1. Sample Essay 4


2. Reference Essay No. 5
It was during the reign of King Hung the Sixth. The country was peaceful, and the people lived in prosperity and happiness. However, my elderly spouse and I lived in a quiet hut with no children’s laughter to fill the air. One day, while I was out in the fields, I noticed an unusual footprint. Driven by curiosity and a mysterious dream I had the night before, I decided to step into it. To my surprise, I became pregnant upon returning home.
After nine months of anticipation, we still hadn't had our child, which worried my husband. But eventually, after twelve months, we had a child—an exceptionally handsome boy. We were overjoyed. However, no matter how much we cared for him, the child remained like he was when he was born. At three years old, he still couldn't walk, talk, or even smile.
Then one day, a royal messenger announced that the invading Yin army was threatening our borders, and King Hung was seeking brave men to defend the country. To our astonishment, my son tugged at my sleeve and spoke: 'Mother, please invite the messenger in.' My husband and I exchanged stunned glances, and I hurried to invite the messenger into our home. The boy’s eyes sparkled as he said loudly and clearly, 'Tell the King to prepare for me an iron horse, an iron whip, and an iron armor. I will defeat the invaders!' The messenger, shocked by the request, left after bowing in respect. My husband and I, overwhelmed with joy, embraced our child. From that moment on, the boy grew rapidly, eating more than enough, and his clothes were quickly outgrown. The villagers, hearing the news, were filled with excitement and support, preparing food, clothes, and supplies for him.
The invaders had reached the foot of Mount Châu Sơn. In a panic, the villagers turned to Gióng for help. Fortunately, the King had sent the iron horse, armor, and whip. The boy stood up, stretched, and transformed into a mighty figure. He donned the armor, grabbed the iron whip, and mounted the horse. He struck the horse’s flank, and the animal neighed loudly, spewing a fiery storm toward the enemy. Gióng appeared as a fearsome general sent from the heavens. He nodded to the villagers and rode off toward the battlefield.
According to the soldiers who fought alongside him, Gióng wielded the iron whip with incredible skill, cutting through the invaders like wheat. In the heat of battle, the whip broke when it struck a rock. Without hesitation, Gióng uprooted a bamboo shoot and used it to defeat the remaining enemy forces. He chased the invaders to Mount Minh Sóc, where he removed his armor, placed it neatly on a rock, and rode the iron horse into the sky.
A temple was erected in our village to honor him, and King Hung bestowed upon him the title of Phù Đổng Thiên Vương.
It is said that the golden-brown bamboo groves in Gia Bình are a result of the fiery breath of Gióng's horse. And the numerous ponds in our region? They are the hoofprints of Gióng’s iron steed. It is also believed that the village of Cháy got its name from the fire that Gióng’s horse breathed, burning down an entire village. Luckily, the villagers had fled, or the disaster would have been catastrophic.
We are immensely proud to have a son so courageous that he protected our land. Everywhere we go, people respectfully say, 'Those are the parents of Phù Đổng Thiên Vương.' I am certain that one day, when my husband and I grow old, Gióng will return to care for us, just as he promised. We eagerly await that day.


3. Bài tham khảo số 6
Từ thuở còn trong nôi, em đã được bà kể cho nghe nhiều câu chuyện lắm. Nhưng câu chuyện mà em nhớ nhất là truyện Thánh Gióng.
Truyện kể rằng: Đời Hùng Vương thứ sáu, ở một làng kia có hai vợ chồng ông lão, chăm chỉ làm ăn lại có tiếng là phúc đức. Nhưng đến lúc sắp già mà vẫn chứa có nấy một mụn con. Một ngày kia bà vợ ra đồng trông thấy một bước chân to, bèn đặt chân mình vào ướm thử. Về nhà bà mang thai. Nhưng không ngờ, khác với người thường, đến mười hai tháng sau bà mới sinh ra một cậu bé mặt mũi khôi ngô. Cậu bé ra đời là niềm mơ ước cả đời của hai vợ chồng nên ông bà mừng lắm. Nhưng chẳng biết làm sao, dù đã ba tuổi nhưng cậu bé Gióng (tên cậu do ông bà đặt) vẫn chẳng biết nói, biết cười, cứ đặt đâu nằm đó. Ông bà buồn lắm.
