Three Korean Fairy Tales

by Kim So-Un

  THREE KOREAN FAIRY TALES

  Beloved Stories and Legends

  by Kim So-un

  illustrations by Jeong Kyoung-Sim

  Published by Tuttle Publishing, an imprint of

  Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd

  www.tuttlepublishing.com

  Text © 2019 Tuttle Publishing

  Illustrations © 2019 Jeong Kyoung-Sim

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from the publisher.

  Library of Congress number: 2018967190

  ISBN: 978-1-4629-2094-5

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  Contents

  Cultural Background

  The Magic Gem

  The Tigers of the Kumgang Mountains

  The Deer and the Woodcutter

  CULTURAL BACK-GROUND

  Korean folklore exists as a rich living record of the nation’s historical past and cultural traditions. Taking on many forms—including myths, legends and fables—these tales were traditionally passed down by word of mouth over hundreds and thousands of years. Korean children told these stories by their parents and elders then passed the tales on to the next generation. Eventually written down, the traditional tales changed to reflect the times and the person telling them, but at heart retained the spirit and unique story of the Korean people.

  Korean fairy and folktales educate while they entertain. More than mere stories, they offer wisdom and insight and serve as sources of moral guidance, containing the beliefs, values, and customs that have guided Korean daily life and thinking for centuries.

  The three tales gathered in this anthology reflect Koreans’ close relationship to nature and the world around them, so it’s not surprising that animals of all types are given starring roles. Whether with fur, fins or feathers, they are guides and teachers in disguise, helping the humans find the right course or discover their own true selves. Animals are granted the gift of speech, or they’re shape-shifters, capable of magical, mind-blowing transformations.

  Korean fairy tales also explore and explain the mysteries and curiosities of the natural order. When children observed the world around them and asked, “Why do roosters crow?” or “Why do cats and dogs fight?” these stories were offered up as a way to instruct and inform, while also amusing the impressionable young listeners. In “The Deer and the Woodcutter,” a man saves a deer’s life and in exchange, the talkative buck rewards him with a solution to his loneliness. “The Magic Gem” brings together those classic household rivals, a cat and a dog, vying for their masters’ affections.

  One of the anthology’s best-known tales, “The Tigers of the Kumgang Mountains,” features a revered figure in the nation’s mythology. The tiger is an especially potent symbol in Korean culture and society, an emblem of courage and strength but of wisdom and endurance. A guardian figure known for driving away evil spirits, the tiger is also viewed as a sacred creature, capable of bringing good luck and even, in old age, able to change form at will.

  Collectively, these fairy tales capture the wonder and wisdom of Korean life, recording a people’s cherished beliefs, values and customs. Children around the world continue to hear these stories, part of a living tradition and the vibrant verbal record of the ongoing Korean experience.

  THE MAGIC GEM

  Once upon a time there was an old fisherman who lived with his wife in a small hut on the bank of a large river. One day, as usual, he went to the river to fish as he was too old to work. All day long he cast his line, but he did not catch a single fish. He thought of returning home empty-handed, but he would not give up and threw his line into the water one last time.

  This time there was a big tug and, when he pulled out his line, he found that he had caught a huge carp. The old man was overjoyed. But, as he put the carp into his basket, he noticed that the fish’s eyes were full of tears.

  On top of that, the carp was opening and shutting its mouth, as if it were trying to say something. The fisherman was suddenly struck with pity for the poor fish.

  “Oh, you’re trying to say ‘Let me go,’ aren’t you?” he said. “Yes, I understand. I’ll let you go.”

  So, the gentle old man set the fish free in the river. He then slung his empty wicker basket on his shoulder and set off for home. He knew that he and his wife would have nothing to eat for supper, and would be hungry again, yet he felt at peace.

  The next morning the old man returned to the river to fish. Suddenly a beautiful young girl stood before him and bowed politely. The old man was taken aback and asked: “Who are you?”

  The young girl bowed again, and replied: “I am a messenger from the Palace of the Dragon King. The carp you saved yesterday is really the prince of the Dragon Palace. Thanks to your mercy, he returned home safely. The King of the Dragon Palace was deeply moved when he heard how you spared his son’s life, and he wishes to repay you. He invites you to visit him and sent me to take you back to the palace. Please come with me.”

