Tin su+' nha` Thanh khe't tie^'ng ho^'ng ha'ch sa('p sang nu+o+'c ta. Trie^`u tha^`n giao cho Quy`nh giu+~ vie^.c tie^'p su+'. Tran.g du+.ng mo^.t qua'n nho? be^n bo+` so^ng Ca'i, xin vua trie^.u ba` DDie^?m ra ddo' ngo^`i ba'n ha`ng. Co`n mi`nh tu+. qua?n mo^.t chie^'c ddo`, nha^.n ddo'n cho+? su+' bo^. qua so^ng.

             Ma^'y te^n trong su+' bo^. Ta`u vu+`a dde^'n nu+o+'c ta, qua ngo^i qua'n ba` DDie^?m, nha'c tro^ng tha^'y co^ ha`ng nu+o+'c xinh tu+o+i o'ng a?, lie^`n tha? lo+`i bo+~n co+.t. Mo^.t te^n li'u lo ddo.c ba^ng quo+ :

             "Nam bang nha^'t tho^'n tho^? ba^'t tri ky~ nha^n canh"

             (Nghi~a la` : mo^.t ta^'c dda^'t nu+o+'c Nam kho^ng bie^'t bao nhie^u ngu+o+`i ca`y. Y' no'i mi?a mai dda`n ba` nu+o+'c na`y la(?ng lo+).

             Ba` DDie^?m ddang nhai tra^`u, nho^? toe.t mo^.t ba~i nu+o+'c co^'t xuo^'ng dda^'t, no'i tro^'ng kho^ng :

             "Ba('c quo^'c chu+ dda.i phu, giai do thu+? ddo^` xua^'t"

             (Nghi~a la` : bo.n quan to, o^ng lo+'n o+? nu+o+'c phu+o+ng Ba('c dde^`u tu+` cho^~ a^'y ma` chui ra ca?).

             Ca^u ddo^'i lo.t va`o tai bo.n su+' bo^., chu'ng ddang huye^n thuye^n bo^~ng nhu+ bi. ru.t lu+o+~i. De` dda^u chi. ba'n ha`ng nu+o+'c ma` ta`i ho.c dda~ sie^u vie^.t dde^'n the^' !

             Tie^'p dde^'n lu'c xuo^'ng ddo`, Quy`nh ma(.c gia? la`m chu' la'i, ca^`m sa`o ddo+.i sa(~n ... DDo` ra giu+~a do`ng so^ng, mo^.t te^n trong ddoa`n su+' bo^. ho^?ng ruo^.t, xo^?ng ra mo^.t tie^'ng "bu?m". Ha('n kho^ng bie^'t su+o+.ng ma(.c, co`n ddo.c mo^.t ca^u chu+~a the.n le^'u la'o :

             Lo^i ddo^.ng Nam bang (Sa^'m ddo^.ng nu+o+'c Nam)

             Tra.ng Quy`nh ddang ca^`m che`o, lie^`n ddu+'ng tha(?ng, va.ch qua^`n dda'i vo^?ng ca^`u ca^u qua dda^`u su+', u+'ng kha^?u :

             Vu~ qua Ba('c Ha?i (Mu+a qua be^? Ba('c)

             Su+' cha.y la.i ddi.nh dda'nh. Quy`nh tro+? bay che`o thu? the^' ro^`i ma('ng la.i :

"Tie^`n pha't lo^i ; ha^.u pha't vu~,
    thie^n ddi.a chi ly' na~i hi? !"

(Sa^'m ddo^.ng tru+o+'c, mu+a theo sau,
    le~ tro+`i dda^'t la` nhu+ va^.y ddo' !)

             Tu+` ddo', ca? bo.n Ngo^ ngo.ng nhi`n nhau run la^?y ba^?y. Tre^u va`o co^ ha`ng nu+o+'c, anh la'i ddo`, "thie^n trie^`u" dda~ lu'ng tu'ng dde^'n kho^ng bie^'t ddo^'i pho' nhu+ the^' na`o.

Nguye^~n DDu+'c Hie^`n