Buzz
7. The Little Match Girl
A touching story that will help children sleep better. We cannot overlook the tale of The Little Match Girl. It narrates the story of a little girl selling matches on New Year's Eve. The girl, facing hardship as both her mother and grandmother have passed away, lives with a cruel father in a dilapidated house. On New Year's Eve, she goes out to sell matches wearing thin, tattered clothes and an empty stomach. Fearful of returning home without selling any matches due to the possibility of being beaten by her father, she sits in a corner between two walls. She strikes the matches to keep warm. With each match lit, she sees beautiful visions in her head. When she strikes the fourth match, her kind grandmother appears. She pleads for her grandmother to take her away. Ultimately, the two of them hold hands and fly to heaven where her mother awaits.
The Little Match Girl is a short story that vividly portrays compassion and love of the author, Hans Christian Andersen, towards the unfortunate and impoverished, especially children in society at that time. The story concludes with the tragic death of the pitiful girl. She doesn't just die from the bone-chilling cold of the icy snow but also from the indifference and apathy of the people in that society. By ending the work with the image of the girl's death and the indifference of passersby, the author clearly expresses deep sorrow for the plight of the poor, unfortunate, especially children, and simultaneously condemns the indifference of some people in society at that time. Through this story, the author also imparts valuable lessons and profound messages to readers of all generations to come.
8. The Legend of the Persimmon Tree
Discovering The Legend of the Persimmon Tree, young readers will hear about a person who knows how to share, be kind, and generous. The tale of The Legend of the Persimmon Tree is a very familiar Vietnamese folklore story for Vietnamese children. The story is extremely captivating and attracts young readers. However, hidden within this intriguing story are valuable lessons, profound meanings about how people should treat each other, portrayed through the imagery of two siblings. It narrates the story of two siblings who, after their parents' death, inherit only a persimmon tree and a small house. Until a bird eats the persimmons and repays with gold, the older sibling harbors greed. Nevertheless, when the older sibling is also taken away by the bird to repay with gold, it is this greed that causes the older sibling to fall into the sea.
The Legend of the Persimmon Tree is a very good story, a story about repaying kindness, believing in goodness, and luck for everyone. The Legend of the Persimmon Tree story also has educational value for young children to develop good qualities for their future lives. The story also wants to remind siblings to love and help each other instead of being cruel to each other for money, not to lose oneself for greed, or to fall into the abyss due to greed, like the older sibling. Greed makes people become more mean, vile. Besides, remember to do good deeds, live virtuously; surely, you will encounter many lucky and beautiful things in life.
9. The Bamboo with a Hundred Knots
A child's sleep will be more peaceful when listening to the story of The Bamboo with a Hundred Knots. The folklore tale of the bamboo with a hundred knots is a folk story passed down orally from generation to generation, known to every child and adult. The story brings forth profound moral lessons, teaching people to live in the most virtuous manner. It tells the story of a boy who plowed the fields after being orphaned from a young age. He was hired by a wealthy old man. Naturally kind and sincere, the old man instructed the boy to do whatever he deemed fit. One day, the old man called the boy for a feast, saying, “You've been with us for a long time, and we've noticed your obedience and kindness, so we've decided to marry our daughter to you. Believe it or not, the boy worked tirelessly day and night, and the old man's estate flourished, with houses, fields, and gardens aplenty. However, the old man harbored a plan to marry his daughter off to another wealthy merchant. On the day of the wedding, the old man summoned the boy and said, 'Go into the forest and find a bamboo with a hundred knots, and I will marry my daughter to you.'
Hearing this, the boy ventured into the forest and searched, but he couldn't find it. As he sat there crying, a deity appeared and showed him how to find the bamboo with a hundred knots. When the boy returned, the old man was hosting a grand celebration. Following the deity's instructions, the boy exclaimed “engrave in,” and suddenly a bamboo with a hundred knots appeared. The old man rushed over and got entangled in the bamboo, pleading for mercy, but the boy shouted “release,” and the old man was freed. The old man had no choice but to marry his daughter to the boy, and the two spouses lived happily together. Through the story, it's evident that “good begets good,” while “evil begets evil.” Goodness always triumphs over evil. The story also aims to teach us to discern between right and wrong, to stand up for the good, support the weak, and engage in righteous deeds. If we stand on the side of goodness, support the vulnerable, and perform righteous deeds, we will surely receive the most deserving rewards.
10. Little Tích Chu
“Little Tích Chu” is a story about a boy named Tích Chu who lost his parents at a young age and had to live with his grandmother. His grandmother loved and cared for him dearly. Tích Chu promised to take care of his grandmother when he grew up. However, as he grew older, Tích Chu became preoccupied with playing with his friends and didn't realize that his grandmother was ill until she turned into a bird and flew away. Only then did Tích Chu regret his actions and try every means to bring his grandmother back home. He went in search of the mythical spring water to cure his grandmother. After many difficulties and hardships, Tích Chu finally found the mythical spring water. After drinking it, his grandmother returned to normal. The two lived happily together. The story is easy to understand because every child has a grandmother, and children can relate to the bond between Tích Chu and his grandmother with their own experiences.
The fairy tale of Little Tích Chu is a story full of profound meaning, educating children to care for and love others, especially their family members, to obey adults, and not to prioritize play over responsibilities. Through this, children also see the power of family love that helped Little Tích Chu overcome many difficulties. The story of Little Tích Chu has taught children a very profound lesson that they must care for and love their family members, those who have raised and nurtured them. When adults teach and advise them, children must listen and obey, not prioritizing play over the needs of adults when they are sick...
