The next day, Mai An Tiem and his family left the kingdom escorted by the royal soldiers. After three days they reached the island. “Please convey my deepest gratitude and respect to the king for his constant blessings, generosity, and kindness to me and my family,” Mai An Tiem said to one of the soldiers. The royal soldiers returned to the kingdom.
It was dark and chilly that night. Mai An Tiem could find no shelter but a cave by the shore. “Let’s stay here for tonight; it will protect us from the cold winds and wild animals,” Mai An Tiem said to his wife.
The next morning, Mai An Tiem woke up early. He went along the shore to collect seaweed, then up to the hill for firewood. Deep in the forest, with his old blade he cut bamboo stalks for building a house and bamboo shoots for food.
Four years passed. The children grew up fast. They learned to find beans and other vegetables and grow them in a garden. Mai An Tiem spent a lot of time tilling the rocky soil and went fishing. His wife made some warm clothes from animal skins and prepared hearty dishes. Their life was stable.
One day, while resting on the hill, Mai An Tiem saw a flock of crows flying by the island, croaking and cawing angrily. Suddenly he noticed something falling down from the sky. He ran up to the hill and, surprisingly, spotted some black seeds scattered everywhere. He collected them all and chose a good spot on the hill to plant them.
Before long, the whole hill was covered with strong green vines, bright yellow flowers, and many big, strange round fruits of all sizes.
“I don’t know if this fruit is edible, or how to eat it,” said the wife.
“Crows dropped the seeds from the sky, and if birds can eat it, we can eat it as well,” Mai An Tiem replied.
Then he chose the biggest fruit and cut it in half. To his surprise, inside the green rind was bright red pulp dotted with black seeds.
The fruit was so juicy and sweet. “Let's name it Dua Hau because it tastes like melon,” said Mai An Tiem.
Excited by the new fruit, they used the seeds to plant another crop. Within months, they harvested more big melons. One day, while collecting seaweed, Mai An Tiem had an idea. He ran back to the melon hill, selected a half dozen of the melons, and carved his name and a map of the island on the green rind. He rushed back to the shore and set the melons adrift in the sea in the hope that a sailor would find it.
Every week, more melons were thrown in the sea until, one day, a merchant ship came to the island and looked for the owner of these delicious fruits.
Many more ships came to buy the exotic fruits. Mai An Tiem’s life became busier and more comfortable. With the merchant’s help, he was able to send the finest melons to the king.
One day, among the exotic dishes, the king noticed fresh slices of red fruit dotted with black seeds. He had never before seen such a fruit. He tried one piece and enjoyed it very much. When he asked about the source of the fruit, and learned of the island from which it came and of the man who sent it, the king realized that the giver of the wonderful fruit was his exiled adopted son.
Touched by Mai An Tiem’s loyalty and generosity, the king ordered the soldiers to bring his family back to the kingdom. He regretted that he had misjudged his adopted son. “Mai An Tiem is right—through good times or tough times, nothing changes who he is. He deserves to be blessed!” the king proclaimed. Since that day Dua Hau, or watermelons, were planted throughout the kingdom to honor Mai An Tiem.
The Legend of the Mai Flower
There would be no Tet (or, Tet Nguyen Dan) without a yellow Mai flower tree in the front yard, or blossoming branches of bright Mai flowers in the house to bring good luck, happiness, and prosperity.
According to the legend, the Mai flower was once a brave little girl who lived happily with her parents and sister in a small village. They loved each other dearly. Everyone knew that the little girl’s favorite color was yellow and that she loved nature. Unlike her big sister, who was always by her mother’s side, the little girl spent most of her days with her father in the forest, hunting and cutting wood. In the evening she loved to talk and share stories with the Kitchen Gods, to whom she was grateful for the delicious and nourishing meals they gave.
One day, the oldest Kitchen God talked about his annual trip to the heavens. He thought it would be perfect if the Kitchen Gods could ride on a yellow carp. “Don’t worry, Mr. Kitchen God. We can get one for you. My sister is great at catching fishes in the pond,” said the little girl happily. True to her word, a yellow carp was on the Kitchen Gods’ altar that very evening.
One hot summer, people noticed that farm animals were disappearing one by one, without a trace.
“I don’t think we have a thief in our village, but maybe the horrible beast has returned,” the father thought. Once, he had chased a severely wounded beast into a cave, and the villagers covered the opening with heavy boulders. “But he should be dead by now,” the father thought.
From then on, farmers left the rice fields early and rushed the animals back to the barn before dusk for fear they’d be attacked and eaten by the beast. Everyone was afraid to cross the forest at night except for the girl’s father. He was a good hunter, a brave monster fighter, and a great runner. He was the most admired protector of the village, having conquered other beasts and monsters in the past.
The hunter and his daughter, accompanied by strong farmers, went out early one morning in search of the beast.
“It’s time to bring peace to our village,” the hunter said. He ordered everyone, including his little girl, to stay behind and wait for him by the mountain.
“Father, please let me stay near you. I want to be there if you need help,” the little girl begged. The father, pleased by her bravery, agreed to let her join in the battle.
The little girl went through the forest, carefully following her father’s instructions, and found the beast’s cave almost instantly. The monster appeared to be half-human, half-snake. He moved so fast that all the trees and branches were broken and destroyed. He roared with rage at the sight the hunter and his little girl.
The battle began and went on for hours. Finally, with a great shriek, the beast fell to the ground. Its tail knocked the girl very hard into the cave. Everyone was relieved that the beast was dead, but grieved because there was no sign of the little girl. She was buried among the rocks where no one could see her but the oldest Kitchen God.
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