“Mountain Uncle” was the name the villagers gave to a magnificent striped tiger that lived in the highlands of Kang Wen, a long province that overlooks the Sea of Japan from its cliffs. Hunters rarely spotted him, and among his fellow tigers, Mountain Uncle boasted that, although he was often shot at, he had never been hurt; as for traps—he was well aware of them and found amusement in the tricks humans used to try to catch him and take his prized skin. In the summer, he roamed the high hills and feasted on fat deer. In winter, when heavy snow, biting winds, and extreme cold kept people indoors, old Mountain Uncle would venture into the villages. There, he would sneak around the stables, cattle pens, or pigpens, hoping to claw and drag out a young donkey, a fat calf, or a suckling pig. He succeeded all too often, making him a terror throughout the countryside for miles around.

One autumn day, Mountain Uncle was wandering through the lower hills. Even though he was far from any [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]village, he stayed alert for traps and hunters, but there didn’t appear to be anyone around. He was really hungry and hoped to find some game.

But as he rounded a large rock, Mountain Uncle suddenly saw what he thought were big tiger feet up ahead, just like his own.

He stopped, lashed his tail aggressively as a challenge, growled to show he was ready to fight, and prepared to leap. He was surprised to see the other tiger doing all the same things. Mountain Uncle was certain there was going to be a fierce battle, but this was exactly what he wanted, as he expected to come out on top.

But after a huge leap into the air, he landed in a pit, all in a heap, bruised and disappointed. There was no tiger in sight, but instead, a heavy lid of logs had crashed down over his head, and he lay in darkness. Old Mountain Uncle was finally trapped. The hunter had covered the pit with sticks and leaves, and on the upright timbers, surrounded by vines and brush, he had hung a mirror. Mountain Uncle had frequently seen his own face and body in the water when he bent down to drink, but this time, not seeing any water, he was tricked into thinking a real tiger wanted to fight him.

Eventually, a Buddhist monk came by, who believed in being kind to all living things. Hearing an animal in distress, he opened the trap [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] and, lifting the lid, saw old Mountain Uncle at the bottom licking his injured paw.

“Oh, please, Mr. Man, let me out. I’m really hurt,” said the tiger.

Thereupon the priest lifted one of the logs and slid it down until it rested at the bottom of the pit. Then the tiger climbed up and out. Old Mountain Uncle expressed his thanks enthusiastically, saying to the bald head:

“I truly appreciate your help, sir, in getting me out of my jam. However, since I'm really hungry, I have to eat you now.”

The priest, quite surprised and upset, protested against such terrible ingratitude. To put it mildly, it was really poor manners and completely against the rules of the mountains, so he asked a large tree to settle the dispute between them.

The spirit in the tree spoke through the rustling leaves and said that the man should be set free and that the tiger was both ungrateful and rude.

Old Mountain Uncle wasn't satisfied yet, especially since the priest was unusually plump and would make a fantastic dinner. However, he let the man plead one more time, and this time to a large rock.

“The man is definitely right, wise Mountain Uncle, and you are completely wrong,” said the spirit in the rock. “Your master, the Mountain [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]Spirit, who rides on the green bull and the piebald horse to punish his enemies, will definitely punish you if you devour this priest. You won’t be a suitable messenger for the Mountain Lord if you are so ungrateful as to eat the man who saved you from starvation or death in the trap. It's incredibly bad manners to even think about doing that.”

The tiger felt embarrassed, but his eyes still burned with hunger; so, to ensure his own safety, the priest suggested making the toad a judge. The tiger agreed.

But the toad, with his gold-rimmed eyes, looked very wise, and instead of answering quickly, like the tree and rock did, took a long time to think about it. The priest’s heart sank while the tiger moved his jaws as if waiting for his meal. He felt sure that Old Speckled Back would decide in his favor.

“I need to go check out the trap before I can decide,” said the toad, looking as serious as a judge. So all three jumped, hopped, or walked to the trap. The tiger got there first since he moved quickly, which was exactly what the toad, a friend of the priest, wanted. Meanwhile, Old Speckled Back was busy searching for a crack in the nearby rocks.

So while the toad and the tiger were figuring things out, the priest took off and hid inside the monastery gates. When Old Speckled Back finally chose the man over Mountain Uncle [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__], he had barely finished his decision before he hopped into a crack in the rock. Once he crawled deep inside, he taunted the tiger, calling him a rude monster and an ungrateful creature, daring him to try his best.

Old Mountain Uncle was so furious and hungry that his cleverness felt like foolishness. He scratched at the rock trying to get to the toad, but Speckled Back, safe inside, just laughed. Unable to hurt it, the tiger became outraged. The angrier he got, the more he lost his smarts. When he poked his nose into the crack, he rubbed it against the rough rock so hard that he quickly bled to death.

When the hunter passed by, he was amazed by what he saw, but he was thrilled to become wealthy by selling the tiger’s fur, bones, and claws; in Korea, nothing is more profitable than a tiger. As for the toad, he shared the tale of how he outsmarted the old Mountain Uncle with several generations of his descendants. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

Tokgabi is the most playful sprite in all of Korean fairyland. He doesn't enjoy sunshine or being outside, and no one has ever seen him on the streets.

He lives in the dirty ducts that run under the floors throughout the entire house, from the kitchen at one end to the chimney hole in the ground at the other. He enjoys the smoke and grime and isn't bothered by fire or flame, since he prefers being in warm places. He has no lungs, and his skin and eyes are both fire-resistant. He is as black as night and dislikes anything white. He’s always scared of anything silver, even if it’s just a hairpin.

Tokgabi loves to play at night in the small loft above the fireplace. Running along the rafters and knocking down dust and cobwebs brings him so much joy. His favorite game is making the iron rice pot lid bounce up and down, so it falls into the rice kettle and is hard to get out again. Oh, how many times the cook burns, scalds, or steams her fingers trying to fish out that [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]pot lid after Tokgabi has knocked it in! How she curses that mischievous little troublemaker!

But Tokgabi isn't always up to no good, and most of his antics don't hurt anyone. He's such a cheerful guy that he stays busy no matter if people are crying or laughing. He doesn't intend to cause any problems, but he needs to have fun every minute, especially at night.

When the fire is out, he really does chase the mice back and forth in the flues under the floor and up in the attic over the rafters! When the little mice lie dead on their backs with their toes pointing up, the neighborhood kids take them outside and toss them in the air. Before the mice hit the ground, the hawks swoop down and eat them. A lot of birds of prey get their breakfast like this.

Although Tokgabi plays so many pranks, he is nice to the kitchen maids. When, after a long day’s work, one is so tired that she falls asleep, he helps her with her tough tasks.

Tokgabi washes their dishes and cleans their tables for good servants, so when they wake up, the girls find their work done for them. There are many stories about this cheerful spirit’s actions—how he rewards nice people with good things and annoys bad ones out of spite. It’s said that the king of all the Tokgabis has a museum full of oddities and a storehouse filled with gold, gems, fine clothes, and everything [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]delicious for well-behaved boys and girls and for elderly people who are kind to birds and vulnerable animals. For nasty folks, he has all kinds of ugly and annoying things. He punishes stingy people by making them poor and miserable.

The Tokgabi king has a collection of animals. He sends them to run his errands, rewarding the good and punishing the troublemakers. Every year, the little almanac with red and green covers indicates which part of the sky the Tokgabi king resides in for that year, so farmers and country people can avoid him and not anger him. In his collection, the friendly creatures that assist humans are the dragon, bear, tortoise, frog, dog, and rabbit. These are all allies of mankind. The cruel and deceitful creatures in the Tokgabi's collection are the tiger, wild boar, leopard, serpent, toad, and cat. These serve as the Tokgabi king's messengers to carry out his orders when he punishes the troublemakers.

The everyday Tokgabi pulls fewer tricks on the men and boys and has more fun annoying the girls and women. I guess this is because they spend more time in the house than their fathers or brothers. In the Land of Rat-tat-tat, where the sound of washing clothes never stops, Tokgabi loves to grab the women’s laundry sticks used for pounding and polishing the starched clothes. He hides them so no one can find them. Then [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] Daddy makes a big deal because his long white coat is missing its usual shine, but it’s all Tokgabi’s fault.

Tokgabi doesn’t like starch because it’s white. He loves to dance on Daddy’s big black hat case that’s hanging on the wall. Sometimes he wiggles the fetish, or household idol, that’s hanging from the rafters. But most of all, he enjoys dancing a jig among the dishes in the closet above the fireplace, making them rattle and often fall down with a crash.

Tokgabi likes to mess with guys sometimes, too. If Dad gets his topknot stuck in a rat hole, or his head slips off his wooden pillow at night and he bumps his nose, it’s all Tokgabi’s fault. Whenever something happens to a boy’s long braid that hangs down his back and makes him look more like a girl, Tokgabi gets the blame. It’s even said that mischievous men team up with Tokgabi to cause trouble, but the imp only helps them for the fun of it. Tokgabi doesn’t care about what people call right or wrong. He’s just looking for fun and is always causing mischief, so you have to be careful of him.

The kitchen workers and the men believe they know how to outsmart Tokgabi and mess up his tricks. Since the imp dislikes red, a young man wears bright red clothes when he gets engaged. Tokgabi also fears shiny silver, so [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] the men tie their topknots together, and the women keep their hair in place with silver hairpins. The officials and government workers have little silver storks on their hats, or these birds are sewn onto their clothes with silver thread. Everyone who can afford it uses white metal dishes and dresses in white outfits. Tokgabi doesn’t like anything white, which is why every Korean prefers to wear clothes as bright as frost. Tons of starch are used to whiten and stiffen coats, skirts, sleeves, and stockings. On festive days, people look like they’ve been dipped in starch, and their clothes shine like rock candy. This is how they protect themselves from Tokgabi's tricks. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

Long ago, in the lands beyond the Everlasting White Mountains of Northern Korea, there lived a king who was served by a beautiful young woman. Every day, she took delight in looking southward at the tall mountain peak that cradles the Dragon’s Pool, its white summit reaching for the sky. When she grew weary from her daily work, she thought of the river that flows from the Dragon’s Pool down the mountain. She hoped that one day she would have a son who would rule over the fertile land the river nourished.

One day, while looking at the mountain top, she noticed a tiny bit of shining vapor coming from the east. It floated like a white cloud in the blue sky, looking no bigger than an egg. It got closer and closer until it seemed to go into the center of her dress. Before long, she became the mother of a boy. He was truly a beautiful child.

But the jealous king was furious. He didn’t like the little stranger. So he took the baby and tossed it down among the pigs in the pen, thinking that [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]this would be the end of the boy. But no! The sows breathed into the baby’s nostrils, and their warm breath brought it to life.

When the king’s servants heard the little guy crowing, they went out to see what was making the noise, and there they found a happy baby who didn’t seem to mind his strange cradle at all. They wanted to feed him right away, but the furious king ordered them to get rid of the child, this time by throwing him into the stable. So the servants grabbed the boy by his legs and placed him among the horses, thinking that the animals would step on him and get rid of him that way.

But no, the mares were gentle, and with their warm breath they not only kept the little guy from getting cold, but they also fed him with their milk so that he grew plump and strong.

When the king heard about the amazing behavior of the pigs and horses, he looked up to the sky. It seemed like the will of the Great One above that the baby boy should survive and grow into a man. So, he listened to the mother’s prayers and allowed her to bring her child into the palace. There, he grew up and was trained like one of the king’s sons. As a strong young man, he practiced archery and became skilled at riding horses. He was always gentle with animals. In the king's realm, any man who was cruel to a horse faced punishment. Anyone who struck a mare so [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] that it died was executed. The young man was always kind to his animals.

So the king named the young archer and horse rider East Light, or Radiance of the Morning, and made him the Master of the Royal Stables. East Light, as the people liked to call him, became very popular. They also referred to him as Child of the Sun and Grandson of the Yellow River.

One day while out in the mountains hunting deer, bears, and tigers, the king asked the young archer to show off his skills with a bow. East Light drew his bow and displayed a talent that no one could match. He shot arrow after arrow, hitting the target and taking down both running deer and flying birds. Everyone applauded the handsome young man. However, instead of praising East Light, the king grew very jealous of him, fearing he might try to take the throne. Nothing the young man did seemed to satisfy his royal master anymore.

