by Kim So-Un
That is why, when country children today see a rooster atop a straw-thatched roof crowing out the time, they remember this story, told them by their grandparents, of the woodcutter crying for his wife and children.
18 The Magic Gem
ONCE upon a time there was an old fisherman. He 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. All day long he cast his line, but he did not catch a single fish, not even a minnow. He thought of returning home empty-handed, but he could not give up and once again threw his line into the water.
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 creel, 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 some- thing. The fisherman was suddenly struck with pity for the poor fish.
"Oh, you're trying to say let me go, are you not?" he said. "Yes, I understand. So I'll let you go."
So saying, the gentle old man put the fish back in the river and set it free. He then slung his empty wicker creel on his shoulder and started home. He knew that he and his wife would have nothing for supper. Yet, somehow, he felt clean and good for having freed the carp.
The next morning the fisherman was back at the river fishing. Suddenly a beautiful youth, wearing a crown on his head, stood before him, bowing politely.
The old man was taken aback and asked: "Who are you?"
The youth bowed again, deeply, 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 safely home. The king of the Dragon Palace was deeply moved when he heard how you saved his son's life, and he wishes to repay you. He invites you to visit him and sent me to bring you back. Please come with me immediately."
No sooner had the youth said this than he 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 beautiful road, the like of which he had never seen before.
The old fisherman could not tell whether he was dreaming or not. But he did as the youth bade him, rising to his feet and following the young man.
The two walked on and on, straight down the beautiful road. It seemed it would never come to an end, when suddenly there appeared before them the Dragon Palace. It was a sight to surprise anyone, for it was indeed a beautiful place. The old fisherman had often heard stories of the Dragon Palace, but never in his wildest dreams had he imagined it to be so beautiful.
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 to you," the prince said.
The old fisherman felt as if he were in a trance. The king spread a great feast before him, and a host of fish came out to entertain him. There was a bream, and then a sole, who performed special dances for the honored guest.
Day after day was spent thus in feasting and merrymaking. But, amid these pleasures, the old fisherman began worrying about his wife and home. His worries mounted with the passing of days. He thought how lonely his wife must be all by herself.
The prince noticed how restless the old man had become and said: "You need not worry any longer. You may return home any time you want. But there is one thing I would like to tell you before you leave. My father will be sure to give you a present on your departure. When he offers you something, you must say you do not want anything but the green gem mat 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."
As the old man prepared to leave, the king called him and said: "I hear you are going home, my good man, and want to give you a present. What would you like as a remembrance of your stay here?"
The old man remembered 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, true the green gem is a very precious thing, but remember this man saved my life. I am sure the gem is small reward enough when you think that I am well and sound today thanks to this old fisherman."
When he heard this, the king reluctantly brought out the green gem from his treasure box and handed it to the old fisherman. The old man thanked the two and bade them farewell. The youth with the crown on his head then led the old man back along the road through the river to the river bank. And the fisherman was soon safe at 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 for saving the life of a carp 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 there stood a splendid mansion.
The old man and old woman were very pleased, and they wished next for rice and wheat and red beans. The magic gem produced as much of these as the old couple desired.
There was now enough for the two to eat for many days. The green gem also brought them much silver and gold. It brought them, in fact, whatever they desired. The old man and woman, who had lived in poverty all their lives, were now able to enjoy the life of the rich, wanting for nothing.
Across the river there happened to live a bad 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 or other," she mumbled to herself. And she schemed and schemed as to how she could get it.
One day she hit upon a good plan. She waited until the old man was away from home and then dressed herself up to look like a cloth-peddler. Then she called on the fisherman's wife.
"My, what a beautiful home you have!" she said in her most flattering voice. "I have heard that you have a magic gem given you by the King of the Dragon Palace. I'd just love to see what it looks like. Could you not let me see it, just for a minute? I'd so like to tell my friends that I've seen the green gem from the Dragon Palace."