Cũng năm ấy, giặc Ân sang xâm lược bờ cõi nước ta. Chúng gây bao nhiêu tội ác khiến dân chúng vô cùng khổ sở. Thế giặc mạnh, nhà vua bèn sai người đi khắp nước cầu hiền tài. Đi đến đâu sứ giả cũng rao:
- Ai có tài, có sức xin hãy ra giúp vua cứu nước.
Nghe tiếng rao, cậu Gióng đang nằm trên giường bèn cất tiếng:
- Mẹ ơi! Mẹ ra mời sứ giả vào đây cho con.
- Nghe tiếng con, vợ chồng lão nông dân thấy lạ đành mời sứ giả vào nhà. Cậu Gióng liền yêu cầu sứ giả về chuẩn bị ngay: roi sắt, ngựa sắt, áo giáp sắt để cậu đi phá giặc.
Càng lạ hơn, từ lúc cậu Gióng gặp sứ giả, cậu cứ lớn nhanh như thổi. Cơm ăn mấy cậu cũng không no, áo vừa mặc xong đã sứt chỉ. Vợ chồng ông bà nọ đem hết gạo ra nuôi mà không đủ bèn nhờ hàng xóm cùng nuôi cậu Gióng. Trong làng ai cũng mong cậu đi giết giặc cứu nước nên chẳng nề hà gì.
Giặc đã đến sát chân núi Trâu. Người người hoảng sợ. Cũng may đúng lúc đó, sứ giả mang những thứ cậu Gióng đã đề nghị đến nơi. Cậu bèn vươn vai đứng dậy như một tráng sỹ, khoác vào áo giáp, cầm roi rồi nhảy lên ngựa phi thẳng tới trận tiền. Bằng sức mạnh như cả ngàn người cộng lại, chẳng mấy chốc cậu đã khiến lũ giặc kinh hồn bạt vía. Đang đánh nhau ác liệt thì roi sắt gãy, cậu bèn nhổ ngay từng bụi tre ở bên đường quật vào lũ giặc. Quân giặc bỏ chạy toán loạn nhưng rồi cũng bị tiêu diệt không sót một tên.
Dẹp giặc xong, cậu Gióng không quay về kinh để nhận công ban thưởng mà thúc ngựa đến núi Sóc, bỏ lại áo giáp sắt, một người một ngựa bay thẳng về trời. Nhiều đời sau người ta còn kể, khi ngựa thét lửa, lửa đã thiêu trụi một làng nay làng ấy gọi là làng Gióng. Những vết chân ngựa ngày xưa nay đã thành những ao hồ to nhỏ nối tiếp nhau.
Câu chuyện về người anh hùng Thánh Gióng đã không chỉ còn là niềm yêu thích của riêng em, mà nó đã là niềm say mê của bao thế hệ học trò.


4. Reference Essay No. 7
Legend has it that during the reign of the sixth Hung King, in a poor village, an elderly couple longed for a child but remained childless. They prayed day and night for a miracle to grant them a child. One day, while working in the field, the wife stumbled upon an enormous footprint. Out of curiosity, she placed her foot next to it, and, miraculously, she became pregnant. However, before they could celebrate, tragedy struck—the husband passed away before the child could be born. Twelve months later, the wife gave birth to a healthy boy, whom they named Gióng. Strangely, by the age of three, Gióng was still unable to walk, talk, or smile, lying still wherever he was placed. The wife was heartbroken but at a loss for what to do.
At that time, the Ân invaders attacked the kingdom. The king, in great distress, sent messengers throughout the land calling for brave warriors to fight the enemy. Wherever the messengers went, they cried out:
"Hear ye! Hear ye! The Ân invaders are upon us, and we need a hero to save our land!"
When the messenger's call echoed through their village, Gióng suddenly jumped up and called for his mother:
"Mother! Please invite the messenger here to help me!"
Overjoyed, yet startled by her son's request, his mother agreed. When the messenger arrived, he found only the three-year-old boy lying in bed, much to his surprise and disappointment. However, Gióng confidently declared:
"Tell the king to forge for me an iron horse, an iron armor, and an iron whip. I will defeat the invaders!"
