The Tale of the Ungrateful Man

In the coastal province of Quảng Ninh, where limestone cliffs rise like ancient dragons from the emerald sea, there once lived two fishermen who were as different as night and day. One was Đức, a humble man with a generous heart who shared his catch with poor families in the village. The other was Tham, whose name meant “greed,” and who lived up to his name by keeping every fish he caught and demanding payment for even the smallest favor.

Both men worked the same waters, but fortune seemed to favor Đức despite his generosity, while Tham struggled to fill his nets despite his tireless efforts and cunning methods.

One stormy evening, as dark clouds gathered over the bay and the wind began to howl like a hundred spirits, both fishermen were caught far from shore in their small boats. The waves grew mountainous, and lightning split the sky like the sword of an angry god.

Đức’s boat was smaller and older than Tham’s, and soon it began taking on water through cracks in the hull. “Help me!” he called to Tham, whose larger boat was struggling but still seaworthy. “My boat is sinking!”

Tham looked at his fellow fisherman with cold calculation. “Why should I risk my own life for yours?” he shouted back over the wind. “Every man for himself in a storm like this!”

But as Tham spoke these cruel words, a massive wave crashed over Đức’s boat, and the humble fisherman disappeared beneath the churning waters. Tham felt a moment of guilt, but quickly pushed it aside as he struggled to save his own vessel.

By morning, the storm had passed, leaving the sea calm and glittering under the sunrise. Tham had survived, though his boat was badly damaged. As he limped back toward shore, he spotted something floating in the water—Đức’s boat, somehow intact and riding high on the waves.

“Strange,” Tham muttered, rowing closer. “I was sure I saw it sink.”

When he reached the boat, he found Đức sitting peacefully inside, completely dry and unharmed, sorting through a net full of the most beautiful fish Tham had ever seen—silvery creatures that seemed to glow with their own inner light.

“Đức!” Tham exclaimed. “How did you survive? I saw your boat go under!”

Đức looked up with his characteristic gentle smile. “The Sea Dragon King saved me,” he said simply. “He lifted my boat from the depths because, he said, I had always shared my catch with those in need. These fish are his gift to me.”

Tham’s eyes widened with greed as he stared at the magical fish. Each one was worth a fortune—their scales seemed to be made of silver, and their eyes sparkled like precious gems.

“You must share them with me!” Tham demanded. “We are both fishermen from the same village!”

“Of course,” Đức replied without hesitation. “Take half of them, my friend.”

Tham greedily scooped up his share of the magical fish, his mind already calculating the wealth they would bring him. But as he was leaving, he noticed that Đức was carefully selecting the most beautiful fish from his remaining catch.

“What are you doing with those?” Tham asked suspiciously.

“I’m taking them to the orphanage and the widow’s quarter,” Đức explained. “These children and old women have nothing. Such wonderful fish will provide them with food for many days.”

Tham was appalled. “You’re giving away fish worth a king’s ransom! Are you mad?”

“Wealth that isn’t shared brings no joy,” Đức replied peacefully.

That evening, Tham sold his magical fish in the market and became instantly wealthy. But as he counted his gold coins, he couldn’t stop thinking about the fish Đức had given away. “If the Sea Dragon King rewards generosity,” he reasoned, “then surely he would give an even greater reward to someone who showed generosity on a grander scale.”

The next night, Tham loaded his boat with supplies and sailed out to the same spot where the storm had occurred. He deliberately damaged his boat and began calling for help, hoping to attract the Sea Dragon King’s attention.

“Help! Help!” he cried dramatically. “I am a generous man who shares with the poor! Save me, great Sea Dragon King!”

The waters began to swirl, and slowly a magnificent figure rose from the depths. The Sea Dragon King was enormous, with scales that shimmered green and gold, and eyes like ancient pearls. His beard flowed like seaweed, and coral formations crowned his majestic head.

“Who calls upon me?” the Sea Dragon King asked in a voice like distant thunder.

“Great king,” Tham said, attempting to sound humble, “I am Tham, a generous fisherman who gives freely to the poor. I heard that you reward such virtue, and I have come seeking your blessing.”