Fearing for his life if he stayed near the king, East Light and three loyal followers fled south until they reached a wide, deep river that was impossible to cross. He had no idea how to get across since there was no boat available and not enough time to build a raft, with his enemies quickly chasing after him.

In a tough spot, he shouted: [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

“Alas, will I, the Child of the Sun and the Grandson of the Yellow River, be held back here helpless by this stream?”

Then, as if his father, the Sun, had whispered to him what to do, he drew his bow and shot many arrows in all directions into the water, almost emptying his quiver.

For a few moments, nothing happened. To his companions, it felt like a waste of good weapons. What would their leader have left to defend himself when his pursuers arrived, if his quiver was empty?

But in a moment, the waters seemed to be oddly disturbed. Soon they were splashing and foaming. From upstream and downstream, and right in front of them, the fish were swimming toward East Light, poking their noses out of the water as if they wanted to say:

“Climb on our backs and we’ll save you.” They huddled together so closely that a bridge soon formed on their spines, allowing people to stand on it.

“Quick!” shouted East Light to his friends, “let’s run! Look, the king’s horsemen are coming down the hill after us.”

So, across the bridge made of fish backs, scaly and full of sharp fins, the four young men ran. As soon as they reached the other side, the bridge of fish disappeared. Hardly had they swum away, [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] when those chasing them arrived at the water’s edge on the other side. The king’s soldiers shot their arrows trying to hit East Light and his three friends, but the arrows fell short, and the river was too deep and wide for their horses to cross. So, the four young men managed to escape safely.

Marching on for a few more miles, East Light encountered three unusual individuals who appeared to be waiting for him. They greeted him warmly and asked him to be their king and rule over their city. The first was dressed in seaweed, the second in hemp clothing, and the third in fancy robes. These men represented the three social classes: first, fishermen and hunters; second, farmers and artisans; and finally, the tribe leaders.

So in this land called Fuyu, abundant with grains like wheat, rice, millet, beans, and sugarcane, the new king was warmly welcomed by his subjects. The men were tall, brave, and polite. Not only were they skilled archers, but they also rode horses with great skill. They ate from bowls using chopsticks and had round dishes at their feasts. They wore ornaments made of large pearls and polished red jade jewels.

The Fuyu people offered their most beautiful virgin to be the bride of King East Light, and she became a kind queen, dearly loved by her people, and they had many children together.

East Light ruled for a long time and brought happiness. During his [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] reign, the people of Fuyu became civilized and very prosperous. He taught the proper relationship between rulers and their subjects, as well as marriage laws, and improved methods for cooking and building houses. He also showed them how to style their hair. He introduced the trend of wearing topknots. For thousands of years, topknots were in fashion in Fuyu and Korea.

Hundreds of years after East Light passed away, all the tribes and states in the peninsula south of the Everlasting White Mountains wanted to unite as one nation and one kingdom. They named their country after East Light, but in a more poetic way—Cho-sen, which means Morning Radiance, or the Land of the Morning Calm. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

Four kids lived in the home of Mr. Kim, two girls and two boys. Their names were Peach Blossom and Pearl, Eight-fold Strength and Dragon. Dragon was the oldest, a boy. Grandma Kim loved telling them stories about the heroes and fairies of their beautiful country.

One evening when Papa Kim came home from his office in the government buildings, he had two small books in his hand, which he gave to Grandma. One was a little almanac, its bright red, green, and blue cover as cheerful as the stacks of cakes and treats made for weddings; everyone knows how colorful pastries and sweets are at a Korean wedding celebration.

The second little book included the instructions issued by the Royal Minister of Ceremonies for the festival celebrating the Ancestor-Prince, Old Sandalwood, the Father of Korea. Twice a year in Ping Yang City, they made [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] offerings of meat and other food in his honor, but always raw.

“Who was old Sandalwood?” asked Peach Blossom, the older of the little girls.

“What did he do?” asked Yongi, the older boy.

“Let me tell you,” said Grandma, as they cuddled together around her on the oiled-paper carpet over the main flue at the end of the room where it was warmest; it was early in December and the wind was howling outside.

“Now I’m going to tell you why the bear is good and the tiger is bad,” Grandma said. “Well, to start—

“Long, long ago, before there were any refined people in the Land of Dawn, and no men but rude savages, a bear and a tiger met together. It was on the southern slope of Old Whitehead Mountain in the forest. These wild animals were not happy with the kind of humans that existed at the time, and they wanted better ones. They believed that if they could become human, they could improve the situation. So, these patriotic creatures, the bear and the tiger, decided to go before Hananim, the Great One of Heaven and Earth, and ask him to change their form and nature right away; or, at the very least, to tell them how it could be done.

“But where to find Him—that was the question. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]So they lowered their heads as a sign of respect, extended their paws, and waited patiently for a long time, hoping to gain some insight on the matter.

“Then a Voice said, ‘Eat a lot of garlic and stay in a cave for twenty-one days. If you do, you will become human.’”

“So into the dark cave they crawled, chewed their garlic, and went to sleep."

“It was cold and dim in the cave, and with nothing to hunt or eat, the tiger grew weary. Day after day, he sulked, snapped, growled, and acted rudely toward his companion. But the bear put up with the tiger’s insults.

“Finally, on the eleventh day, the tiger, seeing no signs of losing his stripes or shedding his fur, claws, or tail, and with no hope of developing fingers or toes, decided to stop trying to become a man. He jumped out of the cave and immediately went hunting in the woods, returning to his old life."

“But the bear, patiently licking her paw, waited until the twenty-one days were up. Then her furry skin and claws fell away, like a coat being shed. Her nose and ears quickly shrank, and she stood upright—a perfect woman.”

“Walking out of the cave, the new creature sat by a stream and admired her beauty in the clear water. She waited to see what would happen next. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

“About this time, while these events were unfolding on Earth, interesting things were happening in the skies. Whanung, the Son of the Great One in the Heavens, asked his father for an earthly kingdom to govern. Happy with his request, the Lord of Heaven chose to give his son the Land of the Dragon’s Back, which people called Korea.”

“Now, as everyone knows, our country, the Everlasting Great Land of the Dayspring, emerged on the first morning of creation from the sea, taking the shape of a dragon. Its spine, loins, and tail create the vast mountain range that serves as the backbone of our beautiful country, while its head reaches up to the eternal White Mountain in the North. At its peak, surrounded by snow and ice, lies the blue lake of clean water, from which our boundary rivers flow.”

“What’s the name of this lake?” asked Yongi, the boy.

“The Dragon’s Pool,” Grandma Kim said, “and a long time ago, the dragon breathed heavily through the entire night until its breath filled the sky with clouds. This was how the Great One in the Skies made way for his son’s arrival on earth.

“People thought there was an earthquake, but when they woke up in the morning and looked up to the grand mountain, so gloriously white, [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]they saw the cloud rising far up in the sky. As the bright sun shone upon it, the cloud turned pink, red, yellow, and the whole eastern sky looked so lovely that our country then received its name—the Land of Morning Radiance.

“Down from his colorful cloud and carried by the wind, Whanung, the Heavenly Prince, first landed on the mountaintop and then made his way to the lower earth. When he entered the great forest, he saw a beautiful woman sitting by the stream. It was the bear that had been changed into a lovely human form.”

“The Heavenly Prince was thrilled. He picked her as his bride and, eventually, a little baby boy was born.”

“The mother made her son a cradle of soft moss and raised him in the forest.

“Now the people living at the foot of the mountain during those days were quite rough and simple. They didn’t wear hats, had no white clothes, lived in huts, and didn’t know how to heat their homes with flues running under the floors, nor did they have any books or writings. Their sacred spot was under a sandalwood tree, on a small mountain called Tabak, in Ping Yang province.”

“They had seen the colorful cloud rising from the Dragon’s Pool, and as they watched, it moved southward and closer to them until it hovered over the sacred sandalwood tree; [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]when a being in a white robe stepped out and descended through the air, landing in the forest and on the tree."

“Oh, how beautiful this spirit looked against the blue sky! Yet the tree was far away and the journey to it was long."

“‘Let’s all go to the sacred tree,’ said the leader of the people. So they quickly made their way over hills and valleys until they reached the holy ground and formed circles around it.

“A beautiful sight greeted their eyes. There sat under the tree a young man of impressive appearance, dressed like a prince. Although he looked young and had a rosy face, his expression was dignified and majestic. Despite his age, he was wise and seemed ancient.”

“I've come from my ancestors in Heaven to lead you, my children,” he said, looking at them with great kindness.

“At that moment, the people dropped to their knees and all bowed respectfully, shouting:

“‘You are our king, we acknowledge you, and will loyally obey only you.’”

“Since they wanted to know what he could teach them, he started to instruct them, even before giving them laws and rules and showing them how to enhance their homes. He shared stories. The first one explained why the bear is good and the tiger is bad. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

The people were amazed by his wisdom, and from that point on, they began to hate the tiger, while their fondness for the bear grew stronger.

“‘What name should we give our King, so we can address him properly?’ asked the people of their elders. ‘We should name him after the place where we first saw him, under our sacred tree. Let’s call him the August and Venerable Sandalwood.’ So they greeted him this way, and he accepted the honor.”

“Seeing that the people looked rough and unkempt, Prince Sandalwood showed them how to tie up and style their hair. He declared that men should wear their long hair in a topknot. Boys had to braid their hair and let it hang down their backs. No boy could be considered a man until he married a wife. Once married, he could twist his hair into a knot, wear a hat, have a headpiece like an adult, and wear a long white coat.”

“As for the women, they should braid their hair and wear it simply at their neck, except during marriage or on special ceremonial occasions. On those occasions, they could style their hair high like a pagoda and adorn it with long hairpins, jewels, silk, and flowers."

“That's how our Korean culture started, and even today, the law about hats and hair sets us apart from everyone else,” Grandma said. “We still respect the August and Venerable Prince Sandalwood. Now, goodnight, my loves.” [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

There was trouble in the underwater world. Every creature with fins and a tail was in distress because the king of the fish was suffering from terrible pain in his mouth. Here’s how it happened.

One day, while swimming in the waters near his palace, the king of the fishes spotted something floating that seemed like it would be delicious. Without thinking, His Majesty swallowed it whole, only to discover, to his horror, that he had narrowly avoided swallowing a fish hook that got stuck in his gills. The hook had been baited by some fishermen in a boat on the surface of the sea. When the king of the fishes realized what was in his mouth, he quickly jerked away. The line snapped, but the hook stayed lodged, causing the king great pain and a fever.

How to remove the iron and heal His Majesty was now the question. All the wise creatures in the ocean, from the turtle to the gudgeon and from the tittleback to the whale, were called to the palace to see what could be done. Many [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] wise heads were bent, eyes blinked, and fins wagged as the marine doctors discussed the issue in council. The turtle was regarded as the most knowledgeable and skilled of them all. He took many readings of the king’s pulse and examined his throat closely before Dr. Turtle would determine the real problem or write a prescription for his patient. Finally, after consulting with the other doctors who had fins and tails, or were covered in scales and shell, it was decided that nothing less than a poultice made from rabbit eyes would loosen the hook and resolve His Majesty’s troubles.

So Dr. Turtle was told to go to the beach and invite a rabbit to come down into the world beneath the sea, so they could make a poultice from his eyes and put the warm mixture on the king’s throat.

Arriving at the beach, at the bottom of a steep hill, Dr. Turtle looked up and saw Mr. Rabbit out of his burrow, strolling along the edge of the forest. Without delay, Dr. Turtle waddled across the sand and partway up the hill, climbing hard until he started to pant. However, he still had enough breath to greet Brother Bunny with a “good morning.” The rabbit politely returned the greeting.

“It’s a hot day,” said Dr. Turtle, as he pulled [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] out his handkerchief, wiped his rough forehead, and cleaned the sand out of his claws.

“Yes, but the scenery is so beautiful, Dr. Turtle, that you must be happy to be out of the water to see such lovely mountains. Don’t you think Korea is a great country? There’s no place in the world as beautiful as ours. The mountains, the rivers, the coastline, the forests, the flowers——”

If Dr. Turtle had let the rabbit keep going on about how great his country was, he would have lost track of what he was supposed to do; but, thinking about His Majesty, the suffering fish king, with the painful hook in his mouth, Dr. Turtle interrupted Bunny, saying:

“Oh, yes, Brother Bunny, this view of the landscape and country is very beautiful, but it can’t compare to the gems and jewels, trees and flowers, sweet scents, and everything lovely down in the world beneath the sea.”

