The Rice Cake

Once upon a time, there was a Vietnamese emperor named Hung Vuong. He ruled his people wisely and kindly. The emperor had many sons, each of whom excelled at something — one was skilled with a paintbrush, another with a sword, and so on.

But now the emperor needed to choose one of them as his heir. His sons nervously awaited his decision, curious to find out who fortune would smile upon.

The emperor asked all of his sons to gather round. “My dear ones, it is necessary for me to decide which of you will rule our country after me. I love you all so much, and I also know that you’re all equally clever and capable. So, to determine who will become the emperor, I have prepared a special task. Each of you will prepare some food for me. Make it as tasty and imaginative as possible!”

Almost immediately the sons scattered in every direction, venturing all over Vietnam. Some of them hunted game or birds in the forests. Others sailed out to sea to catch rare kinds of fish, crabs, or other seafood for their father. They were brave and stopped at nothing — neither dangerous jungles nor rough waves scared them.

Only the youngest son, Tiet Lieu, remained at home. He sat quietly and pondered. As he didn’t like hunting or guns, he would not be killing any animals. He decided to take a little stroll around the local area and maybe he’d think of something along the way.

Unlike his brothers, who all live in grand style in the palace, Tiet Lieu resided with his loving wife and children in a modest house in the countryside. For he had no desire for wealth or servants.

As he walked, he came to …