Once upon a time, at the edge of a quiet village, there lived a young woodcutter named Cuoi. Every morning he walked into the forest with his basket to gather fallen branches. He always whistled a little tune as he went, and the birds whistled back.
One morning, deep among the ferns, Cuoi found a small banyan tree he had never seen before. Its leaves were silver-green, and they twinkled like tiny stars, even in the daytime. All around it, the flowers looked bright and fresh, as if they had just woken up. "What a special little tree," Cuoi whispered.
An old man with a walking stick came along the path. "Ah," he said, smiling. "That is a moon banyan. Wherever it grows, droopy flowers lift their heads and dry gardens turn green again. Take good care of it. Water it with clean, fresh water. And on full-moon nights, sing to it softly, because it loves the moon very much."
So Cuoi carefully dug up the little tree, with plenty of soil around its roots, and carried it home. His wife helped him plant it in the yard. "Welcome home, little tree," she said. Every morning they gave it clean water from the well, and every evening they sat beside it and talked about their day.
The banyan grew big and leafy. When a neighbour's garden was dry, Cuoi brought over a leaf, and the plants perked up, green and happy. When the children's flower pots drooped, one banyan leaf made them bloom. Cuoi shared the leaves with everyone, and the whole village loved the tree.
Then came the night of the Mid-Autumn full moon. The moon was round and bright, like a big silver plate. Cuoi and his wife sat under the tree, humming a soft song. The leaves began to rustle. Shh, shh, shh. The branches stretched up towards the moon. And slowly, very slowly, the roots wiggled out of the soil. The tree was rising, lighter than a feather!
"Oh! Wait for me, little tree!" said Cuoi, and he held on to a root. The tree floated up gently, and Cuoi floated with it, soft as a dandelion seed. "Hold on tight," called his wife, laughing and waving. "And come home for breakfast!" "I will!" Cuoi called back.
Up, up, up they drifted, past the rooftops, past a sleepy owl, past the soft grey clouds. Stars twinkled all around them. The night air was cool and quiet. At last the tree settled on the moon, as gently as a leaf landing on a pond, and silver moon dust puffed up around Cuoi's feet.
Waiting there was Lady Hang, the moon lady, in a long flowing dress, and beside her hopped the little Jade Rabbit. "Welcome, Cuoi," said Lady Hang. "The moon has no trees, and the Jade Rabbit has always wished for some shade. Your banyan has come to visit us." The tree rustled happily, as if to say, "I would like to stay here."
Cuoi sat under the tree with Lady Hang and the Jade Rabbit. They sipped warm tea and shared a round mooncake. Far below, Cuoi could see his village, with little lanterns glowing like fireflies. "The tree is happy here," he said quietly. "But I will miss it." Lady Hang smiled. "Then come and visit every full moon. Whenever you look up, the tree will be looking down at you."
When it was time to go, the Jade Rabbit pointed to a long, shiny moonbeam. Cuoi sat on it and slid down, slowly and softly, like a silver slide, all the way to his own yard. His wife was waiting with a warm lantern. "You're home!" she said, and they hugged.
They sat together and looked up at the bright moon. On its face they could see the shape of the banyan tree, with a little seat beneath it. "Is that your spot?" his wife teased. "That's my spot," Cuoi said with a yawn. "I'll sit there next full moon." And that is why children still say they can see Cuoi sitting under the banyan tree on the moon.
Then Cuoi and his wife went inside and lay down on their soft mat. The moonlight made a silver path across the floor. Cuoi's eyes grew heavy... heavy... and he fell asleep smiling, while far above, the banyan tree rustled a gentle goodnight. Shh, shh, shh.
Parent tip: Slow your voice right down as Cuoi floats up to the moon, then softly wave goodnight to the moon together with your child at the very end.
Ask your child: After the story, you can ask: “Who was kind in this story, and what did they do?”
This gentle retelling has no quarrel and no scary fall; Cuoi floats up softly and slides safely home to his wife.