My OperaThe legend of Chử Đồng Tử and Tiên Dung
Tuesday, May 25, 2010 9:38:15 AM
Under the reign of King Hung the third, the King had a beautiful and smart princess named Tiên Dung. People said that her beauty could compare with the beauty of fairies on the heaven. Although she was at the age to get married, Tiên Dung still did not want to marry anyone. She just liked to travel around, found new beauty spots in the country. The King loved her very much and let her do whatever she wished. Tiên Dung and her servants usually went out by boat. Sometimes she went out for months, followed a river to the sea or explored a large lake which nobody ever had come.
At that time, in a small village, there was a poor man and his son named Chử Đồng Tử. They lived in a small hut near a river. The father and the son loved each other very much and always tried to work hard to make ends meet. Unfortunately, their hut was burnt in a fire. Therefore, their lives became much harder. They had nothing to wear but a loin cloth. They wore it by turn when going out. When the father got sick and dying, he told his son to keep the coin cloth for himself. Chử Đồng Tử could not stand seeing his father buried without clothes so he wore the only loin cloth for his father. Living alone without any cloth things, Chử Đồng Tử had to go fishing at nights when nobody could see him. In daytime he had to deep his body into water, swam to boats to sell fishes.
One day, Tiên Dung in her royal boat came to the place where Chử Đồng Tử lived while he was swimming in the river. Seeing a royal boat with many people and music, Chử Đồng Tử was too sacred so he hurriedly hided himself under sandbank. The princess like the wonderful view of the river bank, she chose a place and told her servant to use a net to make a place for her to bath. However the place she chose was exactly the place where Chử Đồng Tử was hiding himself. Chử Đồng Tử did not know what he had to do, he even did not dare to breath. When Tiên Dung poured water on her body, the water swept sands away and Chử Đồng Tử appeared under the amazed eyes of the princess. The young man did not dare to look at her. Kneeling down, Chử Đồng Tử bowed his head and begged the princess to forget for his offence. After some seconds the princess calmed down and asked the man why he was there. Chử Đồng Tử told her his story. Tiên Dung looked at him and thought how strange he was here – I was planning not to get married but today I meet this man in this situation - that must be our destiny. The princess told him to get up and wash his body. She told her servants to give him clothes.
The princess invited him to come into her boat and have lunch with her. After talking for a while, the princess told him that she wanted him to marry her. The man said that he was a poor man who could not deserve to her. However Tiên Dung tried to convince him that their accident meeting was a destiny and their marriage was a plan of God. Finally, Chử Đồng Tử agreed with her. Their wedding was held right on the boat.
When the King was informed about the wedding, he got furious. He could not believe that his beloved daughter had decided to get married without his permission. It was even worse for him because his daughter – a precious princess of the kingdom – who did not want to take a look at a prince, a duke or a lord of a land but chose to live the rest of her life with a poor man who had nothing. That was a serious offence for the royal family. Therefore, the King declared that Tiên Dung was not his daughter any longer and she was not allowed to come back to the court.
Tiên Dung knew her father was very angry but she still wanted to live with her husband. They started their new life in the countryside. They opened a market to engage trade with people. Many people came there to sold and bought goods. The market quickly became one of the biggest markets in the area. Even foreign merchants knew and came there. Tiên Dung and Chử Đồng Tử became richer and richer. One day, a foreign merchant prince invited Chử Đồng Tử to join with him in a big trade affair. Tiên Dung wanted her husband to go outside and learn more so she advised him to accept the invitation. Chử Đồng Tử started to go with the man and his servants. When they went to the sea, they crossed a beautiful island. Chử Đồng Tử decided to stop by to enjoy the beauty of it. On the island, he met a Taoist hermit. Talking to the hermit, Chử Đồng Tử was brighten his heart so he told the merchant to take his gold to buy goods for him while he stayed there to learn with the hermit. When the merchant finished his work, he came over to get Chử Đồng Tử. At the farewell, the hermit gave Chử Đồng Tử a hat and a stick as his presents and said that they were magic things which would help him someday.
When Chử Đồng Tử arrived home, he told his wife about the wonderful time learning at the island. Chử Đồng Tử taught Tiên Dung what he had learnt from the hermit. After that, the couple decided to give up trading and went out to learn more and help people. They shared their fortune with poor people, taught them work, rescue people who got serious disease. Their good reputation was known everywhere.
They kept travelling thru many places. One day, they passed thru a wild area. It was late and there was no house around. Chử Đồng Tử pitched magic stick which was given by the hermit and put the hat on it. They stood under the hat and slept. When they got up in the following morning, they found themselves in a very big, beautiful palace. The palace seemed to be even bigger than the royal palace. There were many servants were willing to server them. People were surprised and believed they were God and Goddess. So, they came to the palace to congratulate them and asked for their advices which helped them a lot. More and more people knew about Tiên Dung and Chử Đồng Tử. However, that made the King worried. He got afraid of their power and wonder if they want to rule the country. So, he ordered his army to come to arrest the couple. When his troop came near to the palace, it was late evening. They dared not pass thru the river in such a late time with darkness so they camped on a river bank and waited for the morning.
Many people heard that the King wanted to arrest Chử Đồng Tử and Tiên Dung. They came to the palace and wanted to protect the couple. However, the couple denied their help, they did not want to make the King misunderstand. They said that the King was their father and they always loved him no matter what he did. They ordered all their servants left their palace to go home. In the midnight, there was a thunderstorm blow that cared all people. It rained heavily. Winds seemed want to blow everything up to sky.
