95. Innocent boy

Once upon a time, a poor boy who lost his parent as he was a child. He was innocent so people called him innocent boy. Innocent boy worked for a landlord. He worked very hard. Therefore, after five years as innocent boy asked the landlord for his wage, the landlord insisted him to work for him another five years. After hearing sweet words, innocent boy was please to continue working. Other five years passed, innocent boy one more time asked the landlord for his wage. The landlord another time insisted him.
“We have known the other for long time that makes us familiar. Therefore, you stay with me another five years and as you leave, I will give you three golden bars. You will be rich at the moment”.
Innocent boy felt interested so he agreed. Five years passed that time innocent boy asked for his wage and showed his idea that he wanted to leave. Though the landlord gave him other promises, he didn’t change his mind. At last, the landlord gave him three golden bars. Innocent boy took three golden bars but he didn’t know there were fake gold. He had dreamt about a travel and knew he had his chance. He set off. He met a silversmith on his way.
“Where are you going?”, said the silversmith.
“I am on my travel”, replied innocent boy then he said the silversmith about his story. That he had worked hardly fifty years to have three golden bars for his travel. He had no doubt to show the silversmith his golden bars. The silversmith knew immediately there were fake gold as he took them. He realized the boy was innocent and wanted to cheat him.
“It is not problem using gold to buy some things if you are a noble. But you are not. We and people who like us have to use silver to buy things. It was fortunate that I have silver here. I will change two silver bars for one golden bar. Do you want the exchange?”, said the silversmith.
“What you say is real. If it is true, I have no choice but to change. Please, help me change this gold”, said innocent boy.
They changed the innocent boy continued on his way and didn’t know that what he just regained was six lead bars. But innocent boy had never seen both gold and lead so he was happy.
He went to other place and met a paper-maker who made friend with him. Innocent boy happily said him how he had the silver. Though the paper-maker knew that his silver was only lead, he didn’t let innocent boy know. He showed innocent boy his paper and said:
“This is silk, the most beautiful silk that people compete to buy them. If you bring them to capital and sell them, you will get much money. Do you want change your silver for them?, said the paper-maker.
Innocent boy felt delighted as his friend gave him a chance to be rich. He agreed to change and continued going. He arrived to a school and met some students who were playing a pinwheel. Felt curious, he asked them:
“What is this?”
“This is a magical thing which can help you know all things in the world, know the things which are coming and things which happened in the past. This is very valuable. If you want to buy it, we will sell but you have to give us much money”, said one of them.
Innocent boy loved the pinwheel, he insisted them.
“I don’t have money but I have many rare silks here. I want to change them for it”.
   As the students saw beautiful papers, they liked them very much so the exchange was immediately happened.
Innocent boy brought the magical thing went. He felt happy as he thought that the thing would help him know everything and course, all people would admire him. He continued going and passed a field where children were herding. The children had caught a big beetle which had red and green on its wings, very beautiful and extraordinary. Curious, innocent boy approached to see but they didn’t let him see. They said:
“This is a magical pearl which help you feel cool in summer and feel warm in winter. Even the king doesn’t have this pearl”.
Innocent boy had never thought about the thing that the king doesn’t have. So he insisted them to change his magical thing for the magical pearl. Children agreed as they saw the beautiful pinwheel. They put the beetle on a pocket and asked him.
“You only can open the pocket as you arrive to your home. If you don’t, magical pearl will fly toward the sky”, said children.
As innocent boy had magical pearl, he thought:
“I am very lucky as I have the thing even the king doesn’t have. So, if I give the king this pearl, I am sure he will like it much”. Then he decided to do as he thought. He went toward capital at the next day. He found the way to come to castle at one. He met soldiers in gate. Soldiers didn’t let him a person wore ragged clothes come in. Innocent boy insisted them.
“I had to work 15 years to have three golden bars, then changed them for six silver bars, then rare silks, then magical thing and at last, I have changed the thing for this magical pearl and want to gift it for the king”.
Later, a mandarin was on his way going to meet the king, went cross. He heard innocent boy’s word and approached to see. He asked innocent boy give him to see before he brought it to the king. The mandarin opened the pocket. Immediately, the beetle flew up and away. They could not catch him again. Lost the pearl, innocent boy grabbed mandarin’s collar and shouted. He wanted the mandarin to pay for it. Soldiers sprinted to part them but innocent creamed loudly. That thing came to the king who called them went and asked them to explain.
Innocent boy said:
“I had to work 15 years to have three golden bars, then changed them for six silver bars, then silks, them magical thing and at last, I have changed the thing for magical pearl and want to gift you. But, I have lost it”, said innocent boy.
The king asked him some more times but innocent boy only said same answers. At last, the king judged:
“The loyal boy want to gift me a magical pearl and he have worked very hard, wasted much money to have the magical pearl. But, you, the person, who have lost the magical pearl not only have a crime with me but also have to pay to him. And I will give him position because of his loyalty”.
The mandarin had to give him much money. Innocent boy had wealthy life from that time and he was also smarter.
The end.🎭🎭🎭        
"Translated by Hung Nguyen"
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List of Vietnamese fairy tales

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