From that moment, Gióng grew rapidly, eating endlessly and gaining strength. The villagers, united in support, provided food for him, hoping for his victory. Finally, the day arrived when the enemy invaded. Gióng mounted his iron horse, wielded his iron whip, and used a bamboo stick as a weapon, scattering the enemy forces. After defeating the invaders, Gióng rode his horse into the sky. To honor his extraordinary deeds, the people built a temple in his homeland and named him Phù Đổng Thiên Vương, the deity of protection and strength.


5. Reference Paper No. 8
During the reign of King Hung VI, foreign invaders from the north sought to invade our land. At that time, in the village of Phu Dong in present-day Bac Ninh, there was a sixty-year-old woman. One day, while walking through the fields, she found a huge footprint. Stepping into it, she returned home and found herself pregnant. She gave birth to a son, named Giong. The strange thing was that unlike other children, who at three months could roll over and at seven months could crawl, Giong was three years old and had not learned to talk, smile, or even walk. Then one day, a messenger came to announce that the country was under attack and the king was looking for a hero. At that moment, Giong suddenly spoke to his mother:
- Mother, I want to meet the messenger.
His mother, astonished, quickly ran to summon the messenger. When they met, young Giong stood up and commanded:
Tell the king to make me an iron horse, an iron sword, an iron whip, and an iron helmet so I can go and defeat the invaders.
The messenger quickly reported to the king, and the king ordered the requested items to be made. The messenger brought them to Giong.
From then on, Giong told his mother and the villagers to prepare food for him so that he could grow stronger and fight the invaders. The villagers hurried to prepare meals for him, and after eating ten bowls of rice and three bowls of soup, Giong grew rapidly with each meal. The clothes provided by the villagers were not enough, so they used reeds to cover him. After one last meal, Giong stretched out, his body grew to ten feet tall, and with a loud sneeze, he jumped onto the iron horse. The horse collapsed under his weight. The messenger, frightened, had a new horse made that could withstand Giong's strength. When the horse was ready, news came that the enemy was attacking at Trâu Sơn. Saint Giong donned his iron helmet, took his iron whip, and jumped onto the horse. With a loud shout, "I am the Heavenly General!" he galloped off, spewing fire that scorched everything in its path, including the nearby villages of Phu Chan, Phu Luu, and Phu Tao, which are now known as the Burnt Villages.
Giong's horse carried him to where the king's army was stationed, and he took command of the battle against the invaders. Villagers from all around followed, including children, fishermen, and people from surrounding areas. Two generals, Duc and Minh from Ha Lo, also joined Giong's forces. In the heat of battle, the enemy was thoroughly defeated, with some killed and others surrendering. During the fight, Giong's iron whip broke, but he quickly grabbed some thorny bamboo from a nearby field and used it to defeat the enemy. The invaders fell like ripe crops. The bamboo grove near Trâu Sơn became a large swamp called Thất Gian, and the broken bamboo pieces scattered across the battlefield later grew into a special type of golden bamboo, called "bamboo with ivory-like color."
After the battle at Trâu Sơn and Ha Lo, Giong's horse galloped to Bồ Đề, where it stopped to drink from the Red River. The horse's hooves left imprints on a large stone in Phu Viên village. Giong then continued his journey, crossing the river, heading toward Tây Lake, where he tied his horse to a banyan tree and bathed in the lake. Later, a temple was built in the village of Xuân Tảo to honor him. After eating, Giong's horse led him through the regions of Đông Anh, Kim Anh, and Hiệp Hòa. Everywhere the horse went, it left behind a series of ponds shaped like the hooves. Upon reaching Phu Lỗ, Giong climbed the mountain, left his iron armor hanging from a branch, and rode to the top of Sóc Mountain. There, he gazed at the land and villages below and, with one last look toward Kẻ Đổng, flew into the sky. That day was the ninth of the fourth lunar month.
Today, there is still a temple in Phù Đổng village, also known as Gióng's village. Every year, on the anniversary of his ascension to the heavens, the village holds a grand festival. It is said that the golden bamboo in Gia Bình County was caused by the horse's fiery breath, which scorched the bamboo, giving it its distinctive golden color. Additionally, the hoof prints left by the horse have turned into ponds and lakes. The villagers also claim that when the horse breathed fire, it burned down a village, which is why it was later called the Burnt Village.
