The Story of Tam and Cam

There once were two stepsisters named Tam and Cam. Tam was the daughter of their father’s first wife.
She died when the child was young so her father took a second wife. Some years later the father died and
left Tam to live with her stepmother and stepsister.

Her stepmother was most severe and treated the girl harshly. Tam had to labour all day and long into the
night. When there was any daylight she had to care for the buffalo, carry water for the cooking, do the
washing and pick vegetables and water-fern for the pigs to eat. At night she had to spend a lot of time
husking the rice. While Tam worked hard her sister did nothing but play games. She was given pretty
clothes to wear and always got the best food.

Early one morning the second-mother gave two creels (wicker baskets used to catch fish) to Tam and Cam
and told them to go to the paddy fields to catch tiny shrimp and crab. “I will only give a yêm of red cloth to
the one who brings home a full creel,” she promised.

Tam was very familiar with the task of finding shrimp and crab in the paddy fields, and by lunchtime she
had filled her creel. Cam walked and waded from field to field but she could not catch anything. She looked
at Tam’s full creel and said to her, “Oh, my dear sister Tam, your hair is covered in mud. Get into the pond
to wash it, or you will be scolded by mother when you return home.”

Believing what her sister told her, Tam hurried to the pond to wash herself. As soon as her stepsister
entered the water, Cam emptied the shrimp and crab into her own creel, and hurried home to claim the
yêm of red cloth.

When she had finished washing and saw her empty creel, Tam burst into tears. A Buddha who was sitting
on a lotus in the sky heard her sobs and came down beside her. “Why are you crying?” asked the Buddha.

Tam told him all that had happened and the Buddha comforted her. “Do not be tearful. Look into your
creel and see if anything is left.”

Tam looked into the creel and said to the Buddha, “There is only one tiny bông fish.’

“Take the fish and put it in the pond near your home. At every meal you must save a bowl of rice with
which to feed it. When you want the fish to rise to the surface to eat the rice you must call it like this:

Dear bông, dear bông,

Rise only to eat my golden rice,
For that of others will not taste nice.
Goodbye child, I wish you well.” After saying this the Buddha disappeared.

Tam put the fish in the pond as she had been bidden, and every day, after lunch and the evening meal, she
took some rice to feed it. Day by day the bông fish grew, and the girl became great friends with it.

Seeing Tam take rice to the pond after each meal the second-mother became suspicious, and bade Cam to
spy on her stepsister. Cam hid in a bush near the pond. When Tam called the bông fish the hidden girl
listened to the words, and rushed to her mother to tell her of the secret.

That evening, the second-mother instructed Tam that on the following day she must take the buffalo to the
far field.
 “It is now the season for vegetables. Buffalo can not graze in the village. Tomorrow you have to take the
buffalo to the far field. If you graze in the village it will be taken to the notables.”

Tam set off very early the next morning to ride the buffalo to the far field. When she was gone, Cam and
her mother took rice to the pond and called the bông fish. It rose to the surface and the woman caught it.
She then took it to the kitchen where she cooked and ate it.

Tam returned in the evening, and after eating her meal took rice to the pond to feed her friend. She called
and called, again and again, but she saw only a drop of blood on the surface of the water. Tam knew that
something terrible had happened to the bông fish and began to weep. The Buddha appeared by her side
again. “Why do you weep this time, child?”

Tam sobbed out her story and the Buddha spoke. “Your fish has been caught and eaten. Now, stop crying.
You must find the bones of the fish and put them in four jars. After doing this you must bury the jars. Put
one under each of the legs of your bed.”

Tam searched and searched for the bones of her beloved friend but could not find them anywhere. As she
looked even further a rooster came and called to her.

Cock-a-doodle-do, cock-a-doodle-do,
A handful of rice,
And I’ll find the bones for you.

Tam gave the rice to the rooster, and when it had eaten the rice it strutted into the kitchen. In no time at
all the elegant fowl returned with the bones and laid them at Tam’s feet. The girl placed the bones into
four jars and buried one under each of the legs of her bed.

Some months later the king proclaimed that there would be a great festival. All the people of Tam’s village
were going to attend and the road was thronged with well dressed people making their way to the capital.
Cam and her mother put on their finest clothes in readiness to join them. When the woman saw that Tam
also wanted to attend the gala day she winked at Cam. Then she mixed a basketful of unhusked rice with
the basket of clean rice Tam had prepared the previous evening. “You may go to the festival when you
have separated this grain. If there isn’t any rice to cook when we return home you will be beaten.” With
that, she and her daughter joined the happy people on their way to the festival, and left Tam to her lonely
task. She started to separate the rice, but she could see that it was hopeless and she began to weep.

Once again the Buddha appeared by her side. “Why are there tears in your eyes?” he asked.

Ram explained about the rice grains that had to be separated, and how the festival would be over by the
time she had finished.

“Bring your baskets to the yard,” said the Buddha. “I will call the birds to help you.”

The birds came and pecked and fluttered until, in no time at all, they had divided the rice into two baskets.
Not one single grain did they eat, but when they flew away Tam began to week again. “Now why are you
crying?” asked the Buddha.

“My clothes are too poor,” sobbed Tam. “I thank you for your help, but I cannot go dressed like this.”

“Go and dig up the four jars,” ordered the Buddha. “Then you will have all you need.”
 Tam obeyed and opened the jars. In the first she found a beautiful silk dress, a silk yêm and a scarf of the
same material. In the second jar she found a pair of embroidered shoes of a cunning design which fitted
her perfectly. When she opened the third jar great was her surprise when she saw a miniature horse. It
neighed once, and grew to become a noble steed. In the fourth jar there was a richly ornamented saddle
and bridle which grew to fit the horse. She washed herself and brushed her hair until it shone. Then she
put on her wonderful new clothes and rode off to the festival.

On the way she had to ride through a stream flowing over the road. As she did so, one of her embroidered
shoes fell into the water and sank beneath the surface. She was in such a hurry that she could not stop to
search for it, so she wrapped the other shoe in her scarf and rode on.

Shortly afterwards, the king and his entourage, led by two elephants, arrived at the same spot. The
elephants refused to enter the water and lowered their tusks, bellowing and trumpeting. When no amount
of goading would force them on, the king ordered his followers to search the water. One of them found
the embroidered shoe and brought it to the king, who inspected it closely.

Finally he said, “The girl who wore a show as beautiful as this must herself be very beautiful. Let us go on
to the festival and find her. Whoever it fits will be my wife.”

There was great excitement when all the women learned of the king’s decision, and they eagerly waited for
their turn to try on the show. Cam and her mother struggled to make it fit but to no avail, and when they
saw Tam waiting patiently nearby the woman sneered at her. “How can someone as common as you be
the owner of such a shoe? And where did you steal those fine clothes? Wait til we get home. If there isn’t
any rice to cook I’m going to beat you severely.”

Tam said nothing, but when it came her turn to try on the shoe it fitted perfectly. Then she showed the
other one that was wrapped in the scarf, and everyone knew that she was the future queen.

The king ordered his servants to take Tam to the palace in Palanquin, and she rode off happily under the
furious and jealous gazes of her stepsister and stepmother.