At this, the rabbit perked up his ears. It was all new to him. He had never heard that there was anything under the water other than common fish and seaweed, and when those decayed and washed up on the shore—well, he had his thoughts about them. They definitely didn't smell good at all. Now he was hearing a different story. His curiosity was piqued. “What you're telling me, my friend, is interesting. Keep going.”

Then Dr. Turtle went on to describe the most amazing mountains and valleys on the [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]floor of the deep sea, featuring all kinds of rare water plants in red, orange, green, blue, and white, as well as trees made of gold and silver and flowers of every color, giving off delightful fragrances.

“You're surprising me,” said Brother Bunny, becoming more interested.

"Yeah, and all kinds of delicious food and drinks, with music and dancing, attractive servers, and everything wonderful. Come on over and be our guest. Our king has sent me to invite you."

“Can I go?” asked Brother Bunny, excited.

“Sure, hop on my back and I’ll give you a ride.”

So the rabbit ran and the turtle walked slowly to the water's edge.

“Now grab onto my front shell,” said Dr. Turtle; “we’re going underwater.”

Down, down below the blue waves they sank until they reached the king’s palace. There, the rabbit discovered that everything the turtle said was true. The colors and the precious gems were exactly as he had described.

Dr. Turtle introduced Brother Bunny to some of the princes and princesses of the kingdom, and they showed their guest the sights and treasures of the palace, while Dr. Turtle went to the meeting of doctors to share the success of his mission.

But while Mr. Rabbit was having a great time, [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]thinking this was the best place in the world, he overheard them talking. Then he discovered why they had brought him there and honored him. Terrified at the thought of losing his eyes, he decided to save his sight and outsmart the tortoise. However, he didn't tell anyone about this.

So when the royal executioners kindly told him that he had to sacrifice his eyes to make the king better, Brother Bunny responded with equally polite regrets:

“Honestly, I’m really sorry that His Majesty is sick, and you have to understand that I can’t help him right away, because the eyes I have now aren’t real; they’re just made of crystal. I was worried that seawater would damage my sight, so I took out my regular eyes, buried them in the sand, and put on these crystal ones, which I usually wear in really dusty or wet weather.”

At this, the expressions of the royal officers changed. How could they deliver the news to His Majesty and let him down?

Brother Bunny seemed genuinely sorry for them and spoke up.

“Oh! Don’t worry about it. If you let me go back to the beach, I’ll dig them up and be back in time to help make the poultice,” said the rabbit.

So, climbing onto Dr. Turtle’s back, Brother [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]Bunny quickly got out of the water and onto land.

In a flash, he jumped off, ran away, and got to the woods, his cotton tail the only thing visible. Before long, he was gone.

Dr. Turtle cried and went back to explain how a rabbit had tricked him. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

Long, long ago in China, even centuries before the great Confucius was born, there lived a wise and knowledgeable man named Kija. He was the chief advisor at court, and everyone respected him for his fairness and kindness. He was always nice to boys and girls.

But when a major war started and a new group of leaders took control, Kija chose not to serve the king of the land and decided to move to the far East. There, he would teach the uncivilized people manners and sophistication.

The new king was sad to see Kija go because he respected his character and wisdom. However, he let five thousand of the best people, most of whom were Kija’s followers, join their master as they headed into the Eastern wilderness. Many of the common folks cried when they watched the emigrants leave China, the flowery country, to venture into an unknown land filled with dark swamps and thick forests. Kija was traveling to a place without roads, farms, or houses, where the woods were inhabited by wild animals, especially large bears and fierce tigers that liked to prey on humans. It was even said that there were flying serpents with wings and leopards that stood upright, wielding lightning in their paws.

Over the vast plains of Manchuria, Kija and his army, made up of both small and large people, marched steadily toward the rising sun until they crossed the Duck Green River, which we now call the Yalu. After a few more days, they arrived at the Great Eastern River (Ta Tong). The land there was stunning, and Kija decided to settle down and build a city. From the colorful clouds at sunrise—rosy, golden, and glowing with every shade of red—the new country was named Cho-sen, or Land of Morning Radiance. As the sun rose and moved toward the west, where his homeland was, Kija saw this as a good omen and a double blessing. He interpreted the peacefulness of his first day in this new land as a strong promise of ongoing goodwill between the new kingdom and the old empire, Heaven’s sign of his loyalty to the Chinese Emperor, and the assurance of goodwill from the spirit of the Ever White Mountain.

Having planned a city to serve as the capital of his kingdom, Kija started constructing a wall. He named the city Ping Yang, which means Northern Castle.

“But now that we’ve safely arrived after [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] our journey, the city will be designed like a boat,” said Kija. “Inside its walls, there won’t be any wells dug, so that we don’t create holes that could make the boat sink. Also, on the outside, to the west, there will stand the rock pillar to which the boat city will be permanently tied.”

Kija was well supported by his wise men, who were talented in literature, poetry, music, medicine, and philosophy. Together they established eight important laws for the kingdom:

Kija laid out roads, set measurements and distances, and established the rules of politeness. He taught the wild people how to build good houses, each with roofs made of thatch or tiles and a kang, or warming place, using flues that ran under the floors. There was a fire at one end and a chimney at the other, so the smoke came out of the ground halfway up the house wall. Twice a [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] day, at morning and sunset, the people fed the furnaces or cooking spaces in the kitchen with fuel. Then the flames, heat, and smoke passed through the flues, warming the rooms. This made the houses cozy and comfortable. Every day, you could see the morning and evening clouds of kang smoke hanging over the city. It is in these flues and around the cooking pots that Tokgabi, the playful trickster, plays his most mischievous pranks. He is a sooty character and loves nothing more than to entertain or annoy humans.

The people of the land were quite rough and wild in these early days, and because they were always engaged in violent fighting, murder was common. So, Kija realized he needed to come up with a way to make them more peaceful. At first, he tried gentle approaches. He noticed that the uncivilized men wore their hair long, with their locks flowing down their backs, and they often looked unkempt and extremely messy. Plus, they hated combs and didn’t like to wash themselves.

So Kija republished the law of Dan Kun, the spirit of the mountain, who had two topknots. He decreed that every married man must tie his hair into a knot, or chignon, on top of his head. This is how the Korean topknot became law. As for the younger guys, they had to braid their hair and wear it down their backs. Until a man got married, he was just a boy, [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]and had to keep quiet in front of his elders. If caught wearing a topknot before he had a wife, he faced severe punishment.

Nevertheless, the tough guys misunderstood Kija's good intentions. They used the topknot as a handle to grab onto during street fights. The big, burly guys dragged the smaller men around in a really cruel way. Plus, they were used to smashing each other's heads with clubs, which led to many dead bodies being found in the streets. To put an end to these brawls and murders, Kija came up with a hat that would keep fighters at least a yard apart.

“I’ll put an end to their fights, once and for all,” said Kija. “I’ll make their fun cost each guy a hefty amount of cash. Every time two bullies brawl, they'll have a lot of dishes to pay for.”

So Kija had huge, heavy hats made out of clay. They were four feet wide and two feet tall, weighing several pounds. He baked them in ovens until they were as hard as stone. They looked like giant porridge bowls turned upside down.

Every guy who had a bad temper or was known to argue had to wear a heavy ceramic hat. Whenever a bunch of guys got together, they looked like a field of moving mushrooms.

[__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

When men fought, they just broke their dishes. This way, Kija easily discovered who violated the law so he could punish them. Then they had to go to the potter's and buy new hats. This turned out to be quite costly, as it took a good half year's wages to afford a hat.

Kija's wisdom was proven right. The clay hats turned out to be good protection for the sacred topknots, and the men appreciated them. Argumentative guys stopped pulling hair and brawling. It became the norm, instead of punching someone or giving them a concussion, to take out one's anger by yelling, insulting, glaring menacingly, or rolling one’s eyes—all of which, of course, didn’t cause any bleeding. The country bumpkin who could make the scariest faces, bare his teeth the fiercest, and look more like a demon than anyone else was considered the bravest and the winner.

Before long, a street fight turned into a completely silent struggle of ugly faces and horrible gestures. What initially seemed like it would end in bloodshed often became a quiet duel, or a fight between people who couldn’t hear or speak. This provided a wild workout for just eyes and teeth, but it faded away like steam from a kettle. Over time, a peacefulness like a deep calm spread across the land.

The clay hats became all the rage. They [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]were super popular. Even women wanted to wear them because they were so handy. When flipped upside down, they worked as wash basins, and many a practical housewife borrowed her husband’s second-best hat to do the family laundry. They were also great for animal feed and watering troughs for horses, cattle, and donkeys to munch on their beans.

The women, although not allowed to wear ceramic bonnets, appreciated how Kija treated them. He took the clubs from the rough men, which they no longer needed, and gave them to the wives and daughters to use for pounding clothes on laundry days and for ironing. This way, Korean women learned the impressive skill of giving a nice shine to the starched clothes of their male family members, especially the long white coat of the house father. By transforming sticks that had once been used as weapons into tools for polishing starch, Kija also turned ruffians into gentlemen. Since then, Koreans have been known for their politeness.

Fortunately, the men became more polite and treated their wives and daughters well because they admired the beautiful clothes. When the hot weather arrived and the gentlemen complained about the heat, worried that sweat would ruin their fine clothing, Kija allowed them to create inner suits made of bamboo sticks, as delicate as thread or wire. So, the Korean gentleman wore his outer garments on a frame that hung from his shoulders like a hoop skirt. It felt like shedding their skin and just sitting in their bones by wearing bamboo underclothes.

As time went on and social customs changed, men found the clothes made from cane-brake so comfortable that they stopped wearing their heavy ceramic hats. Instead, they wore "bird cages" made of horsehair over their topknots, and outdoors, they would don "roofs" made of straw, reeds, woven baskets, or shiny black lacquered paper, depending on their social status. This led to Korea becoming known as the land of hats. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

A thousand years ago or more, there was a tribe in the cold, desert land of the Tartars, north of Korea, that became well-known in that region. The men grew their hair long and then braided it into a long plait that hung down their backs, but they shaved the front of their heads. These people were called Manchus.

Almost from childhood, they were taught to ride horses, and over time they became such fearless horsemen and warriors that they descended in thousands like clouds from their mountainous homeland into warmer, richer areas. They wielded powerful bows and arrows, spears, and swords, achieving numerous victories, which led other tribes to ally with them. They conquered great China and invaded Korea.

As long as they had been nomadic tribes in the desert, they were poor and survived on simple food that the grassy plains and forests provided, like nuts, herbs, mare's milk, and mutton. Their clothes were made from the wool of their own sheep. They were not boastful, except about their strength, and they never inquired about who their ancestors were.

But it was completely different when they became rulers of a vast empire, rich and powerful like China, which had books, writing, and a history spanning thousands of years. The refined Chinese gentlemen and nobles referred to their conquerors as the “horsey Tartars.” So they adapted by learning to bathe and wear perfume, as well as appreciating jade, tea, porcelain, silk, and other items from Chinese culture.

Now it happened that when these people emerged from the desert and took their thrones, wearing crowns on their heads and dressed in satin, with jeweled robes and velvet shoes, they wanted to learn about their ancestors from long ago and where they had come from.

It wouldn’t be right to think that the fathers and mothers of such a powerful race were once ordinary people who lived in remote deserts eating acorns and pine nuts, often having horse meat and occasionally mutton, with mare’s milk for dessert, or that they wore sheepskin and took care of horses like stable boys.

Oh no! If the common people, who they now ruled and forced to obey, knew that the nobles currently living in Beijing and bullying the Koreans were once just stable hands and butcher boys, [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] and had no homes but lived only in tents, there would definitely be trouble. These Koreans and Chinese could rebel and refuse to follow orders. They might even cut off their pigtails, which the Tartars had made them wear, and shorten their hair, like men in Europe and America. These pale-faced and bearded foreigners were called “Southern Barbarians” because their ships came up from the south via India.

“What should we do to make the Chinese and Koreans see us as important?” asked the Chinese Emperor of his advisors.

