The Story of the Fairy and the Woodcutter

In the mountainous regions of ancient Vietnam, where misty peaks touched the clouds and ancient forests stretched as far as the eye could see, there lived a young woodcutter named Minh. He was an orphan who had grown up alone in the wilderness, learning to survive through his own resourcefulness and the kindness of the forest creatures who had become his companions.

Minh was known throughout the scattered mountain villages for his honest character and generous heart. Despite his poverty and solitary life, he would always share what little he had with anyone in need. When villagers fell ill, he would venture deep into the forest to gather rare medicinal herbs. When families faced hardship, he would quietly leave bundles of firewood outside their homes during the night.

Every day, Minh would rise before dawn and venture into the forest with his simple axe and rope. He would carefully select only dead or fallen trees for his firewood, never harming the living forest that had been his home and protector for so many years. The birds would sing to guide his way, the deer would lead him to the best paths, and even the tigers would nod respectfully when they encountered him, recognizing his pure heart and harmonious spirit.

One morning, as Minh was working in a particularly remote and beautiful part of the forest, he heard the sound of gentle laughter and splashing water coming from beyond a grove of ancient bamboo. Curious but respectful, he quietly approached the source of the sounds and discovered a hidden mountain pool of extraordinary beauty.

The pool was crystal clear, fed by a waterfall that cascaded down from the misty heights above. The water sparkled like liquid diamonds in the morning sunlight, and the air around it was filled with an otherworldly fragrance of lotus blossoms and celestial flowers. But what took Minh’s breath away was not the beauty of the pool itself, but the presence of seven young women bathing in its waters.

These were no ordinary women. They moved with ethereal grace, their skin seemed to glow with inner light, and their laughter was like the music of temple bells. Their long, dark hair floated around them like silk, and when they spoke to each other, their voices were like the whisper of wind through pine trees. Minh realized immediately that he was witnessing something sacred – these were celestial fairies who had descended from Heaven to bathe in this holy pool.

As he watched from his hiding place behind the bamboo, Minh noticed that the fairies’ beautiful silk robes were laid out on the rocks beside the pool, along with what appeared to be pairs of delicate, feathered wings. He understood that these must be their celestial garments that allowed them to fly between Heaven and Earth.

Among the seven fairies, one stood out for her exceptional beauty and the gentle kindness in her eyes. Her name was Vien, and she was the youngest of the celestial sisters. While the others laughed and played in the water, Vien often paused to admire the natural beauty around them – the flowers blooming on the shore, the birds singing in the trees, and the peaceful harmony of the earthly realm.

Minh found himself captivated not just by Vien’s beauty, but by the compassion and wonder he could see in her expression. He had never seen anyone who seemed to appreciate the forest’s beauty with the same depth of feeling that he himself possessed. For the first time in his lonely life, he felt a connection with another being that went beyond friendship or gratitude.

As the fairies prepared to return to Heaven, Minh faced a moment of intense internal struggle. An idea had formed in his mind – if he were to hide one set of celestial robes and wings, that fairy would be unable to return to the celestial realm and would have to remain on Earth, at least temporarily. The thought filled him with both hope and guilt, as he knew that such an action would be a form of deception, even if motivated by love.

His longing for companionship and his growing love for Vien overcame his moral reservations. As the fairies were distracted by their preparations to leave, Minh quietly crept forward and took Vien’s celestial garments, hiding them in a hollow tree some distance away. He then retreated to his hiding place to watch what would happen.

When the fairies were ready to depart, six of them donned their robes and wings and prepared to fly back to Heaven. But Vien searched frantically for her missing garments, becoming increasingly distressed as she realized they were nowhere to be found. Her sisters helped her look, but as the sun climbed higher in the sky, they knew they could not delay their return to the celestial realm any longer.

With tears and promises to return for her as soon as possible, the six sisters reluctantly departed, leaving Vien stranded on Earth. The young fairy was frightened and alone, wearing only her simple undergarments, with no way to return to her heavenly home or to survive in the unfamiliar mortal world.

Seeing her distress, Minh’s conscience overwhelmed him. He could not bear to see Vien suffer because of his selfish actions. He emerged from his hiding place and approached her respectfully, offering his own simple shirt to cover her and explaining that he lived nearby and could help her find shelter and food.

Vien was initially wary of this mortal man, but she quickly recognized the sincerity and kindness in Minh’s eyes. He spoke to her with deep respect, never taking advantage of her vulnerable situation, and offered his assistance without expecting anything in return. His honest nature and gentle manner gradually won her trust.

Minh built a simple but comfortable shelter for Vien near his own modest hut, ensuring that she had privacy and safety while she remained stranded on Earth. He gathered the finest fruits and vegetables the forest could provide, brought her fresh water from the purest mountain springs, and did everything in his power to make her earthly existence as comfortable as possible.

