The Crystal Heart

"The Crystal Heart" retold by Aaron Shepard, illustrated by Joseph Daniel Fiedler. ISBN 0-689-81551-4.

A Vietnamese legend, a love story really, one written for children but which can be shared by all. Mi Nuong, the sheltered daughter of a mandarin hears a love song sung by a fisherman, Truong Chi.

First we need to realize what a mandarin is, not the orange that you can buy in the produce section, or in a can, but a person in China. An imperial magistrate, a noun, (in the Chinese Empire) a member of any of the nine ranks of public officials, each distinguished by a particular kind of button worn on the cap.

Definitions of the word mandarin at dictionary.com can be found here- http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mandarin

Merriam Websters definition is a bit different but for those interested in a second opinion-
http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/mandarin

Mi Nuong knew privilege as the daughter of a magistrate and we all know that with great privilege comes great responsibility. She hears a song, carried on the wind... and sometimes love comes to us like that, unseen and only heard by the ear. If we're lucky we hear the call of love... and answer. Mi Nuong heard the call of love and when she sees the object of her desires (Truong Chi, the fisherman) she can not see him for who he really is. She does not listen to her heart, nor does she follow her heart.

With his true love unrequited Truong Chi's heart grows cold and he dies. His heart turns to crystal from being unloved and the villagers place his heart in a boat and let it float out to sea. As beautiful as Truong Chi's songs were so too is his heart and instead of floating out to sea his heart floats down to the mandarins palace... and so returns Truong Chi's heart to Mi Nuong one last time. It is made into a cup from which Mi Nuong drinks her tea and as she hear Truong Chi's song one last time her tear falls into the crystal heart cup and releases Truong Chi's spirit forevermore.

Tears will do that, they will heal the spirit and release the heart from it's prison. Whether your heart has grown cold like the crystal heart or it yet beats within you with unrequited love, cry, release your heart, and let it love again. Hear the song, follow your heart...