The tree, the accused

Once upon a time, a couple who worked as traders. They had no children and the husband usually went out to do his job so he hardly stayed at home. His wife, in other side, always stayed home alone because of that she caught eyes’s commune chief. By power the commune-chief seduced the wife and at last, she was committing adultery with him. The commune-chief always pretended as if he patrolled whenever he met the wife. Therefore, none suspected.

That time the husband spent more much time to go far bought items; he also earned more much money. Three years passed, he felt missing home then he managed all things and found his way to come home. When he set his foot on village it had been dark. He thought: “I have gone away for a long time. Maybe, all things changed including my wife” so he took out his money and wrapped it. He climbed up a tree which stood at village-head and hid the wrap into a hole. He muttered: “I live in this village. I have earned this money, now, I leave it here. Pray god keep looking it for me.”

Then he climbed down and went home. The wife saw her husband came back she seemed to be happy and treated him a delicious meal but when she saw his husband’s pocket she started complaining.

“You have left your wife at home for three year to go and now you came back with no money. Why does god treat us so bad?”, she screamed.

The husband thought that his wife still kept her love with him. He felt comfortable then he talked his wife about his business trip and the wrap of money he had put into the hole of tree at village head.

Unfortunately, that night commune-chief because of his habit came to the house. He had come many times that made dog be familiar with him. Therefore, he could went easily and hear the conversation. The commune-chief turned his way immediately and went toward the village head. He took the wrap of money easily.

The next early morning, the husband went to take the wrap but it had gone but that moment he didn’t knew who he could complained with so he only could creamed. Then he knew about a great mandarin nearly. Although he saw the case was very complex but the mandarin received. He asked the husband to go back home and come in tomorrow. The mandarin ordered immediately soldiers to make fence round the tree and kept people away then he asked to dig a hole under the tree in which a person would hide himself.

The next morning, the mandarin stood an umbrella near the tree to judge. The plaintiff was the husband and the accused was the tree.

“Accused received the wrap but didn’t know who taken.”, asked the mandarin.

The mandarin asked the accused times again but the tree didn’t talk. Therefore, the mandarin ordered soldiers to beat the accused. People standing away could hear the accused, the tree, screamed and prayed for stopping. Until the third day, the accused described the thief but only talked to the mandarin. The mandarin talked the husband to come home, three days later the thief would be caught but the husband had to hold a party to say thank to god and invited people to participate.

“Set free all dogs you have.”, added the mandarin.

The husband believed mandarin’s words held a buffalo and made marry. Whenever a person came he or she was frightened by horrid dogs but when the commune-chief came dogs in other hand waved their tails. The commune-chief was caught immediately and taken out.

Stood front the mandarin the commune-chief still didn’t admit his crime but the mandarin showed him clearly the reason he was caught and added that the tree had described the thief’s face. The commune couldn’t keep his mind and admit. The wrap of money was returned and the commune chief was prisoned.

THE END

"Translated by Hung Nguyen"

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