Long ago, when the Mekong River was still young and the mountains echoed with the cries of spirits and gods, there lived a fisherman named Thanh in a stilted village near what is now Laos. He was poor but honest, casting his nets with reverence and offering a prayer before every catch.
One year, the river turned wild. Storms came too early. Fish vanished. Villagers whispered of angered river spirits.
One twilight, while casting his net in the deeper current, Thanh saw a silver glint beneath the water. He pulled, expecting a massive carp, but instead, he hauled in a creature unlike any he’d seen. A boy, no older than thirteen, with scales like jade across his arms and legs, and long wet hair like river grass.
“I am Prince Naga,” the boy said, coughing. “Son of the Serpent King beneath the Mekong. I fled the palace, longing to see the world above.”
Terrified yet moved, Thanh brought the boy home. He fed him warm rice, wrapped him in cloth, and hid him from the village.
Over days, they grew close. The boy, though young, was wise beyond years. He spoke of underwater palaces carved from stone, turtles older than empires, and moonlit dances where river maidens sang to the stars.
The season changed. Thanh’s luck returned—his nets overflowed, the river softened, and the village prospered. Yet rumors stirred. One night, the village chief spied Prince Naga swimming in the moonlight and demanded answers.
The Serpent Prince Returns to Mekong
Thanh, fearing what the villagers would do, begged the prince to return to the river palace.
“I do not belong there anymore,” the prince said quietly. “But I will go, for your sake.”
He gave Thanh a pearl from his brow—“Place it in water when you’re in need, and I shall return.” Then he dove beneath the water, vanishing in a spiral of bubbles.
The years passed. Drought came again. Crops failed. Thanh, now old, limped to the river’s edge and dropped the pearl into the Mekong.
The river trembled. From its depths, the prince emerged, now grown—tall, regal, with shimmering golden horns upon his brow.
“I cannot stay,” he said. “But I can help.”
He wept into the river. Where his tears fell, new springs gushed. Fish leapt again. The fields turned green. He left, never to return.
The villagers built a shrine on the riverbank and named it Wat Naga Luang. Every year during the full moon, lanterns are set adrift on the Mekong, and children whisper into the current:
“Return, Serpent Prince. Bring peace to our river.”
Moral of the Tale
The Serpent Prince of Mekong teaches the value of gratitude, reverence for nature, and the bittersweet truth that not all bonds are meant to last in form, but their legacy flows onward. In Vietnamese and Lao traditions, spirits of water are sacred, not to be possessed but honored. Blessings, like rivers, come and go, but the heart remembers.
Knowledge Check
1. What is the moral of the folktale “Serpent Prince of Mekong”?
The story teaches a lesson about gratitude and respect for nature, showing how harmony with the spiritual world brings blessings and peace.
2. What cultural group does the tale “Serpent Prince of Mekong” come from?
This folktale originates from the Lao-Vietnamese storytelling tradition in Asia, especially in communities along the Mekong River.
3. Why did the Serpent Prince leave the river palace?
In the tale, the prince left out of curiosity and longing for the human world, which sets the story into motion and reveals his gentle nature.
4. How does the folktale “Serpent Prince of Mekong” explain a natural feature?
The story explains the springs and abundant fish in the Mekong River as the blessings left by the tears of the Serpent Prince, reflecting belief in river deities.
5. Is “Serpent Prince of Mekong” considered a trickster tale, ghost story, or moral fable?
“Serpent Prince of Mekong” is a celestial origin tale, reflecting the values and spirituality of Lao-Vietnamese river communities.
6. How is this folktale relevant to modern readers?
The message of “Serpent Prince of Mekong” remains relevant as it teaches timeless truths about respecting nature, honoring unseen forces, and treasuring kindness.
Origin: This folktale comes from the Lao and Vietnamese river traditions in Asia, inspired by ancient Nāga legends and the spiritual relationship between people and the Mekong River.
