EAGER FOR PUNISHMENT
DEDICATED
to the
Vietnamese people
and
Vietnamese-American
friendship
BY VINH HUYEN
President, Board of Directors Vietnamese-American Association
The author of "Vietnamese Legends" Mr. George F. Schultz, was Executive Director of the Vietnamese-American Association during the years 1956-58. Mr. Schultz was responsible for the construction of the present Vietnamese-American Center in Saigon and for the development of the cultural and educational program of the Association.
Shortly after his arrival in Vietnam, Mr. Schultz began to study the language, literature, and history of Vietnam and was soon recognized as an authority, not only by his fellow Americans, for it was his duty to brief them in these subjects, but by many Vietnamese as well. He has published papers entitled "The Vietnamese Language" and "Vietnamese Names" as well as an English translation of the Cung-Oan ngam-khuc, "The Plaints of an Odalisque."
It was my privilege to be president of the Board of Directors of the Vietnamese-American Association during the time that Mr. Schultz was the Executive Director, and it is a great pleasure for me to have a small part in presenting "Vietnamese Legends" to the public.
Saigon
This collection of Vietnamese legends was begun during my tour in Saigon as Director of the Vietnamese-American Association, a bi-national center sponsored by the United States Information Agency. A subsequent world tour and other assignments have delayed publication until the present time.
My position as Executive director of the Association brought me into intimate contact with the Vietnamese people at all levels. It was my first experience in Southeast Asia, and I had much to learn. I found the Vietnamese to be a friendly and hospitable people of a modest and retiring disposition. They prize erudition and I found that I could best gain their respect by learning something of their language, literature, and civilization. This was not a simple task for at that time little had appeared in English about the cultural aspects of Vietnam; Viet-My, the journal of the Vietnamese-American Association, served and continues to serve a good cause in this respect.
The Vietnamese are a very old race, and legend takes them back to the year 2,879 B.c., when they were supposedly living in the valley of the upper Yangtse River. Over the centuries they moved from that region to the south of China. Their historical period begins in the third century B.c., when they are found in the Red River delta, in what is now North Vietnam. After several centuries of independence, they were subjugated by the powerful Chinese and only in A.D. 939 were they able to gain independence again. After that they moved south by land and by sea, reaching the southern extremity of what is now Vietnam in 1774.
Vietnamese language, literature, and civilization owe a great deal to the Chinese. It would be wrong, however, to say that the Vietnamese have slavishly imitated their northern neighbors; on the Chinese base, there has developed a language, literature, and civilization of distinct Vietnamese flavor.
A great many Chinese myths, fables, and legends have been passed on to the Vietnamese; others are of purely Vietnamese origin. "The Story of Tam and Cam" will be recognized as the Vietnamese version of the Chinese Cinderella story. (It may surprise Western readers to learn that the first Cinderella was Chinese). This Chinese aspect of their culture does not bother the Vietnamese in the least, although there is presently very little rapport between the two peoples.
Among my Vietnamese friends who have aided in the preparation of this collection, I should like to mention the names of Mrs. Nguyen Ngoc Lang, Mrs. L. T. Bach Lan, Mr. Pham Duy Khiem, Mr. Do Vang Ly, Mr. Nguyen Phu Doc, and Mr. Le Huy Hap.
Columbia City,
Indiana, U.S.A.
GEORGE P. SCHULTZ
HOW THE TIGER GOT HIS STRIPES
THIS STORY took place in prehistoric times, when animals still had the power of speech. A young farmer had just stopped plowing his rice paddy. It was noon, and he sat down to eat his lunch in the shade of a banana plant near his land.
Not far away his water buffalo was grazing along the grass-covered dikes enclosing the rice fields. After the meal the farmer reclined and observed the stout beast which was chewing quietly. From time to time it would chase away the obnoxious flies with a vigorous swing of its massive head.
Suddenly the great beast became alarmed; the wind carried the odor of a dangerous animal. The buffalo rose to its feet, and awaited the arrival of the enemy.
With the speed of lightning a tiger sprang into the clearing.
"I have not come as an enemy," he said. "I only wish to have something explained. I have been watching you every day from the edge of the forest, and I have observed the strange spectacle of your common labor with the man. That man, that small and vertical being, who has neither great strength nor sharp vision, nor even a keen sense of smell, has been able to keep you in bondage and work you for his profit. You are actually ten times heavier than he, much stronger, and more hardened to heavy labor. Yet he rules you. What is the source of his magic power?"
"To tell the truth," said the buffalo, "I know nothing about all that. I only know I shall never be freed of his power, for he has a talisman he calls wisdom."
"I must ask him about that," said the tiger, "because, you see, if I could get this wisdom I would have even greater power over the other animals. Instead of having to conceal myself and spring on them unawares, I could simply order them to remain motionless. I could choose from among all the animals, at my whim and fancy, the most delicious meats."
"Well!" replied the startled buffalo. "Why don't you ask the farmer about his wisdom."
The tiger decided to approach the farmer.
"Mr. Man," he said, "I am big, strong, and quick but I want to be more. I have heard it said that you have something called wisdom which makes it possible for you to rule over all the animals. Can you transfer this wisdom to me? It would be of great value to me in my daily search for food."
"Unfortunately," replied the man, "I have left my wisdom at home.