In the council, it was customary to ask the younger members for their opinions first, with the oldest and wisest speaking last. They debated the issue for a long time. Finally, an elder removed his goggles and gave his response. He wore a pair of oversized horn-rimmed green glasses that were bigger than anyone else's. It was believed these helped him see further into the past and the future than the others. The larger the goggles, the more knowledgeable a person was thought to be. He appeared as wise as a stuffed owl and was quite overweight. He spoke last, after all the younger counselors had shared their thoughts. Behind his back, they nicknamed him Green Lamps because of his goggles and their color.

Now in Korea and China, it's considered rude to keep [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] your glasses on when you're speaking to someone face to face. So, taking off his goggles, old Green Lamps got down on his knees. Then he performed the kow-tow, which involved knocking his forehead on the mat nine times. Green Lamps nearly injured his stiff joints while doing it, and then he addressed the Emperor, whose title was the Son of Heaven, as follows:

“Sire, the common people won’t respect us unless we can prove that our distant ancestors weren’t just ordinary people, but that they came from Heaven. There’s an old woman, nearly two hundred years old, who tells the kids about our lineage that fell from the sky. Should I bring her in?”

“What’s her name?” asked His Imperial Majesty.

“Mrs. Crinkles, they call her, O Son of Heaven,” answered Green Lamps.

“Bring her to me right now,” said the Emperor, waving his lotus-bud scepter.

Now Green Lamps was a clever old guy. He wanted to climb even higher in the Emperor’s favor and had been expecting this. So, with the old lady waiting in another room of the palace, he went out and brought her in. She was all set to share her story, which had captivated the children for a long time. It was the same story that her [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]grandmother had told, back when everyone gathered around the fire on winter nights to listen, while the winds howled and the snow blanketed the land. Once, Mrs. Crinkles was a rosy young woman, but now in Peking, she was the oldest living person among the Tartars.

The young women called her Mrs. Crinkles because her face was so wrinkled and puckered. Once, while the old lady was telling her story, a playful girl started counting the wrinkles and puckers on the old lady's face, but after reaching seventy-four, she stopped, fearing there might be one pucker for every year; and for some reason, the number 117 was considered unlucky.

In hobbled Mrs. Crinkles. She was already bent with age, so when she bent even lower, the court chamberlain noted that it surpassed a kow-tow and excused her from making the nine prostrations required of her stiff old bones. In fact, there was concern that if she got down, she might not be able to get back up again. So she was allowed to sit and start her story.

Her speech wasn’t in the refined Chinese language that poets, scholars, and literary figures have perfected since Confucius, but rather in simple Tartar or Manchu. Still, the overall style of her story was quite impressive. As the old lady shared it animatedly [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]with expressive gestures, everyone’s eyes lit up and the Emperor’s face—they referred to it as the Dragon Countenance—shone with pleasure.

This was the story:

On the other side of the Ever White Mountains, which separate Korea from Manchuria, is the Land of Lakes. On one of these lakes, the glorious blue sky and the majestic, snow-covered mountains are reflected like a mirror. At night, when the stars appear, the calm water sparkles like jewels. The fame of this crystal-clear lake and the beautiful colors of the sunrise and sunset that painted its surface reached even the heavens. There were three lovely maidens living in the Heavenly palaces who wished to come down, bathe in the waters of this lake, and live on its shores.

Permission was granted to them by the Lord of Heaven, and when they came down to Earth, they were as happy as fairies could be. They never got tired of their fun, admiring their own beautiful faces in the lake's reflection. When they woke up early in the morning to watch the golden sun rise and color the clouds and water, it felt like music as songs echoed back and forth. When the gentle breezes rippled the lake's surface, they clapped their hands in joy, and at night, the sound of the waves gently lapping the calm shore lulled them to sleep.

They fell in love with the beautiful land and [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] became so enchanted by it that eventually they forgot about their old home and never wanted to return to the skies. They were very kind to all living things, especially the magpies. These feathered creatures were abundant and friendly, so the maidens kept them as pets and chose the magpie as their sacred bird.

Loving to look at the blue sky above and swim in the clear blue lake below, the three sisters often visited the water. Leaving their robes on the pebbly shore, the youngest always went in last. One day, they spotted a magpie flying high above them, moving as if it had a message to share. As it got closer, they saw it was carrying a blood-red fruit in its beak. It descended near their clothes on the beach, hovered for a moment, and then dropped the red fruit onto the youngest sister's garment.

Rushing out of the water, they sat down to talk about the amazing event. They agreed that the bird’s gift, which they considered sacred, was a positive sign and meant that something good was on the way, even though the magpie, after flying around their heads, eventually flew away. They shared the fruit, which tasted incredibly delicious, enjoying it as a message from Heaven.

From this divine gift brought by a magpie, the sacred bird, the youngest of the virgins conceived [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] and gave birth to a son. They named the baby boy Golden Family Stem, believing he would grow up to be the founder of a dynasty of kings, who would be called Great Bright, named after the shining water near where he was born.

The young mother raised her son to believe that he was special, different from regular people, and that he was born from Heaven, so he should act with nobility in everything he did. When he grew up, he was meant to be a prince of peace, mending the disputes between people, which would bring happiness and prosperity to them and everyone in the world.

So in the shadow of the towering mountains, which were so tall that they seemed to reach the sky and felt like the shadows of an eternal world, he grew up. Nothing he loved more than watching the light and shadows dance on the mountainsides and in the valleys, as well as in the reflections on the beautiful surface of the lake. To him, these were like the smile of the Great Guardian Spirit.

But eventually his beloved mother’s breath stopped, and she “entered into the icy caves of the dead,” leaving him an orphan with no one around; for a long time, the other two maidens had disappeared to he knew not where.

Left alone instead of staying in the mountains, the boy decided to adopt the name Fancha, [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]meaning Heaven-born, and to venture out into the world to lead people.

He immediately started building a boat, and when it was finished, he floated down the lake's outlet into a river. He happened to land in a place where three tribes or clans were at war with each other. They were rough individuals, used to fighting, and they didn't care about others like them who were no different or better.

But when they saw this brave young man step confidently over the side of the boat and approach them in a friendly manner, they were really impressed by his noble looks and his courage in coming to meet them. When he shared his story about his birth and told them that his mother had called him her Heaven-born son, they all shouted, “Our chief!” and gave him the signs of leadership over them.

Suddenly, the youth chosen by destiny became a great leader. Leading his courageous warriors, he was always successful, but he never started a war. Other tribes rallied around him, and over time he established a city. He married a princess from the main tribe, the daughter of a powerful chief, and several sons were born to him.

But wars went on, because the habit of fighting was too ingrained to stop suddenly. In one of the [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]battles, he and all his sons except for one, named Fancha, were killed. This one was pursued by the enemy across the open plains for a long distance, as they hoped to catch him and take him prisoner before he could reach the forest and hide.

But when Fancha reached a thick, dark forest, a savior appeared to him in the form of a sacred bird, the magpie. This creature landed on his head, and Fancha immediately saw it as a sign of safety, believing it had been sent from Heaven.

When his pursuers ran into the forest and started searching among the trees for the boy’s hiding spot, he stood completely still. They, seeing him, mistook him for a piece of dry wood or a tree limb struck by lightning, and rushed past him. Eventually, they gave up the search, and by that time, Fancha had made it to a safe place.

“The rest of the story you know, Your Majesty,” concluded the old lady, “because Fancha was your ancestor from seventeen generations ago.”

The great Emperor of all of China was very interested and deeply touched by the story of the elderly woman. He showered her with gifts and honors, appointing her as the Chief Storyteller for the Imperial children. Additionally, he made arrangements for her comfort for the rest of her life. With a red pencil, he [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]wrote by hand the order that when she “ascended to the skies,” she should be buried in a gilded sandalwood coffin, have a state funeral, a marble tablet over her grave, and receive posthumous honors.

As for old Green Lamps, he was promoted one level up in his position, honored with a jade button on his cap, and gained the privilege of being able to ride in his palanquin closer to the Imperial palace entrance than any other official, except for the prime minister. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

Mr. Kim, who lived at the base of the mountains, was a lazy guy. He had a family to support, but he didn’t like consistent work. He preferred to smoke his pipe—about as long as a yardstick—and wait for something to come his way.

One day, his wife, fed up with trying to feed their hungry kids from empty plates, gave her husband a stern talking-to and told him to go get something for the family. The family included a dad, a mom, and four little kids, whose faces weren't washed very often, plus a small dog. This puppy, whenever danger approached, would always dash into the house through a small square hole cut in the door, and once safely inside, it would bark loudly.

So Mr. Kim went into the mountains looking for something—a ginseng root, a piece of gold, or maybe even a precious stone if he got lucky. If not, some berries, wild grapes, or pears would be okay. Back at home, his wife was grinding the grain left in the pantry for the kids' dinner. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

Mr. Kim wandered over the rocks for a long time without finding anything worth taking. Around noon, he came across one of the massive mir-yeks, or giant stone Buddhas, carved out of solid rock. It towered high into the air. Centuries ago, during the time of Buddhism, when monasteries filled the land and monks and nuns chanted Sanskrit hymns in honor of Lord Buddha, devoted men spent many months sculpting this towering figure into human form. Its nose protruded three feet, and its mouth was four feet wide. Atop its flat head was a cap made of a slab of granite, shaped like a student’s mortarboard, where ten men could stand without crowding.

The monks were a distant memory, and the monastery had crumbled into ruins. The forest had grown around the massive stone statue until it was almost obscured by the tall trees surrounding it. In front, wild grapevines had wrapped around the stone with their tendrils and spread their tangled branches and leaves until they nearly covered the statue up to its neck.

But from a crack in the top of the figure, a pear tree had grown, coming from a seed dropped long ago by the great-grandfather of one of the birds singing nearby. And, oh joy! at the end of the outer branch was a ripe, juicy pear nearly as big as a man's head. What a [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]prize! When cut up, it would make a dessert for the whole family. Happy Kim! He thanked his lucky star.

Grasping the bushes and wild grapevines with all his might, Mr. Kim climbed up and reached the chin of the massive stone face. Above him jutted the large nose, its nostrils gaping like caves. Even though he was standing on the stone lips and clinging to the nose, he couldn’t climb any higher on the granite face, despite his best efforts. He was completely at a loss. High above dangled a tempting pear, almost teasing him. A soft breeze swayed the fruit back and forth, making it seem like it was saying, “Grab me if you can.”

But the nose, being shiny, was slippery and the ears were too smooth to climb. What could he grab onto? Surely climbing any higher was impossible. Did he have to give up the pear?

A bright idea popped into his head. He decided to crawl up into the right nostril and hoped to find a way out at the top. Thinking he might figure it out, he started to enter the hole like an insect, and soon the man Kim vanished from view as he climbed into the darkness using his hands and feet.

Wasn't it risky to tickle the nostrils of the giant stone figure like this?

But no matter what Kim thought, he pressed on, set on getting that pear, no matter the cost. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

Suddenly, a blast loud enough to shake the mountain was heard. Hash-ho! Had there been an earthquake or a storm? Was this rolling thunder?

No, the giant had sneezed. That’s how the stone figure got rid of the intruder. The first thing Mr. Kim knew, he was flying through the air, and he landed in the bushes. His mind was blank. He didn’t know anything. It was around one o’clock in the afternoon.

Mr. Kim lay asleep or unconscious until just before sunset. Then he woke up and understood what had happened. Above him loomed the stone, its nose jutting up toward the sky.

But in sneezing so hard, the giant had shaken its head too, and the big pear had fallen off. Kim found it lying beside him and picked it up, continuing on his way feeling joyful.

At home, the little dog peeked through the square hole, saw him, barked a greeting, and they had a truly enjoyable supper with the big pear sliced into pieces as Mr. Kim shared stories about his adventures. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

By the river Kingin stands the huge stone statue, or Miryek, that was carved out of solid rock ages ago. Its base is buried deep underground, and above its granite top, storm clouds gather and swirl as they move down the mountain.

Down beneath the earth near this massive giant lived a soft-furred mole and his wife. One day, they welcomed a daughter. She was the most amazing mole baby ever known. The father was so proud of his beautiful daughter that he decided to marry her off only to the grandest being in the entire universe. Nothing else would meet his pride in the lovely creature he called his own.

Father Mole searched high and low to discover what, in all of nature, was considered the most amazing. He gathered his neighbors and discussed the matter with them. Then he went to the king of the moles and asked the wise members of his court to help him decide. Everyone agreed that the Great Blue Sky was the most glorious and magnificent of all. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

So up to the Sky the Mole Father went and offered his daughter to be the bride of the Great Blue, telling how with his vast blue robe the Sky was known, both on earth and beneath it, to be the greatest thing in the universe.

