Long ago, there lived two Village Elders. One was the Village Elder of the lower village, and one was the Village Elder of the upper village. Each of them had a wife. As time went on, each of their two wives became pregnant with a child! One morning, just as the roosters crowed clear and bright, both wives gave birth to baby boys at the exact same moment. The child of the upper Village Elder had a golden tongue. The child of the lower Village Elder had a silver tongue!
Then the two Village Elders came together to speak with one another, saying: "Oh! Why is it that our two children were born unlike anyone else in the land? From now on, as the two fathers, we must never let these two children see each other."
Yet those two children, when their age was barely three months old, already knew how to speak well. Not long after, the two children reached one year of age. One day, when both Village Elders were away from home, the two children each carried a jar of wine and each brought a chicken. They went out and met each other down at the rice field hut. The two children slaughtered their two chickens to cook and eat as a companion feast with their two jars of wine. They conversed and spoke to each other, saying:
"Oh! We are brothers who came together from the realm above. Your mother and my mother gave birth to us at the exact same moment. On any day when your mother and your father beat you, call out and I will come to help you. If my mother and my father beat me, I will call and you must come to help me!"
When the two children finished speaking like this, they returned to their homes. After a brief moment, the neighborhood found out. They spoke and told their mothers and fathers! Then the father, the upper Village Elder, became furious. He grabbed a knife and chased after his son, Golden Tongue, to kill him and cast him away. Golden Tongue was terrified; he ran and ran until he arrived down at Silver Tongue's house. Silver Tongue, however, was still away bathing. Golden Tongue called out, saying:
"Oh! Older brother Silver Tongue! Quickly come help me. Today my mother and my father are chasing me to kill me! Hurry and come help me!"
Golden Tongue called out continually as he ran. But because Silver Tongue had gone to bathe, he did not hear. Golden Tongue kept calling out with all his might. He ran and ran until he reached Silver Tongue's home, but Silver Tongue still did not hear at all!
Then Golden Tongue grew resentful, and he said: "Oh! Older brother Silver Tongue, we have already shared meat and we have already drunk wine. We said that if on another day my mother and father beat me, you would help. If your mother and father beat you, I would help. We already shared meat and drank wine and spoke like that. Now, you are unkind and do not help. No matter how many times I call, you do not answer at all. So, goodbye to you. I will flee away."
Then Golden Tongue fled awayl. He fled far away into the land of King Nyav Liab! There he studied the wielding of copper spears and iron spears; he learned the arts of melting and transforming. He studied until he had mastered absolutely every skill.
Then the King of the Heavenly Realm turned to look down upon his two sons whom he had sent to this earthly world. He saw that Golden Tongue was applying himself completely to his studies. Only Silver Tongue remained idle. So the Heavenly King thought to himself: "Oh! If I do not bring Silver Tongue up to study, then I fear that when Golden Tongue returns, Silver Tongue will not be able to survive."
The Heavenly King then sent his youngest daughter, Nkauj Ntxawm, to go and fetch Silver Tongue. The Heavenly King sent his daughter down, and she dropped swiftly beside the edge of the rice fields. She came down and met Silver Tongue just as he was carrying water back along the path. Ntxawm spoke to Silver Tongue, saying: "Oh! Noble brother, are you Silver Tongue?"
Silver Tongue answered Ntxawm: "Oh! I am indeed, noble sister."
Ntxawm spoke further to Silver Tongue, saying: "Oh! Noble brother, right now my father has sent me to fetch you. My father commands that you go with me to the Heavenly Realm, so they can teach you arts and wisdom. If you do not go, behold, brother Golden Tongue has gone to study arts and wisdom far away in the land of Nyav Liab; on the day he returns, he will raise an army to strike you. Then you will not be able to survive."
Silver Tongue then answered Ntxawm, saying:
"Oh! If that is so, I cannot go on my own journey, noble sister."
Ntxawm then said: "Silver Tongue! Do not fear. Walk with me down to the rice fields. Then place your head beneath my arm, and we shall simply depart."
The Heavenly King's daughter, Nkauj Ntxawm, then tucked Silver Tongue securely under her arm. They soared swiftly up into the sky toward the Heavenly Realm. Thus Silver Tongue arrived in the land of the Heavenly King. The Heavenly King taught Silver Tongue how to melt and transform, how to make himself large, how to make himself small, and how to turn into firewood, into water, into mountains, and into valleys. He studied for a short time and soon mastered absolutely every single skill. Silver Tongue then spoke, requesting of the King: "Oh! Royal Father King, now I have studied enough. I beg you to raise your eyes and look upon me for a moment, so that you may see that I am your son, whom you sent your daughter to fetch to study these arts and wisdom."
