Cam Ho Bui.

Long time ago, that was in dynasty a poor boy lived near foot of a mountain named Hong Linh. His name was Ho. When he was child he had followed an old teacher to study but as his parents died he stopped. He also had no brother or sister so he lived alone from that time. He worked as a herd to live. All things he had were a knife, a conch and basket. Others because of felling sorry for him built for him a hut under the mountain. Front of the hut hanging an instrument which was made of bamboo. Every morning as he woke up he drummed on the instrument which would spread a noise and notified people living in the village brought their buffaloes to the crossroads then he would take care of them from that. Afternoon, he brought the buffaloes came back the crossroads and they could find the way to come their houses.

Though his jobs had a little difficulty but he, in other side, felt delight. In addition to wage he usually was given serving whenever one of them had a feast.

One day, it was completely dark a geomancer (a person who was great in geomancy, who could see place where spread magical energy. Ancients used to asked a geomancer to find a magical energy-place to bury their parent in the place the thing would help you had lucky and rich lives) couldn’t find any inn knocking on his door. He asked to stay in the hut. Ho was pleasant to give him his bed. He gave the geomancer his rice to eat. The geomancer went out in the morning and came back in the nightfall to eat and sleep few days.

“Do you want to be a mandarin?”, said the geomancer one night.

“Do you think it is not good my life at moment?”, said Ho.

“Course that is better than as you are a mandarin. You will have servants, wife, house, field and many other things.” added the geomancer.

“How can I get the thing?”, asked Ho.

“I am a geomancer and I have found a place which will give people the chance to become a mandarin. It will spread energy in ten days and you know I want you have the place because of your kindness”, he added, “Do you know where your parents were buried?”

“I know where my mother was buried.”, replied Ho.

Few days later, the geomancer gave Ho a little money to buy some things to rebury his mother. Ho immediately returned buffaloes to their owners to do the thing. People had to find another to herd and they had found the other few days later. They forced Ho to leave the hut for the other.

Ho decided to not live in the village. He took a travel toward the capital with all his money. After few days walking he arrived at the capital. Took his pocket out to check his money then he went to a restaurant to have lunch. At the moment the restaurant had many customers who were talking a bout a case a wife planed to kill her husband. That was, a trader went home after a long travel and his wife went to the market buy eels to cook. After he ate the husband died immediately; so others thought that she planed to kill him; though she had been tortured many times but she didn’t admit till recently she admitted and she was about to be kill.

Ho heard whole of the story. After eating he left the restaurant found the way to meet the mandarin. Soldiers saw his shabby clothes and prevented but he cried then they had to allow him to meet the mandarin. As Ho met the mandarin he said the mandarin that the wife was guiltless.

“Can you prove your word?”, asked the mandarin.

“I can and I will do it but you have to stop to kill the wife.”, said Ho.

Two days later, Ho brought two snakes come and they looked as eels but when they crept they kept their heads up.

“I know the snakes they live under the mountain’s foot. Though they look like eels but they had poison. If you eat them you will die,” said Ho then he cooked the snake brought to dogs. Dogs ate and they died. Therefore, the wife was cleaned her name. That case spread to the king. The king asked people to call him come. He praised him and ordained him to be a mandarin. Then the mandarin had a new name Cam Ho Bui.

Other mandarins were jealous as a person who had never passed any contests had same level with them. So they usually got their chances to make him ashamed whenever he made a mistake. One day, Ho had to serve the king as he went to the temple to have a feast. Others fired incensory but they didn’t put ashes below the incensory. Ho would take the incensory and would be burned. Ho knew and he had three choices: one, he wouldn’t take the incensory; two, threw it away as he take it; three, gave it to the king.

As he heard people shouted: “bring the incensory up” just touched his hand to the incensory he had to withdraw. At last, he caught an idea he used the clothes which was used to fire as pads so he and the king were not burned.

Then Ho speeched oration when he was half of the oration they blew candles. Ho felt confused that if he stopped speeching he would be blamed but he had a great memory so he could finish the oration without seeing them and he was praised.

His hometown had hardly rain so people didn’t have enough water to water plants. One day, he climbed up to Hong linh mountain and saw a stream but it didn’t run to his village. He called all local mandarins come and discussed how to change stream’s direction. Then they used great buffaloes and plows to canal toward their village. After the canal was finished they built a dam to stop the old stream. Then the stream changed its direction toward the village. Because of the thing people had enough water to water plants and their lives also had more easily. Therefore, they respected him and built a temple for him as he died next to the canal.

THE END

"Translated by Hung Nguyen"

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