But much to the Mole Father’s surprise, the Sky refused.

“No, I’m not the greatest. I have to point you to the Sun. He has control over me because he decides when it’s day or night. Only when he rises can I show off my bright colors. When he sets, darkness spreads across the world and people can’t see me at all, just the stars instead. You’d be better off taking your lovely daughter to him.”

So Mr. Mole went to the Sun, and even though he was scared to look directly at him, he made his request. He wanted the Sun to marry his beautiful daughter.

But the powerful sun, which usually appeared so intense, blinding people’s eyes and capable of scorching the grass in the fields, suddenly seemed quite humble. Instead of immediately accepting the offer, the Sun said to the father:

“Unfortunately! I am not in control. The Cloud is stronger than I am, as it can cover me and make me invisible for days and weeks. I’m not as powerful as you imagine. I suggest you offer your daughter to the Cloud.”

Surprised by this, the Mole Father looked quite [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]disappointed. Now he was unsure when it would be best to propose to the Cloud—when it was a silvery white and shining on a summer afternoon, or when it was dark and threatening a storm. Still, his desire to find the strongest possible husband for his daughter pushed him to wait until the lightning flashed and the thunder rolled. Then, facing the menacing dark Cloud that crackled with fire, he described the beauty of his amazing daughter and offered her as a bride.

“But why do you come to me?” asked the Cloud, its face dark with the anger of a storm and its eyes glowing red from the lightning.

“Because you are not just the greatest thing in the universe, but you’ve shown it with your incredible power,” replied the Father Mole.

At this, the Cloud stopped moving, quieted its fire and thunder, and almost seemed to laugh.

“So far from being the greatest thing in the world, I'm not even my own master. Just look at how the wind is pushing me around. Soon I'll be invisible, dissolved into thin air. Let me recommend you to the Wind. The Master of the Cloud will make a great son-in-law.”

Thereafter, Papa Mole waited until the Wind settled down, after blowing the clouds away. Then, speaking of his daughter's achievements [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] and beauty, he offered his only child as a bride to the Wind.

But the Wind was nowhere near as proud as the Mole Father had expected. The Wind seemed very modest, almost shy, as he admitted that in front of Miryek, the massive stone figure, his power meant nothing.

“Why, I hit that Great Stone Face and its eyes don’t even blink. I roar in its ears, but it doesn’t care. I try to make it sneeze, but it won’t. No matter how hard I try, it just stands there, unmoved and smiling. Alas, no. I am not the greatest thing in the universe while Miryek is around. Go to him. He alone is worthy of marrying your daughter.”

By this time, the Mole Father was not only sore-footed and tired, but also pretty discouraged. Clearly, everyone admired his brilliant daughter; but would he actually be able to find her a deserving husband?

He took a break for a bit and then went to Miryek, the massive granite statue as big as a lighthouse, its head high up in the air, but with ears ready to listen.

The Mole Father squeaked out compliments to the picture, saying it was commonly accepted as the greatest thing on earth. He asked for a son-in-law and then went on to detail his daughter's achievements, singing her praises at great length. In fact, he almost messed up his case by talking for too long.

With a stony patience, Miryek listened to the proud father with a sparkle in his white granite eyes. When his lips moved, he was heard to say:

“Dear Parent, what you say is true. I am great. I don’t care about the sky, day or night, because I’ll stay the same in daylight and darkness. I’m not afraid of the sun, which can’t melt me, nor the frost that can’t make me crumble. Whether it’s cold or hot, in summer or winter, I remain unchanged. The clouds may come and go, but they can’t move me. I’m not afraid of their fire and noise, lightning and thunder. Yes, I am great.” Then the stone lips closed again.

"You'll make a good husband for my daughter, right? You plan to marry her, I assume?" asked the proud father as his hopes started to grow, even though he still had doubts.

“I would gladly do that if I were the greatest. But I'm not,” said Miryek. “Down beneath my feet is the Mole. He digs with his shovel-like hands and makes tunnels all day and night. I can’t match his strength. Soon he’ll dig under my foundation, and I’ll collapse and lie like an ordinary stone on the ground. Yes! By everyone's agreement, the Mole is the greatest being in the universe, and I give in to him. You might as well marry your daughter off to him.”

So after all his traveling, the father stopped searching. After hearing everyone's advice, and with opinions being [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]unanimous, he realized that the Mole was the best thing in the universe. He found his daughter's fiancé at home, and he was from the same species. He married her to a young and handsome Mole, and there was great joy and celebration at the wedding. The couple was well-suited for each other and lived happily ever after. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

White Whiskers was the name of a massive, tawny tiger that lived in the mountains of Kang Wen. He was the proudest tiger in all of Korea. He had the most intense eyes, the longest tail, the sharpest claws, and the widest stripes of any animal in the mountains. He could take down a cow, fight off all the dogs in any village, eat a man, and wasn’t scared of a hunter unless the man had a gun. As for calves and pigs, he saw them as just snacks. He could tear off the roof or break the bars of stables where cattle were kept, devour one pig right there, and then, with another slung over his back, trot off to his lair miles away to feed his cubs fresh pork.

White Whiskers was particularly proud because he served the great genii of the mountains, whom people both feared and worshiped, building shrines in their honor. One of these Mountain Spirits could summon all the tigers in his territory whenever he wished, and then, sitting on the back of the largest one, he would ride off into the clouds or lead a charge against Korea’s enemies. Both tigers and leopards acted as his messengers, carrying out his commands. Only the largest, fastest, and striped tigers were selected to carry out the Mountain Spirit’s orders.

One specific task assigned to White Whiskers, the big striped tiger, was to check the shrines in the mountain passes every day to ensure that offerings were continuously being made. The people, who were terrified of both the Mountain Spirit and his servants, the tigers, made daily sacrifices out of fear. They would stack stones, rags, bits of metal, or put food on dishes for the Mountain Spirit, who was very demanding and harsh. The poor villagers believed that if they didn’t keep up with their offerings, the spirit would get angry and send the tigers at night to roam the village, scratch at their doors, and devour donkeys, cows, calves, pigs, and even men, women, and children. Then, the hunters would venture out with their matchlocks to hunt down the man-eaters, but by that time, during the day, the tigers had retreated far into their lairs in the mountains.

Indeed, it was so difficult to get a shot at a tiger that the Chinese, who enjoy teasing their neighbors in white coats, claimed that for half the year the Koreans hunt the tigers, and for the other half, the tigers hunt the Koreans. In other words, the men go out with their guns in summer; [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] but in winter, when people stay indoors, the hungry wild beasts come down from the mountains in search of prey.

Now Old White Whiskers was both proud and clever. For many years he had eaten pigs, calves, dogs, donkeys, and chickens, and had twice feasted on men, while avoiding all their traps and dodging every one of their bullets. So he started to believe he could mock all his enemies. Yet, as proud as he was, he was destined to be outsmarted by a creature without strength or stinger, claws or hooves, as we will see.

Mr. Rabbit, who lived in a burrow on a hill near the village, had often heard the squealing of unfortunate pigs and the kicking of braying donkeys as they were turned into dinner for Old White Whiskers. So far, though, by being very careful, he had managed to avoid the striped tyrant’s path and jaws. But one cold winter day, feeling tired, weak, and hungry from not eating since yesterday, just as he was crossing a river on the ice, he came face to face with Old White Whiskers. From behind a rock by the shore, near Mr. Bunny’s burrow, the big tiger jumped out and tried to freeze the rabbit with fear by staring at him with his large green eyes. Mr. Bunny knew all too well that tigers love to play with and harm their prey before devouring it, and he thought his time was up.

Nevertheless, Mr. Bunny was completely calm. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]He didn’t flinch at all. He had been anticipating this meeting for a while and was prepared for Old White Whiskers, planning to catch him off guard.

Fully expecting, in a minute or two, to strip off the little animal’s fur and crush his bones for dinner, the tiger said to the rabbit:

“I’m hungry. I’m going to eat you right now.”

“Oh, why would you even think about me?” said Mr. Bunny. “I’m so small and skinny that I could barely be a snack for Your Majesty. Just hear me out, and I’ll get you a royal dinner. I’ll head up the mountain and bring the game right to your paws. But you have to do exactly what I say.”

At the thought of a big dinner, the tiger actually grinned with excitement. The way he yawned, revealing his deep red mouth, massive white teeth, each one as sharp as a spike, and how he rolled out his long, curved tongue, covered in rough points like thorns, nearly scared Mr. Bunny out of his mind. The rabbit had never looked into a tiger’s mouth before, but he didn’t show any fear. It was just the tiger’s way of expressing his happiness when his mouth watered and he licked his lips in anticipation of a great feast.

“I’ll do exactly what you say,” said Old White Whiskers to Mr. Bunny, noticing how thankful the rabbit was to have his life saved.

“It’s my goal to serve the lord of the [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] mountains,” said Mr. Bunny. “So, lie down on the ice here, close your eyes, and don’t move. Make sure you keep your eyes shut, or the charm won’t work. I’ll make a circle of dry grass and then go around you, driving the game toward you. If you hear a noise and maybe some crackling, don’t open your eyes until I give you the signal. It’ll take some time.”

Old White Whiskers, worn out from wandering in the woods and roaming around pig pens all day without catching anything, felt both hungry and exhausted. So he decided, while he waited, to take a nice nap. In no time at all, he was sound asleep.

Mr. Bunny quickly got to work pulling up all the dry grass he could find and stacking it around Old White Whiskers. Happy to hear the big guy snoring, he kept going until he had a thick ring of stuff to burn. Then he set it on fire, waiting until it blazed up high. After that, he dashed off to enjoy the show.

Old White Whiskers, startled by the crackling, yawned and rubbed his eyes with his paws, curious about the source of the noise.

“Wait!” yelled Mr. Bunny, “don’t break your promise,” and he ran further up the hill.

“Troublemaker!” growled the tiger as the red flames leaped up all around him. He had to jump high to escape the flames and save his life. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]Even so, one paw was burned, causing him to limp, and his fur was singed so badly that all his long hair and good looks were gone. When he returned home, the other tigers laughed at him.

From now on, he had to take a backseat, as the great Mountain Spirit no longer trusted such a foolish servant. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

Korea is known for its stunning landscapes and beautiful flowers. Snow white and ruby red are the main colors. In spring, when the ice has melted and the rivers have flowed into the sea, the whole country blooms with the pink flowers of azaleas. The valleys are filled with white lilies of the valley. The breezes that sweep across the land carry a sweet fragrance.

The girls track the seasons and the time of the month by the flowers even more than by the calendar, because they remember the flower calendar. Daughters who are especially cherished by their parents are named after blossoms, and a Korean dad, when feeling affectionate, refers to his wife as the plum tree. An old song goes: The homesick husband, who has been away from his loved ones for a long time, asks a fellow townsman who has just arrived:

[__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

And the stranger replies quickly:

This is like the Scotsman who calls his wife his "beautiful briar bush," because in the Land of Morning Glow, they have a language of flowers. Each plant and blossom has a meaning and either pleasant or unpleasant associations. It's a compliment to refer to a girl as a pear blossom, since the pear tree is one of the most stunning trees and its blooms are beautiful to see. However, it wouldn't be appropriate to call her a cinnamon rose, as this flower has negative connotations. The gee-sang, as the Koreans say for geisha, which the Japanese use for the dancing girls, are linked to the cinnamon rose, for didn't the sages tell this story?

Twelve centuries ago, there lived the famous scholar Sul Chong, the greatest of all the learned men in Korea. His head was packed with knowledge just like a persimmon is filled with pulp, and his ideas were as countless as the seeds in a pomegranate. He taught his fellow countrymen everything from the books of China, and his portrait still hangs in the temple of Confucius today. He lived in the kingdom of Silla during its golden age, when ships from Japan and China arrived at its ports and traders from Baghdad brought their beautiful goods to exchange for gold, ginseng, camphor, porcelain, cinnamon, [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]ginger, and tiger skins, to take back to their famous Caliph and his turbaned nobles at court, like those we read about in the “Arabian Nights.”

