Long, long ago, before people planted rice in the fields, the land was full of little Mischief Sprites. They were tiny and round and giggly, with bright eyes and bouncy feet. They loved to play hide-and-seek in the tall grass, roll down the hills and splash in the streams. They were not bad at all. They were just very, very playful, and they thought all the land belonged only to them.
One day some families came to the valley. "What beautiful land," they said. "May we plant food here?" The sprites crossed their little arms. "This is OUR land," they said. "But... all right. You can do the planting, and at harvest we will share it in half." "Which half?" asked the people. The sprites whispered and giggled. "We will take the tops! You can have the bottoms!"
So the people planted sweet potatoes. At harvest time, the sprites got all the green leaves on top, and the people got the sweet potatoes under the ground. The sprites looked at their big pile of leaves. "Hmm," they said, scratching their heads. "This is not very tasty."
"Next time," said the sprites, "we will take the bottoms!" So the people planted rice. At harvest time, the people got the golden rice grains on top, and the sprites got the roots and the muddy stubble. The sprites sat down in the mud and pouted. "Every time we choose, we choose wrong!" said the smallest sprite, and his lip went wobbly.
The people saw the little sprites looking so glum, and they did not like it. Nobody likes to see a friend sad. "Oh dear," said a grandmother. "This is not a happy game anymore." Just then, a kind old man with a long white beard came walking along the path. It was Ông Bụt. "Why is everyone so gloomy?" he asked. And they all told him.
Ông Bụt stroked his beard. "Tops and bottoms is a guessing game," he said, "and in a guessing game, somebody always loses. Let us try sharing instead. The land is big enough for everyone." He pointed to the green hills and the edge of the forest. "Little sprites, you love to roll and hide and splash, so the hills and streams can be your playground. And you people love to plant, so the flat fields can be your gardens. At harvest time, everyone shares a little of everything."
The sprites looked at each other. "But how will we know we are still welcome?" asked the smallest sprite. Ông Bụt smiled. He took a tall, straight bamboo pole and tied little bells to the top, ting-a-ling. He added bright red ribbons, green leaves and a tiny basket filled with sticky rice cakes and sweets. Then he stood the pole up high in the middle of the village. "When you see this pole from your hills," he said, "and hear the little bells ringing, it means: Welcome, friends! Come and celebrate with us!"
That year, when the New Year came, the people raised the tall bamboo pole. Ting-a-ling, ting-a-ling went the bells in the spring breeze. Up on the hills, the sprites saw the red ribbons dancing, and down they came, bouncing and giggling. The people shared their bánh chưng and sweet treats. The sprites showed the children how to roll down gentle grassy slopes. The children drew white chalk flowers all over the yard, and the sprites hopped from flower to flower. Everyone laughed until the moon came up.
After the celebration, the sprites went happily back to their hills and streams, and the people went back to their fields, and everyone kept the promise to share. And that is why, every Tết, families in Vietnam raise a tall bamboo pole called cây nêu, with bells ringing and ribbons dancing, as if to say: "Happy New Year! There is room for everyone here."
Parent tip: Each time the bells on the bamboo pole appear, ring an imaginary bell with your fingers and say 'ting-a-ling' together.
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 demons or fighting, only playful sprites who share the land and join the Tết fun.