25The Ant That Sued the Yam Cái Kiến Mày Kiện Củ Khoai
26The Fair Judge Phân Xử Tài Tình
27The Entrapped Con Man Đại Bợm Mắc Bẫy
28The Woman with Two Husbands Người Đàn Bà Hai Chồng
29The Wise Wife and Her Idiotic Husband Vợ Khôn Chồng Dại
30The Story of the Brooms Sự Tích Cái Chổi
31A Son Was Born before the Father Sinh Con Rồi Mới Sinh Cha
32The Three Heroes Ba Chàng Tài Ba
33A Faithful Love Story Mối Tình Chung Thuỷ
34The Crab Couple Đôi Sam Khắng Khít
35Brotherly Love Conquers All Anh Em Nhà Họ Điền
36The River Kingdom Princess Công Chúa Thuỷ Cung
37The Quicksilver-Filled Scale Cái Cân Thuỷ Ngân
38The Story of the Narcissus Hoa Thuỷ Tiên
39The Fable of the Grasshopper Sự Tích Con Cào Cào
40The Witnessing Termite Con Mối Làm Chứng
Foreword
The Vietnamese teach their children not only the language, but also the history and cultural values of their people, using folktales passed down from generation to generation. Through this collection of short stories, it is our genuine hope that the reader will enjoy a glimpse of Vietnamese life—both mystic and actual—in antiquity, from the time the Earth was governed by supernatural powers to the time society was under feudal rule. We have scouted the archives for rare and seldom-told fables, wherein wondrous worlds unfold, sharing hard-earned lessons, the origins of Vietnamese traditions, and universal truths. As these tales have been passed down for centuries through the oral tradition, cultural notes have been included for a full and thoughtful understanding of how the characters’ natural and social environments caused them to behave and interact within the societal structures of their time.
More often than not, culture is a by-product of the acquisition of a new language. At least, that is how most language classes and textbooks are structured. This compilation, on the other hand, attempts to enhance the reader’s language-learning experience through the cultural context. In this mode, language is subtly imparted through the immersion in descriptions of riveting events and traditional practices. This book is for mid- to high-intermediate language learners. With English and Vietnamese versions set side by side, the reader will be able to trace how each word or idiomatic phrase is translated to retain the essence of the original text. Additionally, each story comes with a glossary (broken down into parts of speech), which includes selected idiomatic expressions. New vocabulary is often recycled to facilitate the reader’s learning process. Cultural notes clarify some details in the stories for better understanding, as well as better appreciation of the texts. Finally, discussion questions create dialogue for critical thinking, points of view, psychological and philosophical observations, etc.
This collection of folklore was compiled in the spirit of an old Vietnamese saying “Ôn cố tri tân” (“Review old things to understand new ones”). It is the authors’ ambition that it serves the readers’ language-learning goals and is passed down to future generations. We sincerely hope that you can relate with some of its diverse characters and situations, which celebrate the human condition in all its triumph and folly. Let’s now turn the page and begin our cultural and linguistic journey!
Tri C. Tran and Tram Le University of California, Irvine
The Magic Longbow
Trong Thuy and My Chau
Love can become complicated when it involves the destiny of two nations. It is all the more complicated when one person acts out of the expression of true love while the other one acts out of selfish gain. The story tells of the tragedy of a king whose daughter connives with her husband, the son of a neighboring country’s king. The latter, neighboring king has the wicked intention of using the young couple’s marriage to fulfill his ambition of land conquest.
King An Duong Vuong ruled over the kingdom of Au Lac and had a daughter named My Chau. The king gave orders for a citadel to be constructed to protect his territory. Strangely, as soon as a part of the fortress was constructed, that part collapsed. An Duong Vuong gave offerings to ask the gods for help. After several days and nights, a gigantic golden turtle appeared. It was the god Kim Quy.
He said, “The fortress is collapsing because a demon is destroying it. I will help you build a fortress that cannot be messed with anymore.”
From that moment on, they were able to build the strong fortress without hindrance. Following Kim Quy’s instructions, the fortress was built in a unique spiral shape. The people called it “Loa (old spiral) Citadel” because of this.
When the god bid farewell, the king respectfully asked, “Your holiness, the entire kingdom of Au Lac is deeply indebted to you. Loa Citadel is very strong, but how do we fight back if we are surrounded by invaders?”
Kim Quy removed one of his claws and gave it to the king saying, “I give you this claw to make into a longbow. When you are in danger, say my name three times. I will come to help you.”
When he finished, the god disappeared into the ocean. The king commanded that a longbow be fashioned from the claw. This magic longbow was marvelous—each pull shot out thousands of arrows at the same time.
To the north of Au Lac was the country of Nam Viet where Trieu Da ruled. Trieu Da had invaded Au Lac with his armies many times, but never successfully. With the magical longbow, An Duong Vuong’s army easily destroyed Nam Viet’s army. Knowing that My Chau was looking for a husband, Trieu Da pretended to make peace with An Duong Vuong, and asked for My Chau’s hand in marriage to his son, Trong Thuy. An Duong Vuong agreed to give away his daughter in order to strengthen the bond between the two countries. Trong Thuy went to Au Lac to live with his wife’s family in the palace. After living some time with My Chau, he began trying to inveigle information from her.
He asked in feigned innocence, “Au Lac’s army doesn’t have very many weapons, so how does it always manage to