The Toad Is Heaven's Uncle

Vietnamese children still hum a line from an old folk song: "The toad is Heaven's uncle." It sounds wonderfully odd. A toad is tiny and bumpy-skinned, and it squats by the edge of a pond all year round. Heaven, called Ông Trời in Vietnamese, lives far up above and holds the sun, the wind and the rain in his hands. Yet this toad, no bigger than a fist, is called Heaven's uncle. The old tellers say it all began in a year of terrible drought.

That year, for three whole seasons, every cloud that drifted in broke apart and drifted away again, without letting fall a single drop of rain. Ponds and pools shrank. Their muddy floors split into pieces like a toasted rice cracker. The grass turned yellow and the leaves curled up in the sun. Every animal was thirsty and worn out, gazing at the sky morning and evening, hoping to see a dark cloud. But the sky stayed pale blue and the sun kept blazing. High above the nine layers of sky, Heaven was busy amusing himself and had quite forgotten to send rain down to the world below.

Beside a puddle that was barely a film of water, a little toad with purplish red skin sat blinking and thinking. After long thought, he made a very bold decision. "Sitting here waiting won't bring the rain back by itself. I must go all the way up to Heaven's gate, tell Heaven what is happening, and ask him to make rain to save every living thing." No sooner said than done. Toad stretched himself, gave one big hop, and set off toward the high sky.

He had barely crossed a strip of scorched grass when he saw Crab huddled in a cracked hollow of mud. "Where is Toad off to in such a rush?" Crab called after him. "I'm going up to ask Heaven for rain. Care to come along and keep me company?" Crab waved his two claws. "Right away! When it comes to pinching, nobody in these parts can beat me." So the two went side by side, singing as they walked: "Toad goes first, Crab comes behind, off we go to Heaven's gate to ask for rain!"

Around a bend, Bee came flying low, her wings ragged from thirst. When she heard about the trip to ask for rain, she cried out in delight. "Count me in! If anyone tries any tricks, I'll give them a sting they won't forget." The group grew, and so did the song: "Toad goes first, Crab and Bee come behind, off we go to Heaven's gate to ask for rain!"

At the foot of a bare tree, Bear sat holding his empty belly. He saw that the tiny toad had great resolve, so he stood up and thumped his chest. "The road is long, so leave the guarding to me. Anyone who bullies these little ones will have to answer to these two paws first." Now the group had a giant, and the song rang out louder still: "Toad goes first, Crab, Bee and Bear come behind, off we go to Heaven's gate to ask for rain!"

A little farther on, Tiger lay stretched out, his striped coat covered in road dust. He gave a huge yawn and drawled, "A tiny toad dares to go and ask for rain for the whole world. That's interesting. Let me come too." So off they all went, and the song rumbled along the road: "Toad goes first, Crab, Bee, Bear and Tiger come behind, off we go to Heaven's gate to ask for rain!"

Last of all, tucked beside a bush, was Fox, with bright red fur and a bushy tail held high. Fox tilted his head, his eyes full of mischief. "Well, well, all the way up to Heaven's gate. A job this tough can't be done without me. In a contest of strength I'd lose, but when it comes to plans and tricks, leave them to me." Now there were six friends in all, and the song was at its fullest: "Toad goes first, Crab, Bee, Bear, Tiger and Fox come behind, off we go to Heaven's gate to ask for rain!"

The six friends walked on and on, over bare hills and up long slopes. None of them was as big as the gods in Heaven's house, yet not one of them would turn back. The tiny toad still hopped along in front, until the whole group stopped before the gate of Heaven. Right at the entrance stood an enormous drum, and a stoneware jar full of clear water.

Looking up at the towering gate, Toad was in no hurry at all. He leaned close to each friend and whispered where to stand. Crab sank to the very bottom of the jar and lay still in the cool water, waiting for the signal. Bee folded her wings and tucked herself behind the gate. Bear chose one gatepost and Tiger crouched by the other, both melting into the shadows. As for Fox, Toad told him to stand calmly beside the water jar, looking as gentle as could be, and to use his clever head when the moment came.

