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It was the third time CUỘI's buffalo ate rice seedings in another person's field. For the two first times the owner of the field wanted to see CUỘI's parents. But he answered:"My parents are out. My father has gone to heaven to cut grass for my buffalo. Grass from heaven is much better than your rice. My mother left early in the morning, riding a horse, to invite high-ranking officials to a feast of death anniversary. Both of them haven't come back yet."

The field owner said: "You are a liar, CUỘI!"

This time he got angry and beat CUỘI three lashes.

CUỘI did not cry because he had just seen a strange thing. He saw, with his own eyes, a mother tigress cure her cubs' broken legs with some leaves. He also got branch of this kind of tree. He would grow it in his back garden. He was sure that he would make much money by selling this magic herb.

CUỘI's mother did not believe in this magic tree. She thought it was only another lie of CUỘI's. But the tree grew up quickly. After only one night it got as big as the banian-tree at the end of the village.

She did not remember what CUỘI had said about the tree. She passed water at the foot of the tree. Suddenly, it shook hard slowly and went up from the ground. At the time CUỘI came back home. When he saw the tree going up into the air, he huriedly ran after it, caught the root. He wanted to pull it back but the tree flew straight up to the moon. CUỘI could not find the way home. But thanks to the magic tree he would never die. There he sits, looking down on the earth for ever and ever.

Today when people look up to the full moon at night they could see the shadow of CUỘI sitting at the foot of the magic tree.

 By Hoang Dinh Tu