Top 10 Best Myths Every Mother Should Tell Her Child

Once upon a time, in a small village, there was a young man and a beautiful girl who were a perfect match. Their parents had already agreed to the marriage but hadn't informed them yet. Deeply in love, the girl secretly opened her window each night to let the boy in, and they spent time together until dawn. This went on for many days.

One evening, before leaving, the young man asked for a betel leaf. Seeing the betel leaves had run out, the girl quickly went to the garden, plucked some leaves, and prepared them for him. However, as he began chewing the leaf, he collapsed, foaming at the mouth and died. Panicked, the girl screamed for help. Authorities arrived and examined the body, discovering red blotches all over his body. The girl was arrested and accused of poisoning him. She insisted on her innocence.

The torturous questioning went on for days, leaving the girl frail and near death in prison. Just when hope seemed lost, a wise magistrate visited. He asked her to explain everything. After listening, he thought carefully and then examined the betel leaf plants in the garden. He noticed a strange, sticky substance on the leaves near the roots, resembling the slime trail of a snail, but there were no snails in sight.

Determined, the magistrate ordered the ground to be dug up. Deep beneath the betel leaves, they found a large, coiled creature – a water snake – hiding. The creature, thirsting for water, had been licking the dewdrops on the betel leaves every night. The venom from this snake had transferred to the leaves, causing the young man's death. The girl was innocent.

The villagers, impressed by the magistrate's wisdom, accepted his explanation. From then on, everyone cut off the tips of the betel leaves before preparing them, fearing the snake's venom. Though the water snake is no longer found, the custom remains.

Once upon a time, there was a young girl who lived with her mother in a small, dilapidated hut. Despite their poverty, the girl was deeply devoted to her mother. Unfortunately, her mother fell seriously ill, and since they had no money to buy medicine, the girl became extremely sad.

One day, while crying by the roadside, an old man passed by and, noticing her distress, stopped to ask about her situation. After hearing her story, the old man advised:

– Go into the forest and find the oldest tree there. On that tree, you will find a single flower. The number of petals on the flower represents how many days your mother will live.

The girl went into the forest and after a long search, found the flower. She climbed the tree to pick it, but when she counted the petals, she found only four. Saddened, she thought: could her mother only live for four more days? Unable to bear this, she gently tore the petals into smaller pieces. To her surprise, the more she tore, the more petals appeared, and soon the flower had so many petals she could no longer count them. From then on, the flower was known as the white chrysanthemum, symbolizing the girl's deep filial piety for her mother.

In ancient times, when people had not yet figured out how to measure time or calculate their age, there was a wise and virtuous king who ruled over a peaceful and prosperous land. One day, in celebration, the king decided to reward the oldest person in his kingdom. The entire nation was excited, but none of the villages could identify the oldest person, as no one knew their age. The royal court was perplexed and couldn’t figure out how to resolve the issue.

Seeing this dilemma, the king sent a group of messengers to seek the wisdom of the gods. The messengers embarked on their journey. The first god they encountered was the River God, who wore a white robe and had hair that flowed like water. Upon hearing their question, the River God shook his head and replied:

– I have been here for a long time, but I am not as old as my mother, the Sea. Go and ask her.

The messengers continued on their journey and met the Sea God, who wore a blue robe and gently sang to her child with the sound of the waves. When asked, the Sea God pointed to a distant mountain range and said:

– Ask the Mountain God. He was born before me. By the time I grew up, the Mountain God was already ancient.

The messengers then journeyed to meet the Mountain God, whose greenish skin was covered in moss. The Mountain God, too, shook his head and pointed upwards:

– You must ask the Sun God. When I was born, I had to shut my eyes because of the brightness of his rays. The Sun God existed long before me.

Feeling discouraged, the messengers were about to return when they encountered an old woman sitting solemnly by a peach tree. The messengers asked her:

– Why are you sitting here?

– I come here to pick peach blossoms. My son went away long ago, and every time this tree blooms, I pick a flower to remember him, the old woman replied.

Suddenly, an idea struck the messengers. They bid farewell to the old woman and returned to the capital, reporting to the king about their encounter with the woman who measured time by the blooming of the peach flowers.

