The Real Vietnam

A farmer who swears a snake once did his fishing for him. A scholar clever enough to talk his way out of anything - including his own execution. A rabbit who convinces a tiger that his own reflection is someone to fear.

Vietnam has been telling these stories for generations, on porches, in courtyards, and around evening fires - and none of them have ever let the truth get in the way of a good ending.

THE REAL VIETNAM: TRICKSTER & TALL TALES gathers twenty folk stories across three beloved Vietnamese traditions, retold for readers meeting them for the very first time:

The Tall Tales of Bác Ba Phi - the outrageous, deadpan exaggerations of a real Mekong Delta farmer who never let a fact ruin a good story.

Trạng Quỳnh, the Mischievous Scholar - the sly, witty trickster who outsmarted lords, teachers, and self-important neighbors with nothing but his tongue.

The Animal Tricksters - the oldest fables of all, where a clever rabbit outwits a tiger and a stubborn toad argues his way into Heaven itself.

Each story stands on its own - perfect for reading aloud, a few pages before bed, or a long afternoon getting lost in a culture's oldest sense of humor.

Inside this collection:
- 20 folk tales across three distinct storytelling traditions
- A short introduction to Vietnam's rich culture of tall tales and trickster wit
- A glossary of names and places for readers new to Vietnamese folklore
- Original retellings - not translations - written in a warm, porch-storytelling voice

Pull up a seat. Nobody here is telling the truth, and that's exactly the point.

Part of The Real Vietnam series, bringing the folklore, food, and everyday life of Vietnam to English-language readers with warmth, humor, and an insider's eye.