THE LEGEND OF THE HUNDRED KNOT BAMBOO TREE

THE LEGEND OF THE HUNDRED-KNOT BAMBOO TREE
Once upon a time, there was a poor, honest, and kind farmer named Lao Nong. He worked as a servant for a wealthy, greedy, and wicked landlord. The landlord promised to marry his daughter to Lao Nong if he worked for him for three years. However, the landlord's true intention was simply to exploit the young man's labor.
After three years, when Lao Nong came to claim the promised bride, the landlord refused. He demanded that Lao Nong find a bamboo tree with

exactly one hundred knots as a wedding gift, knowing it was an impossible task. Lao Nong was heartbroken and cried bitterly. His cries were heard by a benevolent Buddha (Ông Bụt), who appeared to him and asked for the reason for his sorrow.
After hearing the story, the Buddha showed Lao Nong how to create the hundred-knot bamboo tree. The Buddha instructed him to chop down one hundred bamboo segments and then chant the magic words: "Khắc nhập, khắc nhập!" (meaning "Stick together, stick together!"). Following the Buddha's advice, Lao Nong chanted the words, and the hundred bamboo segments instantly stuck together, forming a single, long bamboo pole.
Lao Nong was overjoyed and carried the bamboo pole back to the landlord's house. The landlord was shocked and had no way to go back on his word. He and his servants tried to help Lao Nong carry the incredibly long and heavy pole into the house, but they couldn't move it an inch.
Lao Nong then chanted the next magic words: "Khắc xuất, khắc xuất!" (meaning "Separate, separate!"), and the bamboo pole immediately broke apart into a hundred separate segments. The landlord was furious and embarrassed. He declared that he would not marry his daughter to Lao Nong. So, Lao Nong once again chanted the magic words "Khắc nhập, khắc nhập!" This time, the bamboo segments stuck to the landlord and his servants who were standing nearby, and they couldn't pull them off. They cried and begged.
The landlord knelt and begged Lao Nong for forgiveness and promised to keep his word. Lao Nong chanted "Khắc xuất, khắc xuất!" one last time, and the bamboo segments released the landlord and his servants. In the end, Lao Nong married the landlord's daughter and lived a happy life.


The Moral of the Story
• Good triumphs over evil: The story highlights the value of kindness and honesty. Lao Nong, though poor, was sincere and good-hearted, so he was helped by the Buddha and ultimately triumphed over the landlord's greed and wickedness.
• Justice and punishment: The landlord represents the exploitative class who cheat the poor. In the end, he receives a fitting punishment, both physically (being stuck to the bamboo) and in terms of his reputation (being humiliated in front of everyone).
• Faith in a miracle: The hundred-knot bamboo tree and the magic words symbolize a belief in miracles, demonstrating the ancient Vietnamese belief that good will always be protected and aided.
• A lesson on deceit: The tale teaches that those who are deceitful and cheat others will not come to a good end.
"The Legend of the Hundred-Knot Bamboo Tree" is a gentle yet profound reminder of the proverb "what goes around, comes around," and a valuable lesson about justice and honesty in life.