Children's literature

We would like to respectfully introduce to readers the short story Early Rain (excerpt from the series Mo's Diary) by young writer Hoang Huong Giang. The story is truly an interesting experience of little Bong and cat Mo right on their balcony. In life, there is no shortage of simple and meaningful stories like that, we just need to slow down to observe and retell them with gentle love, and the beauty of life will naturally spread.

This issue of the Children's page also introduces to you the short story Mother's Overtime Meal. Every time Duong Phuong Thao appears, the reader's childhood world is filled with more memories as if they were found again. Duong Phuong Thao's very short but extremely touching story once again affirms the beauty of maternal love and the beauty in the spiritual life of workers that girls, despite their immature age, are delicate and sensitive enough to recognize.

The Children's Literature page also introduces three young writers from Hoang Ngan Secondary School with lovely poems about mothers, teachers, and schools. They are Loc Thi Thu Phuong with two poems: Mother's Tea Season and Schoolyard. Nguyen Thi Chuc with two poems: Brushing Teeth and Children's Mid-Autumn Festival. Truong Anh Thu with two poems: Mother is Everything and Sick Mother.

(Writer Tong Ngoc Han selected and introduced)

Early rains

(Excerpt from Fat's Diary)

Short story by Hoang Huong Giang

Bong’s family has a very fat cat named Mo. Mo is a three-colored cat with smooth fur, sleeps all day and has a strange hobby: smelling herbs. Not eating herbs, but... smelling them. Every morning, Mo goes out to the balcony, lies down and “puffs” next to Bong’s mother’s tiny vegetable pot of basil and perilla.

One day, something strange happened. Bong was sitting doing her homework when she heard rustling sounds on the balcony and Mo's voice too. Bong ran out and saw that her mother's vegetable pot had been turned upside down, with dirt scattered everywhere. Oh my god! Who had destroyed her mother's vegetable pot?

Illustration: Dao Tuan

Just then, Mo came over. He looked at Bong, and suddenly… opened his mouth and said clearly: "It's not me. It's the sparrows that came together to eat the new soil."

Bong's eyes widened. "Fat... You... you can talk?". Fat nodded, as languid as usual. "Because I've lived with humans for too long. But I only talk when absolutely necessary. This time, I felt so sad that I had to talk." "Sad? Because of the pot of herbs?". "Yeah! I like the smell of herbs. Every morning when I smell a little, my heart feels light. The pot is so small but it makes me feel peaceful. But now the sparrows have destroyed it, it's so sad."

After listening, Bong felt funny and sympathetic. That night, she took a new pot and planted basil, perilla, and a few small mint plants in the old pot. She also made a mini sign: "Mo's Garden - NO VANDALISM".

Every morning Bong went out to the garden with Mo. The two of them quietly checked each pot of plants. Bong watered them, while Mo tiptoed around the tomato plants, occasionally meowing as if to give advice.

“The leaves were pecked by birds, but it’s okay. Let’s start over.” Bong said as she picked up some of the withered leaves. “Tomorrow, you and I will go for a walk and buy some new plants to replace them.” Mo didn’t answer, just rubbed her head against Bong’s ankle, as if to say, “Okay, let’s start over.”

Just like that, every morning the garden was filled with small chatter. A human voice and a cat voice. Bong told stories about class, about the teacher making the class practice reading a long poem, about Nam secretly putting a candy in Ha's bag. I don't know if Mo understood or not, but she kept meowing in approval. Strangely enough, Bong seemed to understand what Mo was saying. Best friends are truly different.

Then one afternoon, Bong's mother came home from the market, holding a small potted plant in her arms. The young tomato plant, with green leaves, looked like it had just opened its eyes to the world. Bong exclaimed. Oh, what a beautiful little plant! Oh, we have a new friend!

