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      TUTTLE Publishing

       Tokyo | Rutland, Vermont | Singapore

      The Tuttle Story: “Books to Span the East and West”

      Many people are surprised to learn that the world’s largest publisher of books on Asia had its humble beginnings in the tiny American state of Vermont. The company’s founder, Charles E. Tuttle, belonged to a New England family steeped in publishing.

      Tuttle’s father was a noted antiquarian dealer in Rutland, Vermont. Young Charles honed his knowledge of the trade working in the family bookstore, and later in the rare books section of Columbia University Library. His passion for beautiful books—old and new—never wavered throughout his long career as a bookseller and publisher.

      After graduating from Harvard, Tuttle enlisted in the military and in 1945 was sent to Tokyo to work on General Douglas MacArthur’s staff. He was tasked with helping to revive the Japanese publishing industry, which had been utterly devastated by the war. After his tour of duty was completed, he left the military, married a talented and beautiful singer, Reiko Chiba, and in 1948 began several successful business ventures.

      To his astonishment, Tuttle discovered that postwar Tokyo was actually a book-lover’s paradise. He befriended dealers in the Kanda district and began supplying rare Japanese editions to American libraries. He also imported American books to sell to the thousands of GIs stationed in Japan. By 1949, Tuttle’s business was thriving, and he opened Tokyo’s very first English-language bookstore in the Takashimaya Department Store in Ginza, to great success. Two years later, he began publishing books to fulfill the growing interest of foreigners in all things Asian.

      Though a westerner, Tuttle was hugely instrumental in bringing a knowledge of Japan and Asia to a world hungry for information about the East. By the time of his death in 1993, he had published over 6,000 books on Asian culture, history and art—a legacy honored by Emperor Hirohito in 1983 with the “Order of the Sacred Treasure,” the highest honor Japan can bestow upon a non-Japanese.

      The Tuttle company today maintains an active backlist of some 1,500 titles, many of which have been continuously in print since the 1950s and 1960s—a great testament to Charles Tuttle’s skill as a publisher. More than 60 years after its founding, Tuttle Publishing is more active today than at any time in its history, still inspired by Charles Tuttle’s core mission—to publish fine books to span the East and West and provide a greater understanding of each.

      Published by Tuttle Publishing, an imprint of Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd.

       www.tuttlepublishing.com

      Copyright © 2015 Tran Thi Minh Phuoc

       Illustrations Copyright © Nguyen Thi Hop and Nguyen Dong

      All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from the publisher.

      Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data for this title is in progress

       ISBN 978-0-8048-4429-1

       ISBN 978-1-4629-1516-3 (ebook)

      Distributed by

      North America, Latin America & Europe

       Tuttle Publishing

       364 Innovation Drive,

       North Clarendon,

       VT 05759-9436 U.S.A.

       Tel: (802) 773-8930

       Fax: (802) 773-6993

       [email protected] www.tuttlepublishing.com

      Asia Pacific

       Berkeley Books Pte. Ltd.

       61 Tai Seng Avenue #02-12

       Singapore 534167

       Tel: (65) 6280-1330

       Fax: (65) 6280-6290

       [email protected] www.periplus.com

      19 18 17 16 15 5 4 3 2 1 1410TW

       Printed in Malaysia

      TUTTLE PUBLISHING® is a registered trademark of Tuttle Publishing, a division of Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd.

      Contents

       The Legend of Banh Chung and Banh Day

       Mai An Tiem and the Watermelon Seeds

       The Legend of the Mai Flower

       Why One Shouldn't Sweep the House on Tet Nguyen Dan

       Le Loi and the Magic Sword

       The Celestial King Phu Dong and the Iron Horse

       Son Tinh and Thuy Tinh—the Mountain Lord and the Sea Lord

       The Story of Tam and Cam

       The Story of Thach Sanh and Ly Thong

       Da Trang and the Magic Pearl

       Why the Sea Is Salty

       The Legend of the Mosquito

       Why Ducks Sleep on One Leg

       Mr. Cuoi Under the Banyan Tree

       The Jade Rabbit

      Introduction

      In Vietnam no Lunar New Year celebration (or Tet Nguyen Dan) can begin without a yellow Mai flower tree in the garden, or full blossoming branches of bright yellow Mai flowers in the house. The Mai flower represents good luck, happiness, and prosperity, and wards off evil spirits for the whole year. During the last days of Tet, every house is given a thorough cleaning, but it is important not to sweep away trash and the remains of burned firecrackers on the three New Year days, because to do so would also be to sweep away good luck and the hope of financial prosperity in the coming year. The broom itself is treated as a member of the family—never tossed aside or placed on the ground.

      Why are such traditions so strong and enduring? I believe it is because the stories that explain traditions

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