Painter TRUONG VAN NGOC
This beautiful folk tale explains the origins of the lotus flower
Once upon a time, two orphan girls were adopted by a xam singer who taught them to sing and dance. As the girls grew up, word of their beauty and talent spread throughout the land.
At this time, there was a young lord infamous for his cruelty, who brought misery wherever he went. Upon hearing of these famous sisters, he came up with a plot to kidnap them and force them to marry him.
One day, the xam singer had to go on a long trip. Before leaving, he promised to return with gifts for his daughters. The older girl asked for white slippers embroidered with gold threads, while her younger sister asked for pink slippers embroidered with gold threads. During the adoptive father’s absence, the young lord had his henchmen kidnap the older sister. To preserve her virtue, she threw herself into a lake. Her grief-stricken sibling soon followed.
When the father returned and couldn’t find his daughters, he asked around and learned about the tragedy.
Suddenly, he smelled a light fragrance emanating from the lake and saw dainty pink and white flowers. The flowers were shaped like slippers, with golden pistils resembling embroidery threads and leaves shaped like the quai thao hats the sisters used to wear. The flowers emitted a delicate yet pure aroma, symbolizing the sisters’ souls.
Overcome with sorrow, the father began to sob. Suddenly, the two girls emerged from the lake and stood beside him. The older sister explained how they were saved by the Lady of the Lake.
The Lady had agreed to return the girls to their father. She had created the flowers on the lake, which she had named “lotus,” to keep her company and remind her of the sisters.
