Buzz
Prompt: Retell the folklore of The Legend of Ba Be Lake
Part 1: Outline Retelling the folklore of The Legend of Ba Be Lake
Part 2: Sample Narrative Retelling the Folklore of The Legend of Ba Be Lake
Legend has it that in a village within Nam Mau commune, Bac Kan province, an annual ritual was held to worship Buddha for blessings and aid to the less fortunate. They always spoke of doing good deeds and practicing kindness in life.
Everyone prepared meticulously, dressed neatly to attend the ceremony. Suddenly, an old woman in tattered clothes appeared, emitting an unpleasant odor. Everywhere she went, she held out a small bowl and pleaded, 'Please, help me, show mercy.' Yet, no one assisted her; they avoided her, driving her away, which greatly saddened her. As dusk approached, she remained alone, wandering along the road. Fortunately, a widow and her daughter returning from the ceremony showed compassion and offered help, inviting her to stay overnight to avoid the impending darkness, which could be perilous on the road. The widow and her daughter offered their small bed to the old woman, who was deeply moved. Looking at them with grateful eyes, she affectionately said, 'Although you are poor, you are very kind-hearted. Heavens will bless you both,' before lying down to sleep.
One night, the widow and her daughter saw where the old woman had slept, a large, glowing salamander, although they were afraid, they dared not scream, resigned to their fate. The next morning, everything was peaceful as usual, and the old woman instructed the widow and her daughter, 'There will be a great flood in this area soon, take this bag of ashes and spread it around the house for safety.' She also added two pieces of rice husk, saying that when the water rises, throw the husks down to try to help others. Then, the old woman disappeared in an instant. The widow and her daughter were amazed. They told the story to everyone, but no one believed. That night, while everyone was performing the ritual, a violent storm arose, causing landslides and sweeping away the houses of everyone. Only the widow's house remained safe because the water could not flood it thanks to the ashes spread around by the old woman's advice. The widow and her daughter threw the rice husks down and used a boat to rescue everyone from death. They regretted their wrong actions deeply and always thanked the widow and her daughter.
From then on, the place where the Dragon King caused the land to collapse became a deep pit that people call Ba Be Lake. The widow's house rose high amidst the vast waters, called Ba Goá Hill. Later, when recalling the story, people often associate this tale with the legend of Ba Be Lake.
After finishing the narrative retelling of The Legend of Ba Be Lake, you can explore further: Retell the story of The Ship King, Listen to and retell the story of Hide the Plough, Retell the story of The Ugly Duckling, Retell the story of The Little Match Girl. to serve your studies.
