Tấm and Cám by Dylan Bui

Tấm and Cám, a Vietnamese folktale

db90387 — 2024-10-29 18:31:23 UTC

The story of Tấm and Cám is a Vietnamese folktale like Cinderella made a long time ago by an unknown author.

Tấm and Cám summary

db90387 — 2024-10-29 18:46:05 UTC

A long time ago, there was a girl named Tam, who lives with her dad. Her dad marries an evil lady and they have another child named Cam. Tam's evil step discriminates against Tam and has her do all of the cooking and cleaning.

One day, Tam's step-mom has Tam and Cam go to the river to catch fish. Whoever caught more fish would get a new ao yem. Tam goes along, getting more fish in her basket while Cam has fun. Cam realizes she is going to lose so she tricks Tam into washing up in the river and steals Tam's basket. Tam cries but then the Goddess of Mercy comes down and gives Tam a small fish to take care of. Obedient, Tam goes home, puts the fish in a well and feeds it till it becomes big. Tam's step-mom however, doesn't like how Tam is happy when she meets the fish so Tam's step mom cooks and eats the fish.

When Tam cannot find her fish, she is heartbroken. The Goddess of Mercy tells her to take the bones of her fish, put them in jars, and put them in the four corners of her bed. She obeys. As the days pass, the King host a party. As her step-mom and Cam prepares to go, she begs her mom to come. Her step mom tells her that she can go when she is finished sorting grains of rice. Crying once again, the Goddess of Mercy appears and calls for birds to help sort. Then she tells Tam to open the jars she put in the corners of her bed. There, Tam finds a beautiful silk clothes. a red yem, and a horse to ride. She goes to the palace and accidentally loses a slipper. A servant finds the slipper and says whomever can fit in it, is now the king's wife. Tam comes along and fits in it. So Tam marries the King. Her step-mom angry, has Tam climb a tree only to cut it down. Tam dies, but with the help of the Goddess of Mercy, she becomes a bird.

The step-mom convinces Cam to take Tam's place as wife. The King sadly agrees but then finds Tam as a bird. The King spends all of his time with the bird, so Cam kills the bird without the King noticing. Tam gets reincarnated again into a golden apple. She is picked up by an old lady in the wilderness and keeps to smell nice. Tam transforms from the apple to herself again and just lives with the old lady. The King wanders in the wilderness and smells Tam's cooking. He reunites with Tam and they live happily ever after.

Theme of Tấm and Cám

db90387 — 2024-10-31 02:26:32 UTC

Kindness and patience will go long ways

Similarities of Tấm and Cám and Cinderella

db90387 — 2024-10-31 02:28:52 UTC

Tam has an evil step-mom and step-sister just like Cinderella
Tam marries the king-like figure just like Cinderella.

Differences of Tấm and Cám and Cinderella

db90387 — 2024-10-31 02:29:36 UTC

Tam is killed by her step-mom after her marriage unlike Cinderella who kills her step-mom after her marriage.

Cultural references of Tấm and Cám

db90387 — 2024-10-31 02:30:33 UTC

The Goddess of Mercy is translated from "But" which is represented in Vietnamese culture as an immortal person, like the buddha or a god.
The name Tam means broken rice and Cam means rice bran, which is the hard thick shell of the rice grain.
The Ao Yem is a traditional vietnamese silk shirt that is worn on special occasions.

Multimedia of Tấm and Cám

db90387 — 2024-11-04 19:20:43 UTC

A song that was inspired by the phrase Tam sings to her fish.