The Origin of Tao Quan

 There is a popular belief in Viet Nam that Tao Quan, the Three Kitchen Gods, are present in the kitchen of every home.

These gods observe everything that takes place there. At the end of the lunar year, on the twenty-third day of the twelfth month, they depart to make their report to Ngoc Hoang, the Jade Emperor, supreme divinity of the Taoist Heaven. On that day, Tao Quan are offered the best of food and spices and are presented with gifts of money and clothing.

The idea of a threesome is unique to this story. More often the kitchen god or genie is described as a single person and may be called

Long, long ago, when Earth and Sky met in the Valley of Whispers, in the dense, green forest there lived a woodcutter and his wife. They were very poor and oftentimes the man was unable to earn enough to buy their food. Frustration and worry drove him to drink, and he would come staggering home at night in a vile mood. Since there was only his wife to listen to him in their ramshackle cottage, he poured out all manner of abuse on the poor woman. Because she was his wife, she had to accept it. Sometimes he would try to appease his rage by smashing the furniture; but when he took to beating her she could endure it no longer. One night, she fled the cottage and was never seen there again.

For days and weeks, the woman wandered in the forest. She was hungry and her feet were torn and bleeding. Finally, she came to a hunter’s cabin. The owner was an honest man, who gave her food and permitted her to rest in his home. She kept house for him then, and after some time they were married. They lived together in great happiness, and it seemed that the woman had forgotten the terrors of her previous marriage.

One day, when Tet (Vietnamese New Year) was approaching and the hunter was out in the forest looking for game, a beggar knocked at the door of the cottage and asked for alms. He was clad in rags and his hair was matted and unkempt. The compassionate woman prepared a meal for the man; while he was eating, she suddenly recognized him as her former husband.

The beggar was still eating when the woman heard the steps of her returning husband. In her mind’s eyes, she saw rapid end of her newfound happiness and became panic-stricken. Quickly she hid the beggar under a haycock .

The hunter had been very successful that day and was returning home with some excellent game. As soon as he entered the cottage, he prepared to roast it in the haycock quite unaware of the beggar’s presence there.

When the beggar found himself ablaze, his first impulse was to cry out; then, fearing that the hunter might kill the woman on discovering him there, he remained silent.

As tongues of flame consumed the haycock, the poor woman was torn with grief. She realized of course that her former husband was meeting death for her sake and that she did not want. Hesitating for no longer than a moment, she threw herself into the fire in order to die with him.

The hunter cried out in dismay when he saw what his wife had done. He tried to pull her back but was unable to do so. Thinking that some act of his had driven her to such desperation, he too jumped into fire, preferring to die with her rather than to continue to live without her.

When the people learned of this touching story, they bowed their heads out of respect for the noble motives that had brought on the deaths of the woman and the two men. They were later acclaimed as Tao Quan, the Three Kitchen Gods.

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The Golden Star Fruit Tree (Cay Khe)

Once upon a time, there was a very rich man who lived in a village. When he died, he left his two sons a huge fortune. But the two brothers were entirely different.

The elder was greedy, but the younger was very kind. So after the parents’ death, the elder claimed the fortune and left his younger brother only star fruit tree. (A very productive tree that gives sour fruit.) The younger brother took good care of his tree, watering it every day and hoping that it would give him a lot of fruit so that he could make a living by selling it. The elder brother, on the other hand, was so happy with his inheritance that he had nothing to worry about.

Chargined, the wife lamented: ” Poor us. As poor as we are, the only thing we count much on was what that star fruit tree brings us; now look, this bird ravaged it all. We will probably know starvation”. Miracle! The raven upon hearing those lamentations, perched down and replied in a human voice: ” Star fruits I eat, with gold I pay, be ready with a three-foot bag and follow me to get it”. Afraid the woman ran in the hut to look for her husband. They discussed and decided to sew the bag according to the indicated size, waiting for the return of the bird. A few days later, the bird came back, ate all the star fruits then got down from the tree to invite the husband to take a seat on its back with the bag. Then they disappeared together in the horizon.

Frightened, the younger brother closed his eyes. The bird took him very far before landing on a deserted island, full of precious stones. He was free to take whatever he could. He filled the bag and the raven took him back to his home. From then on, the couple knew opulence, lived in luxury places. They often gave help to the poor. On the occasion of the commemoration of his parents’ death, the couple invited the elder brother to come over. Full of despise of his younger brother, the elder look for a pretext to decline and aksed that the younger carpet the road with mats and adorn the gate with gold if he wanted to receive him.