In the following morning, people surprised to see that the palace was gone. There was not a small thing left which showed that there had been a big palace there. The troop looked at the place where had had the palace and the only thing they saw was a large lake. People called the lake Nhất Dạ (One - night lake). It was said that the couple had gone to the heaven and they usually came to help people when someone needed their help. Chử Đồng Tử is one of the Four Immortal Gods in our belief, he is the symbol of love, marriage and wealth.
At that time, in a small village, there was a poor man and his son named Chử Đồng Tử. They lived in a small hut near a river. The father and the son loved each other very much and always tried to work hard to make ends meet. Unfortunately, their hut was burnt in a fire. Therefore, their lives became much harder. They had nothing to wear but a loin cloth. They wore it by turn when going out. When the father got sick and dying, he told his son to keep the coin cloth for himself. Chử Đồng Tử could not stand seeing his father buried without clothes so he wore the only loin cloth for his father. Living alone without any cloth things, Chử Đồng Tử had to go fishing at nights when nobody could see him. In daytime he had to deep his body into water, swam to boats to sell fishes.
One day, Tiên Dung in her royal boat came to the place where Chử Đồng Tử lived while he was swimming in the river. Seeing a royal boat with many people and music, Chử Đồng Tử was too sacred so he hurriedly hided himself under sandbank. The princess like the wonderful view of the river bank, she chose a place and told her servant to use a net to make a place for her to bath. However the place she chose was exactly the place where Chử Đồng Tử was hiding himself. Chử Đồng Tử did not know what he had to do, he even did not dare to breath. When Tiên Dung poured water on her body, the water swept sands away and Chử Đồng Tử appeared under the amazed eyes of the princess. The young man did not dare to look at her. Kneeling down, Chử Đồng Tử bowed his head and begged the princess to forget for his offence. After some seconds the princess calmed down and asked the man why he was there. Chử Đồng Tử told her his story. Tiên Dung looked at him and thought how strange he was here – I was planning not to get married but today I meet this man in this situation - that must be our destiny. The princess told him to get up and wash his body. She told her servants to give him clothes.
The princess invited him to come into her boat and have lunch with her. After talking for a while, the princess told him that she wanted him to marry her. The man said that he was a poor man who could not deserve to her. However Tiên Dung tried to convince him that their accident meeting was a destiny and their marriage was a plan of God. Finally, Chử Đồng Tử agreed with her. Their wedding was held right on the boat.
When the King was informed about the wedding, he got furious. He could not believe that his beloved daughter had decided to get married without his permission. It was even worse for him because his daughter – a precious princess of the kingdom – who did not want to take a look at a prince, a duke or a lord of a land but chose to live the rest of her life with a poor man who had nothing. That was a serious offence for the royal family. Therefore, the King declared that Tiên Dung was not his daughter any longer and she was not allowed to come back to the court.
Tiên Dung knew her father was very angry but she still wanted to live with her husband. They started their new life in the countryside. They opened a market to engage trade with people. Many people came there to sold and bought goods. The market quickly became one of the biggest markets in the area. Even foreign merchants knew and came there. Tiên Dung and Chử Đồng Tử became richer and richer. One day, a foreign merchant prince invited Chử Đồng Tử to join with him in a big trade affair. Tiên Dung wanted her husband to go outside and learn more so she advised him to accept the invitation. Chử Đồng Tử started to go with the man and his servants. When they went to the sea, they crossed a beautiful island. Chử Đồng Tử decided to stop by to enjoy the beauty of it. On the island, he met a Taoist hermit. Talking to the hermit, Chử Đồng Tử was brighten his heart so he told the merchant to take his gold to buy goods for him while he stayed there to learn with the hermit. When the merchant finished his work, he came over to get Chử Đồng Tử. At the farewell, the hermit gave Chử Đồng Tử a hat and a stick as his presents and said that they were magic things which would help him someday.
When Chử Đồng Tử arrived home, he told his wife about the wonderful time learning at the island. Chử Đồng Tử taught Tiên Dung what he had learnt from the hermit. After that, the couple decided to give up trading and went out to learn more and help people. They shared their fortune with poor people, taught them work, rescue people who got serious disease. Their good reputation was known everywhere.
They kept travelling thru many places. One day, they passed thru a wild area. It was late and there was no house around. Chử Đồng Tử pitched magic stick which was given by the hermit and put the hat on it. They stood under the hat and slept. When they got up in the following morning, they found themselves in a very big, beautiful palace. The palace seemed to be even bigger than the royal palace. There were many servants were willing to server them. People were surprised and believed they were God and Goddess. So, they came to the palace to congratulate them and asked for their advices which helped them a lot. More and more people knew about Tiên Dung and Chử Đồng Tử. However, that made the King worried. He got afraid of their power and wonder if they want to rule the country. So, he ordered his army to come to arrest the couple. When his troop came near to the palace, it was late evening. They dared not pass thru the river in such a late time with darkness so they camped on a river bank and waited for the morning.
Many people heard that the King wanted to arrest Chử Đồng Tử and Tiên Dung. They came to the palace and wanted to protect the couple. However, the couple denied their help, they did not want to make the King misunderstand. They said that the King was their father and they always loved him no matter what he did. They ordered all their servants left their palace to go home. In the midnight, there was a thunderstorm blow that cared all people. It rained heavily. Winds seemed want to blow everything up to sky.
In the following morning, people surprised to see that the palace was gone. There was not a small thing left which showed that there had been a big palace there. The troop looked at the place where had had the palace and the only thing they saw was a large lake. People called the lake Nhất Dạ (One - night lake). It was said that the couple had gone to the heaven and they usually came to help people when someone needed their help. Chử Đồng Tử is one of the Four Immortal Gods in our belief, he is the symbol of love, marriage and wealth.