The wise king then devised a system to calculate human age: each time the peach blossoms bloomed, it marked one year of age. Later, it was understood that twelve full moons marked one blooming cycle of the peach blossoms.

Moved by the old woman's devotion, the king decreed that whenever the peach blossoms bloomed, there would be a three-day, three-night festival. These joyous days would eventually become known as Tet, a tradition that has continued to this day.

Once upon a time, it was unknown when or how demons took control of the entire land. The people lived off the land, but were forced to work the fields for the demons. The demons grew increasingly demanding, doubling the annual tribute and raising it slightly every year. Eventually, they introduced a new rule: 'Eat the top for the root.' The people refused, but the demons pressured them to comply, leaving the land barren after harvest, with only dried stalks remaining. The people were nearly starving, while the demons reveled in their cruelty.

The Buddha, seeing the plight of the people, decided to intervene. He instructed them not to plant rice, but to dig rows and plant sweet potatoes instead. The people followed the Buddha's advice, and the demons, unaware of the change, continued to enforce the same old rule: 'Eat the top for the root.' When harvest time came, the demons were furious to see the people's storehouses filled with sweet potatoes, while their own fields were empty of anything edible. However, they were forced to accept their own rule.

The demons then changed the rule to 'Eat the root for the top,' and the Buddha advised the people to plant rice again. This time, the demons' plan failed, as the people harvested golden rice while the demons were left with only dried stalks.

Frustrated, the demons declared, 'Eat both the root and the top.' They thought they had won, but the Buddha gave the people a new crop to plant—corn. The demons could not have foreseen this, and when the corn harvest came, the people rejoiced as their houses were filled with corn, while the demons were left to stew in their anger.

Finally, the demons insisted that the people return all the land and stop working the fields. The demons believed it was better to own nothing than allow the people to benefit from the land.

The Buddha, however, made a deal with the demons. He negotiated for the people to own a small piece of land—just the size of the shadow of a monk's robe. The demons agreed, thinking the land was insignificant. But when the Buddha planted a bamboo tree and spread the robe over it, the shadow of the robe stretched across the land, covering more and more of it. The demons were forced to retreat, and eventually, they fled to the East Sea, leaving the land to the people.

Angered by their defeat, the demons gathered their forces and planned to attack. They came with all manner of terrible creatures, but the Buddha, using his magic staff, protected the people and stopped the demons' advance. The demons then tried to find what the Buddha feared, and they learned that he was afraid of fruit, banana cakes, rice balls, and boiled eggs. In response, the demons brought an endless supply of fruit, hoping to scare the Buddha. But the Buddha told the people to use dog blood to repel them, and the demons fled in terror.

Next, the demons tried to use banana cakes to defeat the Buddha's forces, but the Buddha instructed the people to crush garlic and scatter it. The demons could not bear the smell and fled in defeat.

For the final battle, the demons used rice balls and boiled eggs, but the Buddha's followers used lime powder and leaves from the pandanus plant to defeat them. The demons were driven out, and they were forced to flee to the East Sea once more.

As the demons aged, they pleaded with the Buddha for mercy, asking for just a few days each year to visit the land and pay respects to their ancestors. The Buddha, moved by their sorrow, granted their request.

Each year, at the time of the Lunar New Year, people plant poles to drive the demons away. The poles are decorated with objects such as pandanus leaves and branches from the banyan tree, which frighten the demons. Arrows are also drawn pointing east, and lime powder is scattered to protect the land from the demons.

There is an old saying:

'Banyan branches, pandanus leaves, hanging high,'

'Lime powder scattered at the threshold, beware of every home,'

'When demons come, they will leave again,'

'Banyan branches, pandanus leaves, will cut their mouths.'

In the past, people believed that to drive away demons during times of illness or plague, one could hang a bundle of pandanus leaves at the door or scatter dog blood. Women often tied garlic to their belts for similar reasons.

Long ago, there was a brave and fearless girl named Mai, daughter of a skilled hunter. At the age of fourteen, she had already been trained by her father in the arts of combat and was a remarkable martial artist.

One day, a monstrous creature began terrorizing a nearby village. The villagers announced a reward for anyone who could slay the creature. Mai and her father set off to hunt the beast. After they succeeded in killing it, they became famous, their names spreading across the land. However, years later, her father fell ill, and his strength waned, while Mai, now eighteen, grew even stronger and more skilled in martial arts.

