An orphan named An Tiem was adopted by the king of Vietnam and favored greatly. However, jealous courtiers convinced the king that An Tiem was ungrateful. The king banished An Tiem's family to a deserted island with minimal supplies. Through hard work and ingenuity, An Tiem cultivated a new fruit - the watermelon - which thrived on the island. Eventually watermelons from the island reached the king, who realized his mistake in banishing An Tiem. The king had An Tiem's family returned from the island, bringing watermelon seeds and knowledge of cultivation to Vietnam. Watermelon thus spread throughout the country from its origins on An Tiem's deserted island.

1. “THE LEGEND OF WATER
MELON”

2. 0NCE UPON A TIME ,IN
THE REIGN OF HUNG
KING THE
17TH,VIETNAM HAD
MANY FIELDS
,FLOWERS AND
FRUITS WERE NOT AS
DIVERSE AS THEY ARE
NOW.
THE KING HAD AN
ADOPTED SAN NAMED
AN TIEM WHO WAS
EXCEPTIONALLY
SKILLFUL AND
INTELLEGENT. THE
KING LOVED AN TIEM
SO MUCH THAT HE
USUALLY GRANTED
HIM A LOT OF
PRECIOUS THINGS AND
DELICATES.

3. EVERYONE ALWAYS TREASURE AN PRAISED THE
FAVORS AND THE GIFTS GIVEN BY THE KING EXCEPT
AN TIEM, HE SAID:” ONLY THINGS MADE BY YOURSELF
ARE WORTHY, GIFTS ARE WORRIES, PRESENTS ARE
DEBTS.” HE ALWAYS WORKED HARD AND DID NOT
EXPECT TO RECEIVE ANYTHING FROM THE KING.

4. SOME DISHONEST COUNTIERS WHO HAD ENVIED AN TIEM FOR A LONG TIME
TOOK ADVANTAGE OF WHAT HE SAID TO BACKBIT AN TIEM WITH THE KING.
THE KING WAS VERY ANGRY ,HE SAID: “LET ME SEE, WILL HE BE ABLE TO SURVIVE
IF HE ONLY RELIES ON HIMSELF.”

5. THUS THE KING HAD HIS SOLDIERS
RUSH TO AN TIEM’S HOUSE AND ESCORT
HIS WHOLE FAMILY TO A BOAT WITHOUT
LETTING THEM BRING ALONG
ANYTHING.
AN TIEM HA TO BEGB HUMBLY AGAIN
UNTIL THEY ALLOWED HIM TO BRING TO
BLUNT SWOR FOR SELF-PROTECTION.

6. WIND FILLED THE SAILS, THE
BOAT LUNCHED AND FLOATED
SLOWLY TO THE SEA. WHITE
SANDS AND GREEN TREES ON TH
LAND WERE GRADUALLY OUT OF
SIGH. THE TRACE OF
INHABITANTS WA NO LONGER
SEEN.THERE WERE ONLY THE
BLUE COLOUR OF THE SKY AN THE
SEA.

7. NEXT DAY, THE BOAT REACHED A
SMALL ISLAND.THE SOLDIERS
LEFT AN TIEM”S FAMILY ON THE
ISLAN WITH THE SUPPLY OF FOOD
ENOUGH FOR 5 DAYS ONLY AND A
SMALL POT.THEN RETURNED TO
THE MAINLAND.MRS BA-AN
TIEM’S WIFE –HEL HER CHILDREN
IN HER ARMS LOOKING AT THE
BOAT SLOWLY FLOATING AWAY
WITH HER TEARFUL EYES. WHEN
SHE LOKED BACK AT THE DESERT
ISLAND ,SHE WAS ANXIOUS EVEN
MORE. SHE DID NOT HAVE THE
FAINTEST IDEA HOW THEIR LIFE
WOULD BE ON THIS ISLAN. HOW
EVER , AN TIEM CALMLY
ENCOURAGED HIS WIFE.