Mo raised his head and looked, his tail wagging slightly. He didn’t say anything, just approached and carefully sniffed the young tree trunk, as if saying hello. Then he lay down next to the potted plant, curled up, his eyes half-closed, peacefully as if he was guarding the sleep of something that was about to grow in the small garden…

"Mom, let's plant more! Mo will love it." Bong exclaimed, discovering a miracle. In her arms was a tiny tomato plant, still wet with dew, being carried up to the small garden. Mo ran ahead, arranging a suitable place to lie down, waiting for Bong to follow.

In the corner of the balcony, a three-colored cotton ball named Mo, lying lazily like a rice paper exposed to dew, turned its head slightly and meowed softly when it saw the young plant. Then Mo also stood up and walked around to see if it could help. It used both hands to gently dig some soil in the new pot to plant the plant. The two of them fumbled for a while before finally finishing, they huffed and puffed and smiled at each other when they looked back at the tomato plant, swaying gently in the cool breeze.

Since the day Bong replanted the vegetable pot, every day that passed became a happy song, with sunshine, leaves and… cats.

In the morning, Mo went out to the balcony before the sun. He chose a spot near the mint bush, stretched out to the edge of the pot, took a deep breath, then exhaled as if he had just taken a sip of the cool scent.

At noon, Mo curled up under the shade of the perilla tree. The leaves shook gently like someone's fan. Mo's sleep was also quiet, like a dream with the scent of sunlight and a few leaves gently touching her ears.

In the afternoon, Mo changed his position to near the tomato plant. He sat still, guarding a treasure. Every time Bong whispered, “It’s taller today than yesterday!”, Mo’s ear twitched slightly.

At those times, Bong did not play with her phone or turn on the TV. She just sat next to the little cat, propped her chin up, looking at the small vegetable garden as if she were reading a story without words, only leaves, scents, and the soft breathing of a four-legged friend who knew how to listen.

Mo had nothing to complain about in life. Until one afternoon, when the sky turned gray. The wind began to blow through the tomato trellis, gently shaking the young leaves. Mo was yawning, preparing to snuggle under the lemon basil roots for a nap when... splash, a cool drop of water fell on his head. Splash... splash... a few more drops. Then suddenly... splash... splash, the whole sky seemed to collapse.

Fat jumped up, jumped out of the vegetable pot, and ran into the house, his fur as wet as a blackboard eraser. Bong laughed loudly. Fat, that first rain of the season. It had been a long time since it had rained. How nice!

But Mo was not happy at all. He was shivering under the table, licking his fur but it could not dry. The pouring rain outside made the leaves tremble. Bong took a towel to dry and dry Mo so that he would not catch a cold, and Mo just felt cold and worried. My vegetables, my tomatoes, I wonder if they are okay. They must be the same as me, very scared!

After the rain, the sky brightened, leaving a golden glow on everything. Bong happily carried Mo out to the balcony, whispering. Don't worry, go out and see. There's something really cool. Mo furtively stuck his head out of Bong's chest. It turned out that his vegetable garden was still intact. The pots didn't fall over, the plants didn't break. The leaves were shiny with water, fresh as if he had just come back from a spa. The most special thing was the tomato plant, after the rain, it seemed to have grown a bit taller, the stem was thicker, the leaves were darker green. Mo sniffed, surprised. Oh, it smells so good. The kind of clear smell. Bong smiled. See? The rain doesn't just wet it. The rain makes the soil looser, the leaves greener, and the plants grow faster.

The girl sat down and whispered. There are things that only appear after a rain. Like new leaves. Like fragrance. Like flowers. You see, they only grow after a rain. Plants need water. People do too. Sometimes we need unpleasant things to grow.

That night, Mo lay on the windowsill, looking out at the sky, remembering Bong's vague words. He remembered the feeling of being wet and cold, but also remembered the sparkling sunlight after the rain, the drops of water on the leaves, and the way the tomato plants stretched and grew. Maybe the rain wasn't as bad as he thought. Mo mumbled to himself, even though he didn't understand everything, and then fell asleep.

