The Tale of the Jade Rabbit

Long ago, in the lush forests of northern Vietnam, where ancient trees reached toward the heavens and crystal streams sang through the valleys, there lived a rabbit unlike any other. His fur was the purest white, soft as silk and bright as fresh snow, but it was not his appearance that made him special—it was his extraordinarily kind and generous heart.

This rabbit, whom the forest creatures called Bach Tho (White Rabbit), was beloved by all who knew him. While other rabbits were content to gather food only for themselves, Bach Tho spent his days helping others. He would share his store of tender roots with hungry field mice, guide lost birds back to their nests, and comfort any creature that was sad or afraid.

“Why do you give away so much of your food?” his rabbit friends would ask. “Winter is coming, and you should be storing provisions for yourself.”

But Bach Tho would just smile and reply, “There is always enough when we share with open hearts. The forest provides for all of us if we take care of each other.”

His generosity extended beyond the animal kingdom. When human travelers passed through the forest—merchants, pilgrims, or families journeying to distant villages—Bach Tho would secretly leave bundles of edible herbs and roots along their path, ensuring they would not go hungry during their journey.

One autumn day, as the leaves were turning gold and red, three mysterious strangers appeared in the forest. They were traveling together but seemed to be from different walks of life—one appeared to be an elderly scholar with a long white beard, another looked like a weathered farmer with calloused hands, and the third resembled a young monk with a peaceful expression.

The strangers had been walking for many days and were clearly exhausted and hungry. Their clothes were torn from the journey, their faces were gaunt from lack of food, and they moved slowly, as if each step required great effort.

Bach Tho watched them from the underbrush, his heart immediately filled with compassion for their suffering.

“These poor travelers need help,” he said to himself. “I must do something to ease their hunger.”

Bach Tho quickly gathered all the food he had been storing for the approaching winter—tender young shoots, sweet roots, nutritious seeds, and the choicest herbs he had been saving. But as he looked at his collection, he realized it would not be nearly enough to satisfy three grown men who had been traveling without proper meals for days.

Meanwhile, the three strangers had stopped to rest in a small clearing, and Bach Tho could hear them talking about their desperate situation.

“We have been walking for seven days without a proper meal,” the scholar said wearily. “I fear we may not have the strength to continue our journey.”

“Perhaps we should search for berries or roots,” suggested the farmer. “Though I must admit, I no longer have the energy to forage properly.”

The young monk sat in meditation for a moment before speaking.

“We must trust that help will come,” he said quietly. “Sometimes the universe provides aid in ways we do not expect.”

Hearing their words, Bach Tho felt his compassion deepen into determination. He gathered up all his stored food and approached the clearing where the strangers rested.

“Honored travelers,” he said, bowing respectfully, “I am just a simple rabbit, but I can see that you are hungry and tired. Please accept these humble offerings—they are all the food I have, and I give them to you gladly.”

The three men looked at the small rabbit with surprise and gratitude.

“Kind creature,” the scholar said, “your generosity touches our hearts, but these roots and herbs, while precious, are not enough to sustain three grown men. We do not wish to take your winter provisions when they cannot truly solve our problem.”

Bach Tho considered their words carefully, and then his eyes brightened with a new idea.

“You are right, wise sir,” he said. “These simple plants are indeed insufficient for your needs. But I can offer you something more substantial.”

Before the men could ask what he meant, Bach Tho began gathering dry wood and kindling in the center of the clearing.

“Please, build a fire here,” he requested. “I will provide you with meat that will give you the strength to continue your journey.”

Puzzled but moved by the rabbit’s earnestness, the three strangers built a small fire as Bach Tho had asked. The flames danced brightly in the growing twilight, casting a warm glow across the clearing.

When the fire was burning strongly, Bach Tho approached it and spoke to the travelers with calm determination.

“I am just a small rabbit, and I have no great treasures to offer you. But I have one gift that can truly help you—my own life. Please, use my body as food to nourish yourselves for your journey. There is no greater joy for me than knowing that my sacrifice might save your lives.”

