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14. Three valiant men

Once upon a time, in a small village lived a woman. She had no husband but was a person who worked very hard. She started working in field from early morning when just sang and only came back home as stars appeared on the sky.
One day, when she was working as normal, she suddenly felt uncomfortable. Her throat got burned she felt thirsty. Hurriedly, she found the way to a tent standing at the edge, seeked for water. There had no water. The woman had no choice the thirst forced her to find water and satisfied it. It's lucky she discovered water after a little time wandering. Water drops were falling down from a big rock. She had no time to think much or observed the strange rock what she wanted immediately was satisfying her thirst. She turned face upward then three drops fell in her mouth. Just three drops satisfied completely her thirst, left the feeling of cool and gentle sweet in her mouth for long. The rock had the shape of a giant man who was taking horn, looking at sky. The water she drank was things poured from the eyes of the rock-man. It looked like he's crying.
vietnamese fairy tales

From that time, her body got changed. Her belly turned bigger. It meant she's pregnant.
Time passed that nine months and ten days had gone but no child was born. The first and the second year had gone but she hadn't given birth to any child, still brought the big belly. Until the third year, it's one day as the moon met the sun in its orbit the sun was eclipsed, three children were born. The children were chubby, pretty and especially they had no difference. The children grew up fastly, became strong men. Their huge arms were strong enough to break old tree in parts. Their feet were too fast to chase after winds and their eyes were bright, could looked far away as the eyes of eagles.
The woman watched the children grew up. They all grown in talent people and so she didn't want to keep them besides her.
"My sons," she said, "this world's large. I want you all, my talent sons go and discover it. Choose suitable places and spend your lives at there."
"Visit to me when you miss me and have time." she added.
The men obeyed. They said goodbye their mother then set off.
The youngest man went toward the direction where the sun rose. The ground under his feet 's lower and lower. At last, he went to vast plains rounded by rivers and the sea. He liked that beautiful place and decided to lived here. Everyday, he spent daytime to bath in cool water, spread himself on smooth sands under moonlight. His skin changed after days. At last, it turned white as like white pearl. People called him Ngoc.
The second man walked toward the direction where the sun down. The ground under his feet 's higher and higher. Forests and mountains front his face seemed to be welcoming him. A river prevented him on the way. It flowed strange water hot and having black red color. He took off clothes, waded passed it. The water dyed his skin in the same color. He stopped in the other side where's fertile. He decided to live there. People called him Leo.
The oldest man stayed still in hometown. He built a house which have the highest roof reaching on clouds. His house stood besides wood. He lived at there, be friend with wood, stream and animals. He sang, danced and played left-music instruments for his friend. People called him Viet.

All them were enjoying their happy lives and it had to be long time for one of them remember others to have a visit if there had no appearance of a monster. That's a snake monster which have body as big as an mountain. It have wings to fly up in sky, have fins to swim in water and have sharp-claw feet to move on ground. Especially, it owned three pearls it had stolen from heaven. They're powerful magical pearls. The first pearl was blue. It could create winds and wind-tornado. The second pearl was white. It could create water and flood. The third pearl was red. It could create fire and fire-tornado. The monster used there pearls and destroyed whole places where it'd passed.
vietnamese fairy tales
The monster arrived to the hometown of three men on its way. As normal, it destroyed all things preventing. Surround it were wind hissings, smoke, fire and ashes. Crowed of birds and animals were chaotic, hurriedly found the way to escape. The chaotic noise warned the Viet. He hurriedly grabbed the shield made of brass and the sword which was sharp and transparent as water. He leap out, prevented the monster.
Though the Viet was strong different with other people, the monster despised him. It opened its mouth. Immediately, the blue pearl flew up in midair. Winds hissed rolling around the blue pearl. A tornado was created. The tornado broke and suck all things around in, broken branches, broken trees, rocks, sands, animals. Some trees even took off ground with their roots and were rolled into it. The tornado moved to Viet. Honestly, Viet was very angry because of appearance of the monster which was destroying his hometown. Viet rushed into the moster, waved strongly his giant shield. A strong wind was created, moved against the tornado and they both vanished. Viet and snake-monster had fought for half day till snake-moster felt tired. It roared then opened. The blue pearl was recalled back its mouth. The white pearl flew up, replaced blue pearl in midair. Immediately, water appeared around the pearl, rolled and then fell down in ground. Seconds latter, whole the area was flooded. Trees and animals were submerged in water. Viet couldn't fight against the power of water. The run up to the highest mountain of that area. He stacked dried leaves and branches then fired. Before, his others left, they had some agreements that whenever thier home was in danger, their oldest brother, Viet would fire to call them back home. One stack of fire to called the youngest, Bot and two stacks of fire to called the middle, Leo. In the time, Viet fire one stack.
The youngest hurriedly came back hometown as he saw one pile of smoke reaching to sky. He was so sad as he got back. His hometown, now, was so desolate and wild. He even got more angry than his brother as he heard about the breaker. He spent days sitting on stream's shore he needed a plan to kill the monster. After that, he said goodbye his brother, went toward the place snake-monster stayed at the moment.
The monster laughed as it saw him, a man beautiful and pure white.
"Hey white rabbit," it said, "You bring yourself here for me skin."
Bot roared angrily.
vietnamese fairy tales

