After her husband passed away, the old woman gave birth to a child. To her surprise, the baby had no arms or legs and was perfectly round like a coconut. Overwhelmed with grief, she considered abandoning the child. But then, the baby spoke:
“Mother, I am human! Please don’t leave me.”
Moved by compassion, she decided to keep the child and named him Sọ Dừa. As time passed, Sọ Dừa grew, but his round body remained the same, rendering him unable to perform any tasks. The mother was filled with sorrow, but Sọ Dừa, understanding her feelings, asked for permission to work as a cowherd for a wealthy landowner.
When the landowner learned that Sọ Dừa had no arms or legs, he hesitated. However, thinking that Sọ Dừa would cost little to feed and that his wages would be minimal, he agreed to let him try herding the cows. To everyone’s surprise, Sọ Dừa excelled at his job. Every day, he led the herd to the fields, and by evening, he brought back well-fed, healthy cattle. The landowner was thrilled.
During the busy harvest season, the landowner’s servants all worked in the fields, so he asked his daughters to take turns bringing meals to Sọ Dừa. The two older sisters, who were proud and unkind, despised Sọ Dừa. Only the youngest daughter, who had a gentle and caring nature, treated him well.
One day, while delivering his meal, the youngest daughter heard the sound of a flute near the mountain. She went to investigate and saw a handsome young man. However, in the blink of an eye, the young man disappeared, leaving only Sọ Dừa behind. After observing this phenomenon several times, she realized that the handsome young man was none other than Sọ Dừa in disguise. She grew fond of him.
When his work for the landowner was complete, Sọ Dừa asked his mother to visit the landowner and propose marriage to the youngest daughter. Though surprised, his mother eventually agreed. When they approached the landowner, he mocked them:
“If you want to marry my daughter, bring me a jar of green rice, ten bolts of silk, ten fat pigs, and ten jars of rice wine!”
The old woman returned home, thinking the marriage was impossible. But on the appointed day, to her amazement, the house was filled with all the requested gifts. Servants carried the offerings to the landowner’s home. Stunned by the wealth, the landowner called his daughters to choose a groom. While the two older sisters scorned Sọ Dừa, the youngest daughter shyly agreed to marry him.
During the wedding, guests were astonished to see a handsome young man standing next to the bride instead of the round Sọ Dừa. The celebration was grand, and everyone rejoiced, except for the two older sisters, who were envious and bitter.
After the wedding, the couple lived happily together. Sọ Dừa revealed his intelligence and dedication to studying. That year, he passed the royal examination and became a high-ranking official. Shortly after, the king sent him on a diplomatic mission. Before leaving, he gave his wife a flint stone, a knife, and two chicken eggs for her protection.
Jealous of their sister’s good fortune, the two older sisters plotted to harm her. Taking advantage of Sọ Dừa’s absence, they invited their sister to go rowing, then pushed her into the sea. The youngest daughter was swallowed by a giant fish. However, with the knife, she cut her way out of the fish’s belly and drifted to a deserted island. Using the flint stone, she started a fire to cook fish. The chicken eggs hatched, giving her companionship with a rooster and a hen.
One day, a ship passed by the island. The rooster crowed loudly:
“Cock-a-doodle-doo!
Is this the ship of my master true?”
Hearing the call, Sọ Dừa approached the island and recognized his wife. The couple joyfully reunited. When they returned home, Sọ Dừa hosted a feast for the villagers, but he did not mention his wife’s return. The two older sisters, thinking their plot had succeeded, pretended to mourn their sister's loss.
At the end of the banquet, Sọ Dừa called for his wife to appear. When the guests saw her, they were amazed. The two older sisters, filled with shame, fled the village and were never seen again.
The couple continued to live happily, and their story became a cherished folktale, teaching generations the value of kindness, resilience, and true love.
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