Skip to main content

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." said the landlord, "You help me and my family very much. My wealth now is also because of your effort. Now, I don't lack any thing but a one-hundred-knot bamboo tree. The day you bring it to me, it will be the day you marry with my daughter."
one hundred knot bamboo tree
It's another promise and the landlord knew exactly that there had no one-hundred-knot bamboo tree on the world. However, the boy didn't know he believed that somewhere outside had the bamboo tree his master wanted. He brought a knife and set off while two landlords stayed home, prepared for a wedding.
"The idiot now is finding an one-hundred-knot bamboo tree." laughed the landlord, "He will never find the bamboo tree. Then,beasts will kill him as he go in deep forest."
The wedding was happening while the boy was seeking for an one-hundred-knot bamboo tree. He counted carefully each bamboo tree to make sure it had enough knots. He had looked around for hours but there had no tree enough knots in the forest. The highest bamboo trees only had forty or fifty knots. His heart sunk into bad mood as he realized that will never had any one-hundred-knot bamboo tree on the world. Too tired and disapointed, he sat down and broke in tears.
“Why do you cry?" A old man with silver long hair and beard appeared besides him.
The boy stopped crying. He looked at the old man, politely told him his story.
"If you manage to have one hundred knots, I will help you have an one-hundred bamboo tree." said the man.
It didn't take much time for the boy to have one hundred knots. He brought them to the man.
"Put them in a line." said the man.
"COaLESce! COaLESce!" he spelled after the boy put the knots in line.
As soon as he yelled, one hundred knots stuck together. They turned into an one-hundred-knot bamboo tree. The old man disappeared right after that. The boy was happy he turned to thank the man but he had vanished so he managed to bring it to landlord's house. He shouldered it but he couldn't take it out forest. It's too long. He dropped it down and burst into tears again.
"Why do you cry? You had the bamboo tree you want." the old man appeared again.
"I can bring it out here." he said, "It's too long."
"deHISce! deHISce!" the old man spelled.
The one-hundred knot bamboo tree was apart into one hundred knots. The old man disappeared after he told the boy two spells.
The boy tied the separate the knots, shouldered them back. When he went back, the wedding was holding. He knew that he was tricked but he didn't say any word. He put the knots in line, along the landlord's large yard.
"What is he doing?" said the landlord curiously. He approached to take a look. As soon as he came near, the boy screamed the spell.
"COaLESce! COaLESce!"
One hundred knots stuck together. The landlord who was stood near that also sucked in and stuck in the bamboo tree. Groom's father and the groom ran to help him but as the time they touch on him, the boy spelled again
"COaLESce! COaLESce!"
They both immediately were stuck in the bamboo tree. The sight was so odd. The landlord had his neck stuck in the bamboo tree while the others were his arm and his leg. It's so pained for them when three of them moved. They cried, begged.
"I swear I will let you marry with my daughter. Please free me!" the landlord prayed. That's all the thing the boy needed.
"deHISce! deHISce!" he spelled.
The bamboo tree and people were arpart.
The wedding still happened but the groom was the boy who had happy live with landlord's daughter after that.
The end
"Translated by Hung Nguyen"

Book Introductions

1. Complete Collection of Vietnamese Fairy Tales - A Treasury of Legends and Folklore

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

2. Vietnamese Fairy Tales - Stories in English and Vietnamese

This bilingual collection features 162 Vietnamese fairy tales in both English and Vietnamese, with stunning illustrations. Ideal for language learners and cultural enthusiasts. Available as an ebook on: Kobo, Apple Books

3. The Treasury of Fables

An enchanting collection of timeless fables, written in English and beautifully illustrated. Perfect for all ages, these stories offer valuable moral lessons. Available as an ebook on: Kobo, Apple Books


