A man was good-for-nothing but he was gentle and good-hearted. He had a wife but she dead so early. He lived alone from that and his life also became poorer. He had ever begged but he thought the job was too raffish and besides, it couldn’t help him to have enough money to live. Therefore, he changed into another job. He worked for another to get wages but he only worked a day to realize the job made him tired and ashamed because he was blamed by his owner.
Therefore, he decided to stop working and planed to go fishing he thought the job would be more freely and easily. His owner gave him a little money for his-a-day-working and he used the money to buy a fishing rod.
The next morning he went fishing but he could get nothing till noon. He wasted bait along passing time. Until afternoon when the float was pulled down into water he pulled up the rod immediately. Fortunately, he got something but it was only a snake which had no useful for him. He caught the snake then threw it back river. The second time he shot the rod it happened again the snake one more time stuck in his fishing hook. He took out the snake from the hook and complained: “Oh snake! Do you know I am very poor? I have little money. If you continue eating my baits I will have nothing to eat.”, then he threw it again.
He threw his hook again into the water and that was the third time the snake was stuck in the hook when he pulled up the rod. That time he was so angry he decided took the snake to somewhere to kill it. He grabbed the snake at its neck and went. When he went cross a temple which was used to revere a water-god the snake suddenly could speak.
“Don’t kill me boy. I am son of water god. Because I want to make friend with you I have stuck myself in the hook times. Let me go with you I can help you many things.”, said the snake.
He allowed the snake to stay with him. From that time he fished more fish, his life because of that also become more easily. One day, the snake said him that would have a flood that had never had a flood bigger in the past. The flood would happen in three days. He believed snake’s words and made a raft he also said to others what would happen but nobody heard him. Three days passed and course storm arose. It rained so violent with loud thunders. For short time, ground was sunk into water all things were followed the stream. Have to wait until the storm stopped he came back his home on his raft. On his way he saw ants were swimming in the water.
“Help them”, said the snake.
“Why do I have to help them?”, he replied.
“Follow my words you will get reward.”, said the snake.
Then he brought ants into his raft.
They had not gone far before they saw a rat was swimming.
“Help him.”, said the snake again.
“Help a rat. Don’t you think that had better to let it die.”, he said.
“Don’t and follow my words you will get reward.”, said the snake.
Then he followed the snake’s words again.
Soon after, they met a python was rolling at top of a tree which stood in middle of the water.
“Help him.”, said the snake.
“Ehhh. It is so atrocious. What can I get as I save it.”, he said.
“Follow my words you will get award.”, again said the snake.
He followed the snake’s words again.
At last in the way they saw a person was clinging tree following the water. Never waited the snake said he was ready to help the man but the snake prevented.
“Don’t help him. He will harm you.”, said the snake.
“Why not? I could save animals but couldn’t help this person. What is the reason?”, he said the he avoided all snake’s words and helped the man.
Days passed water went away he let the animals went but the man. Because all things were washed away and his family was also disappeared the person didn’t have anywhere to go so the man continued staying with him. They treated the other as if they were brothers.
The snake couldn’t stay with him more long time it had to come its house. In their way the snake said him: “Though my father give things you have to refuse all but monochord. This monochord can defeat millions of enemies with a voice.”
Saw the snake back with a friend water-god was very happy and treated him very well. The water-god ordered servants to bring him so many treasures but he refused all. He followed the snake’s words and asked for the monochord. The water-god agreed. He went back the ground with the monochord.
One day, he had to go out so he hid his monochord under rice box and said his friend not to come near the place. But his friend, in other hand, knew that had a precious thing hidden at the place so he found and had found the thing. He also knew about mystery of the monochord so he went to castle to have his chance. Meanwhile, the king had to be fighting with strong enemies who were covering the country. The man asked the king to go and fight with unkind enemies. The man course had the win easily because of the monochord. When he came back he got many compliments from the king who appointed him to became a general. The king also planed to organize a wedding between him and princess but when the wedding was ready to happen the princess suddenly couldn’t speak. Therefore, the wedding had to stop until the princess was cured.
The man did spent very little thinking of his friend as he lived in richness. His friend, the fishing man, in other hand, sprinted to find him after he came back and didn’t see both the monochord and his friend. He went to castle and a day he saw his friend who was now sitting on a palanquin which was covered by many guards. He stopped the palanquin to talk with his friend but the man just saw him ordered guards to catch and tie him immediately. The man judged that he followed their enemies then asked guards to prison him into a secret prison.
When he was staying in the prison feeling sorry for his fate, ants came to meet him.
“Why do you stay here?”, asked the ants.
Hearing the voice but didn't see anybody so he asked:“Who? Why don't I see you?”.
“We are the ants you have saved. We were now standing under your feet.”, said the ants.
He bent down and said the ants his story.
“We can do anything but finding the rat you have saved. Maybe he can help you.”, said the ants.
Then ants separated to take the news to the rat. After hearing the news the rat said: “Maybe our master is in case of hunger so I will take him something to eat then go to find the python.” The rat found some cakes in a restaurant; he brought them to the fishing man. Then the rat and his family ran to find the python. They had spent no long time finding where the python was but all of them were frightened that the python would eat them. Therefore, all of them climbed up a tree nearly.
“Python! Python!”, they called.
The python went out then a brave rat climbed down and said the python about their master’s story. The python spat out a jewel.
“Take the jewel to our master and talk him that this jewel can cure princess’s disease. He can get freedom after curing.”, said the python.
When the fishing man had the jewel he asked the guards to cure the princess. Course, the princess was cured and the first thing she wanted to do after cured that she wanted to marry with the person who had cured her. The king was very pleasant and he also didn’t hide his curiosity that how he could cure the princess from her disease. The fishing man talked him whole story which included: Why he had lived with a snake for time; how he help animals after the storm and how he was betrayed; how he got the jewel to cure. After hearing his story the king only knew to say: “The thing which exists inside a person is more dangerous than ever animals includes the most dangerous animals.” Then the king ordered soldiers caught the betray general to prison.
The fishing man had a wedding with the princess they had beautiful lives until they died.
THE END
"Translated by Hung Nguyen"
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