Torture a rock

Once upon a time, a couple lived in a small village. They were people who worked hard but that didn’t help them have enough food to eat. That time was the time recent year had nearly gone and Tet holiday was coming. They didn’t have a little rice and course, no money. The husband came to all people he knew and insisted them to borrow some money. At last, one gave him a little. He happily ran toward home and gave his wife the money. He asked her to go to market buy things to prepare for the feast on 30th December on lunar calendar.

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The wife set a pannier on her head and went toward market. After bought necessary things she put the pannier on her head and made her way to home. The way which led to her home crossed a ditch and she had to wade through the ditch. Unfortunately, while she was wading, she stepped on a rock and slided. The pannier and all things in it sunk into mud. The poor wife felt hopeless, she didn’t pick up the thing and also didn’t move. She cried, cried painfully, loudly.

While she was crying, a mandarin went cross the place. He heard the cry and asked soldiers to stop.

“What’s up?”, said the mandarin.

She said the mandarin her story. At last, she said:

“I don’t scare my husband beat me. I only feel sorry for my fate. Why I and my husband were unlucky?”

The mandarin was kindness man. After heard the wife said, he regretted for her bad luck. And he had an idea to help the wife have great feast. He asked:

“As your words, this rock is culprit”

The wife nodded her head and said: “Yes sir, it is culprit”. The mandarin turned to soldiers and said:

“Bring the culprit to office to judge”.

Soldiers were awkward and didn’t know what to do. They stood still. The mandarin was impatient, he shouted: “Do that, now”.

Soldiers were forced to bring the rock to office. They tied it and shouldered it went.

That day, the news that the mandarin would judge a rock spread largely. People felt curious, they made their way to come the office. They crowded at the gate of office. The mandarin asked soldiers to set two panniers front of gate. Soldiers laid two panniers front the gate and notified:

“If anyone who wants to see mandarin judge has to put thirty coins in the panniers”.

While people were standing at the gate, the mandarin asked soldiers to beat the rock. Then the noise the mandarin shouted in the office spread out. People immediately, threw their coins into panniers and made their way to go in at one. When the panniers had filled, the mandarin asked soldiers to stop. He stood up and pointed to the mandarin. He said:

“Today, I meet a complex case. Follow this woman’s words the rock is culprit which made her pannier sank into mud. And all witnesses also have same words. But, the rock is too headstrong. It has not said any things though it has beaten painfully. I think this rock also don’t have any thing to pay for its crime. Fortunately, all you who are staying here are kindness, has used your money to help this poor woman”, he turned to the woman and smiled, “Therefore, I decide to use the money which is in panniers to gift this woman”, “and the culprit”, he looked at the rock, “I think I should release it”.

People now realized that they were cheated by the mandarin but none felt angry. They felt respected the wise mandarin. And the wife, course, was very happy. She brought the money and went to home.

THE END

"Translated by Hung Nguyen"

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List of Vietnamese fairy tales

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