Cai Kien complain about the yam

A boy was lived in wealth from he was born. He loved a girl who lived in same village; she was a beautiful girl but lived in a poor family; everyday she had to work for others to get money. Though the difference between him and her was too large he still wanted to marry with her. He asked a wedding-maker to help him meet her. Then they had met few times he had promised for sure that he would marry with her. The girl believed his words and had given him her body.

Cai Kien complain, cái kiến kiện củ khoai

But the wedding-maker was greedy though the boy had given her much money to have dates but that was not filled her stomach. Besides, the poor girl didn’t give her any money so she thought about another girl who lived in a rich family and had not married. She came to meet the rich girl whispered that if she gave her money she would find the way for her married with the boy. The rich girl was very pleasant to give such much money to her. Then the wedding-maker started to spread rumors.

“She is not faithful. I have seen her have unclear things with Do Van who is clever student and may have a great future…”, she talked people about the poor girl.

The rumors came to the rich boy that made him be jealous. At time she also whispered great things about the rich girl to him. Her plan at last got result the rich boy started having a feeling hating his lover. He spent no much time deciding to have an engagement with the rich girl.

The day the rich girl followed the rich boy to come his house was also the day poor girl threw herself down river. The death of the poor girl made the new couple be frightened. The wedding-maker was person who felt most frightened. But they still had normal lives until all of them died and went to world of dead, the Hell.

The Death reviewed records of each to know clearly about what they had done then the Death would decide they were reborn to “pay” or “get”. The wedding-maker was reborn in a rich family and was named Cai Kien. The rich boy was reborn to be a poor student who didn’t have anything but good learning. About the poor girl, she was stayed at the hell to observe them.

Cai Kien grew up a beautiful and clever girl who had a greedy father who didn’t care of anyone but money. She and the poor student had a beautiful love but it was so unfortunate good learning student had participated in many contests with poor results although he was known as great student. Whenever he participated in a contest he also was in cases that he was stomach-ache, failed at second gate or violated rules; the poor girl’s soul made him can not pass end of the contest. Whenever he failed he felt more disappointed. But his lover Cai Kien still trusted him could get pass contest she dreamed that a day she will became wife of a mandarin. Thought that they two decided to keep their love by a wedding. But she knew her father would not agree to let her marry with the great poor student. So she stole hes father’s money then bought gold and made a golden yam. She gave a person the golden yam to send to student’s hand and said him to take the golden yam to her house and presented it to her father.

Then the student came, asked for a wedding with a golden yam which was present. Cai Kien’s father was surprised but when he heard about the golden yam he immediately agreed.

The wedding-date came people in the student’s family brought the present came, people in Cai Kien’s family sprinted out to see how groom’s family was rich. The golden yam which was covered in four pieces of red silk was unwrapped front people’s eyes. But when it had been unwrapped people didn’t see the golden yam instead steamed yam; the poor girl’s soul had made the thing. People broke into laughter. Cai Kien’s father shouted at the student’s face and he still cut the yam and served people to make him ashamed.

The student could not explain he felt both sad and ashamed. Therefore, he went away and had not come back his home. Cai Kien in other side thought her lover was a juggler not only he took her but he also make a joke. That night she died because of anger. When she went to the hell she complained to the Death about the golden yam but the Death said her about his crimes in her previous life that was cost she had to pay.

Therefore ancient people have said:

“Cai Kien complain about the yam.” It is a sneer that explains requiring will not have results.

THE END

"Translated by Hung Nguyen"

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List of Vietnamesefairy tales

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BÀI ĐĂNG ĐƯỢC XEM NHIỀU

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!

The tale of "Banh Chung" and "Banh Day"

Once upon a time, that had a king who was so old so he wanted to abdicate. He had had few wives who had given bird twelve sons. All of his sons had grown up and also were great people. The King was confused about choosing. “All of them are talent people. It is so difficult that I can choose a person and nobody can be jealous” said the King. vietnamesefairytales.blogspot.com “My Lord the king, we can have a contest” said a servant. “Oh, it is a good idea but what is subject of the contest?” said the king “Meaning dishes, which we can put on ancestral altar” said the servant. “Great, let’s doing” said the king. The king called his son to come on and said: “My sons, I don’t have many time and I want one of you to become the king. Now, anybody who can find dishes which not only are delicious but still have great meaning to put on ancestral altar will become the king.”

Wishing pearl

De was a young boy. His parent was servants of a landlord. Every morning, De led landlord’s cattle to meadow and brought them back at nightfall. De used to be excited in playing with his fellows and when he was in his game he didn’t care anything. Many times the cattle he herded ate rice on field and the owners used to beat him pained but he still left cattle and joined in his fellows. One normal day, he and his fellows had a swimming competition. An award was given to the winner that he couldn’t refuse. Therefore, he participated in the competition and left his cattle on a wild hill. They swam and dived in water until noon and when they walked on ground, a cow had disappeared. The cow belonged to no one but his master. Children separated to find the cow but the cow seemed to vanish they couldn’t find it. Sun was going to down, children made their ways to home they left De staying at there. Day stayed at there alone crying. After that, he fell in sleep. Latter, he was woken up b...

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...

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....

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.

So dua - Coconut boy

Once upon a time, there in a village had a couple who worked as servants for a landlord. Although they were over fifty years old, they had ever not had a child. They were sad about that, but they had never given up to dream about a child. One day, it's a very hot day, when the wife was working in the field and felt very thirsty. She seeked for water, but she didn't see any but a little water in a skull which was in a hole beside an ancient tree. She had no choice but to drink it. Right the moment she drank, the feeling of cold water running from her throat to her stomach made her felt very comfortable. As a magic, she was pregnant after that short time. Then, the husband died before he got the happiness looking his child be born. After nine months and ten days, the wife gave birth a son but he didn't look like any child on the world. He had no feet, no leg, and even no body. He just had a head with full of eyes, nose, ear, hair and mouth on it. He didn't ugly but was ...

The tale of apricot blossom

Once upon a time, in a village nearby forest where a little girl living with her family, father, mother and sister. Though she was only little girl, she had a big heart. She was very kind loving everyone. Even three stone statues of Kitchen God she also spent them her kindness. The stone statues were set in kitchen next to fireplace and always were heated by fire that made her felt pity. One day, that was the hottest day in summer, she that time was a five-year-old girl taking a jug of water and poured on the statues. Steam rose and the God of kitchen appeared. “Oh my little girl! I know you love me and don’t want I am heated. Yes, I know but the more I am heated the more I feel satisfied”, said the God of kitchen. Since that time she hadn't poured water on the statues but God of kitchen sometime appeared to converse with her and her old sister. “Do you like anything else but fire?”, she asked in a time they met. “Of course, I want a carp. Tet holiday is going to com...

The tale of waiting - husband stone

Once upon a time, a couple had born two children one boy and one girl. The boy was 11 years old and his sister was 6 years old. Everyday when the couple went to farm to work they always asked the boy to take care of his sister. His mother usually added: “Don’t make your sister cry. Your father will punish you if you do.” vietnamesefairytales.blogspot.com Everyday, the boy and the girl played in their garden together or play with your friend around their house. Until they were bored they stopped playing to eat some sugar canes. The boy used to take a knife to cut sugar canes. One day, when the boy took the knife cut a sugar cane but the blade flew toward his sister’s head although the hilt was in his hand. The girl was fainting immediately, blood poured from her head. The boy was very scared he thought he had made a very serious mistake. He believed that his father would kill him. Therefore, he left his home and went away. He went to hide himself fr...

Vietnamese fairy tales

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