The Story of the Buffalo Boy

In a small village nestled between emerald rice paddies and flowing streams in the Red River Delta, there lived a boy named Duc who was known throughout the community as “Cau Be Trau”—the Buffalo Boy. His family was among the poorest in the village, owning nothing but a tiny plot of land and a single, aging water buffalo named Xanh.

Duc’s father had died when he was very young, leaving his mother to raise him alone. She worked tirelessly weaving baskets and mats to sell at the market, while young Duc took care of their precious buffalo and helped tend their small rice field.

Despite their poverty, Duc’s mother had raised him with strong values. “My son,” she would often say as they shared their simple meals of rice and vegetables, “we may not have gold or silver, but we have something more valuable—we have kind hearts and willing hands. Remember that how we treat others, especially those who cannot help us in return, shows who we truly are.”

Every morning before dawn, Duc would lead Xanh to the communal grazing fields where the village’s water buffalo would spend the day eating grass and wallowing in the cool mud of the irrigation channels. While the other buffalo boys from wealthier families played games or napped under the shade trees, Duc would work constantly—cleaning Xanh’s hide, making sure he had the best grass to eat, and talking to him like a dear friend.

“Good morning, Uncle Xanh,” Duc would say each day, using the respectful term for elders. “Did you sleep well? Let me brush the mud from your back and find you some sweet grass for breakfast.”

The other boys often laughed at Duc’s devotion to his old buffalo.

“Why do you waste so much time talking to that ancient beast?” they would tease. “Buffalo can’t understand human speech, and yours is so old he’ll probably die before the next harvest season.”

But Duc would just smile and continue caring for Xanh with the same dedication his mother showed in caring for their family. He seemed to understand something the other boys didn’t—that all creatures deserved kindness and respect, regardless of their age or usefulness.

Xanh was indeed very old, with graying hair around his muzzle and joints that moved stiffly after years of hard labor in the rice fields. But his eyes still held intelligence and gentleness, and he seemed to appreciate Duc’s constant care and companionship.

One particularly hot summer day, as Duc led Xanh to a shady spot by the river, he noticed that his beloved buffalo was breathing heavily and seemed weaker than usual. The old animal’s steps were unsteady, and he kept looking at Duc with an expression that seemed almost human in its sadness.

“Uncle Xanh,” Duc said softly, kneeling beside the buffalo and stroking his massive head, “are you feeling unwell? Don’t worry—I’ll take extra good care of you. We’ll find the coolest shade and the sweetest grass, and I’ll stay with you all day.”

That night, as Duc prepared to lead Xanh home, the old buffalo suddenly spoke in a clear, gentle voice that only Duc could hear.

“Dear boy,” Xanh said, “I must tell you something important. I am not an ordinary water buffalo—I am a spirit sent by the Heaven God to test the hearts of humans. For three years, I have lived with your family, and in all that time, you have shown me nothing but kindness, respect, and love.”

Duc stared in amazement, but somehow he wasn’t frightened. The voice was so warm and familiar, it felt like hearing an old friend reveal a wonderful secret.

“You talked to me when others ignored me,” Xanh continued. “You shared your food when you had little to eat. You worked to make me comfortable when you could have been playing. You treated an old, tired buffalo with the same respect you would show a beloved grandfather.”

The buffalo’s form began to shimmer in the evening light, and Duc could see that Xanh was transforming into something magnificent and otherworldly.

“Because of your pure heart and selfless actions,” the spirit said, “I have been instructed to reward you. But first, you must choose—would you prefer wealth that will make your family prosperous, or wisdom that will guide you throughout your life?”

Duc thought carefully about this momentous choice. His family desperately needed money—they often went to bed hungry, their house leaked during the rainy season, and his mother’s hands were worn raw from constant work.

But then he remembered all the lessons his mother had taught him about the true sources of happiness and success.

“Honored spirit,” Duc said respectfully, “if I may choose wisdom, I believe that will serve not only my family but also my community better in the long run. Wealth can be lost or stolen, but wisdom becomes part of who you are and helps you make good decisions forever.”

The buffalo spirit smiled with obvious pleasure. “You have chosen well, young Duc. Your answer shows that you already possess great wisdom—you understand that the mind’s riches are more valuable than gold.”

The spirit then breathed gently on Duc, and the boy felt knowledge flowing into his mind like water filling a dry well. Suddenly he understood things about farming, weather patterns, animal care, and human nature that usually took decades to learn.

“But,” the spirit added with a twinkle in his luminous eyes, “wisdom without the means to use it effectively is incomplete. You shall have both gifts—the wisdom to make good decisions and the prosperity that comes from applying that wisdom skillfully.”

With these words, the buffalo spirit began to fade into the twilight, but not before leaving behind a small leather pouch that glowed with soft, golden light.

“Inside this pouch,” the spirit’s voice echoed as he disappeared, “you will find seeds unlike any grown in this world. Plant them with the wisdom I have given you, and they will bring prosperity to your family and your entire village.”

When Duc opened the magical pouch, he found seeds that looked like tiny pearls, each one pulsing with its own inner light. His new wisdom immediately told him exactly how and when to plant them for the best results.

Following the spiritual knowledge he had received, Duc planted the seeds in his family’s small plot during the most auspicious time, cared for them with techniques that seemed to come naturally to his hands, and watched as they grew into the most magnificent rice plants anyone in the village had ever seen.

The rice that grew from the magical seeds was not only abundant beyond belief—each plant producing ten times the normal yield—but it was also more nutritious and delicious than any variety known in the region. When word spread about Duc’s miraculous harvest, farmers came from distant provinces to learn his methods and buy his seed stock.

But Duc, guided by his new wisdom and his naturally generous heart, didn’t hoard his good fortune. He shared the magical seeds freely with his neighbors, taught them the special cultivation techniques he had learned, and helped establish his village as the most prosperous agricultural community in the entire delta.

More importantly, the wisdom the buffalo spirit had given him helped Duc become a respected leader and problem-solver in his community. When disputes arose between neighbors, they came to the Buffalo Boy for fair judgment. When farmers faced new challenges with pests or weather, they sought his innovative solutions. When young people needed guidance about their futures, they turned to Duc for counsel that was both practical and wise.

Years later, when Duc had grown into a successful and respected man, he would often sit by the river at sunset, remembering his old friend Xanh and the lessons their time together had taught him.

He built a small shrine beside the water where he used to graze the magical buffalo, and there he would leave offerings of fresh grass and clear water, along with prayers of gratitude for the spirit who had transformed his life.

The villagers, prosperous now because of the gifts Duc had shared with them, also honored the shrine and told their children the story of the Buffalo Boy who had earned heaven’s blessing through simple kindness and respect for all living creatures.

“Remember,” Duc would tell the young people who came to him for advice, “true wealth comes not from what we can take from the world, but from what we can give to it. The Buffalo Spirit didn’t reward me because I was clever or strong, but because I tried to be kind to a creature who couldn’t offer me anything in return.”

The Story of the Buffalo Boy became one of Vietnam’s most beloved tales about the rewards of compassion and humility. It teaches children that kindness is never wasted, that wisdom is the greatest treasure, and that the way we treat the most humble creatures in our world reveals the true nature of our hearts.

And in the rice paddies of the Red River Delta, where water buffalo still work alongside farmers in the ancient rhythm of planting and harvest, people say that sometimes, on misty mornings, you can still see the spirit of old Xanh watching over the fields, blessing those who work the land with the same gentle dedication that once earned a poor boy the greatest gifts heaven could bestow.