8. HE TOOK HER AN THEIR CHILDREN TO FIND A SMALL CAVE TO LIVE TEMPORARILY,THEN HE
TOOK HIS SWORD AN WENT AROUND TO DISCOVER THE ISLAND. THIS PLACE WAS
ABSOLUTELY DESOLATE. THERE WERE ONLY ;LITTLE SPARE GRASS AND FEW KINDS OF SEA
BIRDS HERE. HE HAD TO SPEND A GREAT DEAL OF TIME TO SEEK AND GET SOME SOUR FRUITS
AND WIL VEGETABLES FOR HIS FAMILY.

9. SINCE THEN, DAY BY DAY AN TIEM SEARCHED
FOR VEGETABLES ,PLANTED FRUIT TREES ANS
TRAPPE BIRDS WHILE MRS BA WENT TO THE
COAST TO CATCH FISH AND OYSTERS. AN
TIEM’S OLDEST CHILD ALSO FOLLOWED TO
THE TRAPS SO THEY AVOIDED IT, THERE
WERE DAYS WHEN AN TIEM’S SON COULD
NOT CATCH ANY BIRD AT ALL. THERE WERE A
LOT OF FISH IN THE SEA BUT THERE WAS NO
NET TO CATCH ANDFRUITS WERE OF SEASON,
THEREFORE , THE FAMILY’S MAIN FOOD WA
STI;LL THE WILD VEGETABLES PLANTES BY AN
TIEM. THEIR LIFE WA EXTREMELY TOUGH,
HOW EVER, AN TIEM STILL BELIEVED THAT
SOMEDAY THINGS WOULD BE ALRIGHT.

10. ONE DAY, THERE WAS A BIRD EATING ON THE BEACH. WHEN IT SAW AN TIEM COMING, IT WAS SCAR
AN FLEW AWAY HURRIEDL;Y LEAVING A RED PIECE OF ITS FOOD. AN TIEM PICKE IT UP TO SEE AND
REALIZED THAT WA A SMALL PIECE OF A KIND OF MELON. HE THOUGHT IF A BIRD COULD EAT IT
THEN MAN MIGHT BE ABLE TO EAT IT AS WELL, SO HE TASTED IT AN FDOUND THAT IT WAS QUITE
SWEET , HE ATE IT UP AND COLLECTED THE SEEDS. AFTER RESTING FOR A WHILE, HE FELT HIS
STOMACH QUENCHED AN THAT MADE HIM LESS HUNGRY. HE WAS EXCITED AND USE THE SWORD TO
IG A SMALL HOLE ON THE GROUND AND PLANTED THE SEEDS.

11. A FEW DAYS LATER,THE SEEDS GEMINATED, ITS LEAVES SPROUTED AN GREW UP ITS VINES
CREPT ALONG THE GROUND MRS.BA ALSO HELPED HER HUSBAND LOOK AFTER THESE
STRANGE VINES. THEY NERVOUSLY WATCHED THE FIRST FLOWERS BLOOMING AND BEARING
FRUITS, AT FIRST THE FRUITS WERE AS SMALL AS LITTLE FINGERS, SOON THEY GREW TO THE
SIZES OF A MOUSE, THEN BECOME BIGGER AS A PIGGY. AN TIEM WATCHED THEM GROWING
AND GROWING , BUT HE DID NOT KNOW WHEN TO HARVEST THEM.

12. ONE EARLY MORNING,
THEY HEARD THE SOUNDS
OFD RAVENS OUTSIDE ,MRS
BA SAID: “ THIS IS A DESERT
ISLAN, RAVENS HAVE NEVER
GATHERED HERE BEFORE.
THEY ARE CROAKING
LOUDLY NOW , THERE
MUST BE SOMETHING
STRANGE HAPPENING
OUTSIDE.” WHEN AN TIEM
WALKED OUT TO SEE, THE
RAVENS HAD FLOWN AWAY
LEAVING A WATERMELON
WHICH THEY HA PECKED
SOME HOLES.

