The third Hung Vuong king had a princess people said that when she had just born she was blessed by fairies so she grew up with perfect beauty. Because of that thing the king named her Tien Dung it mean beauty of fairies. The king very loved her so whatever she wanted he always gave to her.
Tien Dung had a hobby that was travelling by boat. Therefore, the king bought her a beautiful boat with all things she needed as servants, food, water…
Every year, her boat started moving at the end of spring and went back when birds flew toward the south. Sometime, she forgot to go back because she was very enjoyable to explore things that always made the king be worry. When Tien Dung was enough 18 years old princes in other countries around her country had went to ask a wedding with her but she refused all.she said her father, the king in a party:
“Dad, I will never marry.”
While time, in Chu Xa where a man, Chu Cu Van, and his son, Chu, lived. They were poor people but they felt pleased with their lives. They lived in a hut which was placed on sands. One day, when they went fishing their hut was fired. When they came back all things in their hut were fired things were remaining that were a loin-cloth and fishing rods. A loin-cloth for two people so whenever a person went out the other had to be nude.
A short time later, Chu Cu Van was sick because he didn’t have clothes to protect him from cold air and it went worse. He could try to go fishing few days then he was paralyzed. He knew he couldn’t get pass his disease so he called his son to come.
“We have only a loin-cloth. You, my son, take it and use it for yourself. You can bury me without clothes”, he said hardly.
But Chu who everybody after that called Chu Dong Tu because of love for his father he didn’t want to bury him without clothes.
“I will catch more fish and change another loin-cloth” he thought that. At the midnight he took his father’s body to sands and buried.
After that he didn’t have any things to wear so he always worked in night. Every day only if the sun set he would go fishing. When sun rose he had to swim to merchant ships to change rice then he swam to wild sands, found the way to go to his hut, cooked and slept until sun set he got up, ate and prepared to work. He had had the life for 2 years. Sometime, he caught more fish than usual days and sometime caught less than but he had never gotten enough money to buy a loin-cloth. Therefore, he had been nude for 2 years.
One day, when he was bringing fish to change rice he heard crowd noise. People said that the princess’s boat was coming. A short time later, a red large boat appeared. All people sprinted to port to have a look. Chu Dong Tu couldn’t go back his hut so he hid himself at middle of high grasses but then he graved and put himself in the hole and covered himself by sands.
Meanwhile, Tien Dung asked her servants left their boat went to ground. Suddenly, Tien Dung wanted to shower. Her servants found a discreet place and covered it by cloth. The princess would shower at that but where was place Chu Dong Tu lying. He could hear footstep noises and sound of running water. Whole his body was wet then water poured directly to his body. He thought that he was discovered so he stood up.
Tien Dung was frightened when a man appeared suddenly. She was almost ready to shout but she realized the man who now was front of her face was a kind man so she got calm again.
“Who are you? Why are you here?” she said calmly.
Chu Dong Tu said her whole his story that made Tien Dung cry. She had never imagined that had a very poor person didn’t have any clothes to wear in her country.
She felt his heart.
“Nobody, nobody in this country can have a bright heart as the man who is standing front my face”, she thought.
“Please, take a shower”, she said.
Standing out side her servants and soldiers was very surprised. They not only saw their princess, Tien Dung but also saw a strange person and the strange person was a man.
Tien Dung asked her servant to take clothes and gave to Chu Dong Tu then she said all people about the strange meeting between her and Chu Dong Tu. At last, she said:
“This man will be my husband.”
Chu Dong Tu, his cheeks went red. He said:
“I don’t dare. Don’t dare. ”
“I have ever thought that I will get married but after the strange meeting I think that is fate”, said Tien Dung.
Almost of all people were happy with their happiness except two servants. They didn’t think that is a good thing but the princess was daring and besides she was indulged by the king. Therefore, they didn’t dare to prevent her. A wedding was organized with some nobles living at the region.
The news went to king’s ears. He couldn’t hold his anger.