Respectful of his elder brother, the younger complied with the latter’s wish. The elder brother and his wife were surprised to see the younger couple’s opulence and wealth. Curious, the elder skillfully tried to penetrate the mystery. His younger brother, honest and frank, did not hesitate to tell him the story of the giant raven that took him to look for gold.

The elder couple proposed an exchange of their fortune for only the hut and the star fruit tree. The younger agreed. One day, the raven came back to eat the star fruits and gave the same recommendation: a three-foot bag to go looking for gold. The elder greedy and curious, brought with him two big six-foot bags and when on the spot, filled them with gold. On the way back, burdened by the overweight of of the two bags, the raven who could not hold any longer, swayed and sent the elder to the sea where he drowned.

The elder was the object of much despise when people knew about his greed and stinginess. God always helps good people and always punishes naughty people

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The Mountain of the Woman who is Waiting for Her Husband

Long time ago, in a village on the highland region, lived two orphans, one was a young man about twenty years old, the other was his seven years old sister. Because they were alone in this world, they were all one for the other. On a beautiful day,

On a beautiful morning, he found his wife sitting in the back yard drying her long black hair under the sunshine. At the time when she glided the comb on her hair that she lifted with her other hand, he discovered a long scar above the back of her neck. Surprised, he asked her for its cause. Hesitating, she began to tell the story crying:

I am only the adoptive daughter of the merchant. Orphaned, I lived with my brother who, fifteen years ago for unknown reasons, injured me with a blow of an ax and abandoned me in the forest. I was rescued by the robbers who sold me to this merchant who had just lost his daughter and who was sorry for my situation. I don't know what happened to my brother and it is hard for me to explain his insensitive act. However we love each other so much.

The husband overcame his emotion and asked his wife for information concerning her father's and brother's names and her native village. Taken by remorse while keeping for himself the frightening secret, he was ashamed and horrified himself. He tries to stay away from his wife and his son by taking advantage of the military draft to enroll in the army and hoping to find the delivery on the battleground.

From the day of his departure, in ignorance of the truth, his wife waited for him with patience and resignation. Every evening, she took her son in her arms and climbed up the mountain looking out for the return of her husband. She made the same gesture for entire years. On a beautiful day, reaching the top of the mountain, exhausted and stayed standing, her eyes fixed to the horizon, she was changed into rock and immobile in her eternal wait.

This mountain, known as "Núi Vọng Phu" (or The Mountain of the Woman who is waiting for her husband ) is located not far from Lạng Sơn, quite close to the Sino-Vietnamese border. At the top of the mountain is a rock bearing the shape of a standing woman holding her child in her arms. This resemblance is striking when the sun sets on the horizon. The tale of this mountain is so touching it becomes thus one of the legends preferred by Vietnamese and gives so much inspiration to Vietnamese poet

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Sue God For Rain

Once upon a time, there was no rain for long, long time. The ground cracked all over, all plants withered, animals had to suffer from thirsty.

There was so great a toad that he tried to find way to the heaven to let God know what life on the earth stood. He departed his trip and on the way to the heaven he was supported and followed by a crab, a bee, a fox, a bear and a tiger.

At last they all were at the place they wanted to come. The toad saw a drum at the heaven's gate so he asked the crab to hide himself in the jar of water then told the bee to take shelter behind the door. After all he suggested the rest to wait outside and came back when needed. Then the great toad marched forward and took the drumstick and beat the drum far-resoundingly. Thunder genie was asked to come out to see what happened. He immediately turned back and said that there was no one but a little toad himself beating the drum. The news was annoying God so he asked a cock to peck the obstinate toad. However, this cock was unlucky one, he was killed by the fox after he fulfilled the duty. Suddenly a dog appeared and tried to attack the fox but it was the right time for our bear showed his power. The poor dog was hurled down right away and died an instant death.

The failure was instantly broken to God. He was extremely angry and sent Thunder genie out to punish troublemakers at gate. The genie violently came out with his thunder maker, unfortunately he was attacked by the bee as premonition. The genie was so frighten that he had to jump into the jar of water and immediately jumped out because it was impossible for him to continue suffering pain from the crab's sharp pincers. At last the tiger showed himself so bravely that made the violent genie stood as a stone status.