13. HE BROUGHT THE WATER MELON HOME, CUT IT OPEN AND SAW THE BEAUTIFUL RED PULP
INTERMIXE WITH SHINING BLACK SEEDS INSIE WITH A DEEP GREEN RIND OUTSIDE. AN TIEM
CAREFULLY CUT IT INTO A SMALL SLICES FOR EACH PERSON IN HIS FAMILY TO EAT. THEY ALL
PRAISE THE WATERMELON’S SWEET TASTE AND GENTLE SMELL. EATING WATERMELON NOT
ONLY DID NOT MAKE THEIR STOMACH HURT BUT ALSO QUENCHED THEIR THIRST AND MADE
THEM FELL BETTER. AT NOON, AN TIEM DECIDED TO LET HIS CHILDREN EAT A
WATERMELON UP UNTIL THEY WERE FULL.

14. THE FAMILY THEN RAN TO THE
WATERMELON GARDEN
CHEERFULLY, THEY PICKED UP THE
DARK COLOR WATERMELONS TO
EAT AND TOOK TURN TO LOOK
AFTER THE REST. THENCEFORTH,
THEY EXPANDED THEIR
CULTIVATION AN CARED WHOLE
HEARTEDLY FOR THE STRANGE
FRUIT. THE WATERMELON PLANTS
BORE VERY WELL , THEIR FRUITS
BECAME BIGGER AN BIGGER, THE
PULPS GREW THICKER , AND THE
RINDS WERE THINNER AN THE
TASTE BECAME EVEN SWEETER.

15. EVERY TIME AN TIEM HARVESTED THE WATER MELON HE
PICKED SOME OF THEM TO CARVE HIS NAME ON AND
DROPPED THEM INTO THE SEA. THE WATERMELONS
WERE RIFTED WITHOUT LEAVING A TRACE AGAIN AND
AGAIN BUT AN TIEM DID NOT GIVE UP.

16. . AS EXPECTED, ONE DAY, THERE WAS A
BOAT DROPPING BY TO ASK ABOUT THE
PRECIOUS WATERMELON, AND THE
BOAT’S OWNER WANTED TO EXCHANGE
SOMETHING FOR THESE WATERMELONS
TO BRING THEM BACK AND SELL ON THE
MAINLAND. SINCE THEN, AN TIEM COULD
EXCHANGE THE WATERMELONS FOR
FOOD AN WAS FINALLY ABLE TO BUILT A
SMALL THATCHED HOUSE

17. AS FOR HUNG KING , FROM THE DAY HE EXCITED AN TIEM TO THE DESERT ISLAND , HE
THOUGH THAT AN TIEM HAD DIED, SOMETIMES WHEN HE REMEMBER PUSHING AN TIEM TO
DEATH, HE FELT REGRETFUL. UNTIL ONE DAY , HIS SERVANT OFFERED HIM A STRANGE MELON,
THE KING LIKED IT AND ASKED ABOUT ITS ORIGIN, AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE
WATERMELON WA PLANTED ON THE ISLAND BY AN TIEM. HE REFLECTED ON HIS MISTAKE
THEN SENT A BOAT TO THE ISLAND TO TAKE AN TIEM’S FAMILY HOME.

18. AN TIEM AND MRS BA WERE SO HAPPY , THEY COLLECTED ALL THE RIPE WATERMELONS AND
SEEDS TO TAKE THEM HOME TO SHARE WITH THEIR NEIGHBOURS . THEY ALSO TAUGHT THE
NEIGHBOURS HOW TO CULTIVATE AND FERTILIZE THE PLANT. THAT WAS THE ORIGIN OF THE
WATERMELON WHICH WE EAT NOW ADAYS . AFTERWARDS , THERE WERE WATERMELONS ALL
OVER VIETNAM, BUT PEOPLE SAID THAT ONLY WATERMELONS PLANTED IN NGA SON DISTRICT
WERE THE MOST DELICIOUS BECAUSE THIS PLACE USED TO BE THE ISLANDS WHERE AN TIEM
HA LIVE BEFORE. AFTER THOUSANDS YEARS BEING DRY AN EXTENDED WITH SAND, THE
ISLAND HAD INCORPORATED WITH LAND.

19. RUTH AICEL DELOS SANTOS
GRADE 12- (HUMSS)-SAPPHIRE