When everything was in place, Toad climbed onto the drum. He gathered every bit of strength in his tiny body and pounded. Boom! Boom! Boom! Three beats rang out through the nine layers of cloud. In his high hall, Heaven had been dozing. He woke with a start, wondering who dared to knock so loudly at his door. He waved his hand and sent a heavenly Chicken down to find out. The Chicken had just spread its wings and stepped onto the threshold when Tiger crouched, sprang forward, opened his mouth and let out a mighty roar. The Chicken froze, its feathers standing on end, then spun around and fled without even a squawk.

Heaven waited and waited, but no one came back to report. So he sent a big, strong heavenly Dog. The Dog had only just bared its fangs and growled when Bear loomed up, spreading his arms as wide as two leafy treetops and blocking the way. The Dog stopped short, tucked its tail and slunk away, running even faster than it had rushed out.

Annoyed, Heaven called for Thiên Lôi, the god who carries the thunder axe. He came striding down with a dark scowl on his face. But Fox had seen this move coming. The god was dripping with sweat from the long road and the harsh sun. Fox clasped his paws, bowed low and spoke as sweetly as honey. "Sir, in weather this dry, the thirst must be terrible. How lucky, there is a jar of cool water right here. Please, take a sip and get some strength back."

Thiên Lôi was overjoyed. He tossed his thunder axe aside and bent low over the rim of the jar. The moment his hand touched the water, Crab reached up from the bottom and clamped hard onto his finger. The god howled, yanked his hand back, and hopped up and down as if he had stepped on hot coals.

At that very moment, Bee zoomed out from behind the gate and gave a light sting to the rim of his reddened ear. The god clutched his head and stumbled over his own feet. He ran off shouting for help and slipped back inside, with none of his grand dignity left.

Only then did Heaven come out himself. He spoke in a calm, gentle voice now, and invited Toad up into his hall to explain the matter properly. Toad was not shy at all. He stood up straight and spoke clearly. "Sir, down on earth not a single drop of rain has fallen for three whole seasons. The ponds are dry, the fields are cracked, the plants have all withered, and every animal is thirsty. We have come all this long, hard way to beg you, out of kindness, to send the rain down."

Hearing these words, Heaven stood very still. All this time he had been amusing himself above the nine layers of cloud, never knowing how dry the world below had become. He looked at the toad, no bigger than a fist, who had dared to cross mountain passes and wade through streams all the way to Heaven's gate for the sake of every creature. He felt both tenderness and admiration. He nodded and ordered the rain gods to carry water and pour it down to earth at once.

The clear sky suddenly darkened. Black clouds came rolling in, a flash of lightning split the sky, and then the rain came pouring down, carrying the rich smell of fresh earth. Down below, the ponds and lakes filled up, the fields drank their fill, and the leaves turned bright green again. Every creature lifted its face to the rain and cheered until the whole village rang.

Before sending the group home, Heaven beckoned Toad over and spoke to him kindly. "Uncle Toad, you are small in body but great in courage, and I am very fond of you. From now on, whenever the earth is short of rain, there is no need for you to climb all the way up here again. You need only grind your teeth together until they click a few times. I will hear it up here and send the rain down right away."

So Toad and his five friends set off home in high spirits, with cool rain falling on their heads the whole way.

Ever since then, whenever rain is on its way, the clicking sound of toads grinding their teeth rings out along the pond banks and in the tufts of grass. That is Toad sending his message up to the sky, saying that down here everyone is longing for rain. Heaven loved the little toad for being so small and yet so brave, and he called Toad uncle. That is why children of later generations still sing an old line that is always on their lips. It goes: "The toad is Heaven's uncle. Whoever beats the toad, Heaven will beat them in return."