After the victory, to honor the hero, King Hung ordered a temple to be built in Giong's village and named Giong as the Patron Saint of Phù Đổng. His mother was also honored as the Holy Mother Bảo Vương, and the village where Giong was born was named Phù Đổng. Every year, the people of Phù Đổng hold a festival to remember the great battle and honor their local saint. Villagers from hundreds of nearby villages gather to remember Giong, the hero who helped protect their land and defeat the foreign invaders.


6. Bài tham khảo số 9
Ngày xửa ngày xưa, vào thời vua Hùng Vương thứ mười sáu, có một đôi vợ chồng tuy đã già nhưng vẫn chẳng có lấy một mụn con. Hai ông bà lão nổi tiếng là người hiền lành, đôn hậu ở làng Gióng nhưng không hiểu sao lại chịu sự không may mắn như vậy. Cho đến một ngày, khi bà lão đi ra đồng thì chợt thấy một dấu chân to khổng lồ. Lấy làm ngạc nhiên, bà lão đưa chân mình vào ướm thử để đo xem dấu vết chân đó to đến cỡ nào. Thời gian thấm thoát trôi đi, bà lão chẳng còn nhớ đến vết chân ngày xưa nữa thì bỗng một ngày bà có thai. Hai vợ chồng bà lão mừng lắm, bà sinh ra một cậu bé khôi ngô, tuấn tú. Ấy thế mà đứa trẻ đó từ khi sinh ra lại chẳng biết nói, cũng không biết cười, không biết đi, chỉ đặt đâu thì nó nằm đấy. Hai ông bà từ mừng rỡ khi sinh được con đến lo lắng, buồn bã không hiểu sao lại như vậy.
Lúc bấy giờ, giặc Ân tràn sang xâm lược nước ta. Chúng khiến cho đời sống nhân dân vô cùng khổ cực, tình cảnh đất nước lúc này đang ở thế "nghìn cân treo sợi tóc". Nhà vua sai sứ giả đi rao tin khắp nơi, nhằm tìm người tài đứng lên cứu giúp đất nước. Sứ giả đi rao tin cuối cùng cũng đến làng Gióng. Nghe tiếng sứ giả, cậu bé bỗng nhiên cất tiếng gọi mẹ: "Mẹ ơi, mẹ hãy mời sứ giả vào đây cho con". Thấy đứa con mình suốt bao nhiêu ngày tháng không nói, không cười bỗng dưng hôm nay lại cất tiếng gọi mẹ, hai ông bà lão mừng lắm, liền mời sứ giả vào ngay.
Khi sứ giả vào nhà, cậu bé đã ngay lập tức yêu cầu sứ giả hãy về chuẩn bị đủ những vũ khí để đi đánh giặc: Ngựa sắt, áo sắt và tấm giáp sắt để phá tan lũ giặc xâm lược. Sứ giả mừng rỡ vội về tâu lên cho nhà vua chuẩn bị. Nhà vua cũng đồng ý theo lời của cậu bé.Càng lạ lùng thay, Thánh Gióng từ khi gặp được sứ giả của nhà vua thì lớn nhanh như thổi, cơm cha mẹ thổi bao nhiêu cậu ăn cũng không đủ no, quần áo chẳng mấy chốc đều chật hết cả. Cậu bé chẳng mấy chốc hóa thành một chàng trai cao lớn, khỏe mạnh, khí thế ngút trời.
Chẳng bao lâu, nhà mua sai người đem đến đủ cả những thứ mà Gióng yêu cầu. Thánh Gióng lên đường đánh giặc ngay. Cậu đi đến đâu đánh bại quân giặc đến đấy. Khi kiếm gãy, Gióng liền nhổ một bụi cỏ bên đường, quật ngã bọn giặc ngoại xâm. Một hồi, ngựa của Thánh Gióng đã đến chân núi Sóc Sơn, Thánh Gióng liền cởi bộ giáp sắt đang mặc trên người ra mà bay thẳng lên trời.
Để nhớ đến công lao của Thánh Gióng, nhà vua đã cho người lập đền thờ của vị tướng này tại quê nhà của ông là làng Gióng. Cho đến nay, vẫn còn rất nhiều dấu tích năm xưa còn lưu lại và cứ tháng 4 hằng năm, người ta vẫn thường đến đền thờ Phù Đổng Thiên Vương để tưởng nhớ ông.


