Edit The tale of "Tam and Cam"

The tale of "Tam and Cam", a predecessor to the Cinderella story, has been under attack by some for it's "inhumane" ending.
Several Vietnamese professors and critics of literature, however, have stood up for the full description of the folk tale

No happy ending
In the original version, the step-mother was sent a jar of preserves containing her own daughter's flesh. After eating it, and realising what the contents were, the step-mother also died of a "broken heart".
However, the Educational Publishing House made efforts to change the ending of the story in textbooks, cutting out the "bad parts".
In the revised version of the story from the 10th grade textbook, the part about the step-mother eating her daughter's flesh has been cut out.
The change has gained the support of many people, including parents, who think that the story's ending should teach a moral value that does not match the original version.
Defenders
The topic is not exclusive to the world of education curriculum, however. A number of professors and critics of literature have come to the consensus that the story is a cultural relic, which should not be tampered with.
Professor Phong Le, Former Head of the Vietnam Institute of Literature, said, “Tam and Cam is among the most popular folk tales in Vietnam. If read closely, it will become obvious that the moral implications are more complicated than what is sometimes understood. The ending of the story, as heinous as it might seem, is a result of the conduct of the step-mother and step-daughter.”
According to the professor, the original plot should not be altered, but teachers must explain to the students about the history and morality that brought about the tale in the first place.
If there is any lesson to be learned from the tale, he said, it is this: "People who behave in a cruel way will suffer horrible consequences." He added that, "If the ending of the story were to be changed, it should no longer carry the title 'Tam and Cam', but should be renamed, because it is not the same story."
Pham Xuan Nguyen, a literature critic, said, “If we change the story of Tam and Cam, other stories, such as the story of Thach Sanh would also have to be revised." "
He added that, if such changes were made, there would have to be a complete overhaul of Vietnamese folk verses as well, suggesting that such changes make for a less rich literary cultural tradition.
Dr. Do Ngoc Tong, from the Vietnam Institute of Education and Sciences, said that normally, when textbooks are changed, the publishing house or compiling group need to explain the changes. This is a good thing, he said, because it gives teachers room to tell the different versions of old stories.
In this case, though, Tong said that there was no explanation from the publishing house.

The story of Tam and Cam
Tam and Cam is a Cinderella story about a young beautiful girl called Tam whose mother died early, and her father remarried. After her father died she had to live with her wicked step-mother and step-sister, named Cam. Tam suffered abuse from the family, while Cam lived luxuriously.
Tam, however, was looked over by the Goddess of Mercy, who appeared regularly to console her, as well as to instruct her on how to deal with the evil tricks of her "sister" and "mother".
Much like the Cinderella story, Tam got married to the king as a result of a lost shoe.
The ending is different however. In the original Vietnamese version, Tam got revenge by telling Cam that her beauty secret was to take a bath in boiling water. Cam fell for the trick, and died.
Afterwards, Cam's body was cut up and made into a preserve that was fed to the nasty step-mother. In the end she also died.

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