Mai An Tiêm and the Watermelon - Vietnamese

Hello, my name is Mai An Tiêm. Long ago, I lived in a grand palace as the adopted son of the mighty King Hùng. My home was in ancient Vietnam, a beautiful land of green mountains and sparkling rivers. I had everything a boy could want, but I always believed that what I had came from my own hard work, not just because I was the king's son. One day, I said to the king, 'My fortune comes from my own hands, not from your gifts.' The king’s face grew stormy like a thundercloud. He thought I was ungrateful. This is the story of how my pride led to a great adventure, a tale known as Mai An Tiêm and the Watermelon.

The king was so upset that he sent my family and me to a deserted island far away in the sparkling sea. The island was wild and empty. There was nothing but sand that tickled our toes, sharp rocks, and the loud whoosh of crashing waves. At first, we felt a deep sadness, and a little bit of fear fluttered in our tummies like butterflies. But we looked at each other and knew we couldn't give up. We decided to be brave. Together, we built a small hut from driftwood to keep us safe and dry. We learned to catch shiny, wriggling fish from the sea for our dinner. Every day, from the moment the sun peeked over the water until it went to sleep, we worked hard to find enough to eat. Even though we were all alone, we had each other, and that gave us hope.

One sunny afternoon, while I was walking along the beach looking for food, I saw a flock of birds soaring high above me. Suddenly, one of them dropped something. A tiny, black seed landed right on the sand near my feet. I picked it up and rolled it in my palm. It was so small, but I felt a spark of curiosity. 'What if this little seed could grow into something wonderful?' I wondered. I found a nice, clear patch of soil away from the salty waves and carefully planted it. My family helped me water it every day with fresh water we had found trickling from the rocks. We watched and waited. Soon, a little green sprout poked its head out of the earth. That sprout grew into a long, winding vine with big, floppy leaves like elephant ears. Before long, large, round, green balls started to grow on the vine. We had never seen a fruit like it before. We were excited but also a little worried. Was it safe to eat?

We waited until the first fruit was as big as my head. I took a sharp shell and carefully cut it open. Wow. Inside, the fruit was a beautiful, bright red color, and it smelled incredibly sweet, like sunshine and flowers. We each took a small bite. It was the most delicious, juicy thing we had ever tasted. It was sweet and watery and perfect. We named it 'dưa hấu,' which means watermelon. This amazing fruit saved us. It gave us food to eat and fresh juice to drink when we were thirsty. Then, a clever idea popped into my head. I took the biggest watermelons and used a sharp rock to carve our names and a message on their tough green skins. I told the story of our island on the outside of the fruit. Then, I pushed them into the ocean. I hoped the currents would carry our messages to faraway shores. We sent dozens of melons floating away like big green messenger boats.

Many months passed. One day, sailors on a trading ship saw our strange green melons floating in the sea. They pulled one out of the water and were amazed by the sweet fruit inside and even more surprised by the message carved on the rind. They followed the trail of floating melons until they found our island. The king heard the whole story of how I had used my cleverness and hard work to not only survive but to create something new. His heart, which had been angry, now filled with pride for me. He sent a big ship to bring us home. We were welcomed back not as outcasts, but as heroes. My story teaches everyone that you should never give up. It shows that with resourcefulness and perseverance, you can turn a tiny seed of hope into something wonderful. To this day, the watermelon is a special fruit in Vietnam, a symbol of good luck that reminds everyone of the boy who found his fortune on a lonely island.