7. Reference Example 10
In the 6th grade literature curriculum, I have learned many fascinating folk tales and legends. However, my favorite is the legendary story of Saint Giong, which tells of a hero who fought to protect the nation.
During the reign of King Hung VI, in the village of Giong, there lived an elderly couple. They worked hard, but they were childless. Despite their age, they still had no children. One day, the wife went to the fields and discovered a large footprint. Curious, she placed her foot inside it, and miraculously, she became pregnant. After twelve months, she gave birth to a handsome boy named Giong. However, their joy turned to worry when Giong, at three years old, still could not talk, laugh, or even move, lying wherever he was placed.
At this time, invaders attacked our land. The king, deeply worried, sent messengers across the country to search for someone who could save the nation. As soon as Giong heard the messenger's call, he suddenly spoke and asked his mother to invite the messenger inside. His mother, overjoyed, immediately called the messenger. When the messenger arrived, Giong instructed him to tell the king to forge for him an iron armor, an iron horse, and an iron whip. The king, elated, ordered the blacksmiths to work tirelessly day and night.
Strangely, after meeting the messenger, Giong grew at an incredible rate, eating endlessly. The villagers gathered rice to support him, hoping that Giong would grow strong and be able to defend the country. When the enemy reached the foot of the mountain, the situation was dire, and everyone was terrified. At that moment, the messenger arrived with the items Giong requested. Giong rose, his body transforming into that of a warrior, and he mounted the horse. The horse neighed loudly, breathing fire, and charged straight into the enemy forces. The invaders fled in panic. Wherever Giong rode, the enemy was defeated. His iron whip broke, but Giong used bamboo from the village as weapons. The invaders trampled over each other in their desperate escape. Giong chased them to the foot of Soc Mountain, where, with no one left to fight, he rode to the peak, dismounted, removed his armor, and ascended to the sky with his horse.
Grateful for his bravery, the king honored Giong with the title Phu Dong Thien Vuong and built a temple in his hometown. The places where Giong's horse had passed left behind ponds and lakes, and the bamboo that was burned by the horse’s fire became golden. One village, scorched by the flames, came to be known as the village of Fire.


8. Reference Article 1
Since childhood, we have all been told many stories by our grandmothers and mothers about our glorious history and legendary heroes. And perhaps, at that time, we all felt proud and admired the legendary heroes of our people. Saint Giong is one such heroic figure. The legend of Saint Giong is a captivating tale of this mighty hero.
The legend goes that during the reign of the sixth Hung King, in a village by the Red River, there lived a hardworking farming couple who had always been kind-hearted. However, as they reached old age, they had yet to have any children. One day, the wife went to the fields and saw a large footprint. She decided to step into it to see if it matched her own. After returning home, she found out that she was pregnant, and the couple was overjoyed. However, unlike others, after twelve months, the wife gave birth to a boy named Giong, who was remarkably handsome. Even more strangely, by the time Giong was three years old, he still couldn't speak or laugh, and simply lay wherever he was placed. The couple felt both happy and worried about their child.
In the same year, the An army invaded Vietnam, committing numerous atrocities, and the people were suffering greatly. Realizing the strength of the enemy, the king sent messengers to search for talented individuals who could help protect the country. As the messenger passed through Giong's village, he cried out, 'Anyone with strength and talent, please come forward and help the king save the country.' Upon hearing this, Giong, who had been lying in bed, suddenly spoke for the first time:
- Mother! Please invite the messenger here.
Surprised and overjoyed, his mother rushed to bring the messenger in. Giong asked the messenger to inform the king to prepare iron weapons, including an iron horse, an iron whip, and an iron armor for him to go fight the invaders.
Even more remarkably, after the messenger left, Giong ate voraciously and grew at an astonishing rate. No matter how much food he consumed, he was never full. His clothes were torn, and his mother had to ask for help from their neighbors. The villagers, seeing what was happening, eagerly helped by preparing food, sewing clothes, and doing everything to support him. Everyone hoped that Giong would soon grow strong enough to defeat the invaders and bring peace to the land.
As the enemy reached the foot of Mount Trau, the messenger arrived with the weapons. Giong immediately stood up, put on his armor, grabbed the iron whip, said farewell to his mother and the villagers, and mounted his horse. Both Giong and the horse raced toward the battlefield.