That year, a snake demon appeared in a nearby area, and once again, the villagers begged Mai and her father to eliminate it. Before she left, her mother sewed her a beautiful yellow silk gown and asked her to wear it upon her return, so she could be recognized from afar. Mai promised she would. Together, father and daughter trekked through mountains and rivers in search of the snake demon. The father, too weak to help, could only watch as his daughter fought alone. Eventually, Mai killed the demon, but just before it died, the snake demon lashed out with its tail and strangled Mai.

Moved by the girl's bravery and the sorrow of her mother, the household deity pleaded with the Jade Emperor to allow her to return to her family for nine days. The Jade Emperor granted the request, and so, for nine days—from the 28th of the last lunar month until the 6th of the New Year—Mai was allowed to return home, before disappearing once more.

After her parents and relatives passed away, Mai no longer returned. Instead, she transformed into a golden apricot tree that grew beside the shrine built by the villagers in her memory. The tree bloomed with golden flowers throughout the nine days of Tết, and the villagers named it the Mai flower, planting its branches throughout the region to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck to families during the New Year.

Though this is merely a folk tale, it reflects the deep desires and aspirations of the Vietnamese people for a peaceful, prosperous, and happy life. These are the dreams that people in any era continue to yearn for. While the apricot or peach tree may simply be a plant that blooms seasonally and is not inherently magical, it has become a cherished spiritual heritage of the Vietnamese people. As such, it is important to preserve this cultural tradition for future generations, as it holds great cultural value and contributes to the celebration of the Vietnamese Lunar New Year.

Once upon a time, there was a mischievous boy who was spoiled by his mother and loved to play. One day, after being scolded by her, he ran away. He wandered aimlessly while his mother, anxiously waiting at home, did not know where he had gone. Days passed, and still, he did not return. Overcome with worry and exhaustion, his mother collapsed in despair. Meanwhile, the boy, cold and hungry, had been bullied by older children, and it was then that he remembered his mother.

"That's right, when I'm hungry, my mother always fed me. When I'm bullied, she always stood up for me. I must return to her."

So, he made his way home. Everything around him seemed the same, but his mother was nowhere to be found. He called out in a weak voice:

"Mother, where are you? I'm so hungry!" He collapsed, holding onto a tree in the yard, crying.

To his surprise, the tree began to shake. Tiny flowers bloomed from its branches, pure white like clouds. The flowers fell off, and fruit began to form, growing quickly with smooth, shiny skin. The tree bent its branches, and a large fruit fell into the boy's hands.

The boy took a big bite. It was bitter.

A second fruit fell down. He peeled it and bit into the seed. It was too hard.

The third fruit fell. He gently squeezed it, and the skin softened, cracking slightly. A stream of white milk flowed out, sweet and fragrant like mother's milk.

The boy leaned down to drink the sweet, delicious milk, which tasted just like his mother's. The tree's branches swayed and whispered:

"Only after tasting the fruit three times will you understand its sweetness. Only when you grow up will you understand a mother's love."

The boy burst into tears. His mother was gone. He looked up at the tree's leaves, one side green and shiny, the other side red, just like his mother's eyes when she cried waiting for him. He hugged the rough, bumpy trunk, feeling the texture of her hardworking hands. His tears fell to the roots of the tree, and its branches wrapped around him, shaking gently like a mother's comforting embrace.

The boy shared his story of regret and the love of his mother with everyone.

The sweet fruit from his yard was loved by all. They took the seeds and planted them everywhere, naming the tree the "Milk Fruit Tree" in memory of the boy's deep love for his mother.

Once upon a time, there were two young sisters named Nadi and Naban. Naban was paralyzed in both legs, and every day, Nadi would make up games to play with her. Naban loved watching her sister run and laugh with joy.

Deeply concerned for her sister, Nadi wished for a magical cure to heal Naban. This wish grew stronger every day, and one day, Nadi decided to go in search of a miracle.