"I come here to punish you. You think your pool of water can prevent me as my brother."
Snake-monster turned angry. It opened its mouth. The white pearl flew up. Water poured downed. As a flash, Bot pounded strongly on ground by his foot. Soil wall emerged from ground. It rounded the water and got higher and higher. At last, the solid wall got over the pearl and covered including it inside. The water violently tried to break the wall but it couldn't. White pearl lost its power. Water slowly drained away.
Snake-monster recalled white pearl back. Red pearl was replaced at one. The red pearl was in midair. Fire appeared and surrounded the pearl making it looked like the second sun. From the pearl, flames was spitted out to every directions. Fire and smoke were everywhere. Trees were burned, water was boiled, rock and ground were broken. Bot couldn't fight against fire. He had no choice but to run back the place he lived where had rivers and sea.
Viet fired two stacks of dried leaves and branches. He called his other brother, Leo.
Leo chased after winds, headed toward his hometown as he saw the piles of smoke. He went straight to snake-monster's cave as he arrived to hometown. He met snake-moster be sharpening his claws at front of its cave. Leo didn't speak any word. He grabbed his knife and threw it strongly toward it. Snake-monster stepped backward, dodged his knife. Then, it grabbed leaves, whispered something. Leaves immediately transformed into huge wasps. Leo calmly picked the flower on his hair, pressed on ground. As soon as, a forest of colorful flowers appeared. The wasps were charmed. They downed and covered the flowers in black. Suddenly, the flowers trembled and petals closed prisoned wasps in them.
Snake-monster roared.
"You will run for your life as your brothers now." it said, pitting out red pearl. Fire burned whole the place and get more violently. Leo grabbed the bamboo knot he brought on his back. The knot contained magical water. He poured it on ground. Cool water scattered everywhere then later, they turned to streams which rolled around the fire and stamped out.
Snake-monster roared angrily. It recalled red pearl and spat out white pearl. Water rose higher and higher in very short time. Leo couldn't fight against water. He ran heading toward the place he lived where have high mountains.
Viet got worried as he and his brothers couldn't win the monster. People also got nervous. They together made a long ladder never seen before. The suggested Viet to climb up heaven and ask king of heaven how to kill the monster. Viet found the way to heaven.
The day, king of heaven woke up lately. He had seen Viet knee front of him when he opened eyes. Viet told him about the monster which was destroying his hometown. He prayed king to help him kill the monster.
King of heaven thought awhile.
"Snake-monster's not normal but you're all also not normal you are strong. However, you don't know how to take advantage powers of others. Go home and call your brothers back. You and they fight it together. If you all still don't fight against it, go back here I will give you another suggestion."
Viet obeyed. He went back his place, fired to call both his brothers back. Three brothers and people were apart. They went to the monster's cave from other directions. They arrived to there when the monster was eating, liver of white buffalo and black wine. It roared as it saw them.
"Three you, little rabbits come here to die." it laughed, "Wait, I must finish my serving before kill you."
Viet, the oldest replied. His voice's loud as thunder.
"Monster, today will be the day you die. You destroyed my home, you kill my neighbors, you fired my forest. You have to be punished."
Snake-monster turned angry. It spat out blue pearl. Winds hissed blowing up. As soon as, Viet grabbed brass shield. He waved it to the east, the mountains in the east fell down, waved in the west, the mountains in there were broken. He rolled the shield and strong winds appeared, smashed winds of the monster. The monster recalled blue pearl and spat out white pearl. Streams from white pearl poured strongly on ground. Bot, the youngest immediately leapt into the water. He raised his foot then pounded strongly on ground. A solid wall emerged from ground. It rounded the water in, got higher and higher till prisoned the water in.
Two times, its magics were destroyed, snake-monster hurriedly spat out red pearl. Smoke and fire violently spread out from red pearl. A fire tornado was created and cleaned all things on its way. Leo, the middle took his bamboo knot and poured magical water inside out. The water scattered and later, the cool drops turned into giant water in shape of dragon. They moved and wound around the fire. The fire was stamp out in seconds.
Snake-monster scared as all its magics had no power on them. It hurriedly found the way to escape. It intended to run toward sea but Bot had prevented it on that way. It turned confused, looked toward high mountain but Leo had been there, grabbed his spear, waited for it. Snake-monster had no choice it planned to escape to sky but Viet didn't give it the chance. He leapt up, raised his transparent sword and cut on its bodies thousand times. Snake-monster roared. It convulsed then died. It's body changed into Mountain chain Roc Ron, chapped, barren and jagged.
From that time, mountain and forest of Tay Nguyen where the oldest brother, Viet lived got again its peace. People turned back their jobs. Viet and his brothers were apart again. Viet stayed still besides forest. He rebuilt his house and stayed here to protected his mother's hometown.
Every year, Bot from sea brought salt to Tay Nguyen for his brothers, Leo took Gongs and blanks to the others while Viet shared them glutinous rice, honey, wood and venison.
Now, people still tell others about them. The oldest brother who's great in using shield, controlling winds. He's father of vietnamese people who live in Tay Nguyen. The youngest brother living near rivers and sea who's great in daming up. He's father of vietnamese people who live in plains and on the sea coast. The middle living in hot area who's great in stamping out fire. He's father of Lao people now. They are brothers.

