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"

Book Introductions

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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

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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!

Wishing pearl

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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...

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 watermelon

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My Chau and Trong Thuy

Once upon a time, there had a king, named An Duong Vuong. After many years fighting, he get a large area. The king planed to build a castle but whenever it had been built as tall as a men’s height then it was ruined. The king was unhappy. Therefore, the king had made an altar to pray God for few days until an early morning, a old man from seaside went to talk him God Turtle was going come to help him. The king was very happy and forced soldiers to wait on the seaside. The next day, in the water appeared a big gold turles toward seaside. The soldiers invited God Turtle to set sat on a big gold platter and brought to the king. The God Turtle told the king that the castle couldn’t have finished because of demons. God Turtle helped the king to kill the demons so all demons was killed. Besides, the God Turtle help the king design a castle look like a seashell with many gate levels. Half a month later, the castle had been finished. The king was very pleased but a little worry. He a...

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