Gao Zoua Pa

Told by: Katong Yang

Illustrated by: Bao Lee and Belinda Yang

Transcribed by: Kimberly Yang

Translated by: Pang Xiong

Nkauj Zuag Paj

Tus qhia: Kabtauj Yaj

Cov teeb duab: Npauj Lis thiab Belinda Yaj

Tus sau: Kimberly Yaj

Tus txais lus: Paj Xyooj

Gao Zoua Pa / Nkauj Zuag Paj

Once upon a time, there was a young man named Choua who lived all alone. Because
he was poor, he did not have much food to eat or a good place to live. One day, Choua was
hungry so he decided to go fishing in a pond. He caught a goldfish, but he did not want to
eat it because it was so beautiful. Instead, he took the fish home and put it in a glass vase.

Puag thaum ub, muaj ib tug tub lub npe hu ua Ntsuag. Nws nyob ib leeg. Vim nws
pluag, nws thiaj tsis muaj mov noj, thiab tsis muaj ib lub tsev zoo nyob. Muaj ib hnub,
Ntsuag tshaib plab heev nws thiaj li mus nuv ntses nram ib lub pas dej. Ntsuag nuv tau ib
tug ntses kub zoo nkauj heev ua rau nws tsis xav noj. Nws thiaj li coj tus ntses kub mus
tsev thiab muab tso rau hauv ib lub hub iav.

Zaj Lus: A Hmong Childrens Story Collection

Gao Zoua Pa / Nkauj Zuag Paj

After Choua brought the fish home, he went to work in the fields. The goldfish came
out of the vase and turned into a beautiful woman. Her name was Gao Zoua Pa. She
cooked a meal for Choua to eat when he came home and then turned back into a fish. When
Choua got home, he was surprised to see the food that someone had cooked for him.

Ces thaum Ntsuag tawm mus ua teb, tus ntses txia mus ua ib tug hluas nkauj hmoob.
Nws hu ua Niam Nkauj Zuag Paj. Nws thiaj li mus npaj ib pluag su tos Ntsuag. Tom qab
ntawd, nws txia rov qab mus ua tus ntses. Thaum Ntsuag rov los pom pluag su, ua rau nws
xav tsis thoob li.

Zaj Lus: A Hmong Childrens Story Collection

Gao Zoua Pa / Nkauj Zuag Paj

When Choua went back to work in the fields, Zoua Pa would come out of the vase
and cooked for him again. This continued on for many days. Although Choua was grateful
for the food, he still wondered who had cooked these meals for him. One day, he pretended
to go to the fields but instead, hid outside his house. Soon after, Zoua Pa reappeared and
began cooking. Choua was amazed at what he saw. He immediately jumped inside the
house and captured her. Zoua Pa cried for him to let her go, but he refused to unless she
married him; therefore, she agreed to his request.

Thaum Ntsuag rov qab mus ua teb, Zuag Paj tawm los ua mov rau Ntsuag noj tau
ntau hnub. Ntsuag txaus siab heev rau cov zaub mov tiam sis nws tseem xav paub hais tias
leej twg yog tus us mov rau nws noj. Muaj ib hnub, nws thiaj li ua txuj yuav mus ua teb.
Qhov tseeb tiag, nws mus khiav nkaum nraum zoov xwb. Zuaj Paj thiaj li rov tawm los ua
mov dua. Ntsuag ntseeg tsis tau li nws thiaj li dhia los txhom Zuag Paj yuav. Zuag Paj thov
tias kom tso nws mus los Ntsuag tsis kam li. Thaum kawg, Zuag Paj thiaj li ua ib siab yuav
Ntsuag lawm.

Zaj Lus: A Hmong Childrens Story Collection

Gao Zoua Pa / Nkauj Zuag Paj

Zoua Pa made Choua very happy. Seeing Choua happy made an evil witch named
Gao Kou Ker jealous. She followed Choua home from the fields one day to discover that
he had a beautiful wife. Determind to destroy Chouas happiness, she turned herself into a
beautiful woman and began talking to him. Gao Kou Ker put a spell on him, convinced
him that his wife was very evil, and made him like her instead.
When Gao Kou Ker and Choua returned to his house, he told Zoua Pa to leave and
never come back. It didnt matter how much Zoua Pa asked Choua to let her stay because
he did not care. He was still under the spell. Unable to change his mind, Zoua Pa returned
to the pond and became a fish again.

