Vietnamese Legend: Partridge Bird
The boy was then led home by the monks and with the help of the bowl of rice he was able to have enough energy to return. The stepfather became more and more frustrated as the child told his story. He snapped at the boy.
"So that was the reason why I could not find you?"
And, the legend was born...
That week the stepfather tried another attempt to lure the boy to go with him to the woods. This time he purposely led the child into the unknown part of the forest where no one even dared to enter. When he crept away from the small boy, the stepfather thought to himself.
"If he does not die from the wild beast than he will die from wandering. If that still does not kill him then he will surely die from hunger."
As the afternoon went by and he waited for his stepfather returned, the boy began to despair and started to cry out but only the echo of the forest would reply to him. He ran to search in every direction and corner but the child did not even see a person's shadow.
When the boy became hungry and tired, he took out the bowl of food his stepfather had given him but to his surprise, below a thin layer of rice and vegetables there was only dirt underneath. He was so hungry, the boy started to pick the rice that was covered in dirt and put it into his mouth.
In the end, the boy started to become extremely hungry. He grabbed his bowl and ran everywhere screaming, "Stepfather, where are you? Rice of dirt with pickled eggplant (which translates to Bat cat qua ca). Rice of dirt with pickled eggplant!" His crying did nothing except startle the birds that were resting in the forests. Then the boy died and turned into a partridge bird, who always says, "Bat cat qua ca! Bat cat qua ca!"
After waiting and not seeing her son return, the mother would cry hysterically every day. Knowing that her husband was the one that harmed her son, she would insult him to his face. The mother forced her husband to go find her son and not to come home until he did. Otherwise, if he did not show up with her son then she was going to take him to court.
The stepfather could do nothing except follow his wife's orders and into the woods he went. He searched and searched. All of a sudden in the silent forest, he heard a scream that kept saying, "Bat cat qua ca!" A chill went down his spine as the man heard the saying. It was as if the boy had come back to haunt him for his evil deed.
The continuous echoing scared him, making him ran aimlessly in the forest trying to get away from it. Everywhere he went the voice kept getting nearer and surrounding him. "Bat cat qua ca." Its echo kept haunting the stepfather, causing him to keep on running until he was drained and collapsed onto a rock. A few days later, a group of woodcutters found his body still lying on the edge of the woods.
Another sad story. I tried to make it lighter but it's the best I can do and it still came out depressing. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoyed it.
P.S If you still have questions, feel free to contact us. From where we are and wherever you are, best wishes to you and the person next to you. Good night.
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