The King answered Silver Tongue, saying: "Oh! Son, I cannot raise my eyes to look upon you. If I raise my eyes to look upon you, the rains will fall massively upon the earth below. Soon the waters will flood, and humanity will perish completely. If I raise my eyes to look upon you, behold, the rains will pour violently upon the earth, turning the hills and valleys a deep, muddy red."
Silver Tongue replied to his Royal Father King, saying: "Oh! Royal Father King, let happen what may. I beg you to raise your eyes to glance at me just for a moment, and that will be enough."
So the King raised his eyes just slightly to look at Silver Tongue. Silver Tongue also raised his eyes to look down upon the earth, and behold, a tempest and dark gales lashed violently. The torrential rains swelled, filling the streams and valleys completely. The hills and valleys turned a stark red. Silver Tongue then cried out: "Oh! Please stop, Royal Father King. The people of the earth are truly about to perish."
Then the Heavenly King closed his eyes. Silver Tongue's studies with the Heavenly King were now entirely completed. However, there remained the Heavenly King Mab Dawb.
Silver Tongue then went to study under the King Mab Dawb. They taught Silver Tongue how to melt into fire, how to melt into copper, and how to melt into iron; they taught him absolutely everything. When Silver Tongue finished his studies, he said: "Oh! Royal Father King Mab Dawb! Now I have finished my studies as well. I beg you, Father, to raise your eyes to look upon me, so that I may depart for the earth below."
King Mab Dawb answered, saying: "Oh! Dear son, I cannot raise my eyes to look upon you. If I raise my eyes to look upon you, fire will burn across the earth and all people will die."
Silver Tongue answered King Mab Dawb, saying: "Oh! Royal Father King! I beg you to raise your eyes just briefly to look upon me, and let happen what may."
King Mab Dawb then raised his eyes just slightly to look upon Silver Tongue. Behold, smoke billowed and choked the earth in dark clouds. Silver Tongue quickly cried out: "Oh! Royal Father King Mab Dawb, oh! Please close your eyes. If you do not close them, fire will surely burn the people of the earth to death."
Now, this time, Silver Tongue possessed great mystical power. The Heavenly King and King Mab Dawb then commanded the Heavenly King's daughter, Ntxawm, to escort Silver Tongue back down to the earth. Upon arriving, Silver Tongue stayed inside his home to wait. As for Golden Tongue, he was still studying far away in the land of King Nyav Liab and had not yet returned. Silver Tongue lived at home for three years waiting. Then Golden Tongue completed his studies and finally returned. Silver Tongue simply remained inside his house. After some time, one day, Golden Tongue said to his mother:
"Mother! Lead this horse of mine to give as a gift to older brother Silver Tongue. But you must not reveal that it is I who sent it to him. When you arrive with it, simply say: 'I have led this horse here to give to you, Silver Tongue.' Once you have given it to him, remove the halter and bring it back home!"
The mother looked closely. Oh! She feared that war was surely brewing. She grasped the halter of her son Golden Tongue's stallion, the Dragon Stallion, and led it up toward the Lao village.
The Heavenly King had already sent his daughter to wait up there. That daughter transformed herself into a very beautiful woman, waiting right along the path. As the mother led the horse past, the daughter questioned the mother, saying: "Mother! Where are you leading that horse to?"
The old mother answered the King's daughter: "Oh! I am leading it to give to Silver Tongue, you see."
The daughter, Nkauj Ntxawm, replied, saying: "Oh! Your stallion is exceedingly beautiful. Do not lead it to him. Sell it to me instead."
Golden Tongue's mother answered the maiden: "Oh! My son told me that it must not be sold. I must make sure to lead it directly to Silver Tongue, you see. I am afraid I cannot sell it."
The King's daughter, Nkauj Ntxawm, said: "Oh! Do not speak so. Let me give you one thousand pieces of pure white silver for it."
Golden Tongue's mother still refused. The maiden said: "Oh! Old mother, let us not argue. I will give you one thousand five hundred pieces of pure white silver right now."
Then the old mother pondered. Oh! If she sold it, she would gain one thousand five hundred pieces of pure white silver. If she led it there, she would just be giving it away to someone else. She decided to sell it. She took the one thousand five hundred pieces of white silver, but after just a brief moment, she thought to herself: “Oh! What if my son scolds me!” She went right back and said: “Oh! Sweet maiden! My son told me to lead it only to his older brother Silver Tongue. Oh! If that is so, I beg you to let it go, oh. Return it to me.”
