Once upon a time in Laos there lived two people who were verymuch in love. Their names were Tongni and Saemi. The young sixteen-year-oldcouple wanted desperately to get married. The only thing standingin the way of the couple's happiness was Tongni's parents strongdisapproval of Saemi. Tongni's parents refused to let their belovedson marry her because she was from a Hmong clan different fromtheir own.
Tongni's love for Saemi was so great that he died of a brokenheart. He could not accept the fact that he would never be ableto marry his true love, unless his parents changed their mindsabout her. Saemi sang mounful songs expressing her feelings abouthow she had no place to go and how she didn't know what to donow that she must live without her only true love. After Tongniwas buried, Saemi went to see him. She couldn't see him whilehe was being buried because in the Hmong custom, it is wrong forthe women to see the burial. For seven days Saemi took rice,chicken, and pies to Tongni's house. At his house, Saemi criedand called frantically for him to wake up. She did this six timesand still he did not wake up. But the seventh time she calledhim, Tongni rose from the dead and Saemi was overwhelmed withjoy.
The couple went to Tongni's house and begged his parents approvalof their marriage. They reminded his parents that Saemi had provedfaithful to Tongni by waking him up. His parents were pleasedthat their son was finally getting married. At Tongni and Saemi'sjoyful wedding, they received beautiful new clothes and had alot of fun. The wedding was very festive withóa many joyfulpeople. Tongni and Saemi rejoyced their life together and livedhappily ever after.