Buzz
Amidst the bustling streets of a vibrant city, echoes of ancient legends still resonate.
Retell a folklore story in my own words
I. Retell the tale of The Bamboo Tree with a Hundred Knots in my own words
When reminiscing about folklore tales, my mind immediately drifts to mythical beings such as fairies, wizards, and divine entities aiding the virtuous in times of dire need or despair. One of the folklore tales that has been etched into my memory with vivid detail is The Bamboo Tree with a Hundred Knots.
The story of The Bamboo Tree with a Hundred Knots narrates the tale of an affluent old man and a destitute peasant. Despite his wealth, the old man is notoriously miserly, solely interested in exploiting others for his gain. The impoverished peasant is coerced into toiling the fields for the old man, with the promise of marrying his daughter after diligently working the land for three years. Trusting in the promise, the honest peasant diligently tends the fields from one harvest to the next, yielding an abundance of rice for the old man.
Once upon a time, a wealthy old man refused to marry off his daughter to a farmer. Instead, he deceived the farmer into cutting enough bamboo to make 100 chopsticks for a village feast. The naive farmer believed the bamboo existed and went into the forest to cut it. Though there were no bamboo with 100 segments, his honesty and good nature rewarded him. An old man taught him a magical chant 'carve in, carve out'. With this, he transformed a bundle of bamboo into 100 chopsticks. The farmer succeeded and obtained the required bamboo...
>> Check out the full story of The Bamboo Tree in the form of a prose narrative by me.
II. Retell the fairy tale of Tấm Cám in your own words
The fairy tale of Tấm Cám is undoubtedly familiar to many. Though the story contains elements of fantasy and is not based on reality, it imparts valuable lessons. Hence, it continues to be passed down to this day.
Tấm and Cám, although sisters, share the same father but different mothers. Cám's mother showers her with care and affection, while constantly berating and mistreating Tấm, forcing her to do all the chores at home. One afternoon, Tấm laboriously collects a basket full of shrimp, only to have Cám snatch it away, leaving behind only a small minnow. This minnow, a gift from a fairy, Tấm raises in the well, feeding it daily.
One day, both Cám and her mother deceive Tấm into believing they've cooked the minnow, throwing fish bones into the kitchen ashes. Thanks to the Fairy, Tấm discovers the fish bones in the ashes and buries them in four jars under her bed. On the day of the royal festival, everyone prepares to attend, but Tấm is forced to stay home. However, the Fairy appears, causing sparrows to gather grains and rice, transforming the fish bones into exquisite silk robes, embroidered shoes, horses, and a splendid saddle...(Continued)
>> Read the detailed model essay Retelling the fairy tale of Tấm Cám in your own words here.
III. Retell the fairy tale of Coconut Skull in your own words
Once upon a time, there were an elderly couple, poor and childless. Despite their circumstances, they miraculously conceived a son after drinking water from a coconut shell, giving birth to a boy as round as a coconut, with neither arms nor legs, yet able to speak. They named him Coconut Skull.
Though limbless, Coconut Skull was incredibly clever and obedient. While herding cattle for the wealthy man, when no one was around, Coconut Skull would transform into a handsome young man, charmingly playing the flute. Among the wealthy man's three daughters, only the youngest showed kindness and treated Coconut Skull with respect, while the other two often mocked him for his peculiar appearance.
Upon discovering Coconut Skull's true identity through a stolen glance, the youngest daughter fell deeply in love with him. Despite the wealthy man's demanding dowry, Coconut Skull fulfilled every requirement and married the youngest daughter. The couple lived happily until Coconut Skull passed the civil service examination and was appointed as an envoy. During Coconut Skull's absence on duty, the older sisters of his wife schemed against her own sister, aiming to replace her as the consort...(Continued)
>> Read the detailed model essay Retelling the fairy tale of Coconut Skull in your own words here.
IV. Retell the fairy tale of The Legend of Lake Ba Be by me
The tale goes that in a village located in Năm Mẫu commune, Bắc Cạn province, every year they hold a ceremony to pray for blessings and to help those in need. They always talk about doing good deeds and practicing kindness in life.
Everyone was prepared, dressed neatly to go to the ceremony. Suddenly, an old woman in tattered clothes appeared, emitting an unpleasant odor. Wherever she went, she held out a small bowl and pleaded, 'Please, help me, show mercy.' But no one helped; they avoided and drove her away, causing her much sorrow. As dusk approached, the old woman still wandered alone along the road. Fortunately, a widow and her daughter returning from the ceremony took pity and offered to let her stay overnight as it was getting dark, and it was dangerous to be out on the road. The widow and her daughter offered their small bed for the old woman to sleep on. Touched, the old woman looked at them with kindness and said, 'You two are poor but very kind-hearted. Heaven will bless you,' then lay down to sleep.
During the night, the widow and her daughter saw that where the old woman lay was a large, shining pearl, though fearful, they dared not make a fuss and left it to fate. The next morning, everything was peaceful. The old woman instructed the widow and her daughter, 'There will be a big flood in this area soon. Take this bundle of ashes and scatter them around the house to stay safe.' Saying so, she gave them two pieces of rice husk and told them that when the water rises, they should throw the rice husks down to find a way to help everyone...(Continued)
