Tin tức & Sự kiện

Once upon a time, in a village, there lived a wealthy but miserly old man. He hired a poor but strong farmer to plow his fields. Despite his abundant rice and wealth, the old man was stingy and dreaded paying the farmer's wages. After much scheming, he devised a plan to deceive the farmer.

One day, the old man called the farmer and coaxed him:

"If you work hard plowing my fields for three years, I will let you marry my daughter."

The honest farmer believed the old man's words. Season after season, through rain and shine, he diligently plowed the fields for the rich man. Harvest after harvest, the farmer brought in an abundant yield, making the old man even wealthier.

Three years passed quickly, and the farmer's term of service came to an end. The old man, unwilling to let his poor servant marry his daughter, came up with another scheme. He called the farmer and said:

"My son, you’ve worked hard all these years, and I will honor my promise. But first, you must go into the forest and bring me a bamboo tree with one hundred knots to make chopsticks for the wedding feast."

The honest farmer immediately took a knife and set out into the forest.

As soon as the farmer left, the old man arranged for his daughter to marry another wealthy man from the village. He slaughtered cattle, cooked rice, and prepared a lavish wedding banquet.

Meanwhile, the farmer wandered through the forest, cutting down one bamboo tree after another. Carefully counting each knot, he realized none had one hundred. Still undeterred, he searched deeper into the forest and found an old clump of bamboo. He chose the tallest tree, ignoring the scratches and tears to his clothes and skin as he cut it down. After counting again, he found it had only a little over forty knots. Distraught, he sat by the pile of cut bamboo and began to cry.

Suddenly, a wise old man with silver hair and rosy cheeks appeared and gently asked,
"Why are you crying, my son?"

The farmer respectfully explained his predicament. After listening, the old man said,
"Go and cut enough bamboo to make one hundred knots, and bring them to me. I will help you."

Overjoyed, the farmer quickly cut the required number of bamboo knots and brought them back. The old man pointed at the pile of bamboo and told the farmer to chant, "Join together, join together," three times. Miraculously, the knots fused into a single bamboo tree with one hundred knots. The old man advised the farmer:

"You won’t be able to carry this long bamboo tree home. If you chant 'Separate, separate' three times, the knots will come apart again. Tie them into bundles and take them back to the village."

Before the farmer could thank him, the old man disappeared. Carrying two bundles of bamboo, the farmer returned to the village.

When he arrived, he saw the old man’s house bustling with a wedding celebration. Realizing he had been deceived, the farmer silently placed the bundles of bamboo in the yard and called out to the old man.

Seeing only separate bamboo knots, the old man laughed and mocked him:
"I told you to bring back a bamboo tree with one hundred knots, not one hundred bamboo knots!"

Without responding, the farmer calmly chanted, "Join together, join together," three times. Instantly, the bamboo knots joined into a single, long tree. The old man, astonished, approached to touch the tree. Seizing the moment, the farmer chanted, "Join together, join together," again, and the old man found himself stuck to the bamboo tree.

Seeing this, several other wealthy men rushed to free him, but the farmer chanted once more, "Join together, join together," and they all became stuck to the bamboo. The old man pleaded with the farmer, promising to let him marry his daughter and never to deceive him again.

Satisfied, the farmer finally chanted, "Separate, separate," three times, freeing everyone. The farmer married the old man’s daughter, and they lived happily ever after.