When the King of Silla, Sin Mun, was living lavishly and surrounding himself with too many attractive dancers, who distracted him from focusing on the matters of state, Sul Chong cautioned his master about the growing influence of these women by sharing the following story:

Once upon a time, in spring, the Peony, the king of flowers, bloomed so beautifully that it became the envy of all beauty lovers throughout the country. Hundreds of people traveled long distances to the capital of Silla to see the bright blossoms. In the king’s gardens, on very tall stems, the numerous branches were heavily loaded with large red flowers. These were indeed beautiful to look at, but the true king of the entire garden was a single peony, grown on one stem, allowing all the strength and nourishment of the plant to focus on that one royal bloom. Everyone honored this flower as king.

When all the other flowers heard about their king’s glory, they came to show their respect at the floral court, which the Peony ruled. All the trees sent their best blooms as delegates. In a magnificent parade of fragrance and color, the Peach, Plum, Pear, Apple, and Persimmon entered, each bowing to the monarch of all [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]flowers. All these tree blossoms took pride in being so helpful to humans as signs of the delicious fruits that were on the way.

Then, among the lively crowd, appeared cheerful young flowers: the Tea-Rose in a pearly dress, the Azalea in pink, the Lily in white, the Strawberry Blossom, and a bunch of other lovely garden blooms. Finally, the Cinnamon Rose made her entrance. She danced lightly in a green skirt and red jacket, exuding a proud attitude and a fragrant scent of spice.

One by one, they were introduced to King Peony, each making their greeting with elegance. Out of all of them, the king appeared to be most taken with Miss Cinnamon Flower. He allowed the others to leave the Court but lingered with the delightful visitor, spending a lot of time in her company, as if captivated by her beauty. Eventually, he invited Miss Cinnamon Rose to move into the palace, and while leaving his ministers to handle the government, he devoted all his time to her. She was settled in a position close to His Majesty, seemingly always having his ear and attention, even as the king’s prime minister had to wait a long time for an audience, or even a word. Miss Cinnamon Rose seemed to be the true ruler instead of the king himself.

But one day, a flower called Old Man arrived at the palace. He looked just like an old [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] beggar dressed in rough cloth and leaning on a staff. Bowing respectfully, he asked if he could share the king’s hospitality. He was welcomed and fed, enjoying the royal feast. When he finally met King Peony and was invited to speak, he said:

“Out along the road, Your Majesty, I heard about your lavish feast and delicious food. Now I hear that you need medicine. Even though you wear Chinese silk and there's no one like you in the grandeur of your clothing and the splendor of your Court, you have wants just like I do, and you need a simple knife string, just like I do. Isn’t that right?”

“You're absolutely right, Old Man,” replied the king. “But I really like this Cinnamon Rose and want her with me. I can't imagine being without her.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. But isn't it true that if you surround yourself with wise and careful people, your reign will be long, strong, and glorious? Yet if you associate with foolish people, your kingdom will crumble? Didn't three dynasties of the emperors of Great China fall because of beautiful women who led them to neglect their responsibilities? If that happened to the ancients, how much more likely is it to happen today?”

The king flushed, turning a deep red. He admitted his mistakes and changed his life. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

It’s said that the lesson wasn't wasted on the actual human king. He let go of his harem, sent away the dancers, and ruled wisely until the day he died. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

There are many dogs, but few cats, in Korea. Nobody loves poor kitties there. They aren’t kept as pets and are rarely seen in homes. Even bull calves are more cherished by children than cats are, and puppies take the place of Tabby or Grimalkin.

Korean cats don’t have short tails like their relatives in Japan, and you also don’t use the term "pussy" like the Chinese do with kittens to tell the time based on the width of the slits in their green eyes.

Alas! The cats in Korea are too wild to enjoy the company of humans, or humans theirs! The presence of dogs is especially repulsive to them. Mother cats tell their kittens amazing stories about the cruelty of dogs and why cats and dogs don’t get along.

The local cats can howl and yowl, arch their backs, puff up their tails, spit and scratch, or purr contentedly, groom their fur, and [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]wash their faces with their paws like cats in other parts of the world. They are very skilled at catching mice and eating birds. Still, they have a tough time because there are too many dogs, making life difficult for the kitties. The Korean cat hates getting its feet wet, yet it often has to wade through water to escape the dogs chasing it. As for the furry, purring kittens, one wonders how they manage to escape the fierce dogs and grow up at all.

Yet it all happened because a certain cat ancestor laughed when it shouldn’t have. Even though it was a bunch of school kids that made Kitty laugh, the dog never forgave the cat for being so silly. And this is how it went down.

Long, long ago, one of the mountain fairies came down from the high peaks into the land. She was treated kindly by an old man named Tip Pul, who owned a wine shop called Tokgabi, and she told him to reward the old man with a precious stone.

So, one night, Tokgabi dropped the gem into Tip Pul’s long-necked wine bottle. Strangely enough, after that, the wine never ran out. The bottle was always full. Every day, Tip Pul sold plenty to his neighbors, and it was good and affordable, which made him quite popular. Yet, without any refilling, the flask was always ready to overflow. So, Tip Pul had no worry about poverty in [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]his old age. With no wife or kids, his only companions were a dog named Su Nap, or Snap for short, and a cat named Mee Yow. All three lived happily together back in those days.

But one day, the bottle was found to be empty, and when Tip Pul shook it, nothing rattled inside. Somehow, the magic stone had vanished. Poverty now felt inevitable. The old man was nearly overcome with grief, and his neighbors all came in to offer their sympathy. They knew very well that they couldn't find wine anywhere else as good and as affordable as what they had long enjoyed at Tip Pul’s shop by the river.

Yet the loss of the amazing stone sparked a change in Tip Pul’s pets. As for the cat, she became the most hardworking kitty ever. She immediately started searching every rat's lair she could find, not just in her master’s house but in every home in the village, looking for the missing stone. The noise that cat made at night, scurrying around the rafters and beams under the roof, nearly drove some people mad. They claimed that Tokgabi had gotten drunk on Tip Pul’s drinks. But it was Mee Yow all along. The cat knocked over tobacco boxes, rummaged through hats hung on the wall, tipped up shelves, and knocked over the dishes in the closet above the kitchen stove. In short, this four-legged creature [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]caused all kinds of trouble that people usually blame on Tokgabi, the mischievous imp.

Yet, when someone climbed up to the attic, looked among the rafters, and peered into the darkness, all they could see was a pair of green eyes that shone like the moon. Prodding the strange thing with fishing poles or throwing shoes or sticks at it only resulted in hissing or growling. So they realized it was a cat, not Tokgabi, and went back to bed. Resting their topknots on their wooden pillows and their bodies on their oiled-paper carpet, they quickly fell asleep again. Koreans don’t swear, but the way some people unleashed insults on that cat’s ancestors, tracing back to the time of Kija, was awful to think about. In fact, some of their comments are still preserved in tradition and proverbs. Nevertheless, despite all his efforts, Mee Yow couldn’t find the magic wine-stone. As for Tip Pul, he became poorer and poorer.

The dog couldn't climb like Puss among the rafters and rooftops, but with his speed and a nose that could scent a tiger from a mile away, he roamed all over the area, even crossing the frozen river. Although he fought many other dogs, chased countless rats into their holes, and pestered a hundred cats—jumping into sheds and running around among the cows and horses—he found nothing. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]Once, while in a stall where the pony was tied up with a belly-band and enjoying its bean soup, the poor dog nearly got kicked to death. The nasty creature, thinking Snap was trying to steal beans from its feed box, kicked him hard enough that he limped on three legs for a week afterward.

The long winter faded away and the ice melted, but the river water was still cold. One day, Pussy, while chasing a rat among the rafters of a nobleman's house, brushed its whiskers against a greenish soapstone box, like the ones the king often sends as gifts to those he favors. Recognizing the smell of something inside as his master’s long-lost gem, he tried hard with his teeth and claws to open it.

All of Pussy’s scratching, biting, and clawing were pointless. The dog couldn’t help at all. So, they made a deal with the rats to chew open the box and get the magic stone. Su Nap and Mee Yow promised to leave all rats and mice completely alone for six months if one of them would agree to gnaw open the box.

Excited about having peace and quiet for six months, especially while the grain ripened, both rats and mice collaborated until they gnawed a hole in the box, which was tough and polished from their efforts, and got the magic stone. Holding it in their paws, they [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] dropped it where their old enemies, now calm, could find it. Immediately, the dog picked up the gem in his mouth and raced to the river, with Mee Yow chasing after him.

“Okay, Kit,” Snap said, “hop on my back and grip my neck fur tight with your claws while I swim over. Since I’ll need to breathe heavily, put the gem in your mouth. Make sure you don’t open your jaws, yawn, or laugh until we get to the other side. Got it?”

Mee Yow wagged her tail and took the wine-stone firmly in her mouth to show her determination to deliver that precious gem safely to her owner. All the while, Mee Yow planned to jump ashore and run to her owner, while the dog shook the water off his fur, and thereby get the credit for being the first to find where the stone had been.

It was a long, tough swim, and the dog's energy was almost gone when they were only two-thirds of the way across the river, but the cat was fine, since she just had to hang on and keep her feet dry. Everything was going well until they got close to the other side.

Now, just then, a group of kids, out of school and ready to have fun, spotted the odd pair. They had never seen anything so funny in their lives, and they immediately burst out laughing. Snap was too serious to notice their joy, but Mee Yow, already amused by her own vanity, became quite playful. She joined in with the kids and laughed so hard that Snap’s body shook violently, nearly getting his nose underwater and drowning them both. This made the lighthearted and self-absorbed cat laugh even harder. Finally, bursting into a fit of laughter, Mee Yow dropped the gem from her mouth, and it was hopelessly lost in the river, sinking to the bottom.

That was too much for the dog to have his hard work wasted like that. Thinking only of his owner, the loyal and serious Snap dove to the bottom of the river, knocking Mee Yow off. You can bet there was a lot of scratching and clawing before Puss finally let go and swam to shore.

Alas! the dog couldn't find the precious gem, and once he was on land, he shook himself to dry off and then ran at the cat to give her a good shake. But Mee Yow climbed up a tree, and even though she was nearly frozen to death after her icy bath, she kept growling as long as the dog was barking.

After that, in Korea, the cats and dogs stopped being friends. They didn’t talk to each other at all. Wild, unloved, and unkept, the cat is part of the bad animals in Tokgabi’s museum, while the dog remains a loyal friend to humans. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

Korea is known as the Land of the Plum Blossom, but in winter, the rivers freeze over. Then, the men cut through the ice, which can be several feet thick, to catch fish swimming in the water below with their lines and hooks. However, they are very happy to welcome any sign of the approaching spring and eagerly watch for the pussy willows to appear.

Now there was a farmer who lived in Nai-po, which is the grain garden of the Korean peninsula, who wanted a little daughter, even though other parents cared more for sons.

One day, farmer Pak—his name—found a pussy willow that, after the long winter, felt like a light in a dark place. He picked it and proudly took home this branch full of fuzzy little buds. This was a sign of his happiness at the arrival of spring. He was done with ice and snow, and now he knew that soon the dreary hills would explode with bright colors from the blooming flowers, looking like an army with flags. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

That same day, his prayers were answered, and a little girl was born into his home. Handing the pussy willow to his wife, he said, “We’ll name our baby Cat-kin, which means Little Puss.”

Cat-kin never saw a crib, because Korean mothers carry their babies on their backs. She quickly grew out of infancy, and before long, she was standing up, toddling around, and playing with her dog and pet bull. In a Korean country home, these little four-legged pets usually take the place of kittens, as the cats are wild and don’t let children pet them.

Long before she turned twelve, Cat-kin became really fond of fairy tales, of which Korea has a ton, along with thousands of stories about amazing people and animals and their adventures. She often gazed up at the high hills and distant mountains, where she believed the fairies, dragons, ogres, and tigers lived. This was also where the sen-nin, or mountain spirits, wise and good, resided—spirits that the elders spoke of and that soldiers painted on their banners when going to war.

When she was about eight years old, Cat-kin really wanted to walk up towards the North Star, which her father had shown her shining in the sky. He had once traveled to one of the Northern provinces, where during the daytime he could see far off the huge pure white mass of the [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]Ever White Mountain rising up to meet the blue sky. At the top, he had heard there was the Dragon Prince’s Pool, from which flowed the two rivers that made Korea an island. One was called the Tumen and the other the Yalu, named for the beautiful green and blue shimmer on the feathers of a drake’s back, so rich were its shining waters. When her father shared stories of his travels, Cat-kin also yearned to go north to reach the very top and touch the sky.

