Extrait du livre The grain of rice
The grain of rice Pascale Vignali Illustrated by Justine Cunha Le Regard Sonore Editions
This very old story has long been told in Viet Nam. Today's children may still hear it from their grand parents. They say it happened when the earth was still young ... The mountains were just born, as well as the islands and the oceans. The Jade Emperor, an all-powerful god who lived in the sky, found that the Earth was magnificent. He decided to fill it with men and animals to make it even more beautiful... And because he was a benevolent god, he created rice, in order to feed Man.
At that time, rice grains were round and golden like little suns and much bigger than they are today. They were very tasty... and so nutritious that a single grain was sufficient for a whole meal. Thus the Jade Emperor was certain that men would never go hungry...
These wonderful rice grains did not require any work from the farmers. They grew by themselves in the rice fields. The young shoots emerged proudly from the water, sprang vigorously towards the sky and gently swayed in the sun until the rice grains were fully ripened. The plump grains then simply dropped off their stems and rolled to the doors of houses where the farmers were quietly waiting.
In exchange for this wonderful gift, the Jade Emperor had demanded only one thing : THE JADE EMPEROR : In order for the rice to find its way to your houses, lay a rope from the rice paddies to your home. Thus the grains will not get lost. And most of all, be sure to clean everything in their path, from the fields to your door... each one of these grains is a sacred gift ! They should not be sullied by the slightest flick of dust !!!
The people of the earth promised that they would do so. From his heavenly palace, the Jade Emperor watched them keep their promise, year after year... Before each harvest, in all the villages, men, and women and children were as busy as ants, carefully cleaning every corner of their homes.
Then the rice grains arrived gaily in single file, traveling from field to field. They would line up in front of every house in every village, find their way into the lofts, and spring lightly into the storage jars.
