him into a river and Tiên's future in-laws, afraid they will be stuck with a worthless blind man for a son-in-law, leave him to die in a cave. But, as the narrator frequently reminds his readers, the agents of mercy look after the virtuous. A friendly river dragon saves Tiên from drowning, and a fairy leads him out of the cave. Finally, through the help of a woodcutter, he ends up in a pagoda, where the narrator allows him to rest while recounting the misfortunes of the heroine Nga. Nga, still pining for Tiên ever since he gallantly rescued her, learns from his father (mistakenly as it turns out) that he has died from sickness. She vows to remain chaste and loyal forever in his memory. Keeping her vow is not easy because she has other suitors, one of whom, when spurned, seeks revenge by influencing the King of Sở to have her offered as a tribute wife to the King of Phiên, a country that has been harassing the country of Sở. Nga then must choose between two virtues: faithfulness to Tiên, whom she regards as her husband even though they were never formally betrothed, and loyalty to her King, who has ordered her to become the wife of a foreign king. Unable to resolve this dilemma, she attempts suicide by jumping off the boat taking her to the land of Phiên. She is saved by the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy (Guanyin, Phật Bà Quan Âm), who removes her from the water and places her in a garden of flowers. The aging caretaker of the garden befriends her, but when his son (Bùi Kiệm) makes advances, she flees, finally finding refuge in the home of a kind old woman. The narrator then returns to the adventures of Tiên, who begins to enjoy better fortune. After being blind for six years, he is cured by a fairy who visits him in a dream, bringing him a bowl of magic medicine. His sight restored, he begins his rise to fame and happiness. He reviews his lessons and takes the examinations, passing with the highest rank. At the King's request he leads a successful expedition against the Ô Qua, a neighboring people who have been harassing the land of Sở. After this battle he stumbles upon the old lady's home where Nga has taken refuge. There is a joyful reunion. Later they