Skip to main content

The tale of apricot blossom

Once upon a time, in a village nearby forest where a little girl living with her family, father, mother and sister. Though she was only little girl, she had a big heart. She was very kind loving everyone. Even three stone statues of Kitchen God she also spent them her kindness. The stone statues were set in kitchen next to fireplace and always were heated by fire that made her felt pity. One day, that was the hottest day in summer, she that time was a five-year-old girl taking a jug of water and poured on the statues. Steam rose and the God of kitchen appeared.
“Oh my little girl! I know you love me and don’t want I am heated. Yes, I know but the more I am heated the more I feel satisfied”, said the God of kitchen.
Since that time she hadn't poured water on the statues but God of kitchen sometime appeared to converse with her and her old sister.
vietnamese fairy tales
“Do you like anything else but fire?”, she asked in a time they met.
“Of course, I want a carp. Tet holiday is going to come and I want a carp which I will mount on and fly back the heaven”.
She and her sister go fishing. They caught a carp and brought it back home. They put it next to fireplace and said:
“God of kitchen! This is carp we gift you”.
Suddenly, the carp disappeared front of their eyes. The night God of kitchen had to go back heaven he showed up mounting on the carp. He left their house, flew up heaven.
Her father was a great hunter who protected their village from beasts. He used to say that:
“I will hunt until all beasts are killed”
He didn’t want his children to be a hunter as him because they all were women but she, the little girl, liked to be a hunter as her father. When she was 9 years old, she asked her father to go with him to forest to hunt. Her mother and her sister were very worry they didn’t want her to go because there place was very dangerous.
“Don’t worry mom, sister. I can’t kill beasts by one hit as father but I can kill them by three, five or more hits”.
Then, she followed her father going to forest. The first time hunting, she caught a big boar.
Then, a flesh-eating monster suddenly appeared in there area. It had leopard body with a human head. Everyone turned nervous. Honestly, they scared because the monster liked to kill and eat human beings especially children. Her father brought her to forest to find and kill the monster. Her mother and her sister stopped them but they couldn’t.
“Don’t worry. I bright her with me just to let her see how I kill the monster. She will be in safe”, said her father.
She and her father went. Few days later, the monster was killed. She and her father came back. People were happy they held a party to celebrate. She put a carp next to fireplace and said:
“God of kitchen, I gift you this carp”.
As soon as the God of kitchen appeared and said thank you. They had a conversation.
“Do you scare when you had to face to the monster?”asked the God of kitchen.
“No, I don’t”, she said clearly, “I’d like fighting to it with my father but he don’t let me do that. Just seeing”.
Years later, her father got ill. She, her sister and mother took care of him wholeheartedly. Her father got passed but his health was not strong as before. Then, another monster appeared. It’s a python with a human head, a flesh-eating monster. People, one more time, came and asked their help. Her father looked at her and said:
“Are you willing to help them?”
“Yes, I am”, she said.
“I will go with you”, said her father, “But, this time I am only a helper and the person who fight to the monster is you”.
Her mother and her sister were very worry much more than the first time she went with her father.
“Honey! It’s so far from our house to the place where the monster is. The monster is so ferocious while our daughter is only 14 years old. I’m scared, really scared honey”, said her mother.
“Dad! Dad and sister, you all refuse it. I want all you in safe”, said her sister.
“Mom and sister. Don’t worry”, said her, “Though I’m very young but I’m sure that I can kill the monster. I’ll back”.
Her mother and sister knew that they couldn’t prevent them. At last, they were people who arranged all things for their trip. Tet holiday was coming and her mother had sewed a suit for her.   The suit was not dyed. Her mother wanted her to wear the new suit before she left.
“What color do you want?” asked her mother.
“I like yellow, the color of sunsight”, she said, looking out window.
Then, her mother dyed her suit in yellow. The day, they set off, she wore on that suit. She looked strong and happy.
“After the monster is killed, I will come back wearing in this suit and you all, my mother, my sister and everyone can realize me”, she said happily.
Before she go, she went to statue of Kitchen God and said:
“I will tell you about the fighting after I come back”.
“Goodluck! I’ll wait”, replied God of kitchen as he appeared.
One month that’s the time she and her father had to spend to go where the monster was. They rested for few days before they found it. She and her father fought to it two days but they couldn’t kill it while her father turned weaker and weaker.