The Sea Dragon King’s eyes narrowed as he studied Tham carefully. “Indeed? Tell me of your generosity, fisherman.”

Tham began to weave an elaborate tale of fictional good deeds, describing imaginary gifts to orphans and meals for the elderly. But as he spoke, the Sea Dragon King’s expression grew darker and more terrible.

“Enough!” the deity roared, causing the sea to boil around them. “Do you think I do not see all that happens in my domain? I watched you refuse to help Đức in the storm. I have seen you charge poor families for fish while their children went hungry. You come before me with lies on your lips and greed in your heart!”

Tham trembled as the Sea Dragon King’s fury mounted. “But great king, I have learned my lesson! I will change my ways!”

“Your lesson begins now,” the Sea Dragon King declared. “Since you value wealth above all else, you shall have it—but it will bring you only misery.”

The deity gestured with one mighty claw, and suddenly Tham’s boat was filled with fish. But these were not beautiful, glowing creatures like Đức had received. These fish were black as midnight, with eyes like burning coals and scales that felt like ice.

“Take these fish to market,” the Sea Dragon King commanded. “Sell them for all the gold they will bring. But know this—every coin you earn from them will turn to stone when you try to spend it, and every bite of food you buy with that gold will taste like ashes in your mouth.”

“Please, great king!” Tham begged. “I will give them away! I will share them freely!”

“Too late,” the Sea Dragon King replied coldly. “You had your chance to be generous when Đức needed your help. These cursed fish cannot be given away—they will only remain with the one who caught them through deception.”

With that, the Sea Dragon King sank back beneath the waves, leaving Tham alone with his cursed catch.

When Tham returned to shore, he found that the Sea Dragon King’s curse was exactly as described. The black fish sold for enormous sums of gold, making him the wealthiest man in the province. But every time he tried to buy food, the coins turned to worthless stones in his hands. Every meal he managed to obtain tasted like dirt and ashes, providing no nourishment.

Meanwhile, Đức continued his simple life, sharing his daily catch with those in need. Though he was not wealthy in gold, his happiness and contentment were evident to all who met him. The magical fish he had received multiplied in his nets, ensuring he always had enough to share.

Desperate and starving despite his wealth, Tham finally swallowed his pride and went to Đức for help.

“Please,” he begged, “I am cursed. All my gold is useless, and I am dying of hunger. Will you give me even a single normal fish to eat?”

Đức looked at his former rival with compassion. “Of course, my friend. Sit and share my meal.”

As Tham ate the simple fish and rice that Đức offered, it was the first food that had tasted good to him in months. Tears ran down his face as he realized what he had lost through his selfishness.

“I understand now,” he said through his tears. “The Sea Dragon King wasn’t punishing me for being poor—he was punishing me for having a poor spirit. All this time, I thought wealth would make me happy, but I was wrong.”

“It’s not too late to change,” Đức said gently. “The curse can only be broken by true repentance and genuine acts of generosity.”

From that day forward, Tham began to give away all his cursed gold to orphanages, temples, and poor families. With each act of genuine generosity, the curse weakened slightly. He worked as a laborer to earn honest food, sharing even his meager meals with stray animals and hungry children.

After a full year of selfless service to others, Tham woke one morning to find that the last of his cursed gold had turned to normal coins. The Sea Dragon King appeared to him in a dream that night.

“You have learned the lesson I sought to teach,” the deity said. “True wealth lies not in what we accumulate, but in what we give away. From now on, you will prosper according to the generosity of your heart.”

Tham and Đức became close friends and fishing partners, working together to help the poor and needy of their village. Both men lived long, happy lives, and their story became a favorite tale told by Vietnamese parents to teach their children about the importance of gratitude, generosity, and treating others with kindness.

And they say that even today, fishermen in Quảng Ninh Bay sometimes catch fish that glow with silver light—a sign that the Sea Dragon King still watches over those who share their blessings with others and still punishes those who refuse to help their fellow human beings in times of need.

The tale reminds us that the gods see all our actions, and that true prosperity comes not from what we can take, but from what we are willing to give.