On the battlefield, Giong fought fiercely, moving swiftly and defeating the enemy soldiers with ease. Suddenly, his iron whip broke. Without hesitation, Giong grabbed a bamboo stick from the roadside and used it as a weapon. The enemy, terrified, fled in panic, trampling over one another. Once the battlefield was cleared, Giong rode his horse to Mount Soc, removed his armor, bowed to his mother, and then ascended to the sky.
The king honored him with the title 'Saint Giong,' and the people built temples to worship him and remember his contributions. It is said that when Giong's iron horse roared and breathed fire, it burned down a village, which is now known as Giong Village. The footprints of his horse left behind in the ground have formed a series of ponds, which are a testament to Saint Giong's heroic victory.
Over the years, the legend of Saint Giong has been passed down through generations, and his story continues to inspire and symbolize the people's strength and dedication to protect the country.


9. Reference Article 2
During the reign of the sixth Hung King, in the village of Giong, a kind-hearted elderly couple had no children to carry on their legacy. One day, the wife went to the field and placed her foot over strange footprints. When she returned home, she found herself pregnant, and after twelve months, she gave birth to a handsome son. By the age of three, the child still couldn't walk or talk, remaining motionless in one place.
At the time, the An invaders were causing trouble, and the king sent messengers far and wide searching for capable individuals to defend the people. Upon hearing the call, the boy from Giong village suddenly spoke, asking his mother to invite the messenger in. He demanded the messenger request from the king a steel horse, a steel whip, and a suit of armor so he could defeat the fierce invaders. Soon, the boy grew rapidly, eating so much that the villagers had to come together to provide food.
Once the royal gifts arrived, the boy stood tall, becoming a mighty warrior. He donned his armor, mounted his horse, and cracked the steel whip. The horse breathed fire and charged straight into the enemy ranks, causing them to fall like harvested crops.
The warrior's whip broke, and he quickly tore down some bamboo by the roadside to fashion a new weapon. The invaders were utterly defeated, and the few survivors fled in disarray. The warrior chased them to the foot of Soc Mountain, where he shed his armor and soared into the sky, both he and his horse vanishing.
The Hung King, grateful for his service, honored him with the title Phu Dong Thien Vuong and had a temple built in his hometown. Every year, in the month of April, the village hosts a grand and lively Giong festival, attracting visitors from all over.


10. Reference Article 3
During the reign of the sixth Hung King, in the village of Giong, there lived a hardworking couple known for their goodness, yet they were childless, which saddened them greatly. One day, the wife noticed unusually large footprints in the field. Curious, she placed her foot alongside them to estimate how much smaller her own foot was. As time passed, the wife became pregnant and, twelve months later, gave birth to a handsome baby boy. The elderly couple was overjoyed, but strangely, by the time the child turned three, he still couldn't speak, smile, or walk—he just lay wherever he was placed. This worried the couple greatly.
Meanwhile, the An invaders, powerful as ever, were rampaging through the country. The king, in desperate need, sent messengers to seek skilled individuals who could help defend the land. When the young boy heard the sound of the royal messengers, he suddenly moved and spoke, asking his mother to invite them in. The boy told the messengers, "Go back to the king and ask him to prepare a steel horse, a steel whip, and a suit of armor. I will destroy these invaders." Surprised, the messengers hurried to inform the king, who, astonished but hopeful, immediately ordered the requested items to be made.
After meeting the messengers, the boy grew at an astonishing rate, his appetite insatiable and his clothes soon too tight. The elderly couple struggled to feed him, and the villagers, seeing their plight, chipped in to help support the child.
The An army reached the foot of the Trau Mountain, and the situation became dire for the nation. Fear and worry gripped everyone. At that moment, the messengers returned with the boy's requested items. The boy, now fully grown into a formidable warrior, donned his armor, leaped onto the steel horse, and cracked the steel whip. The horse, roaring with fiery breath, charged straight into the enemy ranks, scattering them like wheat. When the whip broke, the warrior tore down bamboo along the road to use as a new weapon. The invaders were thrown into disarray, with the survivors fleeing in panic. The warrior chased them to the foot of Soc Mountain, where he and his horse soared up into the sky, leaving behind the armor and the horse.
To honor the brave warrior who had driven off the invaders, the king bestowed upon him the title Phu Dong Thien Vuong and built a temple at his homeland to commemorate his heroic deeds.