“Dad! You should take a rest. Tomorrow, I will fight to it. I have an idea. I will use knives and pinned its tail and its body to ancient trees. When it can not move, we will chop its head”, she said.
“Good idea but it’s so dangerous”, said her father.
“Trust me”, she said, glancing at him.
Her father nodded he believed in her.
“Be careful”, he said.
The next day, the fight to the monster by the way they had planned. They chopped head of the monster but before it dead it swung its tail and its body and got them out of the trees then wrapped around her and tightened. All her bones were broken her body turned soft. She fell down when the headless monster released her. Her father dropped his sword something inside him was broken. He ran. Exactly, he sprinted to her with tears dropping out from his eyes. Everyone who followed them also sprinted to her. Her father kneeled he hugged her and broke into sobs. She had died. Everyone felt sad they stood around her and her father. Long time later, people brought her body to go and bury. They built a temple and worshiped her. But her soul still existed she prayed the Mountain God where she was buried to change her soul into a bird, a yellow bird that people had never seen. The bird flew toward her house to meet God of kitchen.
“I died while I was fighting to the monster God of kichent”, she said, “My mother and sister will be sad, very sad and they will not want to live. Please! When you come back heaven, please pray King of god to revive me”.
God of kitchen promised. The yellow bird flew down place where her mother and sister were sitting it sang for a while before it flew up and disappeared. That time was also the time her mother was known that her daughter had died. She fainted lying on ground next to fireplace. God of kitchen appeared he touched on her forehead by warm hands and then she woke up.
“Don’t worry!”, said God of kitchen, “Tonight, I’ll back heaven and I will pray my king to let her revive”.
Her mother and her sister immediately kneeled. They thanked him. That night God of kitchen came back heaven and seven days later, he turned back their house.
“King of God really wanted to revive her but she has died for a long time. Therefore, he can help her to live 9 days each year”, said God of kitchen.
  Though it’s not thing they expected, they still felt happy.
“When does she revive?” said her mother.
“Whenever you want, King of God will revive her”, said God of kitchen.
“How about tonight? We want to see her now”, said her mother.
“Tonight is too early”, said God of kitchen, “But next night she can revive”.
“Yes, next night. Please revive her next night”,said her mother.
That night, her mother and sister stayed up waiting for her. And whole the next day, they also didn’t do anything just waiting for her. It seemed a long time to midnight. They waited for night then for midnight. At last, they heard someone calling outside.
“Mom! Sister! I’ll back.”
Her mother and sister broke out and it’s their girl. The girl in yellow suit they could see clearly that yellow suit which shone as sun lights. They ran toward the others and hugged tightly. Happy tears dropped down from their eyes.
Her father was on the way back to home. He wondered how to talk his wife and daughter that made their relieved but when he came back what he saw was his little girl was sleeping by her sister and mother. He didn’t believe in his eyes so he rubbed his eyes and saw again. That’s real his little daughter was there. Immediately, he approached then hugged her, his little daughter, not noticing tears dropping from his eyes.
She stayed with her family 9 days. The time coincided with Tet holiday. In 9 days, she helped her mother all homework but people didn’t want her to work much they want her to have time to play and relax. The 9th day, the day she had to go, she hugged her family tightly and didn’t want to part. They kept hugging until she turned faded and disappeared. All people felt sad but they knew that the next Tet holiday they would meet her so decided to turn back work and wait. Of course, the next Tet holiday she came back and the next years she also came back. The strange story about her was spread out going to the village where she fought to python monster. People living in the village found the way to her house and invited her family to come and live in their village that they could meet her each year and her family agreed. They moved to the place. She still came back each year till her mother, father and sister died. She didn’t come back. She changed into a tree which stood by her temple. Almost time in year, the tree only had leaves but when Tet holiday came there had many yellow blossoms on its branches which were brilliant. After 9 days, the blossoms withered as like the thing she had to go after 9 days staying with her family. And tree had the name that was apricot tree. 
"Translator: Hung Nguyen"

Discover Enchanting Fairy Tales!

