Vietnamese fairytale

The story of Tam and Cam

The story of tam and cam is a Vietnamese fairytale; the story portrays an almost "Cinderella" story about two sisters. It tells the story of a girl called Tam who mother died when she was at a young age and then her father remarried. Soon after the marriage the stepmother gave birth to a girl and called her Cam. Later on the father died and the stepmother began to abuse the take advantage of Tam by treating her like a slave. Whilst Cam lived lavished; the Stepmother's hatred for Tam was increased because of the fact that Tam was much more beautiful and fair than her own daughter Cam, even though Tam was forced to do all the work under the sun.

One day the stepmother sent Tam and Cam to fish, promising to reward the girl who caught the most fish with a new, red silk Ao yem (attire). Cam knew her mother would never punish her and so played carelessly while Tam worked hard fishing. When Cam noticed all the fish Tam had caught, Cam deceived Tam by telling her to wash the mud out of her hair or else she would be told off by mother. As Tam washed her hair, Cam poured all the fish Tam had caught into her own basket and ran home. When Tam had discovered had been tricked she cry on the Goddess of Mercy (fairy godmother); she appeared to Tam and comforted her. She told Tam to look into her basket as there was still one remaining little carp. The Goddess of Mercy told Tam to take the carp home and put it into the well at the back of the house, reciting a special poem/greeting whenever she came to feed it. Everyday Tam would go out to the well to feed the carp, always reciting the greeting beforehand so that the carp would come up from the water. The carp grew bigger everyday that Tam fed it, and stepmother began to suspect Tam's behaviour. One day, stepmother sneaked out to where Tam was feeding the fish. She waited until Tam was gone, and went over to the well, finding nothing. Stepmother repeated the greeting she had heard Tam reciting and the carp come up from the water. Stepmother caught and killed it to put in her rice porridge.

When Tam realised what her stepmother had done she started crying; then the Goddess of Mercy appeared to Tam and instructed her to recover the bones of the carp and bury them in four separate jars underneath each corner of her bed. A short while later the king hosted a large celebration. Tam begged to go along with Cam and stepmother; but stepmother mad plans in order to keep Tam at home. Stepmother mixed together countless black and green beans and ordered Tam to sort them out before she was allowed to go (in addition to this Tam did not have any decent clothes to attend the event anyway). Tam waited until Cam and stepmother had gone for a while and called out to the Goddess of Mercy, who appeared and turned the nearby flies into sparrows that sorted the beans for Tam. Tam was then told to dig up the four jars from the corners of her bed and she found treasures in each, including a beautiful silk dress, jewellery, golden slippers and even a horse! Tam dressed herself splendidly and made her way to the celebration but in her excitement she dropped a single slipper into the river.

The slipper flowed along the river until it was picked up by one of the king's attendants. The king looked at the beautiful slipper and announced that any maiden at the celebration whose foot fit the slipper would be made into his first wife. Every eligible lady at the celebration tried on the slipper including Cam however known fit the slipper. Suddenly a beautiful young girl (Tam) dressed in a magnificent silk gown appeared whose foot fit perfectly into the slipper (not to mention on her other foot was adorned the corresponding slipper of the same make). The stepmother and Cam were shocked when they find out the mysterious lady was Tam. Tam was instantly brought on the royal palanquin into the royally palace for a grand wedding celebration and stood right in front of her watching was stepmother and stepsister. It was Tam father’s death anniversary and she decides to make a short visit home to honour the anniversary with her family even though they were mean to her and treated her badly. The Stepmother asked Tam to climb the tree and gather its betel nuts for her late father's altar; Tam obeyed and as she climbed to the top of the tree not knowing that her stepmother had an evil plan; she took an axe and chopped the tree down and Tam fell to her death. Cam put on her sister's royal attire and entered the palace in her place. However Tam reincarnated into a nightingale and followed her sister into the palace. The king remained unhappy because he missed his late wife dearly, whilst Cam tried hard to please him.