The end...🙄🙄🙄

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Truyện 166. Vợ chàng Trương

Ngày xưa, ở làng Nam-xương có cô gái tên là Vũ Thị Thiết, người đã xinh đẹp lại thùy mị nết na. Nàng lấy chồng là Trương sinh vốn là người cùng làng. Trương sinh có tính cả ghen, hay để tâm xét nét vợ, nhưng vợ chàng thường giữ gìn khuôn phép nên không có chuyện gì xảy ra. Vợ chồng hương đượm lửa nồng chưa được bao lâu thì bỗng nghe tin chốn biên thùy có giặc, chồng vâng lệnh quan phải từ giã mẹ và vợ đi lính thú. Bấy giờ vợ đang có thai. Buổi chia tay thật là bịn rịn, mẹ chúc cho con chân cứng đá mềm, chồng khuyên vợ gắng phụng dưỡng mẹ già và nuôi con khôn lớn. Sau khi chồng trẩy được mươi ngày thì Vũ Thị Thiết sinh được một đứa con trai, đặt tên là thằng Đản. Thằng bé sởn sơ mạnh khỏe, còn bà nội của nó vì nhớ con sinh ra đau ốm. Vợ chàng Trương hết lòng mời thầy chạy thuốc, nhưng bệnh của mẹ chồng mỗi ngày một nặng, chẳng bao lâu thì mất. Nhờ có bà con xóm giềng, mọi việc tống táng đều lo liệu chu toàn. Đã mấy thu qua không thấy chồng...

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.

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!

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....

Why the “Tachypleus Tridentatus” always live with another?

Once  upon a time, a couple worked as fishers living in a village by the seaside. One day, the husband went fishing with his partners. Unfortunately, they met a storm so none could escape. The news spread to the village, all people who had relatives died aslo felt sad. The wife was heart-broken. She cried and ran along beachside , farer and farer from her home. She hoped that she could find husband somewhere in beachside . Vietnamesefairytales.blogspot.com After two day front her face now was a stone moutain. She climbed the moutain but she was so tired and had to take a nap under an ancient tree.

The heir

Once  upon a time, there had a sixty-year-old man, Le. Le was wealthy but he didn’t have son he had only a daughter. Besides, his wife had died so the girl was his only relative. When his daughter grew up, she married with a man in that area. Bui was his son-in-law and he married with his daughter because of his wealth. Le also thought that he would give them his assets when he died. “Now, I am over sixty years old, too old to give birth to any child. Son or daughter is also my child so that he or she also can be the heir”, thought him. And his intent turned more certain as his daughter had a son. One day, he went to his Bui’s house to meet his grandchild he now was three years old. While he was talking with Bui’s father, the grandchild approached the father of Bui and said: “Grandpa! Com-- in eat”. “Oh my sweet grandchild”, said the father of his son-in-law, joking “What about him? Do you want to invite him?”  The child shook his head and ran toward his gran...

Wise rabbit

Because  he couldn’t find any thing to eat in forest a rabbit went to field to steal sweet potatoes. Unfortunately, the owner was in a hut near there and sprinted to catch him. Wise rabbit, immediately, pretended that he was dead. The owner moved him few times but the rabbit didn’t move and he believed that the rabbit had been dead. He grabbed rabbit’s ears and carried to his home. As he arrived to a stall he laid the rabbit under a tree and observed but the rabbit didn’t run. Therefore, he was comfortable to come in and drank. But when he had come in the stall the rabbit woke up and ran away. vietnamesefairytales.blogspot.com Though the rabbit had escaped but he had not found any thing to eat for days. So hungry he risked to come to the field again. Unlucky, he was caught again. The owner had known that was a wise rabbit so that time he tied the rabbit carefully and bring to his home. He asked his wife: “Cage him. We will slaughter him on father's death anniversary”. ...

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...

Co Duong

Once  upon a time, the village under Hong linh mountain was place where fishers lived. They lived in fear that strong waves would bring them away. Then the unfortunate thing came, a storm had taken away many people and made many boats broken. Alive people had no choice but to become woodcutter. Every day, they went to mountain and collected fire-wood, brought to market to sell. The work was a hard work because they couldn’t climb up directly, the side of the mountain which was opposite their village was a cliff. Therefore, they had to cross other villages and found the way to climb. It, on other side, was too distant. They all hoped that they had a path to climb the mountain directly. http://vietnamesefairytales.blogspot.com A man who was over forty years old lived in the village. Others called him Co Duong because he always tried to help people as they came and asked his help though those were difficult works. He though that he had to go cross other village to climb to the...