161. Ông Vua mê ngựa

Theo sử, nước Tầu, thời Chiến quốc, Sở Trang vương là ông vua rất thích ngựa. Ông cho một con ngựa ông quí nhất mặc áo thêu hoa, ở phòng đẹp, nằm giường có nệm êm, thức ăn tòan là táo khô, thứ ngựa rất thích ăn.

Được ít năm, con ngựa bị bệnh rồi lăn ra chết. Ngự y khám nghiệm thấy ngựa quá béo, bèn làm tờ trình cho nhà vua hay.
Sở Trang vương buồn rầu khôn xiết vì mất con ngựa quí, ra lệnh cho quần thần làm tang lễ long trọng cho ngựa, bắt các quan chuẩn bị dùng quan quách (trong quan ngòai quách) chôn theo nghi thức chôn cất quan đại phu.
Tả hữu nghe vậy đều can. Sở Trang vương chẳng những không chịu, còn ra lệnh cho bá quan:”Ai còn dám đem chuyện an táng ngựa quí của ta ra khuyên, ta sẽ không dung và định tội chết.” Các quan nghe xong nín lặng, không ai dám nói một câu.
Duy có một anh kép hài ở trong cung tên Ưu Mạnh, chuyên chọc cười để giải trí nhà vua vá các cung phi. Ưu Mạnh nghe được lệnh cấm can vua về việc an táng ngựa bèn từ sân rồng bước lên điện ngửa mặt khóc rống.
Nhà vua ngạc nhiên, hỏi vì sao? Ưu Mạnh lấy tay áo chùi nước mắt mà rằng:
“Ngựa này là vật đại vương yêu quí. Đại vương đang đường đường là ông vua nước Sở thì Đại vương làm gì mà chẳng được. Chôn cất ngựa quí mà chỉ dùng nghi lễ cho một quan đại phu thì nhỏ bé, đơn sơ quá. Xin hãy dùng nghi lễ như quân vương mới xứng đáng!”
Sở Trang vương rất đẹp dạ, hỏi tiếp:
“Thế phép chôn cất ra sao?”
Ưu Mạnh đáp:
“Nên dùng ngọc trạm làm áo quan, gỗ tế tâm làm quách, cho tòan bộ dũng sĩ mặc áo giáp đội mũ sắt đào mộ, mời thượng khách các nước Tề, Triệu đến làm bồi tế bên quan chủ tế, cho khách khanh các nước Hàn, Ngụy đứng tế phía sau. Khi tế thì phải theo nghi thức như ở nhà Thái miếu tức cũng dùng tam sinh là bò, dê, lợn làm tế phẩm, sau đó lại phong cho huyện vạn hộ để trông coi mồ mả của ngựa, cho con ngựa quanh năm được hưởng hương khói tế lễ!”
Nghe xong, Sở Trang vuơng có vẻ ngượng ngùng, bèn hỏi:
“Lỗi của ta nghiêm trọng đến thế ư? Làm thế nào đây?”
Ưu Mạnh đáp:
“Theo thần thì đại vương cứ theo cách đối xử với súc vật mà làm nghĩa là giao ngựa cho nhà bếp. Nhà bếp sẽ xả nó ra như con lợn, con dê, phân phát thịt cho các cung, viện và các quan. Nội trong nửa ngày ngựa sẽ được an táng trong con tì con vị của nhiều người. Cách đó là hay nhất.”
Sở Trang vương y lời, giao con ngựa cho nhà bếp giải quyết.

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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!

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...

Idiot

Once upon a time, there was an idiot whose name was Ngoc. Ngoc had a wife who didn’t like him to stay home and do nothing. One day, when they were sitting by the other, his wife told: “Husband you can’t continue doing nothing. You must find a job to do if you want to live with me in long time” “Do what?” said Ngoc, “I don’t know write or read and besides, not smart as others so what can I do?” “Do business”, said his wife. “Business? What?” said Ngoc. “All things which bring to you benefit”, said his wife, “Firstly, you can buy and sell chickens and ducks. Later, you can buy and sell wood”. Few days later, Ngoc brought money and set off. He remembered his wife’s saying so that he found the way to trade ducks. He didn’t need long time to find what he need. He saw ducks they were about dozen of ducks swimming in the lake which was by his way but they were wild ducks and he didn’t know that so he walked to find the owner of the ducks. He saw some children near that....

The liar Cuội

A boy named Cuoi had lost his parent when he was child he lived with his uncle and aunt. He was co clever but used to lie and he always had his fun whenever people had been cheated. A landlord had heard about him but he didn’t think that he could lie him so he called him came and asked. “I hear you are very well in cheat. Now I sit at here, if you can make me go to the door I will give you this pocket of coins. People here will be witnesses for my words.”, said the landlord. Cuoi expressed as if he was feeling embarrassed. “You have prepared before you sit here so I can not make you go to the door. Now if you stand at the door I can make you come in.”, said Cuoi. The landlord thought what Cuoi had said was true so he stood up and sprinted to the door. But when he came to the door he saw Cuoi was laughing and clapping his hand. “I’ve cheated you.”, said Cuoi. The landlord lost for words and was forced to give him the pocket of coins. vietnamesefairytales.blogspot.co...

Story 12: General Thuong Kiet Ly

His birth name is Tuan Ngo, an offspring of Quyen Ngo. He was borned in 1019 at Thai Hoa ward, Thang Long (now Hanoi). When he was child, he early showed brave and martial spirit what were inherited from his family who had been generals, dedicating to Ly dynasty. His father, An Ngu Ngo was also one of them he was a great general. When he was 13 years old, he lost his father and was taken care by his aunt and her husband. Tuan Ngo was taught by Cong An Ly, a royal great teacher at that time. His teacher complimented that he had talent but he headed to be a general instead of a mandarin. Therefore, he studied literature in daytime and research art of warfare in night time. When he was enough 18 years old, he opened a martial class. People coming and studying were crowded. The news came to the recent king who summoned him to castle and conferred him to be a low martial mandarin. Two years later, he became the king’s guard staying by the king entire day. That time, the king realize...

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...

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....

Thuong Luong

Thuong Luong was common name of creatures which are in people’s imagines. They are distant relatives of dragons. While dragons are worshiped as gods, the gods ruled rivers and sea and the gods can make rains, Thuong Luong is not respected as dragons that the creatures are too amorous, combative, wild, and have bad behaviors. All most of them like to harm people.

Story 3. Cong Uan Ly moved the capital

In days of spring, 1010 Thai To Ly king and some courtiers went to his hometown on a ship. They went from Hoa Lu capital (Ninh Binh province) to Co Phap (now, Bac ninh province) on a ship. The king had delight as he saw the country seemed to change better. Fields were green and were going to give great harvests. Whenever, the ship arrived to a port, the king stopped to go on ground and had sightseeing and asked people about their lives. When the ship came to “Đông Bộ Đầu” port which was outside of Dai La citadel, the ship stopped, the king went on and realized Dai La was crowded place with convenient transportation. Dai La had been headquater of government when the country had been dominated by another country. Its name had been Tong Binh, had been rebuilt and repaired many times. Especially, it was repaired carefully when Cao Bien was the manager (See more about CaoBien here ). The visit gave the king a deep thinking. Though the king had left Dai La and came to his ho...

Vietnamese fairy tales

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