As days turned into weeks, Vien found herself growing fond of her kind protector. Minh’s simple, honest life was completely different from the celestial splendor she was accustomed to, but there was something deeply appealing about his genuine character and his harmonious relationship with the natural world. She began to help him with his daily tasks, learning about mortal life and finding unexpected joy in simple pleasures like cooking meals together and watching sunsets from their mountain home.

Minh, for his part, was happier than he had ever been in his life. Vien’s presence brought light and joy to his solitary existence, and her wisdom and gentle nature made every day feel like a gift. However, his guilt over his deception continued to grow, especially as he saw how much Vien missed her celestial home and her sisters.

One evening, as they sat together watching the stars appear in the twilight sky, Vien spoke wistfully about her longing to return to Heaven, even though she had grown to care deeply for her life on Earth and for Minh himself. The pain in her voice and the tears in her eyes finally broke through Minh’s selfish desires.

“Vien,” he said quietly, “I must confess something to you that I am deeply ashamed of. I am the reason you cannot return to Heaven. I took your celestial robes and wings because I could not bear the thought of losing you. I know this was wrong, and I have been tormented by my deception ever since.”

Vien was shocked and hurt by this revelation, but as she looked into Minh’s eyes, she could see the genuine remorse and the depth of his love for her. She understood that his actions, while wrong, had come from loneliness and love rather than malice or lust.

“Where are my robes and wings?” she asked softly.

Without hesitation, Minh led her to the hollow tree where he had hidden her celestial garments. As Vien held her beautiful robes and touched her delicate wings, she faced her own difficult choice. She now had the power to return to Heaven immediately, leaving behind the mortal world and the man who loved her. Or she could choose to remain on Earth with Minh, giving up her immortal life and celestial powers for the sake of love.

“I forgive you,” Vien said finally, “because I understand that love can make people do things they would never normally consider. But now I must decide what I truly want – my immortal life in Heaven, or a mortal life here with you.”

Minh, overwhelmed by her forgiveness and understanding, told her that he would respect whatever decision she made. “I love you too much to keep you here against your will,” he said. “If you choose to return to Heaven, I will accept that loss as the consequence of my deception. Your happiness is more important to me than my own.”

Vien was deeply moved by Minh’s selfless attitude and his willingness to accept the loss of everything he had gained through his deception. She realized that his love for her was pure and genuine, despite the wrong way it had begun. After much reflection, she made her choice.

“I choose to stay with you,” she announced, “but not as a stranded fairy who has lost her way home. I choose to become mortal willingly, to share my life with a man whose heart I have come to know and love.”

To make this transformation possible, Vien performed a celestial ritual, using her divine powers to permanently transform herself from an immortal fairy into a mortal woman. The process was irreversible – she would age and eventually die like any human being, but she would also be able to experience the full depth of mortal love and the precious nature of a life that was finite and therefore infinitely valuable.

Minh and Vien were married in a simple ceremony under the ancient trees of the forest, with the birds as their choir and the flowers as their decorations. Their love, which had begun with deception, had grown into something pure and true through honesty, forgiveness, and mutual sacrifice.

The couple lived happily together for many years, raising children who inherited both their father’s honest nature and their mother’s wisdom and grace. Vien used her knowledge of celestial healing to help the mountain villagers, while Minh continued his work as a woodcutter, now with even greater respect for the forest that had brought him such unexpected happiness.

Their story became a beloved legend throughout the region, teaching important lessons about the power of love to transform and redeem, the importance of honesty in relationships, and the value of forgiveness when someone truly repents their mistakes. The tale also demonstrated that true love requires sacrifice from both partners and that the greatest happiness comes not from taking what we want, but from choosing to give ourselves fully to someone else.

The hidden pool where the fairies had bathed became a place of pilgrimage for lovers, who would come to pray for blessings on their relationships and to remember the story of the woodcutter and the fairy who chose mortal love over immortal existence.

In Vietnamese culture, this story represents the ideal of love that transcends social boundaries and the belief that true affection can overcome even the greatest obstacles. It teaches that while deception may seem to offer shortcuts to happiness, lasting love can only be built on foundations of honesty, respect, and mutual choice.

The legend also reflects the Vietnamese reverence for the natural world and the belief that the forest and mountains are sacred places where the divine and mortal realms can meet and interact. Minh’s respectful relationship with nature made him worthy of celestial love, while Vien’s appreciation for earthly beauty prepared her to find happiness in mortal life.

Today, the story of the fairy and the woodcutter continues to inspire Vietnamese people to believe in the transformative power of love and the importance of choosing partners based on character rather than status or advantage. It reminds us that the greatest loves are those that inspire us to become better people and that true happiness comes from building relationships based on honesty, forgiveness, and mutual devotion.