Viet Fairy Tales: The Mosquito
Once upon a time in a land far far away in Vietnam……. there lives a humble rice farmer, who fell in love with and married a beautiful woman. The woman spent most of her life raising silkworms, abhors menial work of the the farmer, and dreams of a life of ease and luxury. One day, she suddenly fell ill and died. The farmer loves her very much wholeheartedly and wish that his wife would relive and return to him. He sold all of his possessions and sailed away in a sampan with his dead wife to find a way to revive her. After a while, he came across a mystical land and encountered a genie of medicine. The genie offered the farmer to become his disciple and learn about science and medicine and abandon his attachments to the world. But the farmer refused and only want his wife back. The genie sees that the farmer displays sincere love for his wife and decided to bring his wife back. The genie poked the farmer’s finger and let three drops of blood fall on the body of the wife. The wife opened her eyes and smiled.The genie then instructed the wife to be faithful to her husband. The farmer and his wife then row the sampan back home to resume their old farming lifestyle, which the wife very much abhors. One night they stopped near a town, and the farmer went to collect some provisions, a rich merchant came by and became attracted to the wife’s beauty. The merchant then showered the wife with riches and convinced the wife to stow away with him on his ship. They sailed away together leaving the farmer behind. The farmer came back but couldn’t find his wife and began searching for her. He searched and searched, until he found the merchant’s vessel with his wife on board. He begged his wife to come home but the wife refused to comeback to a life of misery farming. Disheartened, the farmer asks that she returns the three drops of blood that he had given her, and then he will leave. The wife then thinks that’s not much to ask and poked her finger to give back the blood. The blood of life began to drain from her, she then shriveled up and died. Her body then dries up and turns into ash. Even dried up and dead she still remembers and longed for life, so the pieces of ash flew up in the air trying to search for the three drops of blood that the husband carries. But, the husband is way long gone. Until today, you see the little pieces of ash biting you is because of a beautiful but treacherous lady searching for the blood of life from her husband. And they never lived happily ever after….. The End.
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I’ve been researching blood especially in East Asian culture mainly because a lot of East Asian magic centers on black magic, which is drawn into blood. I remembered this old tale and thought it would be nice to share.
-Magnus