From that day on, Mo began to observe the sky. When the clouds rolled in, Mo was no longer in a hurry to hide. He sat by the glass door, silently waiting. Although he was still a little afraid of water, when the first raindrop fell, he only curled up slightly. Then he leisurely walked out onto the balcony, in the same place as the day before, to see how his plants were doing.

Strangely, the more it rains, the greener the plants become. The greener they are, the more fragrant the vegetables smell. Mo likes to sniff the smell of wet soil, smell the wet mint leaves like freshly cooked herbs. Once, Bong asked. Mo is not afraid of the rain anymore? He shook his head. No. Rain makes the plants wet, but rain also helps them live. I also have to learn to get a little wet, to enjoy the fragrance. Bong was surprised. So Mo has learned her lesson?

Fat wagged his little tail. A new thought quietly arose in his mind. Rain does not make the tree wither. Rain makes the tree stronger. Leaves do not tear, but become more flexible. Trunks do not break, but become stronger. Roots do not float, but cling deeper into the ground. It turns out, not everything wet and cold is scary. There are rains, for the tree to grow. And there are unpleasant things, for us to become stronger and gentler. He let out a refreshing breath, then yawned deeply, as if Fat had just understood something very important without having to say it out loud. Now Fat understood everything.

* * *

Oh dear...! The tomatoes are blooming. Bong opened the door and shouted happily. Fat jumped up and ran out quickly. Really. Like a small gift after a long wait. Fat was amazed, really, in the middle of the green branch, a tiny yellow flower, round as a button, had just bloomed. Next to it were a few more small buds, as if preparing to reach up to look at the sun.

"I swear I saw the tree shaking. It must be the wind. Or maybe it's laughing." Mo was startled, shaking her head as if it wasn't really, just accidentally letting out a sound. Bong looked intently, her eyes sparkling, giggling when she heard what Mo said, not really believing it. We had waited a long time for this moment.

Bong carefully walked closer to the tomato plant, gently touching her nose to the tiny flower. The scent was very gentle. As gentle as a thank you. Thank you to the rain, for watering Mo's garden. Thank you for teaching me to wait. I also know that there are good things that come in wet and cold forms.

Notes from Mo's Diary – After the first rain of the season:

“The first rain of the season makes me wet, but also makes the tree grow a little taller. There are things that seem unpleasant, but turn out to be the gentlest way that heaven and earth help me grow.”

Mom's overtime meal

Short story by Duong Phuong Thao

Thuy is small and skinny compared to her peers. Her father died early, leaving only the mother and daughter to survive. At the age of nine, Thuy had to stay home alone while her mother went to work. On nights when her mother worked the night shift, Thuy stayed home alone. At first, Thuy was scared, but then she got used to it.

Before, the house of the mother and daughter was old and dilapidated. Thuy was young, so her mother only dared to do jobs near home, earning little income. Recently, with all the capital she had saved, along with the support money from the State, she was able to build a small house to protect her from the rain and sun. But lacking money, she still had to borrow more. Now that she had a house, her mother felt secure letting Thuy stay home and go to work at a company more than ten kilometers away. Even though her income was stable, Thuy's mother was still frugal, pinching every penny to pay off the debt. Thuy understood her mother, so she never asked for gifts or new clothes.

Illustration: Dao Tuan

During summer vacation, when her mother goes to work, Thuy goes to the garden to weed, take care of the lush vegetable beds, sweep the small yard and tidy up the house. Thuy wants her mother to come home, even though she is tired, with a smile on her face. Her mother often comes home quite late because she signed up for overtime. There are days when Thuy goes out the gate to wait nearly ten times before seeing her mother come home. Other children wait for their mother to come home from work to get some snacks. Thuy hopes her mother will come home to feel secure, to ease her loneliness. Because during the school year, in class, there are still friends and teachers. During summer vacation, it is only Thuy and the small house waiting for her mother.

