Skip to main content

Magical betel

Once upon a time, there had a boy named Ho Sinh. He was a normal student and pretty wealthy. He had house, fields and others but what he desired was a position in mandarin office. Therefore, when he heard that district mandarin needed a person to help him in office, he hurriedly sold his house and field to have money. He used the money, met people who were related with the mandarin and asked them to help him. He had met some people but he didn’t have what he wanted. At last he remembered to his old friend who knew the mandarin.
magical betel, miếng trầu kỳ diệu
 When the friend had heard his aspiration, he advised him honestly:
“You should know not all people who work in mandarin office are happy. While people who have never stepped in mandarin office desire to go in, people who are working in mandarin office want to escape from it. The place is not heaven as you think”, “You who don’t lack of any thing, why must you made yourself in difficulties?”
But, the student seemed not to hear his friend’s words. He's sure that what he want only the position. At last, his friend made himself to introduce him his friend. the friend said:
“My friend who you want to meet has no power to help you but I know a hermit in Ba Vi mountain. The hermit was more powerful than district mandarin so he can help you. I will write a letter for you to bring to him”.
Ho Sinh brought the letter and found the way to go to Ba Vi mountain. At last, he arrived to a cave but which was filled by a large rock.
“Is here hermit cave?”, he called loudly, “I want to go in”.
Suddenly the rock trembled and moved aside showed the entrance leading into the cave. That was very quiet but light and wide when he stepped in. Ten hermits were lying in a large bed and next to them was other bed. They all were chewed betel. There had only two betel serving for their guest in a bowl setting on other bed. He asked them and went to the hermit who was related to his friend. He gave the hermit the letter. The hermit grabbed the letter and read but he didn’t sat   up he still lied on the bed. Later, the hermit stared at him and said:
“I will help you to be mandarin. Do you want to be normal mandarin or powerful mandarin?”
“I am only a normal student so I only want a position in district office. That is enough for me”, he replied happily.
“Oke, take a betel serving and chew while I am thinking”, said the hermit.
He took a betel serving and started chewing. It had nice taste but it made him fall in fast sleep after that. He slept.
Few days later, soldiers came to his home and asked to meet him. Thought that some dangerous things went to him, he felt nervous. But, when he was brought to district office the district mandarin showed up and treated him well. He didn’t become a servant in district office but had a position in province office. He was happy. Every day, he went to province office and served province mandarin politely but front of district mandarin and others who were under he could force them. Then people who found the way to meet and ask him to help them; having a position, getting rid of guilty,… Firstly, he refused them but later he turned smarter and reckless. He had many dodges to have money from others. He made evidences in case became misleading. He took money from both accuser and accused and many other guilty he had done.
Therefore, he had gotten much money for three years. He bought a mansion, large fields and lived in wealth. Besides, he married with a landlord’s daughter. His live seemed to be very lucky. Ten years later, his wife had given birth to two sons and two daughters and they all were assigned to be small mandarins when they grew up. Thought that he could live the life till he died but…
One day, While Ho Sinh was combing his wife's hair, soldiers came and escorted out. He was prisoned. While he was staying in prison, people let him know that the king had ordered a powerful to come the province and investigate previous cases and all marks led to him. Course, all of people who he had taken money from them came and accused him. The crime he had done was very serious. He was charged with capital punishment. While he was escorting, he thought about previous time. He wished that he had not met the hermit.
A tinkle of breaking china made him woke up. He got up and realized he was still in hermit cave. He had just kicked on bowl of betel. The hermit who was chewing betel suddenly sat up, looked at him and asked:
“So, you will take my letter to mandarin and have you position, don’t you?”
Ho Sinh, now, seemed not to have enough courage to be a mandarin. He hurriedly made his way to escape the place. He said goodbye hermits and come back his home, worked as a farmer till he died
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

Read more:
List of Vietnamese fairy tales
Tale 109. Five-color- rat
Tale 110. O Loi Ha, lewd demon
Tale 112: Tu Uyen and magical picture
Tale 113: Love in dreams
Tale 114: Dao Hanh
-----
Truyện cổ tích Việt nam (For people who can read Vietnamese) 
Vietnamese historical stories (For people who love history)
Nhãn:

Comments

Post a Comment

BÀI ĐĂNG ĐƯỢC XEM NHIỀU

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...
Read more

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!
1 comment
Read more

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...
Read more

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 ...
Read more

The tale of watermelon

Once  upon a time, a young man whose name was Mai An  Tiem   was a slave. He was sold to a King named Hung   Vuong . Mai An   Tiem   was clever, he   learned   vietnamese   language very fast.   Futher , he knew so many stories, places and could do everything so good so he was liked by Hung   Vuong   very much that wherever Hung   Vuong   had come he also came with him. Three years later, he was Hung   Vuong   let to become a noble and was stayed in a building near the castle. Besides, Hung   Vuong   made his daughter become his wife.  Mai An   Tiem   now had wife, a five-year-old son, servants and assets. He seemed to lack nothing. Although he had never been arrogant people still were jealous with his his luck. vietnamesefairytales.blogspot.com One day, people who were participating in a party complimented as much as they could but he only said: “That because of ...
Read more

Thach Sanh and Ly Thong Chapter 2

Chapte r 2: attack to the giant eagle One day, as Quynh Nga who was the King’s daughter was walking in the garden, a giant eagle flew down from the sky and brought her away. The eagle flew cross the hut where Thach Sanh now was living. Thach Sanh saw that eagle so he shot a arrow. The arrow stuck on the eagle’s left wing but it took the arrow out by its beak and continued flying. vietnamesefairytales.blogspot.com Thach Sanh followed blood dropped on the ground and found out a cave where the eagle lived. He ticked on the entrance of cave them he came back his hut. 
Read more

Truyện 69. Hổ, Thỏ và gà

Thỏ, hổ và gà có lần ở chung với nhau để hợp sức phát nương rẫy. Ngày đầu tiên, thỏ và hổ đi cắt tranh, giao cho gà nhiệm vụ trông nhà và nấu ăn. Sau khi quét dọn trong nhà ngoài ngõ, gà nấu cơm. Cơm chín, gà bắc một nồi nước lên bếp. Nước sôi gà nhảy lên miệng nồi, đẻ vào nồi một quả trứng, rồi cất lên mấy tiếng "cục ta cục tác".  Trứng vừa chín thì thỏ và hổ cũng vừa về. Gà bắc trứng ra. Thỏ, hổ vừa mệt vừa đói nên ăn rất ngon miệng. Thỏ hỏi: "Chị gà ơi! Chị làm thế nào mà có món ăn thích khẩu thế?". Gà nói thực cho biết cung cách mình đã chế ra món ăn đó. Sáng hôm sau, họ lại dậy sớm tiếp tục đi cắt tranh. Lần này hổ đi cùng gà, còn thỏ đến lượt ở nhà nấu ăn. Hổ còn dặn thỏ cố lo làm sao có bữa ăn ngon như gà đã làm hôm qua. Thỏ đáp: "Việc đó không khó, bác cứ tin ở tôi!". Sau khi nấu cơm, thỏ cũng bắc một nồi nước sôi rồi cũng đứng lên thành bếp chìa đít vào nồi và rặn như kiểu gà đã dạy. Xong việc, thỏ hý hửng ra cửa đón hổ và gà về. Bữa ăn...
Read more

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...
Read more

The dangerous thing existing inside a person

A  man was good-for-nothing but he was gentle and good-hearted. He had a wife but she dead so early. He lived alone from that and his life also became poorer. He had ever begged but he thought the job was too raffish and besides, it couldn’t help him to have enough money to live. Therefore, he changed into another job. He worked for another to get wages but he only worked a day to realize the job made him tired and ashamed because he was blamed by his owner. Therefore, he decided to stop working and planed to go fishing he thought the job would be more freely and easily. His owner gave him a little money for his-a-day-working and he used the money to buy a fishing rod. The next morning he went fishing but he could get nothing till noon. He wasted bait along passing time. Until afternoon when the float was pulled down into water he pulled up the rod immediately. Fortunately, he got something but it was only a snake which had no useful for him. He caught the snake then thre...
Read more