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The poor and god

Gods treated them too bad that his grandpa and his father both lived in poverty till they died.
He, now, also lived in poverty like them though he worked very hard. He was a student who worked hardly in daytime and tried to study in nighttime with hope he could change his fate on a day. But, his fate seemed not to change a little. Therefore, he decided to set off and ask god how to change his fate. According to rumors, God used to land on an island which stood in middle of sea whenever he wanted to avoid problems in heaven. The way leading to the island was very long and dangerous but it didn’t make him give up.
vietnamese fairy tales
He had gone for ten day, walking in daytime and resting in nighttime but food and money he brought also nearly had gone. Therefore, he went in a building and asked the owner to help him. The owner of the building was a landlord who invited in his home and treated him well.
“Where are you going?” asked the landlord as they were in the dinner.
“I am on the way going to the island at the middle of sea where god usually lands on and relax. I want to ask him how to change my fate, getting rid of poverty”, he said honestly.
“Really”, snapped the landlord happily, “I have a daughter but she’s mute. I have asked many doctors to cure her but she is still mute. So, could you ask God how to cure my daughter when you met him”, he added.
The student agreed. The next morning, he set off with some money the landlord gave him. Few days later, the money had gone, he one more time made his way to a house and asked the owner to help him. That time, the owner also treated him a meal. He asked him about the place where he was going. The student honestly told him about his purpose, going to god asking him how to change his fate and how to cure the mute girl. The owner gifted him some money and said:
“If you meet God, please ask him why my orange trees don’t bear though they are very luxuriant”.
The student agreed and set of in the next morning. He kept going till he came to the shore. What front his eyes that time was broad sea but there had no boat crossed. He sat on the shore and wanted. Three days had passed but no boat crossed the place, he started feeling impatient. At last, a giant turtle emerged from water and approached him.
“What are you doing?” asked the turtle.
“I am waiting for a boat which can bring me to the island at middle of sea. I must ask God how to change my fate, how to cure a mute girl and why orange trees don’t bear”, he replied.
“Sit on my back. I will bring you to the island but you have to ask him why I can not rebirth though I have lived for one thousand years”, said the turtle.
He agreed then sat on the turtle’s back. They pushed off. The island emerged more clearly after days. He landed on the island and climbed on the top of the mountain, the place God used land on. He stayed at the place and waited. Three days later, when he just woke up, he saw a light suddenly drop on the top of mountain.     
God appeared on throne, enjoyed sun lights. The student didn’t hesitate, approached God and kneeled.
“What do you want?” said God.
Firstly, he asked God why the turtle couldn’t rebirth.
“Ask it to spit the pearl in mouth out”, said God.
At second, he asked God about orange tress.
“Take jars of gold under their roots, they will bear”, said God.
 At third, he asked God about the mute girl.
“She will speak when she meet a valedictorian”, said God.
When three questions of others had the answers, he was going to ask God about his fate but God shouted in anger:
“I go here to avoid my job and relax but you have destroyed all”.
God mounted on cloud and flew up the sky at one. Thought that his fate was too unlucky, he turned back to the shore of the island. The turtle was waiting for him at there. He mounted on its back and went toward the land.
“How did God say about my problem?” said the turtle.
“Only if spit the pearl in your mouth out, you can rebirth”, he said.
When they came to the land, the turtle spitted the pearl out and gifted him. It said:
“This is magical pearl. If you bring it, you will know everything in the worth”.
The turtle disappeared after that. He found the way to turn back the owner of orange trees. The owner was happy as he met him.
“How did God say about my orange tree?” said the owner.
“Dig up jars of gold under their roots, they will bear”, he said.
Of course, when the owner dug up, he found jars of gold under roots. He happily divided the gold in two and gave the student a half.
The student continued going, he met a crowd on his way. He asked people and they said him that the king was organized a contest to find talents who would help him manage the country. He registered the contest. He used gold to buy books, pens and all necessary things, rented a room to study. The pearl seemed to help him so much that he could remember and understand all things he had read. That contest, he was the person who had highest score. The king was very happy, ordained him to be a mandarin.
Short time later, he went back hometown to hold a ceremony to thank his ancestors. He went crossed the building of the landlord and remembered to the mute girl. He stopped his horse, got down and walked in the building. The landlord immediately wore nice clothes, showed up to receive them. The landlord looked rather surprised as the mandarin he saw was not anyone but the student who had come his home before. He not yet said the landlord the answer, his daughter had appeared and greeted him.
Because the landlord wanted to thank him, he let his daughter to marry with him. At last, though he didn’t have the answer for himself, the student still had a dream-life after he helped others.
THE END        
"Translator: Hung Nguyen"

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List of Vietnamese fairy tales

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