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. "That's a simple request. I'll gladly bring it out to show you. You may look at it as much as you like."
The good-hearted woman went into her home and brought out the green gem. She handed it over to the false cloth-peddler. The bad woman took the gem and ogled it greedily.
"It's so good of you to let me see it," she said. "It is beautiful indeed." The bad woman 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 brought out a green stone that looked exactly 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 bad woman said. "You must take good care of it." Then she handed the false gem to the fisherman's wife and quickly took her departure.
No sooner had the bad woman gone than the beautiful, tiled mansion completely disappeared, and, as the fisherman's wife watched with horror, in its stead there appeared the old straw-thatched hut in which she and her husband had first lived.
"What has happened?" cried the f
isherman's wife. "How could this be?" Then she suddenly realized that the cloth-peddler must have tricked her. She ran outside, but the cloth-peddler was nowhere in sight.
"What shall I do? What shall I do?" moaned the fisherman's wife. "How will I be able to explain all this to my husband?" She looked at the miserable shack and shed bitter, bitter tears, but there was nothing she could do to recover the magic gem.
The fisherman returned after a while and was astounded to find his fine house gone. "What happened to our home?" he asked his wife.
But the old woman was too grief-stricken to say a word. All she did was sob and weep.
The beautiful mansion, the riches, and the happiness of the old couple were now tilings of the past. They had faded away like yesterday's dream. The old man and woman sat huddled in their miserable hut, not speaking a word to each other, each wondering what they should do on the morrow.
Now, the old man and the old woman had a pet dog and a pet cat. Since they had no offspring, they loved this dog and cat as if they were their own children. Seeing the old fisherman and wife wailing over the loss of the green gem, the dog and the cat got together to discuss what they could do to help.
"Let's get back the green gem for the old man and old woman," said the dog.
"Yes, they have both been good to us all these years. Now is the time we should 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 the bad woman's 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 be hidden somewhere inside the house," 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.
"Yes, there she is! That's the bad woman," the cat said, "that's the cloth-peddler who came to our home."
Then the cat jumped lightly up onto the porch and quickly slipped into house. There were so many rooms that she could not tell where the green gem was 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 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 likely place for her to hide the green gem," the cat thought and quietly tried to open the cupboard door.
The bad woman must have heard the cat for she came running frantically into the room. "Scat, you cat!" she cried. "What are you doing here?"
What a frightful face she had! She snatched up the cat and threw her out of the house.
"Now I know where the green gem is hidden," thought the cat and went back to where the dog was waiting for her in the yard.
"How was it?" the dog asked impatiently. "Did you find out where it is hidden."
"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."
"Oh, 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." Come to think of it, neither the dog nor the cat had eaten any supper.
"I'll go look for some food," the cat said. "You just wait here a little while longer." So once again, the cat set off alone, this time to find food, leaving the dog to keep watch in the yard.
"Where can I find something good to eat?" the cat thought, as she prowled through the house.
Suddenly, she heard a commotion coming from inside the storeroom. The cat softly tiptoed to the storeroom and peeked inside. There fifty or sixty mice were gathered together having a grand feast.
The cat watched the proceedings for a while. Then she suddenly leaped into the room and 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.
The cat called out to the mice to be quiet: "Listen you mice! In the innermost room of this house there is a cupboard. Inside the cupboard there is green gem hidden away. Bring me that gem immediately. If you do not, I shall eat your king right on the spot!" The cat purposely made fierce eyes and glared at the mice.
The mice were all upset, but they quickly answered: "Please wait awhile. We shall get the green gem for you for sure. Such a task is no trouble at all. We shall bring it right back to you. Please spare our king."
Then five or six of the mice, the ones with the strongest teeth, scampered out of the storeroom. And, sure enough, before long they were back again with the green gem.
As soon as the mice handed the gem over to the cat, she let the king mouse go and, thanking the mice, returned to the yard where the dog was standing watch. The dog too was overjoyed.
