The Wandering Water Puppet
A children book project to raise awareness
of the traditional water puppet performance in Vietnam
Writer: Tran Thi Minh Hieu
Illustrator: Tran Dac Trung
There was this place,
The only place In the whole world
Where you could watch
Puppets dancing in water
The place was called
Water Puppet Theater
~ ~
This was a water puppet.
His name was Teu,
As in Teh-ooh.
He seemed to wonder
How he came to be here.
~ ~
As Teu walked around,
He noticed a boy
On the back of a water buffalo.
He asked,“How come I am here?”
The boy answered, “No clue.
I’m just watching
My master’s water buffalo.”
Teu went on, and he saw
A green rice paddy field.
He asked a farmer there,
“Why did I come here?”
The farmer just smiled,
“Sweet boy, are you lost?
This is no place for a child.”
~ ~
Teu was so surprised
When he passed by some maidens
Holding flowers in their hands.
He stood quietly for a moment,
Without asking a question.
~ ~
He was about to give up
All hope to find the answer,
When he saw four giant animals.
“Dear Dragon and Qilin,
And Turtle and Phoenix,
Do you happen to know
The reason why I’m here?”
~ ~