God was in an awkward situation so he had to invite the great toad and all of his friends into the court. The toad after that told God that there was no rain in the earth for four years. Everything had faced death. If things went on like that, there would be nothing survive.

God was very much afraid of the earth's rebel so he immediately made rain and carefully told the toad just to grind his teeth if the earth needed water. From that day on it may rain if toad grinds his teeth so there is a Vietnamese saying:

"Toad is god's uncle

Beat him, god beats back".

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The Price of Love

Once upon a time, there was a young Thai couple who had yet to have a child. Like anyone else in their hamlet, they worked hard to make ends meet. The wife became more and more beautiful soon after the marriage and so her husband loved her more and more as each day passed.

One day, he had to go on a long trip for about 10 days to perform viec muong, community work in the Thai-populated region.

A merchant with a flock of horses happened upon the hamlet and, of course, the young wife’s beauty did not go unnoticed.

“Hey, sweet girl! Where could a poor merchant rest his head for the night?” he said with a gentle smile.

“Girl?” said the young wife, a touch irritated. “Can’t you see my tang cau?” (A hair bun that signifies a Thai woman is married.)

“Perhaps you have just married and have yet to have a child, so you still look like a girl,” he said with a cocky smile. “Please, all I need is a place to sleep.”

“If you do not make light of my small house, you can stay.”

So the man came in and as usual when he did business, he presented a pack of tobacco for her husband, sweets for any children and boxes of thread. Then he pulled out some glittering silver coins and instructed her to buy a large chicken for his dinner.

That night, she asked a neighbour’s kid to sleep with her to thwart any advances the man might attempt. But the merchant was in no rush.

“I’ll just stay another night,” he said to himself as he fell asleep.

The next morning when he woke up, he saw the beautiful woman returning from a bath in the stream, shouldering a water tube made of bamboo and with the water still glistening on her shoulders the merchant only became more besotted by her beauty.

“My horses and I are still tired. I want to stay another night,” he said while handing over a luxurious piece of cloth. “Your complexion is white and soft. This cloth suits you well.”

“But I do not deserve it.”

“No. It doesn’t cost that much, nor do I ask you for money.”

Then as she had no jewellery, the merchant gave her a gemstone bracelet, two gold ear-rings and a silver hairpin, saying a beauty like hers should have all.

Although at first, the woman felt guilty accepting these lavish gifts, soon she was overwhelmed. She thought, “why shouldn’t I have jewellery and dresses?” It was only down to poor luck that she married such a poor husband. And so it was that the merchant came to get pretty cosy around the house.

Of course, when the husband returned he was so angry he took out a dagger, thinking he would kill the two of them, right there and then. But he could not bring himself to harm a hair on his wife’s beautiful head. Instead, he brought the case to the local court.

“We were living in happiness until this man came and wooed her with his fancy gifts. I can prove that she is my wife,” he told the judge.

“I don’t know who this poor guy is,” said the merchant. “But he suddenly came and said my wife was his. If he is so poor, how can he buy her these precious items she wears so well?”

“Hang on, there’s an easy solution to this,” barked the judge looking at the woman. “Which of them is your husband?”

But she could not answer. In fact, she burst out crying. The judge asked her again and again but he received no answer.

“You’re all wasting my time so you all should be punished,” roared the judge, who told his officials to bring in a big drum. “Now first, the poor man and the woman carry this drum together over the five hills yonder.”

So the real husband and his wife carried the drum away. On the way the man thought of the many sweet memories they shared but his wife kept silent and after one morning’s walking they carried the drum over the five hills and back.

“Now the rich guy and the woman do the same” said the judge.

So the merchant and the woman carried the drum away. On the way the merchant urged her to leave the poor husband and promised more precious beautiful gifts.

“Your assets have torn my family apart. You want to marry me but if I become your wife, you will treat me like a servant only,” she barked.

When they returned back to the court, the judge ordered the drum to be opened and a small man who’d heard all emerged. He said the poor man was the real husband.

The judge confiscated the merchant’s assets, had him beaten one hundred times by a wooden stick and chased him out of town.

As for the couple, well, it’s hard to know what ever became of them, and perhaps it’s better not to ask.

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