Even though every time she came home from work, her mother brought Thuy cakes and milk, which were her overtime snacks. She never used those snacks. Every time she got them, she put them away and brought them back to her children. The small cartons of milk were so delicious to Thuy. But Thuy only ate them when she really needed them. The rest she put away neatly in a box. Every time she was away from home, Thuy would take them out and count them, arranging them neatly to ease her longing for her mother. Her mother worked hard and worried about everything, so she looked thinner and thinner. Thuy was most worried that she wouldn't know how to take care of her mother if she got sick. One day, if her mother was sick and couldn't go to work, Thuy would bring out these cartons of milk for her mother to drink, so that she would get well soon.

Like every day, after sweeping the yard, Thuy plugged in the rice cooker and went to the gate to see if her mother had returned. The wind started to blow, then it rained heavily, there was thunder and lightning, and the power went out. Thuy had never been so scared. Thuy sat huddled in the dark room, hoping her mother would return soon. It was still raining non-stop. Thuy glanced out the window and saw only lightning streaking across the sky. She wondered if her mother had returned yet. Thuy still sat still, her heart burning with anxiety.

Outside the gate, suddenly there was the sound of dogs barking, the sound of flashlights flickering. People called out to Thuy. Thuy put on her hat and ran out. Several neighbors were helping her mother into the house. Her mother's arms and legs were scratched and bleeding. Thuy quickly took a towel to wipe her mother's face. It turned out that her mother had fallen off her bike and fainted on the side of the road when she was almost home. Luckily, some passersby discovered her and brought her home.

Mom lay on the bed, eyes slightly open. Thuy suddenly burst into tears. Thuy took out a box of milk and gave it to Mom to drink. Mom gradually woke up.

But the first thing the mother did after waking up was to hold her daughter's hand and urge her to go to the car to put away the overtime meal so she would have breakfast tomorrow morning.

Nguyen Thi Chuc

(Grade 7B, Hoang Ngan Secondary School)

Brush one's teeth

I wake up early

Go brush your teeth

Take some cream

On the brush

Lower jaw

Then the upper jaw

Quick mouthwash

Mother praised me:

Teeth are so clean

Mid-Autumn Festival for children

Mid-Autumn Festival is so fun

Children are allowed to go lantern procession.

Hold your fish in your hand

The familiar road is sparkling

Baby walk fast

Go straight into the middle of the village

Grandma's house is preparing a feast.

Invite your friends to eat

Mid-Autumn Festival is so fun

Have friends to play with

There is also grandma

Baby jumping and laughing

Truong Anh Thu

(Grade 7A, Hoang Ngan Secondary School)

Mother is everything

How much work does mom do?

But always smile

Stay up late and wake up early

Busy and worried

Every dawn

Mom called me on time.

Remind neatly and thoughtfully

To prepare for school

I love my hard working mother

So always promise yourself that

Must be good and study well

To make mother happy

Mom is sick

Wake up today

Wait a long time

Mom is nowhere to be seen.

Enter the room to see

Mom is lying there

Next to no one

Dad goes to buy medicine

She cooks chicken porridge.

So that's it.

The house was silent.

When mom is sick

Loc Thi Thu Phuong

(Grade 8B, Hoang Ngan Secondary School)

Mother's tea season

Green tea buds

One hand mother take care

One hand mother pick

Quick, quick

Tea hills on the field

The road is long

My beloved mother

Wake up from a dream early

Heavy bag of tea

Mother carries on her back

Carry more sunshine

The ball tilts on the road

Then mom made tea

Smoke stings the eyes

How hard

Green tea pot!

School yard

That fall

Soft sunshine in the school yard

Innocent child

Confused step to

Three years passed

Like the wind

We grow up

Anger is still there

School yard now

Color of sunshine and clouds

Sow hope

Anxious anticipation

A new ferry

Prepare to go offshore...

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-nghe-thai-nguyen/202507/van-hoc-thieu-nhi-a0154ff/