She walked for miles, her little feet blistered and swollen, but remembering her sister's immobile legs, she pushed on despite the pain. Exhausted and starving, Nadi collapsed under a tree by the roadside. When she awoke, an old man with a long white beard sat beside her. Nadi was not afraid of him and poured out her heart, telling him of her wish. The old man listened, then placed a hand on Nadi's head, saying, "I can heal your sister's legs, but there are two conditions. First, when Naban is healed, your own legs will be unable to walk." However, the old man was simply testing Nadi’s sincerity, and his words were not as harsh as they seemed. Moved by love for her sister, Nadi agreed to whatever was asked of her.

The old man then transformed a red cloak into a flying umbrella, carrying the two of them back home. He healed Naban's legs and vanished, leaving behind a row of lush trees. Their branches stretched out, offering shade, and flowers bloomed in deep red, each one resembling a small umbrella. The sisters played under the cool shade, and the trees were forever remembered for the kindness they had received.

The sisters named the trees 'Râm Bụt,' believing that Buddha himself had appeared to help them in their time of need.

Once upon a time, there were two brothers named Tan and Lang, who were so alike in appearance that even their family often mistook one for the other.

Their father was a tall and strong man, known in the region, who had once been summoned by King Hung and honored with the title 'Cao.' This became their family name, Cao.

As the brothers grew older, both their parents passed away. Tan and Lang were deeply attached to each other and refused to be separated. Before his death, their father entrusted Tan to a wise sage named Luu. However, Lang refused to stay at home alone, and begged to accompany Tan in his studies. Luu had a daughter of the same age as the brothers, and to distinguish between them, one day she set a little test. When they were both hungry, she served them a bowl of porridge with only one pair of chopsticks. Watching them from behind the wall, she saw one brother share the porridge with the other. She whispered, "Ah, this cheerful one must be the older brother!"

From then on, Tan and Luu's daughter grew close, and love blossomed between them. Seeing this, Luu agreed to marry his daughter to Tan. After their wedding, they moved into a new house, and Lang came to live with them.

After marrying, Tan still cared for Lang but no longer doted on him as he had before. Lang felt neglected and began to grow upset. One day, after returning home late from the fields, Lang arrived first. As he stepped through the door, Tan's wife, in a moment of confusion, rushed to hug him. Lang was startled, and both he and his sister-in-law were embarrassed. At that moment, Tan entered the room and saw the awkward situation. From then on, Lang realized that Tan was jealous of him, and that jealousy created a distance between them. Lang, feeling hurt and ignored, decided to leave the house. One early morning, he began walking, filled with frustration and bitterness. He walked for days, and eventually reached the bank of a fast-flowing river. Unsure how to cross, he continued walking beside the river until, exhausted, he sat down and cried. His sorrow echoed through the night as even the night birds heard his weeping. By morning, Lang was found lifeless, turned to stone.

Tan, at first unaware of his brother's disappearance, soon realized that Lang had left because of his anger. He rushed to find him, leaving his wife behind. After several days, Tan came to the riverbank and found that Lang had turned to stone. Tan wept beside the stone for days, until the sound of the river was the only noise left.

Tan died soon after, and his body turned into a tree that reached toward the sky, standing beside his brother’s stone. Tan's wife, waiting for her husband to return, also set out in search of him, but the river stopped her from crossing. She sat beside the tree, crying until she too died, turning into a vine that wound around the tree.

When the sage and his wife heard of the tragedy, they sent others to search for the three lost souls. At the site, they built a shrine to honor the three, known as the 'Shrine of the Harmonious Siblings and Devoted Couple.' Over time, a severe drought plagued the land, and all plants withered except for the two trees by the stone. The locals believed this to be a sign of something divine. One day, King Hung passed by the shrine and was curious about the strange sight. He asked, "Which god is worshipped here? What are these unusual trees?" The local commander called upon the elders to answer his question.

When King Hung tasted the fruit and chewed on the leaves, he was amazed by the unusual flavor. The combination of bitter fruit and sweet, spicy leaves filled him with warmth and vitality. A servant exclaimed, "It’s blood!" The crowd was astonished to see the fruit and leaves stain the stone like blood. The king ordered that all three be combined, and the result was a powerful, invigorating taste. The king was moved and declared, "This is truly extraordinary! Their love was as deep and passionate as the color red!" From then on, the king decreed that everyone must have betel nuts, areca nuts, and lime when they married, as a reminder of eternal love. Thus, the custom of chewing betel nut was born in Vietnam.