Once upon a time, the sixth son of King
Hung Vuong the Fifth named An-Tiem disobeyed the King's order and was
exiled to a deserted island.
The Prince had to build his own
shelter, dig a well for water, and fish and hunt animals for food. One
day, he found a green fruit as big and round as a ball. He split the
fruit into halves and found the inside of the fruit red. He dared not
eat it because he was afraid it was poisonous.
Days passed and the dry and sunny season came. It was so hot that
all the plants were dry and the well had no water left. One day An-Tiem
was so tired and thirsty that he tasted the fruit He found out that it
tasted delicious and quenched his thirst. He tried to grow the plant
around his house then. Soon the whole island was covered with the green
fruit.
An-Tiem carved the island's name and his own on some of the fruit
and threw them into the sea. Later, seamen found the strange fruit with
An-Tiem's name floating in the sea.
Soon, words about the fruit reached the continent and many merchants
tried to find the way the island. This then turned the deserted island
into a busy island. The island was now crowded. Many boats came and
went. An-Tiem helped anyone who wanted settle on the island. Soon, news
about that reach the King.
King Hung Vuong was very proud of having a son who was brave and
strong enough to overcome difficulties without anyone's help. An-Tiem
was immediately summoned back to the court. He brought his fruit with
him to offer the King, his father. The King gave him his crown and
An-Tiem became King Hung Vuong VI.
Since then the fruit which was called "dua hau" and has become the
symbol of luck; people often offer it to relatives and friends as a New
Year present.
