Once upon a time, during the reign of the sixth Hùng King, there was an elderly couple in the village of Gióng. They were known for their hard work and kindness. Despite their old age, they were childless and yearned for a child to bring comfort in their later years. One day, the wife went to the field and saw a giant footprint. Out of curiosity, she placed her foot in the footprint to compare. Unexpectedly, when she returned home, she became pregnant. Twelve months later, she gave birth to a handsome, bright-eyed baby boy. The couple was overjoyed, but strangely, by the time the boy was three, he still couldn’t walk, talk, or smile, and lay wherever he was placed.
At that time, the Ân invaders came to conquer the land, and their forces were incredibly strong. The king was deeply troubled and frightened, so he sent out envoys across the country to find talented individuals who could help save the nation. When the call of the royal proclamation echoed, the boy suddenly spoke for the first time. He told his mother to invite the royal envoy to their home, and when the envoy arrived, the boy requested that he report to the king, asking for an iron horse, an iron whip, and an iron suit of armor. The envoy was astonished and quickly rushed back to inform the king. The king immediately ordered the blacksmiths to work day and night to craft the items the boy had requested.
From the moment the envoy visited, the boy began to grow at an incredible rate. No matter how much food he ate, he was never full, and the clothes he wore would tear at the seams as soon as they were put on. The couple could no longer afford to feed him, so they had to seek help from their neighbors. Everyone was eager to assist, contributing rice to feed the boy, as they all hoped he would defeat the invaders and save the country.