Skip to main content

1. Blue-flame lamp

Once upon a time, in a country, there had an old soldier. He spent almost his life to dedicate to his contry, his king. But, when he turned old, injured and couldn’t fight anymore, he was abandoned.
“I don’t need you anymore”, said his king, “I will not give you money or anything like that because I only give it to people who are serving me”.
The soldier left the castle. He spent half that day wandering. He went to a forest when the sun was downing. There had only one tent in that forest and the owner of the tent was no one but a witch. The soldier saw the light emitted from that tent so he had no hesitation approaching the tent and asked the owner to have a place to sleep.
“Dear Madam! Could you treat me a meal and a place to sleep. I’m so hungry”, he said.

“Alas! No one’s stupid to treat a soldier old and useless. But, I will help you if you promise me to do one thing”.
“What’d you need me to do?” he asked.
“Help me plow my garden”, she said.
The soldier agreed. He woke up early in the next morning and work hard but he couldn’t finish after sundown.
“I know”, said the witch, “You can’t finish it in one day. I want you stay here one more night. Tomorrow you have to help me split wood”.
The next morning, the soldier woke up early, splitted wood hardly but when the sun downed, the witch another time asked him to stay there one more night.
“I need you to do the last thing.” said the witch, “That’s a blue-flame lamp. It now is on the bottom of a dried well. The lamp, my lamp was dropped in the well in an accident but I am not brave enough to take it up. So”, she stopped a while, “I need you the person who helthier and braver to take it up”.
The soldier agreed to help her. The next morning, the witch led him to deep forest where the well was. She asked him to sit on a basket which was tied by one end of a rope. The witch dropped the soldier down the well and he could easily find the blue-flame lamp. He asked the witch to pull up. When the basket was pulled up as high as the well mouth,
“Give me the lamp”, said the witch, handing toward him.
The soldier fastly recognized the witch had no idea kindly.
“Noooo!” he said, “let me out then I will give you”.
The witch’s angry. She dropped the rope then the soldier was fallen down back the bottom. It’s lucky the bottom was soft so he was not hurt much. The blue-flame lamp still lighted but it seemed useless with him now. He believed completely that he would die there. He sat there for a while, wondering sadly. Unconsciously he put his hand in pocket then found out a cigarette.
“Here my last cigarette”, he said, burning the cigarette he took some long drag then puff out clouds of smoke. When smoke spread out whole the bottom, appeared a black man. The man looked very small, just as high as one third normal human height.  
“What’d you want me to do, master?”, said the little man in high pitch voice.
The soldier felt surprised.
“I don’t know what you saying”, said the soldier.
“Whatever you want was oder I have to do, master”, said the little man in the same voice.
“I wanna get this well”, said the soldier.
The little man quickly led the soldier followed a secret tunnel. The tunnel led to a secret chamber. The chamble was filled full of treasure. Silver, gold, and other treasures glittering in whole the chamber. The soldier helped himself to have some of them. He also didn’t forget the blue-flame lamp to bring it with him. As soon as he got on ground and met the witch, he screamed:
“Catch her. Bring her to judge and make her stay in prison till she dies”.
Immediately he finished, the witch was tied. She was thrown on a big black wild cat then disappeared. There was only the sceam of the witch. After seconds, the little man came back.
“Aall thing’ve done. The witch was prisoned. Do you need me to do anything?” said the little man.
“You... go home but if I call, you have come right away. Okay?” said the soldier.
“You don’t need to call me, master”, said the little man, “if you need my appearance, you only need to burn your cigarette by this blue-flame lamp, I will appear right away”.
The little man disappeared and the soldier turned back to capital. He bought some noble clothes. He rested in a luxury accommodation. After all, he burned cigarette, the little man appeared at one.
“I had served the king for long time, fought because of him, received scars because of him but what the things were he gave me. He prisoned me, let me die in hunger and threw me out the castle as like an useless dog”, said the soldier.
“What’d you want master?” said the little man.
“I want his daughter, the princess. I need her work for me as a maid this night”, said the soldier.
“The thing’s easy for me but if it’s discovered, you will be in danger”, said the little man.
At midnight, the princess was brought to the soldier’s room.
“You came”, shouted the soldier, “Work right now”, he threw a broom toward the pricess, “CLEAN!”
After cleaning, the soldier called her come, asked her to wash his shoes. He took of the shoes, threw it on her and roared: “CLEAN”. She sliently picked the shoes up, and started washing though her eyes still closed. She did as though she was controled. After the sun rose, she was brought back castle in secret. Morning, when she woke up, she felt very tired. Her whole body tured pained. She talked her father, the king about strange dream.
“I was brought out the castle in seconds. Came to room of an old soldier and was forced to do hard work. Thought it’s a dream but I feel it very real. Now I still feel my body pained”, she said.
“Sometime, dreams are also truth”, said the king thoughtfully, “tonight, before you go to bet, put some beans in your pockets. If you are bought out, drop them follow the way so that we can find out the person who dared to do that rude thing”, said the king.
The little man hid himself after the king hearing the words. That night, when the little man brought the princess to his master’s room, beans fell down from her pockets laid on the way a mark. But, the little had known the thing. He took other beans and dropped them on all roads in capital. Still did as a maid, the princess one more time talked her father about the strange dream in the next morning. The king ordered to soldiers to follow beans but beans were found anywhere. The only thing they got from people’s rumor that the last day had had a bean rain in capital.
“We have another plan, daughter”, said the king, “Tonight when you go to bed, don’t take off your shoes. And when you are brought to the room, do as normal but before you are brought back castle, leave a shoe a there. Remember hide it carefully. I will odered soldiers to find out it”.
The little man heard. That night, the soldier ordered the little man to bring the princess to come. The little man prevented.
“Master, I have no idea to help you this time. Tomorrow when the princess is back castle, soldiers will find out her shoe at here. You will be in danger, master”, he said.
“Do what I say”, said the soldier firmly
The third day the princess have to work as a maid, she hid her shoe carefully before she was brought back castle.
Early morning, all of soldiers in castle were mobilized and they discovered the shoe was hid under bed of the old soldier. He was brought out his room fastly that he had no time to bring anything with him, including the blue-flame lamp and gold coins. He was chained in prison. Thought he would die but luckily, he saw an old friend who was a guard in this prison.
“Help me, friend”, he said, “Please help me take something from my room to here. I will gift you this gold coin”.
The guard left and then he turned back, gave the soldier the blue-flame lamp. The soldier waited for his friend went out. He burned a cigarette then smoked. The little man appeared.
“Don’t worry, master”, said the little man, “let them do whatever they want but you have to always bring the blue-flame lamp with you”.
Next day, the soldier was brought to judge. Though he hadnt done any serious crime, he was sentenced to death. Before he was executed, he asked the king for him to do the last thing.
“What do you want?” asked the king.
“I wanna a cigarette”, he answered.
“I can smoke as much as you want. But, you have to die after that”, said the king.
The soldier took out a cigarette and started smoking. The little man appeared, he had taken a big stick in his hand.
“What do you want me to do, master?”, said the little man.
“Beat them all”, he roared, “the lie judge, the cruelty king and including their servants”.
As like a lightning, the little bursted into them and beat them pained that whoever was beat, he or she immediately fallen down and fainted. The king was frightened as each one fell down front his face. His body trembled. At last, when almost of people there were fallen, he tremulously prayed the soldier to forgive him. He presented the soldier the throne, let his daughter to marry with him in exchange for not being beat.
The soldier agreed. He became the new king and the princess was the new queen.
Somewhere in the country, at one secret chamber, the blue-flame lame was still hid there. It needs somebody to discover.   
THE END