She went back and successfully took the horse back. The old mother then led the horse directly to Silver Tongue's house. She tied the horse securely beneath the floor of the house. She went up into Silver Tongue's home and said: "Oh! My son Silver Tongue, I have led a stallion down beneath the house to give to you."
Silver Tongue quickly answered the old woman: "Oh! You have led it here to give to me, thank you very much."
Then Silver Tongue went down to inspect the stallion completely.
Silver Tongue let out a low groan from beneath the house floor, saying: "Oh! My, old mother, oh! This horse is truly, exceedingly beautiful."
The old mother answered Silver Tongue: "Yes! It is exceedingly beautiful, you see. So find a rope to tie it up, so I can untie my lead rope and leave."
Silver Tongue scolded the old mother sharply, saying: "Oh! Old mother, you still talk of untying. What do you mean by untying the halter to take away? Just go home. This creature, and you still dare to call it a horse? This wretched younger brother Golden Tongue merely wants to wage war against me, that is all! He boasts that he has attained great mystical power, but I already know it!"
Then the horse instantly realized that, this time, Silver Tongue likely knew its true nature. The horse bucked and kicked wildly! Silver Tongue went and grabbed a hammer, bringing it down beneath the house floor. Silver Tongue leaped directly onto the stallion's back, administering two or three sharp lashes. Oh! Behold, the stallion did not run upon the earth, but soared instantly up into the vault of heaven! The stallion looked back. To its surprise, Silver Tongue possessed immense mystical power; he did not fall off at all. The stallion flew and slammed violently against a massive cliff, shattering it completely so that it broke through to the other side. Silver Tongue still did not fall. He simply flipped himself agilely beneath the horse's belly. Returning right back to the house. Silver Tongue was furious, and he said: "Oh! You, wretched younger brother Golden Tongue, are exceedingly arrogant. You still intend to come and kill me."
Silver Tongue instantly snatched a hammer and a chisel, striking them straight into the horse's flank. The hammer pounded hard, killing the stallion instantly. Silver Tongue said: "Oh my! Does younger brother Golden Tongue think his power is so supreme? All you brothers, go ahead and slice up the meat to eat!"
Then all the villagers came and sliced up the massive horse, dividing it among themselves to eat amidst a great clamor. Silver Tongue said: "Oh! Now that everyone has eaten it completely like this, younger brother Golden Tongue's magical power is undone. Let us see how much strength he has left!"
Among the villagers who had eaten that horse, there was an old man who, after finishing his meal, had a tiny shred of meat caught in his teeth. After eating, he went to rinse his mouth down at the river. Suddenly, that tiny shred of meat leaped out and fell into a pool of water. Then that shred of meat transformed itself into a vast multitude of fish, filling the entire stream and valley. It was beyond words. Silver Tongue spoke, saying: "Oh! This will not do. This time, younger brother Golden Tongue's magical power is truly vast. He has transformed into fish that fill the entire valley. What must I do now? I suppose I must transform into an otter to eat them all up."
Silver Tongue instantly transformed into a pack of many otters, devouring every single one of the fish completely. After Silver Tongue finished eating, he returned home. Yet something felt stuck in his teeth. With a gentle probe, behold! It leaped out and instantly transformed into a vast abundance of opium seeds, filling the entire back room of the house. It was the flesh of the fish transforming. Silver Tongue tried to sweep them, but could not sweep them all; he tried to eat them, but could not eat them all. He instantly transformed into mice, into birds, into insects and ants, and into wild boars and bears to eat them. After a short moment, those opium seeds were finished as well. Silver Tongue scoffed, saying: "Oh! That wretched younger brother Golden Tongue bragged so much, yet his power is exhausted just like this."
Then Silver Tongue instantly transformed into an ant, crawling away into a tiny hole in the ground. After just a brief moment, Golden Tongue conversely transformed into a cat, purring and meowing as it approached. Silver Tongue said: "Aha! This younger brother Golden Tongue is truly relentless again."
Silver Tongue thought and thought, then said further: "By all means! Let me try to lure this wretched cat and see!"
Silver Tongue snatched up a small bag to trap the cat. In a brief moment, the cat crawled in to eat some tofu. Silver Tongue threw the bag completely over it. He tied the mouth of the bag securely! Silver Tongue said: "Oh! This time, I will throw it into a pot of boiling water, so that younger brother Golden Tongue's power is completely ended."
He threw the cat directly into the boiling pot. The cat thrashed and thrashed, and died instantly.
