The Story Of Betel , Areca And Lime

A  Folk Story From The Land Of Vietnam

Once upon a time there lived two brothers called Cao Tan and Cao Lang in a small village in the North Vietnam. They were twins and resembled each other very much. The two brothers were good looking and hard working.  

A pretty girl called Xuan Phu also lived in the same village. She was a modest and well-behaved girl. She was the center of attraction of most of the youth in the village. She did not pay attention to anyone. However, she had a liking for Cao Lang. The two of them secretly admired each other.

 One day, Cao Lang asked his mother for permission to get married. Mother told him that he must wait until his elder brother got married. It was the custom in that part of the country. 

Meanwhile, Cao Tan's eyes also fell on Xuan Phu whom his younger brother had set heart on. He thought Xuan Phu was the most suitable one to be his bride. 

One day, Cao Tan visited Xuan Phu's house with his mother and asked for her hand. Mistaking that it was Cao Lang, she readily agreed to marry him. Cao Lang was shocked to hear the news. However, he made up his mind and congratulated his twin brother. Later Xuan Phu also realized that she had made a mistake. She also made up her mind and thought that it was her fate. Her husband , Cao Tan was also a good natured handsome young man. They lived happily together. 

Xuan Phu had a habit of waiting for her husband at the gate every evening. It so happened one day that her brother-in-law Cao Lang came first, with Cao Tan a short distance away. Xuan Phu thought that it was Cao Tan and ran up to him and took his hand. Cao Lang realized the mistake and murmured "my sister-in-law". Xuan Phu was shocked and was ashamed, too. However, her husband saw what happened. He was taken aback and was hurt. He went straight to the house without greeting his wife. 

Thereafter, Cao Tan did not talk much with his brother. He often avoided his brother. The atmosphere in the house was not a happy one after this unfortunate incident. 

Finally, Cao Lang decided to leave home. He thought ,that was the best thing he could do to bring back happiness to his brother's life. 

Cao Lang left home one day. No body knew where he had gone. Even Cao Lang did not have an idea where he was going. He wandered on and on and finally came to the bank of river. He was exhausted. He collapsed there and died. Because of his sincere sacrifice, his body turned into a pure white lime stone. The river flowed down lamenting the loss of a sincere young man. 

Before long, Cao Tan realized his mistake. He longed for the return of his brother. Feeling guilty for his brother to leave home, Cao Tan decided to leave home in search of Cao Lang. Cao Tan walked and walked, and finally came to the same place where his brother passed away. He was so exhausted that he sat down by the lime stone. Due to hunger and tiredness, Cao Tan also died there. Because of his devotion for his brother, he turned into a tall areca-nut tree. 

Xuan Phu was all alone at home. She anxiously waited for her husband to return home. Two years passed without any news of her husband or at least her brother-in-law. Xuan Phu also took a decision to set out looking for the two brothers. She wandered on and on and her fate was also such that she arrived at the same place where the two brothers died. She was so exhausted that she collapsed close to areca-nut tree and died. Her body changed into a betel vine which climbed around the areca-nut tree. 

The river murmured the tragic story to the people who lived down its way. The villagers hearing the story set up a shrine in memory of the three. 

One day, the king of Vietnam Hung Vuong happened to pass the shrine. The villagers related the king the tragic story of two brothers and Xuan Phu. The king moved by the sad love story, picked a betel leaf and areca-nut. Then chewed them together. The mixture had a pleasant flavour. Then he spat on the lime stone. Surprisingly, it made a beautiful crimson colour on the lime stone. It is the colour of faithful love. 

The king declared that betel , areca and lime must be used in all the wedding ceremonies in his country. So, it is done to this very day in Vietnam. 

Retold by Sajendra Kumara




Location: Attanagalla, Sri Lanka

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