Zuaj Paj ua rau Ntsuag zoo siab heev. Vim li no ib tug poj niam siab phem heev hu
ua Niam Nkauj Kub Kaws thiaj li khib. Muaj ib hnub, nws thiaj raws Ntsuag nram teb los
tsev. Nws pom tias Ntsuag muaj ib tug poj niam zoo nkauj heev li, ces nws thiaj txia ua ib
tug hluas nkauj mus tham Ntsuag. Nws qhia Ntsuag tias Zuag Paj lub siab phem heev.
Nkauj Kub Kaws thiaj li ua khaws koob rau Ntsuag, ces Ntsuag cia li nyiam thiab ntseeg
thiab nyiam nws lawm.

Thaum Nkauj Kub Kaws thiab Ntsuag mus txog tsev. Ntsuag cia li ntiab Zuag Paj
kom nws tawm thiab txhob rov los lawm. Zuag Paj thov kom Ntsuag cia nws nyob npaum
twg los Ntsuag yeej tsis mloog li vim Ntsuag tseem raug khawv koob. Zuag Paj thiaj ua ib
siab rov mus nram hav dej thiab txia rov mus ua ib tug ntses lawm.

Zaj Lus: A Hmong Childrens Story Collection

Gao Zoua Pa / Nkauj Zuag Paj

Soon after, Choua and Gao Kou Ker got married. She was lazy and never cooked or
cleaned. As time went on, Choua became very poor and realized that she had lied to him.
It was Zoua Pa who truly cared for him. He then forced the Gao Kou Ker out of the house
for all of the misery she had put him through.

Tom qab ntawd, Ntsuag thiab Nkauj Kub Kaws txawm sib yuav. Nkauj Kub Kaws
tub nkeeg heev. Nws tsis ua mov noj thiab nws tsis tu tsev li. Tsis ntev tom qab, Ntsuag
txawm pib pluag zuj zu. Thaum ntawd nws thiaj mam pom tias nws raug dag lawm. Nws
tus Zuag Paj thiaj yog tus hlub nws tiag. Ntsuag thiaj ntiab Nkauj Kub Kaws tawm mus
vim nws ua rau Ntsuag lub neej puas tag.

Zaj Lus: A Hmong Childrens Story Collection

Gao Zoua Pa / Nkauj Zuag Paj

Everyday from then on, Choua would go to the pond and cry. He would apologize to
Zoua Pa for the wrongs he had done, but she would not listen to him.

One day, a frog saw Choua crying and said to him, If you want to see Zoua Pa again,
I will swallow all the water in the pond so you can see her. But when I do, you must not
laugh.

Choua agreed to what the frog had said and waited as the frog swallowed all the
water. As the frog swallowed the water, he began getting fatter and that made Choua laugh.
The laughter made the frog spit all the water back out into the pond.
Txij hnub ntawd mus, Ntsuag niaj hnub mus quaj nram pas dej. Txhua hnub nws thov
txim thiab lees nws txoj kev txhaum rau Zuag Paj los Zuag Paj tsis mloog li.

Muaj ib hnub ib tug qav pom Ntsuag quaj nws thiaj hais rau Ntsuag tias, Yog koj
xav pom Zuag Paj no ces kuv mam nqus cov dej kom koj thiaj li pom Zuag Paj. Tiam sis
mas, koj yuav tsum tsis txhob luag kiag li nawv.

Ntsuag leev hais tias nws ma tsis luag. Tus qav txawm pib nqus cov dej. Vim tus qav
nqus dej ntau ntau, nws thiaj le loj tuaj ua rau Ntsuag luag ib suab nrov nrov. Tus qav muab
cov dej nti tawm rov los tag lawm.

Zaj Lus: A Hmong Childrens Story Collection

Gao Zoua Pa / Nkauj Zuag Paj

Why did you do that? asked Choua.

The frog replied, Because you laughed when I told you not to.

Choua told the frog to swallow the water in the pond again because he truely wanted
Zoua Pa back, so the frog swallowed all the water in the pond. Choua saw Zoua Pas father
and asked if he could let them be together again. Realizing how much Choua loved his
daughter, he allowed them to be together and they lived happily ever after.
Vim li cas koj thiaj nti cov dej rov tawm? Ntsuag nug tus qav.

Tus qav txawm teb tias, Kuv twb hais kom koj txhob luag ne.

Ntsuag hais kom qav rov qab nqus cov dej rau qhov nws xav tau Zuaj Paj rov qab
los tiag tiag. Thaum tus qav rov nqus cov dej tag Ntsuag pom Zuag Paj txiv. Nws thiaj thov
kom cia Zuag Paj nkawd rov los nyob ua ke. Zuag Paj txiv pom tau tias Ntsuag hlub nws
tus ntxais heev li nws thiaj cia Zuag Paj rov los. Ntsuag thiab Zuag Paj nkawd thiaj mus
ua lub neej kaj siab lug mus txog hnub nkawd ncaim lub ntiaj teb.

Zaj Lus: A Hmong Childrens Story Collection