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:
***

Essential Reads: Engaging Books You Can't Miss!

Ebook Banner

Comments

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!

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...

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.

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...

Bài 1.5: Cách sử dụng at, on, in cho thời gian, ngày, tháng, năm, mùa.

Chào các bạn! Bởi vì mình có hay dich truyện và một vài thứ linh tinh khác nên thường bắt gặp ngày, tháng năm. Thật ra khôngkhó để sử dụng đúng nhưng mỗi lần cần đến mình lại phải tra lại tra cứu. Điều đó rất mất thời gian nên hôm nay mình viết một bài liên quan đến at, on, in + thời gian để giúp bạn nào chưa biết và giúp chính mình nhớ được cách sử dụng của các giới từ at, on, in và dạng thời gian được theo sau giới từ đó.

Story 1. Cong Uan Ly, the first king of Ly dynasty.

As  a fairy tale when he who was a poor farmer  with no field had to work for monks staying in   Tien   Son temple which was placed in   Bac   ninh   province loved a nun in the temple. Then the nun  was pregnant  and couldn’t keep the thing in secret months. Then the abbot found out and was very angry. The abbot expelled the nun   immedately . He and she went away they took a rest in a forest. The man felt thirty and went away to find water. He saw a well and bent down to drink.   Unfortunely , he fell down into the well and died. The nun had waited for long time but didn’t see the man come back. She went to find him but as she arrived the well had been buried by termites. None knew that the place had a “dragon stream” which was only intended for blessed person. So painful the nun creamed but meanwhile she felt her stomach painful. She knew that she nearly gave birth to a child.  Therefore, she tried her best to go to a ...

220. Người Chết Đi Kiện

Ngày xưa, ở tỉnh Bình Thuận, có một người làm hương chức tên là Định. Một hôm, có trát quan về đòi đi gấp, xã Định cưỡi ngựa phóng nước đại lên huyện. Trên đường cái ra khỏi làng, có một ngôi miếu thờ bà, có tiếng linh thiêng lắm, bất cứ ai đi ngang qua cũng phải xuống võng, xuống ngựa, cất nón, nghiêng dù, bằng không thì bị bà vật chết. Lúc xã Định cỡi ngựa đến đó thì trời đã tối mới van vái:  "Tôi phải đi việc quan đòi khẩn cấp, đêm tối tăm, xin phép bà cho tôi cỡi ngựa đi luôn, kẻo xuống thì trễ ra, lại sợ cọp nữa, để về nhà tôi sẽ cúng bà". Xã Định khấn khứa xong rồi phóng ngựa đi luôn, xong được một lúc thì thổ ra huyết. Anh ta ráng đi xong việc quan rồi, trở về ngang miếu, lại thầm xin cho mạnh khỏe về đến nhà sẽ cúng bà một con heo. Nhưng về tới nơi, bệnh tình càng thêm nặng, xã Định tức giận thốt ra: "Bà làm bậy, muốn bắt chết tao thì bắt, nhưng tao có chết xuống âm phủ thì tao kiện cho tới cùng". Tính không sống được nữa, xã Định gọi vợ con lại d...

Bài 3: Phía sau một động từ phần 2

      Chào, lại là mình. Bài trước mình có chia động từ thành nhiều loại khác nhau và đã trình bày phần động từ được theo sau một động từ dưới dạng V-ing. Bạn có thể hỏi vậy động từ rồi động từ nữa thì có thêm bổ ngữ (gồm danh từ, tính từ, phó từ) và tân ngữ (gồm danh từ, đại từ) vào trong câu được không. Câu trả lời là có. Tùy theo ngữ cảnh và cách bạn muốn thể hiện và động từ (đối với động từ được theo sau là tính từ) bạn có thể thêm bổ ngữ vào giữa hoặc sau động từ thứ hai.

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...