“Too insolent. How does she dare to get married without asking me? If she dare to land her feet on this place all of you can cut her head off without asking me”, he shouted.
When Tien Dung’s boat had just weighed anchor a servant who worked one of Tien Dung’s sisters appeared and let her know about king’s words. Tien Dung was very worry. She knew her father loved her very much but was also stern. She and her husband had a private discussion then they called all their servants and soldiers and said:
“My father, the king, don’t love me any more so we decided to not go back the castle. All of you can come back your home now.”
Tien Dung and Chu Dong Tu had new lives. They had a business with merchant ships. Their lives got better and they got more and more money. The pier where they lived was increasingly crowded.
One day, Chu Dong Tu decided to bring money to meet seller face to face to get more profit. He went to a boat which went toward the south. After five days, the boat came to a mountain, Quynh, the boat had to stop to get water.
Chu Dong Tu landed ground to take a look. He climbed to the top of the mountain and sightseeing then he saw a small temple. He saw a man was sitting motionlessly on a flat stone. He came nearly and prepared to ask him but the man suddenly asked:
“Chu, why do you come so late?”
Chu Dong Tu knew the man was a magical master immediately so he kneeled and prayed the man to teach him. When his fellows went to find him he gave them all money and said:
“Take money to business, I will stay at here until I get enlightenment.”
Chu Dong Tu studied very fast. He was taught many magic. Then merchant ships came back, his master gave him a stick and a hat, he said:
“You can go now. I gift you things. They were magical things.”
Chu Dong Tu went down boat and realized his money now was a big amount of money but he didn’t fell happy. He went home and taught his wife, Tien Dung, what he had studied. Tien Dung also studied fast then they sold their assets and gift poor people. They went to find a master to study more magic. One day when they was their way, it was getting dark bit they couldn’t find any house to stay. At last, they had to lie on grass. Chi Dong Tu stood his stick and put the hat on the stick to protect them from dew. At midnight they were woken up by violent noise then a luxurious appeared and which covered them now was a large luxurious room, their clothes now was also luxurious things. They went out this room. They saw that was not only a house very many houses were front of their faces and they were covered by a thick wall and soldiers was everywhere. Tien Dung asked a maid:
“Where is this?”
“This is a place which followed your wishes.”
When they was walking in the corridor a mandarin appeared and showed them documents which recorded many houses, gold, money, weapons and other things and it included names, ages of soldiers. Chu Dong Tu said his wife:
“Now we are master of this place.”
From that they lived happily. People living around had known about their magic which could build a castle a day they went to ask their protection. They exalted Chu Dong Tu and Tien Dung their masters. The news spread largely and more and more people following them.
That news at last came to Hung Vuong king. He burst into anger another time. He grouped soldiers, made them practise for upcoming fighting. He said:
“She now was enemy. Person who had her head will be had a reward.”
Hearing the news, soldiers who served Tien Dung and chu Dong Tu had had plan to fight. A mandarin went and said
“If you, my masters, want we can extirpate for a moment.”
But Tien Dung shook her head.
“I can not oppose my dad”, she said.
That afternoon, king’s soldiers were a side of river. The other side was Tien Dung’s castle. Their soldiers sprinted to report them but they smiled impassively as normal days and that night they still slept in their bed. At midnight their soldiers reported that their enemies had built a bridge to cross the river. They woke up and looked up the sky then a storm appeared and it got stronger and stronger. The ground shook violently then wind brought all things away.
The after morning, people was surprised that they didn’t see the castle, houses,soldiers and castle which belonged to Tiến Dũng and Chủ Động Từ. They had disappeared clearly. Remaining things were a swamp with full of water and substructure of castle. People called the swamp Nhất Dạ (One Night swamp) which means the swamp appeared after one night and the substructure was a dump calling Tự Nhiên where people after that built a temple for Chủ Động Từ and Tiến Dũng.
THE END
"Translated by Hung Nguyen"
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