"Now that we have the gem, we have nothing more to do here. Let's get home as fast as we can and make the old man and old woman happy," they said.
Then, completely forgetting their hunger in their hurry to get home, the two set off on their return trip.
The dog and the cat came once again to the river. The cat put the precious green gem in her mouth and jumped on the dog's back. The dog entered the water and began swimming across the river.
When they came to a point midway between the banks of the river, the dog suddenly began worrying about the green gem.
"Is the green gem safe?" the dog asked, continuing to swim.
The cat, of course, could not answer, no matter how much she wanted to, because she had the gem in her mouth. So she remained silent.
The dog asked again: "Are you sure the gem is safe?" Again the cat was silent.
The dog became really worried and asked the same question four or five times. But each time, the cat gave no reply. Finally, the dog lost his patience and became angry.
"Why don't you answer me?" he shouted rudely "Can't you hear me? I've asked you over and over again, and you haven't said a single word in reply."
This made the cat angry too. She could keep quiet no longer. She opened her mouth and cried: "Yes! I have it!"
But as she spoke, the green gem fell out of her mouth and dropped into the river. "Plunk!" fell the gem, deep into the water.
When the dog heard this noise, he suddenly realized what had happened. He felt terribly ashamed of his own stupidity. The cat was furious, but the dog was so ashamed of himself he couldn't find words to apologize. And as soon as he reached the other side of the river, he quietly slunk away home by himself.
On the other hand, the cat could not get over her disappointment. They had gone to all that trouble to get back the green gem, and now it lay at the bottom of the river. The cat sat down by the river, filled with regret and desolation, and pondered on what she should do next.
How long she sat there, she did not know. But, before she realized it, dawn had already broken, and a fisherman came along in his boat to haul in the nets which he had left out all night in the river.
The fisherman began taking fish from the net and throwing them into his boat. Presently he came upon a dead fish caught in his net. "This fish is no good. I'll throw it away," he said and threw the dead fish up on the river bank as far as he could.
The dead fish landed just beside the cat. The hungry cat picked it up and was starting to eat it when she noticed a hard bulge in the fish's throat. She opened the fish up to see what it was and to her amazement found that it was the green gem which had fallen into the river.
"The fish must have thought the gem was something to eat," reasoned the cat, "and must have swallowed it in one gulp. But the gem was s
o big that it stuck in the fish's throat. Then the fish must have choked to death. That's why it was dead when found in the net."
Whatever the case, the cat jumped for sheer joy. This time she was not going to lose the gem. She put it carefully in her mouth and hurried straight home. The old man and the old woman could hardly believe their eyes when they saw the green gem.
Once again, the gem gave them a fine home. It gave them rice and wheat It gave them silver and gold.
The old man and the old woman praised the cat for bringing back the green gem. Out of gratitude, they allowed the cat to come inside the house and to live there from that time forth, eating the best of foods. But the dog, for his stupidity, was forced to sleep in a corner of the yard and given nothing but left-over food and fish bones to eat.
Because the cat became such a favorite the dog was very jealous of her. From that day on the cat and the dog became enemies. And that is why, even today, cats and dogs always fight on sight.
19 The Snake and the Toad
ONCE there lived a very kind and gentle maiden in a remote country village. She was very poor and barely managed to eke out a living for herself and her aged mother, whom she had to care for all alone.
One day the girl was in the kitchen, just scooping up freshly-cooked rice and putting it into a large bowl to carry to the dinner table. Suddenly a toad appeared in the kitchen as if from nowhere. It crawled over the floor laboriously, dragging its body, right up to where the girl was standing. Then it jumped heavily up onto the kitchen hearth. On the hearth were a few grains of rice which the girl had spilled while emptying the pot. The toad ate up the rice hungrily.
"My, you must really be hungry," the kind-hearted girl said. "Here, I'll give you some more."
