The story is about two half-sisters; the eldest is named Tấm and the youngest is named Cám (literally Tấm's mother dies early and her father remarries before dying soon after. Tấm lives with her step mother, who is Cám's mother. The stepmother is very sadistic and makes Tấm do all the housework, whereas Cám does not have to do anything.

One day, Cam's mother gave Tam and Cam to each of them a basket to send shrimp, who catch more is rewarded for a red bib.

When Tấm realizes that all the shrimp she has caught is gone, she cries in seeing all her hard work disappear and the impending punishment that will come from her stepmother. A Bụt appears and asks why she cries, and she tells him what happened. He tells her to stop crying and see what is left in the basket, which is merely a goby. Then he tells her to raise the fish in a well with her rice and teach her the words to call the fish up:

Bống bống bang bang

Lên ăn cơm vàng cơm bạc nhà ta

Chớ ăn cơm hẩm cháo hoa nhà người.

caught Goby's plate to eat.

Going home no longer fish gong, Tấm cry again. The Buddha appeared. The snake bones goby put in four jars and buried under the four legs of the bed lying.