BÀI ĐĂNG ĐƯỢC XEM NHIỀU

Danh sách truyện cổ tích việt nam

Dưới  đây là những câu truyện cổ tích chắc có lẽ chỉ quen thuộc với mọi người. Bởi lẽ, ngày nay chúng ta đã quá quen với các phương tiện giải trí khác như smart phone, internet có thể dễ dàng cập nhật những bộ phim hay, trò chơi điện tử hấp dẫn. Những câu truyện cổ tích vì vậy không còn quá nhiều sức hấp dẫn đối với chúng ta. Tuy nhiên, mỗi câu chuyện ở đây đều mang trong mình một ý nghĩa riêng. Nếu bạn là người yêu thích những thứ liên quan tới văn hóa dân gian Việt nam; từng một lần ghé qua đây, hãy đọc những câu chuyện dưới đây và nhận lấy cho mình một ý nghĩa trong mỗi câu chuyện dưới đây.

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!

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...

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.

The tale of mosquito

Once  upon a time, in village having a couple they loved the other so much that they had promised if a person died early the other would end his or her life. http://vietnamesefairytales.blogspot.com A short time later the wife was taken by the Death in surprise of all people. Especially the husband, nobody could explain how much he felt painful. He had planned few times but was saved by his family then they took care of him so close to prevent him from killing himself. When he and his family were going to bury his wife a mage appeared and taught him how to save his wife. He also added that he had brought many people from the hell back. It was very easy but required people who want save other lives had to be brave and patient. A day the husband had to hug three times and transfer his heat to his wife and he had to do that thing 100 days then his wife would be back. http://vietnamesefairytales.blogspot.com The husband said thank you the mage then...

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...

Thi Kinh Bodhisattva

A  person had been born times, lived other lives. Each time being born, the person was always a monk or a nut, lived with strong religious belief. She or he had passed nine lives but still   didn’t reach Nirvana. At the tenth, the person was reborn in the form of a girl. She was daughter of a normal family who lived in Cao Ly and her name was Thi Kinh. Thi Kinh was a calm, kind-hearted girl. She was the person who loved her mother and father, using to help them homework. When she grew up, he parent let her married with a student whose name’s Thien Si. Thien Si was born in normal family, not richer than her family but he was very hard in studying. Therefore, Thi Kinh had nothing more pleased than undertaking all homework for her husband to have time to study. One normal night, Thien Si sat on floor reading book while his wife, Thi Kinh, was staying by sewing. Front their face was only an oil lamp. Later, Thien Si felt tired, he laid down his head was on his wif...

Thach Sanh and Ly Thong Chapter 1

Chap 1:  fight with huge snake  Once upon a time, a woodcutter and  his wife were over sixty years old but they had had not any children. Although they were sad, they still did good thing and hoped God would give them one child. At last, their kindness had come to King of heaven who requested his son to fly down and reincarnate to be the old couple’son. They had just enjoyed the happiness for a short time. Then, the old man died, before his son was born. Vietnamesefairytales.blogspot.com After that, the woman gave birth to a beautiful, strength boy. She named him Thach Sach. The poor boy grew up with no father then his mother also left after few years living with him. They only left him an ax and a pair of shorts. Day by day, he went to forest, cut tree, split them then took to market to get money. When he was thirteen, king of heaven forced his servants down to teach him magic and martial arts. Then they was back heaven, Thach Sanh continued living alone in...

Truong Ba's soul inside Butcher's body

Once  upon a time, a person whose name was Truong Ba played Chinese chess very good, master of Chinese chess. None in his country could defeat him. Therefore, he won all prizes from chess contests. The rumor of his talent spread to China, the neighbor country, where had Mr. Ky Nhu also a master of chinese-chess. Ky Nhu wanted to play chess with him so he left his country, came to meet Truong Ba. They had done matches but none of them had the win till the third match Truong Ba made Ky Nhu be in stuck. Seeing Ky Nhu spent too long time thinking Truong Ba became arrogant. “Although De Thich was here he also can not help you to win this match” said Trương Ba. Meanwhile De Thich, chess god, was sitting on heaven had heard the insolent words. He mounted on a cloud, flew down and planed to let him know he was too arrogant. Ky Nhu and Truong Ba were playing, suddenly, an old man with long white beard and hair came. The old man guide Ky Nhu some mov...