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 182: Bu and Ngoc
Tale 183: Reluctant doctor
Tale 184: The tale of apricot blossom
-----
Truyện cổ tích Việt nam (For people who can read Vietnamese)
Vietnamese historical stories (For people who love history)

Essential Reads: Engaging Books You Can't Miss!

Nhãn:

Comments

Post a Comment

BÀI ĐĂNG ĐƯỢC XEM NHIỀU

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

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...
Post a Comment
Read more

God of blacksmiths and blacksmith

Khong Lo, the god of blacksmiths, was the god who had taught people casting and also the go who governed blacksmiths. Khong Lo early realized that not all blacksmiths were good guy so he used to appear on ground and challenge blacksmiths. A street blacksmith who used to shoulder tools wander on street and helped people remold metal things. “Mold pots, mold jars, mold tray, remold metal things”, he cried to let others know he was a blacksmith. The blacksmith was great so he could mold and remold all things people needed in short time. In the time he worked he stayed in house of people who needed him to mold things. When things were molded, he got his money and set off. That was his work. One day, the blacksmith made his way to a fair. He went cross a forest and met a boy who was shouldering tools as he was. As he saw the blacksmith, the stood and bowed his head politely. “Do you see anybody go cross the direction you have passed, sir?”, said the boy. “Who do you find?”...
Post a Comment
Read more

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...
Post a 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

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....
Read more

Tale of sandcrab

Once  upon a time, a farm couple had a garden having a cave in where a snake couple lived. The man’s name was Da Trang (name of a kind of crabs) he used to work next to the cave and had known a snake couples were living in. Vietnamesefairytales.blogspot.com One day, he saw male snake swept out of the cave alone while the female was curling inside the cave, it had just shed. A short time later, the male came back to cave, brought a fog and gave it to female.  Weeks later, he saw the female went out alone. That time, the male shed it was lying silently in the cave. Long time later, the female came back with another male. They had stood front of cave for few minutes then the other male swept alone to cave. The man realized what that male wants to do and he felt sorry to the male was lying in cave so he grabbed his archery and shot to the other male but the arrow lost its way and shot into the female head. The female was died. He came home and had never gone back ...
Read more

Fairy Lieu Hanh

Ngoc  Hoang, the king of gods in heaven, had a daughter, named Lieu Hanh. Lieu Hanh was fairy who was headstrong and usually didn’t obey rules in heaven. Ngoc Hoang had advised her many times but he still did what she wanted. Therefore, Ngoc Hoang decided to punish his daughter to teach her a lesson. One time, Lieu Hanh made a mistake, his father forced her to get down and lived on ground three years. Lieu Hanh transformed into a beautiful girl and built a hut, sold tea under Ngang pass after she landed on ground. The place was wild trees that grew up luxuriantly but the road leading from north to south crossed there so many travelers crossed there everyday. Besides, there had only a tea shop because others feared robbers and beasts around the place. Consequently, her tea shop was always crowded. Though Lieu Hanh was punishing, she was still arrogant and didn’t respect any rules. Therefore, people went in her hut, drank tea then went away without trouble, would have no harm...
Post a Comment
Read more

5. Puppet wanna become a human.

Many years ago, there was a city small and beautiful, a puppet was born. The person who created it wanted it perfectly front others so he gave it the most beautiful things belonging to women. Yeah, the puppet had the shape of a woman. I had long black hair, big sweet eyes, cute lips always smiling, And, the name of it was… Okay, no one knew its name and it’s also not important. The puppet went with performers to everywhere to perform. It was loved and called by other name whenever it came to another place. It didn’t know it had gone to how many places and gotten how many names but it’s only thing which never changed that it was always greeted and loved. One night, the puppet had a dream. That’s a strange dream. It met a kind God in its dream. “You have been doing good your job. You can become human. Do you want be a human puppet?” said the God. “I want be a human God”, said the puppet. “Let people call your real name and it’s …”, said the God, “Just one person who call ...
2 comments
Read more