  The lovely young girl mumbled some strange words as though chanting a magic spell. Suddenly the waters of the river parted in two, and before the fisherman’s eyes there appeared a bright yellow path leading down underneath the water, the likes of which he had never seen before.

  The old fisherman could not tell whether he was dreaming or not. But he rose to his feet and followed the young girl down into the river. To his astonishment, he could breathe underwater!

  The two walked on and o
n. Just when it seemed as if the path had no end, the Dragon Palace suddenly appeared before them. The sight would have surprised anyone, for it was very grand and beautiful. The old fisherman had often heard stories of the Dragon Palace underneath the waters, but never in his wildest dreams had he imagined he would see it!

  The Dragon King was waiting outside the palace and greeted the old fisherman with open arms. The prince also came out to welcome the old man, and to thank him. “I am the carp you caught yesterday. I have you to thank for saving my life, yet I do not know how to express my gratitude,” the prince said.

  The old fisherman felt as if he were in a dream.

  They went inside the palace where the king had spread a great feast, and a host of fish began to dance. First a bream, and then a sole, performed special dances for the honored guest.

  Many days were spent feasting and merrymaking. But, amidst these pleasures, the old fisherman began to worry about his wife and home. His worries mounted with the passing of each day. He thought how lonely his wife must be all by herself.

  The prince noticed how troubled the old man had become and said: “You need not worry any longer. You may return home any time you wish. But there is one thing I would like to tell you before you leave. My father will offer you a gift upon your departure. When he offers you something, you must say you do not want anything but the green gem that is kept in the palace treasure box. As long as you have this magic gem you can wish for anything you desire, and your wish will be granted. Don’t forget. Be sure to ask for the green gem.”

  The old fisherman decided he was ready to return to his wife. As he prepared to leave, the king called to him and said: “I hear you are going home, my good man, and I want to give you a present. What would you like as a remembrance of your stay here?”

  The old man recalled what the prince had told him and answered: “The only thing I want is the green gem in your treasure box.”

  A troubled look came over the king’s face. “I cannot give you that,” he said, “but I will give you anything else.”

  The prince then spoke up: “Father, it’s true that the green gem is very precious, but remember this man saved my life. I am standing here now—safe and sound—thanks to this old fisherman. The gem is but a small token of his kindness.”

  “What you have said is true,” agreed the king, so he brought out the green gem from his treasure box and handed it to the fisherman. “Take good care of this magic green gem, kind man, and it will take care of you,” said the king. The old man thanked the king and prince for their generosity and said goodbye.

  The young girl who brought the fisherman to the Dragon Palace led the old man back along the path through the river up to the riverbank, and the fisherman was soon safe in his own home. During the fisherman’s absence, his wife had worried constantly. She could not imagine what had happened to him. So she was overjoyed when he returned safely.

  The old man told his wife how he had been taken to the Dragon Palace in return for saving the life of a carp, who was really the prince of the palace, and how he had been given a green gem as a farewell present. He brought out the gem and explained that through its power, their every wish would be fulfilled.

  The old woman said: “If that’s true, let’s test it. I wish we had a large and beautiful home.” No sooner had she said this than their old straw-thatched hut disappeared, and in its place stood a splendid mansion. The old man and old woman were very pleased.

  Next, they wished for rice and wheat and red beans. The magic gem produced as much of these as the old couple desired.

  There was now enough food for the two of them to eat for many days.

  The green gem brought them whatever they desired—even silver and gold. The old man and woman, who had lived in poverty all of their lives, were now able to enjoy a life of riches.

  Across the river lived a mean old woman. When this woman heard of the good fortune that had come to the old fisherman and his wife, she was filled with envy. “I must get that green gem somehow,” she mumbled to herself. And she schemed and schemed for a way to get it.

  One day, a plan came to her. She waited until the old man was away from home and then dressed herself up like a cloth peddler. Then she called on the fisherman’s wife.

  “My, what a beautiful home you have!” she said in her most sweet and flattering voice. “I have heard that you were given a magic gem by the King of the Dragon Palace. Please! I’d just love to see what it looks like. Can I see it, just for a minute? I’d like to tell my friends that I’ve seen the magic gem.”

  The honest fisherman’s wife was completely taken in by the polite manner and flattering tone of the cloth peddler.

  “Why, of course,” she said. “I’ll gladly bring it out to show you.”

