the grandchild approached the father of Bui and said: “Grandpa! Com-- in eat”. “Oh my sweet grandchild”, said the father of his son-in-law, joking “What about him? Do you want to invite him?”  The child shook his head and ran toward his gran...

Thanh Giong

Once  upon a time, a woman was old but she had not given birth a child. One day, when she went to her field, she saw a stranger footsore on the ground. The big footsore made her surprise and said: “omg, this footsore is so big” the she put her foot into the footsore. More 9 months later, she gave birth to a little boy named Giong. The boy was extraordinary that he was over three years old but had not spoken. He only knew lying and smiling. vietnamesefairytales.blogspot.com That year, the enemies they were known An planed to attack the country of the boy. They were merciless. Wherever they had gone, houses were ruined, fields were fired, people were killed. The sight behind them is mess of corpse and blood and ashes.The King was worry he forced his servants to look for person who could fight against the enemies.  One day, a servent went to Giong’s village while the woman was holding the boy in her arms, she said sadly that: “Giong, I wonder that when you hav...

Two Tran princesses.

The  recent king, a king of Tran dynasty, had given birth to five princesses. Two of them were beautiful  princesses whose names Bao Nuong and Ngoc Nuong and both of them were old enough to marry. The king planned to find husbands for them but they refused. They like traveling. One day, they came and asked the king: “Dad, My king, I and my sister are people who love our country. So, we want to travel and enjoy scenery before we marry with others”. The king couldn’t prevent them and he had to agree. The princesses disguised as two men and brought with them some servants. They set off and came to places in the country. They had landed on many places which were known as beautiful places. vietnamesefairytales.blogspot.com Meanwhile, the country was fighting with enemies, a country in the north of the country, Nguyen. The enemies were cruel. Wherever they had crossed, all remaining things were ruins though those were temples or houses. The recent king had many time or...

Cat and mouse

Ngoc  Hoang was king who ruled in heaven. As other kings, he had stores which storied all treasures belonging to him. The stores needed a person to manage them. Thu was one of gods living in heaven, clear and hard work. Therefore, Ngoc Hoang entrusted the job, taking care of the   stores, to Thu. Ngoc Hoang gave him keys and said: “Though all things in heaven are unlimited, we shouldn’t waste them. Therefore, I need a person to manage them. That is you. You don’t need to report to me daily. Twice a year are enough”, said Ngoc Hoang. “Follow your words, my king”, said Thu. Thu happily received his new position. Few years later, Thu did his duty well he set things at their places, didn’t wasted anything. Ngoc Hoang was very satisfied but nothing could keep its initial state pass time. Because things which belonged to Ngoc Hoang were very great none could count or measure, Thu thought about stealing. “Only a little could be enough for my family to live till the...

Mage save his disciple

Dang was place where a famous mage lived. He was knows as a person who was expert at magics especially foreknowledge. A student wanted to study his magics so he left his wife at home then found the way to Dang. He had found the mage and had studied for three years. One day, he came and asked his master, the mage, to come home to meet his wife because he had left his house for long time and missed her. “Show me your palm”, said the mage. He showed his master his palm. The mage considered his palm a while. “Had better stay here. You only stuck in dangerous things if you come home”, said his master. He obeyed but he didn’t feel happy and his master also realized that thing. Few days later, his master called him to him and said: “I can’t keep here while your heart was away from here but you know I can see dangerous things which are waiting for you in future. Remember my words”, said his mage, “See village hall, don’t walk in. Get fragrant water, don’t shampoo. See chickens, don’t expel. T...