With these words, Bach Tho prepared to leap into the flames, offering his own life so that the hungry travelers might have meat to eat.

But as soon as he jumped toward the fire, something miraculous happened. Instead of flames, Bach Tho found himself surrounded by cool, silvery light. The fire transformed into a gentle radiance that lifted him up, and he felt his body becoming lighter and more luminous.

The three strangers suddenly revealed their true forms—they were not mortal travelers at all, but celestial beings who had come to earth to test the compassion and generosity of living creatures.

The elderly scholar was the Jade Emperor himself, ruler of heaven. The farmer was the God of Earth, protector of all growing things. The young monk was the Buddha, teacher of compassion and wisdom.

“Noble rabbit,” the Jade Emperor said, his voice now carrying the authority of heaven, “we have traveled throughout the world, testing the hearts of men and animals alike. Never have we encountered such pure selflessness and boundless compassion as you have shown today.”

The God of Earth nodded approvingly.

“Most creatures, when faced with strangers in need, offer only what they can easily spare. But you were willing to give everything—even your own life—to help those who were suffering.”

The Buddha smiled with infinite kindness.

“Your sacrifice comes from a heart free of all selfishness, a spirit that truly understands that the welfare of others is more important than one’s own comfort or even survival. Such compassion is the rarest treasure in all the world.”

The Jade Emperor raised his hand, and Bach Tho felt his body transforming. His white fur began to gleam like precious jade, his eyes became bright as stars, and he felt filled with immortal energy.

“Because of your selfless heart,” the Jade Emperor declared, “you shall be transformed into the Jade Rabbit and granted immortality. You will live on the moon, where your compassion will serve a greater purpose for all living beings.”

As Bach Tho—now the Jade Rabbit—was lifted toward the heavens, the Buddha explained his divine mission.

“On the moon, you will tend the sacred Cassia Tree and grind the Elixir of Immortality. This precious medicine will be used by the celestial beings to heal the sick, comfort the suffering, and grant long life to those who have earned it through their virtues.”

The God of Earth added, “Your work will help maintain the balance between heaven and earth, ensuring that compassion and healing continue to flow into the world below.”

As the Jade Rabbit ascended to his new home on the moon, he looked down at the earth with the same loving compassion he had always felt for all living creatures. His transformation was not an end, but a beginning—now he could help not just the animals of one forest, but all the beings in the world.

From that night forward, people looking up at the full moon could see the shadow of the Jade Rabbit, forever grinding the elixir that would bring healing and hope to the world. Children would point up at the moon and their parents would tell them the story of Bach Tho, whose selfless love had transformed him into an immortal guardian.

The legend of the Jade Rabbit became especially beloved during the Mid-Autumn Festival, when families would gather to admire the full moon and remember the importance of compassion and generosity. Moon cakes were made in the shape of rabbits to honor Bach Tho’s sacrifice, and children were taught that true happiness comes not from keeping things for oneself, but from sharing with others.

Vietnamese mothers would tell their children, “When you see the Jade Rabbit in the moon, remember that the greatest magic in the world is a heart that puts others’ needs before its own. Like Bach Tho, when we give generously and love unconditionally, we create something beautiful that lasts forever.”

The three celestial beings, before returning to heaven, blessed the forest where Bach Tho had lived. From that day forward, it became a place of abundance where no creature ever went hungry, and where the spirit of the Jade Rabbit’s generosity continued to inspire all who lived there.

And on clear nights, when the moon shines brightest, people say you can still see the Jade Rabbit working diligently with his mortar and pestle, grinding the elixir of immortality and sending blessings of healing and compassion down to earth—proof that selfless love is indeed the most powerful force in the universe, capable of transforming even the humblest creature into something divine and eternal.

The Tale of the Jade Rabbit remains one of Vietnam’s most cherished stories, teaching children that true greatness is measured not by what we achieve for ourselves, but by what we are willing to sacrifice for others, and that acts of pure compassion create ripples of goodness that can last for eternity.