A tale of endless pursuit
Long ago, there lived a hunter named Dã Tràng. Each day, he would take his bow and arrows and venture into the forest in search of worthy prey. He always followed the same path, passing by a shrine inhabited by two spotted snakes.
At first, he feared them, but as they never harmed him, he grew accustomed to their presence. Over time, he became captivated by their graceful movements, their striking beauty, and the shimmer of their scales.
One day, on his way to hunt, Dã Tràng heard a loud commotion coming from the shrine. Curious, he approached and witnessed a fierce battle between the two spotted snakes and a giant, venomous serpent.
Without hesitation, he drew his bow and shot at the fiery intruder, piercing its neck as it slithered swiftly into the forest. One of the spotted snakes pursued the wounded attacker, while the other lay lifeless on the ground. Filled with pity, Dã Tràng buried the fallen snake before the shrine. That night, Dã Tràng dreamed of a strange visit from the surviving snake. It thanked him for saving it from danger and for giving its companion an honourable burial.
As a token of gratitude, the snake let a gleaming white pearl fall from its mouth and said, “Place this pearl beneath your tongue, for it will grant you the ability to understand the language of animals. This will serve you well in your hunts.”
When Dã Tràng awoke, he found a beautiful pearl beside his pillow. Remembering the snake’s words, he placed the pearl under his tongue and set off into the forest. The first creature he encountered was a deer. He took aim with his arrow but missed, and the deer bolted into hiding. To his astonishment, a crow cawed, “I see where the deer has fled—a hundred paces to the right!”
Now able to understand the crow’s speech, Dã Tràng realised the snake’s promise was true. He followed the crow’s guidance and successfully brought down his prey. The crow then demanded its reward, and in return, the hunter gave the bird the parts of the deer he could not use.
From that day on, Dã Tràng and the crow hunted together. While the bird guided him to prey, the hunter left the entrails on the ground for the crow to feast upon. Each kept their side of the bargain, and their partnership flourished.
One afternoon, Dã Tràng killed a wild boar. As usual, he gutted it and left the entrails for the crow. But another bird swooped in and stole the offering. When the crow arrived and found nothing, it flew into a rage, convinced that Dã Tràng had broken their agreement.
The crow flew to the hunter’s home and confronted him. Dã Tràng insisted he had left the entrails as promised, but the bird refused to believe him, accusing him of lying. Enraged, the young man shot an arrow at the crow, but it missed its mark. The crow seized the arrow in its talons, screeched a vow of vengeance, and flew away.
A few days later, Dã Tràng was arrested. A poisoned arrow bearing his name had been found in the body of a drowned man. Despite his protests of innocence, he was thrown into prison, where he spent weeks in despair.
One day, he noticed a swarm of ants scurrying along the prison wall, busily carrying food. Intrigued by their haste, he called out to them and asked why they were in such a rush. The tiny creatures told him a great flood was coming. Dã Tràng relayed the warning to the guard, who informed the warden, and the message eventually reached the king. Though sceptical, the king ordered preparations to be made. Sure enough, three days later, a devastating flood swept across the land. Grateful that Dã Tràng had saved the kingdom, the king released him and appointed him as his advisor.
Using his newfound abilities, Dã Tràng protected the kingdom from storms and floods, receiving warnings from birds and horses when enemy armies approached. Yet he never revealed the source of his powers.
One fine spring day, as Dã Tràng sailed with the king, he heard strange voices rising from the waves. Peering over the side of the ship, he saw an octopus swimming alongside, singing a cheerful tune. The sight of the singing octopus, dancing with the waves, amused the young man greatly. Dã Tràng began to laugh, and soon he was laughing uncontrollably.
As he laughed, the pearl slipped from his mouth and fell into the water.
Panicked, Dã Tràng leapt from the boat and began desperately searching the waves. He quickly informed the king of his precious pearl and begged for help. The king ordered dozens of men to wade into the shallow water and churn the waves, but their efforts were in vain.
The next day, Dã Tràng resumed his search, but he found nothing. Day after day, week after week, he searched tirelessly. Months and years passed, and Dã Tràng remained on the shore, sifting through mounds of sand, but the pearl was never found. He wept endlessly over his irreplaceable loss. Consumed by grief, he withdrew from the world, and soon Dã Tràng died a broken man.
His inconsolable spirit passed into the tiny sand crabs, which, as you can observe, scuttle from hole to hole, tirelessly turning over every grain of sand in search of the magical pearl. Just as Dã Tràng transformed into countless sand crabs, forever turning the sand in vain, his goal remained forever out of reach. This tale serves as a cautionary reminder to those who seek to exceed their limits by pursuing impossible tasks that yield no reward.