  The good-hearted woman went into her home and brought out the green gem. The false cloth peddler got all excited and ogled the gem. When the kind fisherman’s wife saw how anxious the cloth peddler was, she said, “You can hold it if you like,” and handed it to the cloth peddler.

  “It’s so good of you to let me see it,” she said. “It is lovely indeed.” She turned the gem this way and that and gazed at it from all sides.

  Then, while the fisherman’s wife was not looking, she slipped the gem into her pocket and took out a green stone that looked like the green gem. But it was only an ordinary stone, without any of the magic powers of the green gem.

  “Thank you very much for showing me your treasure,” the scheming woman said. “You must take good care of it.” Then she handed the false gem to the fisherman’s wife and quickly departed.

  No sooner had the bad woman gone than the beautiful tiled mansion disappeared and, as the fisherman’s wife watched with horror, in place of it there appeared the old straw-thatched hut in which she and her husband had first lived.

  “What has happened?” cried the fisherman’s wife. “How could this be?”

  She suddenly realized that the cloth peddler was nowhere to be found.

  “What shall I do?” moaned the fisherman’s wife. “How will I explain all this to my husband?” She looked at the miserable shack and cried pitifully, but there was nothing she could do to recover the magic gem.

  The fisherman soon returned and was astounded to find that his fine house was gone. “What happened to our home?” he asked his wife.

  But the old woman was too grief-stricken to say a word. All she could do was wail and weep. The beautiful mansion, the riches, and the happiness of the old couple were now things of the past. They had faded away like a dream. The old man and woman sat huddled in their miserable hut, not speaking a word to each other, wondering what they should do.

  Now, the old man and the old woman had no children, but they did have a pet dog and cat whom they loved dearly. Seeing the old fisherman and his wife wailing over the loss of the green gem and in such a sorry state, the dog said, “Let’s get the green gem back for the kind old man and old woman.”

  “Yes, they have both been good to us all these years. Now is the time for us to try and repay them,” the cat chimed in.

  The dog and the cat knew that the cloth peddler was really the bad woman from across the river in disguise, so they immediately set out for her house. When they came to the river, the cat got on the dog’s back, and the dog jumped into the river and swam to the other shore. They climbed up the bank and saw a large and beautiful house that they had never seen before.

  “That must be the house of the bad woman who stole the green gem. The gem must be hidden somewhere inside,” the dog said.

  The dog and the cat crept up to the house and slipped into the yard to take a good look around. Not knowing she was being spied on, the bad old woman happened to look out from one of the rooms.

  “There she is! That’s the cloth peddler who came to our home,” cried the cat.

  Then the cat gently jumped up onto the porch and quickly slipped into the house. There were so many rooms that the cat could not tell where the green gem w
as hidden. But the clever cat kept peeking into one room after another.

  “The green gem is a great treasure. The bad woman wouldn’t leave it in just any place. It must be hidden in the innermost room,” the cat thought.

  So she made her way to the room at the very back of the house. There she spied a cupboard.

  “Aha! That would be the most obvious place for her to hide the green gem,” the cat thought and quietly opened the cupboard door, just catching a glimpse of the gem. The bad woman must have heard the cat for she came running into the room. “Scat, you cat!” she cried in a huff. “What are you doing here?”

  What a frightful face she had! She snatched up the cat and threw her out of the house. Now that the cat knew for sure where the gem was hidden, she went back to where the dog was waiting for her in the yard.

  “Did you find it?” the dog asked impatiently.

  “Yes, I did,” answered the cat, “but the problem now is how to get it back. It’s kept in the cupboard in the innermost room.”

  “Don’t worry,” the dog replied, “as long as we know where it is, we shall find some way to get it back. But say, aren’t you hungry? I’m famished.” Neither the dog nor the cat had eaten any supper.

  “Let’s go and look for some food then,” said the cat. So the cat and the dog set off together to find food.

  “Where can we find something good to eat?” the cat thought as they prowled through the house. Suddenly, they heard a commotion inside the storeroom. They tiptoed softly to the door and peeked inside. The cat and dog were shocked to find fifty or sixty mice having a grand feast.

  They watched the proceedings for a while. Suddenly they both leaped into the room and the cat pounced on the king of the mice, who was seated in the place of honor. The cat grabbed the mouse by its neck with her paws and pinned it to the floor. The other mice scampered about the room, screeching and squeaking in great confusion.