Then the young man Golden Tongue returned directly to his home. He wrote a letter and sent it, stating: "Oh! Now, older brother Silver Tongue, I came only to test you a little bit. However, your magical power is also exceedingly great. So let it be known to you: on the fifteenth day of this month, we shall wage war! Because your power is well-developed. Long ago, we shared meat and we drank wine, saying that if your mother and father were to beat you or kill you, I would help. If my mother and father were to beat me or kill me, you would help. But now you are unkind. In the past, when my mother and father were about to kill me, I came and called out, but you did not help me at all. Thus I had to flee away. This time I tell you: on the fifteenth day, prepare your arts and wisdom well. Come directly to the plains, and we shall absolutely fight to the death!"
Then came the fifteenth day! The two brothers met on the plains to wage war. They fought for three days and three nights. Golden Tongue strikes once and Silver Tongue’s neck is severed completely, yet it joins back exactly as it was before. Then Silver Tongue strikes once, and Golden Tongue’s neck is severed completely, yet it joins back instantly. No matter how the two brothers fought, there was no victor and no loser at all.
The King of the Heavenly Realm spoke, saying: "Oh! This time, if these two brothers have no victor and no loser, they will simply fight forever. They will likely wage war year after year. I must send my youngest daughter, Nkauj Ntxawm, to go and help Silver Tongue. For I brought him up to study with me."
So the Heavenly King sent his daughter, Nkauj Ntxawm, to wait out by the rice fields. After a short moment, Silver Tongue returned there. The maiden spoke, saying: "Oh! Silver Tongue, right now you cannot win, so you must reset the time of battle. Let me go with you to the house; we shall catch a dog to slaughter. Take its blood and smear it completely upon your sword. Then, when you return to fight, you will surely win!"
That day, Silver Tongue fought until darkness fell but still could not win. Silver Tongue then spoke: "Oh! I say this to you, younger brother Golden Tongue. Let us rest for one day tomorrow. On the following day, at the same hour, shall we return to fight again?"
So that day, Ntxawm and Silver Tongue returned to their house. They quickly found a dog and slaughtered it immediately, collecting its blood in a bamboo tube. When the day came to fight again, Ntxawm stood at one side, holding fast to the tube of dog's blood.
Silver Tongue and Golden Tongue clashed and clashed. For a while, there was neither victor nor loser at all. Soon, the two grew parched for water. They laid down their two swords and ran to drink water. Ntxawm instantly took Silver Tongue's sword and smeared the dog's blood completely over it.
After a brief moment, the two finished drinking water and returned to clash again. Golden Tongue struck once, severing Silver Tongue's neck completely, but it joined right back together. Then Silver Tongue struck once, severing Golden Tongue's neck completely, and behold, it could not join back together at all! Then the younger brother, Golden Tongue, raised his voice to beg, crying: "Oh! Now, you are the older brother, you were born before me. So now I beg of you. I beg you not to kill me, so we may live as brothers who love each other."
Then the two ceased their fighting. They put it aside. They came back to talk with one another. Golden Tongue said: "If so, what was the reason? Long ago, we shared meat and drank wine, promising that we would help each other. Why is it that when my mother and father were going to kill me, you did not help?"
Silver Tongue then answered, saying: "Oh! Younger brother Golden Tongue, at the hour you called me, I was not at home. I had gone away to bathe! When you called and could not find me, you felt resentful, thinking I did not wish to help you. But it was because I was not at home; I was down at the river. I did hear you calling me, truly, you see. I ran back immediately. But no matter where I searched, I could not find you at all. I waited and waited for a very long time, but still I never saw you."
Golden Tongue then said: "Older brother Silver Tongue, I called and called for you but could not see you, so I had to flee far away into the land of King Nyav!"
Then the two brothers returned to live their lives loving one another, full of joyful smiles and endless laughter together without end.
Original Source: Dab Neeg, Phau Ib (Hmong Folktales, Vol. 1, 1986), documented under the historical cultural preservation initiative Khaws Hmoob Txuj Sib Qhia Los ("Gathering Hmong Arts to Teach Each Other").
- Original Storyteller (Oral Dictation): Vaj Mas
- RPA Transcription & Editing: Yaj Vam Thaiv, Hawj Nyiaj Nkaub, and Hawj Tsav Xyooj
- Project Director & Archival Publisher: Txiv Plig Nyiaj Pov (Father Yves Bertrais) via Koom Haum Txoos Hmoob Guyane (Association of Hmong Communities in French Guiana).
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