But she knew she couldn't do that, even if she had long legs and was as strong as a man, because the tigers were very numerous and always wandering around. These yellow and black-striped beasts were man-eaters. They loved nothing more for a good dinner than a young girl.

So since she had no idea how to reach the top of Ever White Mountain and see the deep blue waters of the Pool except by riding on a dragon's back, which she sometimes dreamed about, she just kept waiting and waiting for one of these flying creatures to show up, but it never did.

Cat-kin really wanted the fairies to visit her, if she could make it happen. So one day, while sitting under a persimmon tree and reading a story, she held the book in one hand and tapped the ground multiple times, saying earnestly:

“Earth spirit, earth spirit, come to me; come up and see me.” [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

All of a sudden, the air felt thick with sweet fragrance, and a silver mist like a cloud spread over her house and garden. Then, a bright, dazzling light flooded everything, revealing a shimmering chariot made of blue jade with golden wheels. It was pulled by milk-white horses, and sitting on a seat of shining silver was the Western Heavenly Queen Mother herself.

Surrounding the Mother Queen were thousands of the most beautiful maidens, all dressed in stunning robes. They wore amber jewelry, silver belts, and necklaces made of precious stones, along with silken gowns adorned with many tassels. Their feet were fitted with gold-embroidered velvet slippers, and on their heads were caps of gold decorated with sparkling gems. Cat-kin could hardly count the lavish jewelry, necklaces, breast chains, and jade wands, resembling scepters, that they held in their hands. These wands were shaped like lotus flowers. All the maidens had rosy faces, sparkling eyes, and small hands and feet.

In a sweet voice that sounded like music, the Heavenly Queen Mother looked at Cat-kin and said:

“Step forward, little girl, don't be afraid. I’ll take you with me to my palace on the Island of Gems and give you everything you want, and I'll also bless your people, if you agree to come.” [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

Cat-kin didn’t feel timid or scared at all. Instead, she confidently stepped forward and knelt at the base of the chariot.

The Mother Queen first touched her with her milk-white jade wand, shaped like a lotus bud, and made the little girl rise.

In just a moment, a silver chariot, with turquoise wheels and pulled by two young, pure white dragons, rolled up next to her. The attendant woman in golden robes urged her to get in.

The dragons were fierce, powerful, fire-breathing creatures with wide wings, and their bodies and tails were as long as whales, while their eyes shot out flames. Yet Cat-kin wasn’t scared at all; she thought it was a lot of fun. Then, high up through and far above the clouds, the group of bright beings soared. They followed the Queen Mother’s chariot until, far away, they hung in the sky. Cat-kin was then told to look over the side of the chariot at the earth and ocean, miles below. She was asked if she could see her father’s cottage, but she couldn’t. The whole village just looked like a grey mass of thatched roofs, and she could only make out the temple.

There, spread out, was the vast sea, as blue as a sapphire, and in some areas deep green, like an emerald. But she couldn't see any ships or coastlines, nor any mountain ranges, nor signs of [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]the land of Korea. All that was visible were ripples and waves. Yet in the middle of the azure sea was an island. The trees sparkled like emeralds, the roofs of the houses were gold, and the windows were like diamonds. They were so bright that no lamps were needed.

Beautiful beings, all young women, as lovely in their outfits and looks as those who followed the Queen Mother, walked, played, or sang in the gardens. They swam and had fun in the blue waves, or rowed and sailed in boats that looked like they were made of marble, they were so white.

At a signal from the Queen, the singing stopped. Then, wave after wave of the sweetest melody came up from the musicians with their instruments in the gardens below.

Cat-kin thought she heard the chorus at intervals, their words rising through the air like pulses: “Welcome, lovely mortal! Our Queen invites you and we greet you! May her gifts be many for you and yours! Come, you honored among all Korean maidens! Join us, and we will love you as one of our own.”

In the blink of a falcon's eye—so brief it felt—the Mother Queen and her entourage arrived.

As the chariots reached the island, a group of radiant maidens approached, some to assist the [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]Queen Mother and others to guide Cat-kin to her own room in the palace. There, the most beautiful robes were placed on her, along with a cap adorned with sparkling, precious stones of various colors, and a pair of gold-embroidered velvet slippers.

Cat-kin was surprised when one of the shining maidens placed a royal tiara with five gems on her head.

"For me?" she asked, shocked.

“Yes, for you, whom the Heavenly Mother Queen would honor.”

“And what do these five gems—jade, crystal, malachite, amber, and agate—represent?” asked Cat-kin.

“Ah, that’s not for us to say, but the Queen Mother ordered these. Tomorrow she will explain the secret of each gem to you.”

Cat-kin walked around freely, enjoying the beautiful sights and sounds. She also ate with a strong appetite, feasting on the delicious food laid out before her. Yet she never felt sleepy, didn’t see any beds, and didn’t hear anyone mention going to bed. She wondered what they meant when they said “tomorrow,” because she saw no sun or moon or twilight. However, she didn’t dwell on these thoughts for long and eventually forgot about them all.

When the whole court and all the Queen Mother’s attendants had gathered, Her [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]Majesty’s chamberlain announced the proclamation, which stated that the Queen had a great affection for the Korean people and had decided to give them significant gifts. To do this, she had chosen and brought to her palace a Korean maid named Cat-kin, to bestow upon her, their daughter, five precious traits of personality and character. As a gesture of kindness and love, Her Majesty would now present and explain the significance of the five precious gems. These were jade, crystal, malachite, amber, and agate.

Cat-kin knelt down before the Queen, who placed the shining gems in Cat-kin’s hands, while a fairy attendant took them from her open palm and arranged each one on a red velvet cushion with a gold border. Then five maidens stood by, each with a gem resting on a cushion.

After the presentation ceremony was over, the Queen gave a speech that revealed the Korean maiden’s fortune and her future.

Cat-kin would be sent back over the clouds and ocean to the King’s palace in the capital of her homeland, where she would become a princess. Many nobles and princes from other countries, hearing about her beauty and her amazing visit to the Island of Gems, would come to court her as suitors. Many would ask for her hand in marriage, but she would marry only the king’s son, a prince from her own people. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

“Take these gems, beautiful lady, and share their qualities and what they signify with your people,” said the Queen. “A thousand years from now—as people measure time—we will revisit Korea together.”

Then both the Queen and Cat-kin, stepping into the silver chariot pulled by the fire-breathing dragons, soared up into the sky. First, they glided above the clouds and then dove down, heading towards Korea and flying over the mountains, carrying their precious cargo to the capital. They landed in a cloud, and the wheels of the chariot came to a halt before the palace gate.

Yet before any human eyes could see their true forms, the Queen Mother and the dragons had vanished, and Cat-kin stood alone, a striking maiden of stunning beauty, dressed in the robes bestowed by the Heavenly Queen Mother, which everyone instantly recognized as originating from the Island of Gems.

A crowd of court ladies, palace attendants, and a long line of nobles and princes were already waiting for the young woman, who they knew arrived carrying gifts from the Queen Mother, whom everyone had heard about since childhood. The five gems were arranged, each in a covered box made of fragrant wood, decorated with gold on top and inlaid with mother-of-pearl.

Escorted into the throne room by a group of [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]princesses, the Heavenly Mother’s gifts in the five caskets were carefully placed on silken fans, arranged on a table topped with five cushions of crimson velvet.

Then, by lottery and the words of the diviners, the first draw was given to a handsome prince. The other four nobles, one by one, took their turns and each got to choose one of the caskets, all of which looked the same, and none could be opened until the owner was back at home.

Now these were the gifts for the body and mind, with the polished gems being the symbols. Depending on which prince chose and received which gem, his children and future generations would inherit the characteristic that each gem represented. Over the centuries, these traits would become the defining features of twenty million Koreans.

One by one, the princes opened the caskets, and in them, he found a trait that defined the character of the Korean people. These were:

Procrastination—Delaying until tomorrow, or another time, what should be done today, and holding back not just one person but the entire nation.

Hospitality—Always happy to see friends, to host people, even strangers, and to look after family, even to the point of becoming poor—[__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] a practice taken too far as the years and centuries went by.

Inexactness—The tendency to not consistently think clearly, count accurately, or state facts precisely, and when telling a story, to “blow a conch;” that is, to exaggerate.

Love of family—How the mothers and fathers in Korea truly love their children, their family, and their relatives!

Sense of humor—A Korean can always find the funny side of things. He enjoys joking and handles his troubles well because he likes to smile. As for the girls, they laugh as easily as the rain falls or the flowers bloom.

And what the Queen Mother predicted turned out to be true. Just as a hand has five fingers, the average Korean people are recognized by five characteristics, for better or worse. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

Out in the ocean, far enough that no ship has ever gone there, lies an island with the seven-story palace of the royal lady, Su Wang Moo. In our language, her title means Western Queen Mother. She is always willing to help good people with her gifts and favors.

On this island, thousands of spirits are ready to follow the orders of the Queen Mother. She also has silver and gold chariots pulled by dragons, which she uses to send her messages everywhere.

The genies and most of the beautiful maidens stay at home to complete the Queen’s orders. Besides these helpers, she has hundreds of blue pigeons, which she frequently sends to distant places. In their beaks, or under their wings, they carry a gift or promise to bring joy to people.

In the minds of many young Korean women, there is a dream, or a hope, that one day the Western Queen Mother will send her beautiful silk clothes, with jewel necklaces, a charming young man to marry, and a silver ring for the wedding ceremony. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

Then she imagines how beautifully she will be dressed and how stunning she will look in her wedding outfit; how her long black hair will be styled high with flowers and rosettes adorning the crown of her head, and how she'll wear slippers trimmed with ermine. She wonders how she'll feel when she sips the cups of sacramental wine that will make her a wife, after which she will go with her husband to honor the memorial tablets of his ancestors.

She envisions all the happy times she'll share in her husband's home. What she hopes for the most, after all this, is to have a kind mother-in-law. Then she'll feel like a queen in her own little kingdom, surrounded by plenty of rice and kimchi, along with cakes and treats.

So it is that many Korean girls go out under the blue sky to look up at the stars, or on moonlit nights scan the heavens to see if the birds are coming. Hoping to greet the blue pigeons, they put on their best clothes and watch. They have many dreams.

Oh! how many boys also dream of genies and riding on the dragon’s back, crossing mountain ranges and vast oceans, and visiting strange, distant lands; or, they think about the pink coat they'll wear. The pink coat indicates that the boy is engaged to be married and will, when he grows up, be a husband to the little [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]girl who might still be in her cradle days; because in Korea, children and even babies in arms are engaged to be married to other children.

Then the boy imagines the day when the long braid of hair, which he currently has hanging down his back, will be styled into a topknot like a man’s. No matter how old a bachelor is, he has to keep this boy’s braid of hair. He must not speak or engage with his elders without first asking for permission. He has to be “seen and not heard” in gatherings, and everyone treats him like a child. So the boy also waits for the blue pigeons to arrive, because getting engaged at a young age or having a wife later on means a lot.

Then the young husband will put on a wide-brimmed hat after school and head to the city with his fellow villagers to take the literary exams. They'll all march together under a banner decorated with pheasant feathers. If he passes, he’ll come home to a parade with a band. Eventually, he will become a magistrate, sporting a string of amber beads over his ear and wearing a piece of gold-embroidered velvet on his chest. Servants will carry him in a palanquin, and his men will have wooden paddles to punish those who break the laws. Then he can strut around in starched, flowing white clothes, with the common people afraid of him. No wonder the boy is eager for the arrival of the blue pigeon! [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

Now in the gardens of the Queen’s Palace, on the Island of Gems, there are amazing fruits of a rich, ripe color, shining with light and luster. When these are served at banquets and eaten, they have the ability to make the guest live for a very long time, even for thousands of years.

Especially powerful is the heavenly peach of longevity, which is served on small golden tables; its juice rejuvenates an old person's body, so anyone who eats the peach will live for hundreds of years.

Sometimes the Queen sends one of these fruits to her favorites on Earth. However, no one can ever get any of these peaches unless the Queen herself gives them, and the peach trees are always carefully protected by genies and dragons. Not even the Queen’s servants, waiting maids, genies, or dragons can grant the peach of longevity to mortals.