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The story of tam and cam The story of tam and cam is a Vietnamese fairytale; the story portrays an almost "Cinderella" story about two sisters. It tells the story of a girl called Tam who mother died when she was at a young age and then her father remarried. Soon after the marriage the stepmother gave birth to a girl and called her Cam. Later on the father died and the stepmother began to abuse the take advantage of Tam by treating her like a slave. Whilst Cam lived lavished; the Stepmother's hatred for Tam was increased because of the fact that Tam was much more beautiful and fair than her own daughter Cam, even though Tam was forced to do all the work under the sun. One day the stepmother sent Tam and Cam to fish, promising to reward the girl who caught the most fish with a new, red silk Ao yem (attire). Cam knew her mother would never punish her and so played carelessly while Tam worked hard fishing. When Cam noticed all the fish Tam had caught, Cam deceived Tam by telling her to wash the mud out of her hair or else she would be told off by mother. As Tam washed her hair, Cam poured all the fish Tam had caught into her own basket and ran home. When Tam had discovered had been tricked she cry on the Goddess of Mercy (fairy godmother); she appeared to Tam and comforted her. She told Tam to look into her basket as there was still one remaining little carp. The Goddess of Mercy told Tam to take the carp home and put it into the well at the back of the house, reciting a special poem/greeting whenever she came to feed it. Everyday Tam would go out to the well to feed the carp, always reciting the greeting beforehand so that the carp would come up from the water. The carp grew bigger everyday that Tam fed it, and stepmother began to suspect Tam's behaviour. One day, stepmother sneaked out to where Tam was feeding the fish. She waited until Tam was gone, and went over to the well, finding nothing. Stepmother repeated the greeting she had heard Tam reciting and the carp come up from the water. Stepmother caught and killed it to put in her rice porridge. When Tam realised what her stepmother had done she started crying; then the Goddess of Mercy appeared to Tam and instructed her to recover the bones of the carp and bury them in four separate jars underneath each corner of her bed. A short while later the king hosted a large celebration. Tam begged to go along with Cam and stepmother; but stepmother mad plans in order to keep Tam at home. Stepmother mixed together countless black and green beans and ordered Tam to sort them out before she was allowed to go (in addition to this Tam did not have any decent clothes to attend the event anyway). Tam waited until Cam and stepmother had gone for a while and called out to the Goddess of Mercy, who appeared and turned the nearby flies into sparrows that sorted the beans for Tam. Tam was then told to dig up the four jars from the corners of her bed and she found treasures in each, including a beautiful silk dress, jewellery, golden slippers and even a horse! Tam dressed herself splendidly and made her way to the celebration but in her excitement she dropped a single slipper into the river. The slipper flowed along the river until it was picked up by one of the king's attendants. The king looked at the beautiful slipper and announced that any maiden at the celebration whose foot fit the slipper would be made into his first wife. Every eligible lady at the celebration tried on the slipper including Cam however known fit the slipper. Suddenly a beautiful young girl (Tam) dressed in a magnificent silk gown appeared whose foot fit perfectly into the slipper (not to mention on her other foot was adorned the corresponding slipper of the same make). The stepmother and Cam were shocked when they find out the mysterious lady was Tam. Tam was instantly brought on the royal palanquin into the royally palace for a grand wedding celebration and stood right in front of her watching was stepmother and stepsister. It was Tam father’s death anniversary and she decides to make a short visit home to honour the anniversary with her family even though they were mean to her and treated her badly. The Stepmother asked Tam to climb the tree and gather its betel nuts for her late father's altar; Tam obeyed and as she climbed to the top of the tree not knowing that her stepmother had an evil plan; she took an axe and chopped the tree down and Tam fell to her death. Cam put on her sister's royal attire and entered the palace in her place. However Tam reincarnated into a nightingale and followed her sister into the palace. The king remained unhappy because he missed his late wife dearly, whilst Cam tried hard to please him. One of palace maid hung out the king's dragon robe to the sun when the nightingale (tam) appeared to sing a song to remind the maid to be careful with her husband's gown. The bird's song addicted everyone who listened to it, and even drew the attention of the king. The king called out to the nightingale to land in the wide sleeves of his robe if it really was the spirit of his late wife. The nightingale did exactly as the king had asked and ever since then, it was put into a golden cage where the king spent most of his days as it sang songs to him. Cam became annoyed and went to her mother to ask for her opinion on what she should do. Her mother instructed her to catch the bird and eat it. Cam did as she was told and after skinning it, threw the feathers over the gate of the palace. From the feathers rose a tree bearing a single, magnificent fruit. A poor old woman who worked as a water vendor walked by one day and saw it, begging it to fall to her, and promising that she would not to eat it, only admire it. Indeed it fell to her, and she did not eat it. The next day, the old woman found that when she came home from her errands, the housework was done while she was gone and there was a hot meal waiting for her. The next day she pretended to leave but stayed back to spy, when she saw Tam emerge from the fruit and begin to do the household chores. The old woman emerged and tore up the peel so Tam could no longer turn back into the fruit. One day the king lost while hunting stopped by the hut. The old woman offered him betel and when the king saw how the betel had been prepared in the peculiar special way his late queen had always prepared it; he inquired as to whom had prepared the betel. The old woman told him her daughter had done it, and the king made her produce the daughter and saw it was Tam. He was over the moon and he brought Tam back into the palace as the king's first wife. Cam was distressed and saw that Tam was as beautiful and pale as ever. She begged Tam to reveal her secret on how she was so beautiful and fair-skinned and that she would do anything to be as fair. Tam told her it was simple and that she would just have to jump into a basin of boiling water. Cam did and died a horribleOne of palace maid hung out the king's dragon robe to the sun when the nightingale (tam) appeared to sing a song to remind the maid to be careful with her husband's gown. The bird's song addicted everyone who listened to it, and even drew the attention of the king. The king called out to the nightingale to land in the wide sleeves of his robe if it really was the spirit of his late wife. The nightingale did exactly as the king had asked and ever since then, it was put into a golden cage where the king spent most of his days as it sang songs to him. Cam became annoyed and went to her mother to ask for her opinion on what she should do. Her mother instructed her to catch the bird and eat it. Cam did as she was told and after skinning it, threw the feathers over the gate of the palace. From the feathers rose a tree bearing a single, magnificent fruit. A poor old woman who worked as a water vendor walked by one day and saw it, begging it to fall to her, and promising that she would not to eat it, only admire it. Indeed it fell to her, and she did not eat it. The next day, the old woman found that when she came home from her errands, the housework was done while she was gone and there was a hot meal waiting for her. The next day she pretended to leave but stayed back to spy, when she saw Tam emerge from the fruit and begin to do the household chores. The old woman emerged and tore up the peel so Tam could no longer turn back into the fruit.

One day the king lost while hunting stopped by the hut. The old woman offered him betel and when the king saw how the betel had been prepared in the peculiar special way his late queen had always prepared it; he inquired as to whom had prepared the betel. The old woman told him her daughter had done it, and the king made her produce the daughter and saw it was Tam. He was over the moon and he brought Tam back into the palace as the king's first wife. Cam was distressed and saw that Tam was as beautiful and pale as ever. She begged Tam to reveal her secret on how she was so beautiful and fair-skinned and that she would do anything to be as fair. Tam told her it was simple and that she would just have to jump into a basin of boiling water. Cam did and died a horrible death.