Some of the folktales of the Asia

The Emperor and the Nightingle China Long ago, in the garden of the emperor Wu’s splendid place in China, there lived a nightingle. It sang so sweetly that all who heard it agreed that what they liked most in the garden was the nightingle’s singing. One day the emperor of Japan came to visit Emperor Wu and he too, fell in love with the nightingle’s songs. When he return home he wrote a letter to Emperor Wu saying that his favourite memory of his visit to china had been the nightingle singing. Emperor Wu was very surprised to hear this because he had never heard the nightingle sing before!He immediately ordered his servants to bring this wonderful bird to him. He enjoyes its singing so much that he insisted in keeping it near him in his palace. Many months passed and the nightingle kept Emperor Wu very happy until one day, the Emperor of Japan sent him a little toy bird which could sing and dance. Emperor Wu became so fascinated by this bird that he completely forgot about the nightingle. The poor nightingle felt so sad and unwanted that it flew away from the palaca and for a whole year no one saw it and no one heard its lovely singing. Then one day the toy bird suddenly stopped singing and dancing. Toymakers from all over the land came to the palace to try and mend it but the toy bird lay still and silent. The Emperor longed for music again in his palace and ordered his men to bring the nightingle back to him. They searched far and wide but they could not find it anywhere. The Emperor became sadder and sadder with each day passing by. He stopped eating and sleeping and just lay in his bed waiting to die. Then, one night the emperor heard the bird singing so sweetly outside his bedroom that he was sure that it was the nightingle. He slowly sat up in bed and the tears rolled down his cheeks, for there on the window still sat his beloved nightingle. “stay with me dear nightingle,”he whispered, änd I promise I will never neglect you again.” From that day on, the nightingle satyed in the palace and its sweet singing made the emperor well again and kept him happy and contented for the rest of his life.

The Ugly Boatman Vietnam

Once upon a time, there lived a young boatman by the name of Troung Chi. He was a very kind man but extremely ugly. He led a lonely life and spent his time fishing and playing the flute. All who heard his music fell in love with it. The beautiful daughter of the Mandarian Lord adored his music. Every evening, she waited for his boat to pass by her window. When she heard the sweet notes of his flute, her face sparkled with happiness. Her father was really unhappy about his daughter’s love for the poor boatman’s music. He ordered his men to lock all the windows of his mansion. Troung Chi’s music could no longer be heard and the lovely girl grew sadder and sadder. She became very ill and no doctor could help her. Her father feared that she might die. He promised to give her anything she wanted. “just the boatman’s sweet music. “she whispered. The Mandarian lord quickly summoned Troung Chi to her bedside. The boatman kind heart ached when he saw the young girl so close to death. He softly played his flute. A smile flickered across her face and her parents knew she was better. Then she opened her eyes and looked into Troung Chi’s face. She started to cry. Tears of disappointment streamed down her cheeks. “Oh!”she thought, “how could such an ugly man play such beautiful music.” Her parents begged Troung Chi to help her. He knew why she was crying and that he could do nothing more. Troung Chi returned to his boat and his lonely life. He longed to see the Mandarian’s daughter again but he knew that this was impossible. He lost interest in everything, even his flute. Then one cold night, he fell ill. He grew weaker everyday and he knew that he was dying. Before he died, he asked that his heart to be made into a cup for the Mandarian’s daughter. After Troung Chi die, all that remained of him was his heart of gold. It was made into a delicate cup and given to the mandarian’s daughter. She thought it was the loveliest thing she had ever seen.

She immediately filled the cup with tea and lifted it to her lips. Her heart suddenly froze! There in the cup she saw Troung Chi’s shadow and heard his flute. The music was sweet at first, but then it changed. It sounded like the cry of a man with a broken heart. She let the cup slip from her grasp. It shattered into a thousand pieces and the music abruptly stop. Troung chi’s heart and his music were free forever. But not so the mandarian’s daughter. She never married. For the rest of her life she remained haunted by the boatman’s tender love for her and his beautiful gentle music.