Now it turned out that the Queen, having heard about the qualities of a certain king’s son, sent one of her beautiful maidens in one of her many dragon chariots to invite him to visit her in the Island of Gems. She also sent a message to the prince’s parents, letting them know that their son would return before the end of the month, which was currently in its first quarter. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

His worried mother, who had already chosen a bride for her son, warned him not to gaze too long at the beautiful princesses or charming maids in the Queen’s Palace of Gems. Deep down, she had her doubts. She was concerned for her beloved son, thinking that beneath their lovely faces and enchanting eyes, they might actually be sirens or even sea monsters in disguise, ready to devour him.

She also urged him to be very careful about etiquette. He needed to be especially proper, because the rules of behavior and manners might not be the same as those among polite people on Earth. Additionally, he had to pay attention to everything and, when he got back home, tell her all about it.

On the other hand, the Queen of the Island of Gems warned the beautiful young woman, a princess she had sent, to be careful that the prince didn't fall for her, either during the journey or once they arrived at the island. If he attempted to convince her to marry him and stay on Earth instead of returning to the Island of Gems and her responsibilities to the Queen, the palace maid would be disgraced and meet an early death.

Although the Queen laughed when she said it and quoted the proverb, “Don’t trust a pigeon to carry grain,” she was actually quite serious, and the young woman understood that it wouldn’t be wise to go against the royal wishes. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

So this reserved princess made a strong decision to be very cautious. She decided that when she met the prince, she would act very aloof. When conveying the Queen’s invitation, she would seem to treat it as merely a business matter, though quite significant. She would not remain in the prince’s home for more than an hour.

When the dragon chariot was headed home, she would be quiet. She wouldn’t talk or say anything, nor would she let the prince sit next to her. Instead, she would stay in the front seat closest to the dragon, while he rode on the back of the huge creature.

It was a really quiet journey for the prince as the chariot flew over the clouds, with the earth and oceans far below. At times, he sat on the dragon's back like it was a saddle, but eventually, he climbed back into the chariot. All the while, he was so excited by the speed and the grandeur of it all that, honestly, he forgot about the beautiful princess who had delivered the Queen's message, until he found himself at the Queen's Palace of Gems and was invited to step out of the chariot.

Soon he was seated with others, similarly honored, at the table that was filled with gold and silver dishes piled high with the finest food. The guests, all dressed in elegant clothes like the prince, were served by beautiful young women [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] wearing golden garments adorned with sparkling jewels of exceptional craftsmanship.

Upon one of these lovely girls, a maiden who looked to be around sixteen, not far from where he sat, the prince fixed his gaze. She was kneeling on the floor, ready to obey his wishes. He was so overwhelmed by her beauty that he could barely focus on the conversation at the table. Despite his mother's warning, he made several errors in etiquette.

Yet his appetite was really good after his long journey, and he ate heartily of the delicious food. Towards the end of the feast, feeling cheerful, he picked up one of the peaches. He then peeled and sliced it, thoroughly enjoying its juicy sweetness. Every bite of the fruit made him feel like he was gaining a century of energy. He knew he was extending his life and boosting his ability to enjoy the pleasures he'd always loved.

Indeed, the prince was much less of a scholar and student than he should have been. Often at home, when his teachers were all there and ready to start the day’s lessons, the boy was still playing outside. His older sister would jokingly say about her brother, “He never let his studies get in the way of his education.”

Yet every moment this young woman kneeling near [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] him seemed to become more beautiful in her face and figure, her clothing and accessories, and the ease and grace of her movements. In fact, she seemed to be the very embodiment of all things lovely, and the prince couldn't take his eyes off her. He didn't realize that this was the effect of eating the peach of longevity, because the young woman was no more attractive at the end of the banquet than she had been at the beginning. The change was in him, not in her.

So drunk was the prince that he completely forgot himself and what his mother had warned him not to do. He chose one of the best-looking peaches from the golden basket on the table and threw it over to the beautiful maiden.

On her part, the maid of honor had been so captivated by the young and princely guest that when he signaled he was going to toss her a peach, she broke the rules of the Palace of Gems. She stretched out her hands and caught the peach skillfully, as if she were playing catch.

The palace ladies were all shocked. They had been taught that, besides fulfilling their duties of waiting and serving, they shouldn’t pay attention to anything the guests said or did. When the guests were intoxicated, they might just be mocking the attendants. They were supposed to refuse any personal attention and stick to their job of serving. But instead of looking away, bowing low with her face to the ground, or keeping her [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]eyes downcast, the maid actually threw out her hands, caught the peach, and to the horror of everyone watching, took a bite and swallowed the piece.

What happened in the very next moment, even the fairies couldn't say or clearly remember; because a golden mist seemed to descend in the banquet hall, covering everything.

It turns out that right here in the story, there's a significant gap. At moments like this, the Korean storyteller, who is sitting in his booth on one of the back streets of Seoul, would stop and send his boy to collect donations from the audience. He wouldn't continue until everyone had a chance to contribute and the coins were rattling in the gourd shell.

When he started again, some said it was the same story continuing. Others believed it was a new story, but that the palace maid and the prince were the same two who had been in the banquet hall of the Western Queen Mother, in the Island of Gems, and that the peach had never lost its qualities, because it was given by the Queen. But anyway, this is how the story went on:

More than a thousand years later, it was known that in the high mountains of the Ever White range lived a holy man, a hermit, who was respected and almost worshiped by the people in that area. During the summer, hundreds of pilgrims [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] visited his hut to hear his wise advice on how to live well and do good, and then to receive the hermit’s blessing. Even the wild animals seemed tame in his presence. They never tried to bite or attack one another, harm the old man, or destroy his simple home. The tigers, leopards, and bears appeared to forget they had claws or teeth while their little cubs played peacefully with each other.

The hermit's outfit was from an ancient style that was a thousand years old, dating back to the time of the ancient Ko dynasty.

One day, while out for one of his walks, this old, white-bearded hermit met a woman with a lovely face who looked quite young because her skin was smooth and rosy. She seemed to have traveled a long way, yet she walked with the energetic step of a young girl still in her teens. Her dress indicated that it was from a long-ago era, similar to the styles shown in cave paintings found in the dolmens or the massive stone chambers where kings and powerful figures were buried, many of which can still be found in Korea from ten or fifteen centuries ago.

The hermit and the maid met on the path under the tall pine tree and exchanged greetings, with the lady bowing deeply. Then, as she looked up into his eyes, her face lit up with joy as if she recognized a dear friend.. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

The sage asked who she was and if she was the wandering lady that rumors said had been seen for centuries across all nine provinces of Korea, by both great-grandparents and the children of that time.

Then she shared her story.

She was the same palace maid who had served him in the Western Queen Mother’s palace on the Island of Gems, where he had once been a carefree prince and was now a holy hermit. Then she bowed low again.

For catching and eating the peach that the royal guest had thrown to her, and breaking the palace rules, the Queen had ordered her banishment for a thousand years.

But during all this time, she had been searching for the prince who had thrown her the peach of longevity; she knew that neither she nor he could die until a thousand years had passed. However, none of the men she met, no matter how handsome, smart, or rich they were, lived up to the ideal of the young man she had seen so long ago. Unable to find him, she returned to the Island of Gems, traveling on the back of a dragon, and humbly asked the Queen to extend her life until she could meet the one she loved so much, even if it took her hundreds more years of wandering and waiting.

The Mother Queen heard her request and kindly granted the maiden more time to live. So [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]she continued her journey on earth. Now, after meeting the holy hermit, she felt joyful because she was certain she had found the same prince, looking wise beyond his years, but she could see his true essence.

The hermit listened with pleasure to the lady’s story about her life in the palace and her adventures over a thousand years in search of her loved one; and, in particular, that she had been open to having the Mother Queen decide her future.

As for the hermit, his long white beard that brushed against his chest vanished, his bald head was instantly covered with thick black hair, and he became young again in her presence, with a lively step and bright eyes. He couldn't be more rosy in complexion, as the pure life he had lived kept his skin pink. They spent many hours together, joyfully sharing their experiences in the Island of Gems.

Then both agreed that now, since they had met again, they would happily accept the Queen’s decision regarding them both, and do whatever Her Majesty commanded.

But already a legendary flying dragon, known for collecting news from all corners of the universe, had informed the Queen about the lovers' meeting on the mountain path and their sincere intention to dedicate their future to Her Majesty in the Island of Gems. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

Suddenly, the couple heard a sweet melody coming from near the mountain top, like a fairy playing a lute. With each passing second, the music seemed to get closer. Soon, a large white cloud filled with fragrant scents, similar to incense, surrounded them. To their amazement, they saw a golden chariot pulled by two dragons with emerald-green eyes approaching where they stood. The prince-hermit and the maiden were then lifted into the chariot and quickly carried over clouds, mountains, and seas to the Island of Gems. There, the Queen arranged for their marriage, and after a beautiful wedding, they lived happily ever after. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

A long time ago, there was a powerful Fire Spirit living in a mountain to the southwest of Seoul, the capital of Korea. He was always hungry, and his food was anything that could burn. He consumed trees, forests, dry grass, wood, and whatever else he could find. When those weren’t available, he ate stones and rocks. He loved the flames but spit out the hard stuff as lava.

This Fire Monster spent most of his time in a massive volcano not too far away, but still visible from the capital. The city folks would often see smoke billowing from the crater during the day and red flames flickering from sunset to sunrise, making the entire sky look like it was on fire. They believed the Fire Spirit was illuminating his palace. On cloudy nights, the inside of the volcano shone like a furnace. The molten material inside the crater cast a glow on the clouds, almost allowing one to see into the monster’s belly.

But nothing tasted as good to the Fire Eater as things that people built, like houses, stables, [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]fences, and general property. One particular treat that he really wanted to devour was the royal palace.

Looking out of its crater one day, he saw the king’s palace all shiny and brand new, rising in the City of Seoul. Then he chuckled and said to himself, because he was very happy:

“There’s a feast for me! I’ll just step out of my mountain home and enjoy that tasty treat. I wonder what the king will think of it.”

But the Fire Spirit wasn't in a rush. He was confident he would get his meal. So, he waited until his friend, the South Wind, was ready to join him.

“Just tell me when you’re ready,” said the Fire Spirit to the South Wind, “and we’ll have an amazing fire. We’ll rise up at night and have a fun dance before they can throw any water on us. Keep the rain clouds out of the loop about our little party.”

The South Wind promised readily, as she was always happy to have some fun.

So when the sun went down and it got dark, the Fire Spirit climbed out of his rocky home in the volcano and walked toward Seoul. The South Wind danced and leaped with him until the streets of the capital were so windy that no one wearing a wide-brimmed hat dared to go outside, for fear that a sudden gust might blow off their hat. As for the men in mourning, who wore straw hats a yard wide and as big and deep as wash tubs, they locked themselves indoors and played checkers. By the time all the palace guards had fallen asleep, the Fire Spirit was ready. He said to the South Wind:

“Blow, blow, your biggest blast, as I start to touch the roofs of the smaller houses. This will sharpen my appetite for the palace, and then together we’ll devour them all.”

Not until they heard a loud roar and crackling did people in Seoul push back their paper windows to see what was happening. Oh, what a fire! It seemed to reach up to the sky with red flames that licked the stars. Those who could see towards the palace thought the sun had come up, but soon the sound of crashing roofs and huge columns of smoke and fire, along with clouds of sparks, revealed the awful truth. By the time the sun did rise, there was nothing left but a flat stretch of ashes where the large buildings used to be. Even the smoke had been blown away by the wind.

When the king and his people in the palace, who had saved themselves by running quickly, reflected on their loss, they started to figure out how to stop the Fire Monster in case it decided to go out for another stroll and consume the king's home.

A meeting of wise individuals was organized to tackle the issue. Many thoughtful heads were bent in deep contemplation over the matter. All the firefighters, stone cutters, fortune tellers, dragon handlers, geomancers, and those skilled at preventing fires were invited to share their insights on the best way to battle the insatiable Fire Demon.

After weeks of thinking about the problem, they all agreed that a dragon from China should be brought to Korea. If kept in a swamp and well-fed, it would definitely keep the Fire Imp from wandering too close to Seoul. Plus, the dragon knew how to entertain and convince the South Wind not to get involved in the trouble.

So, at great expense and effort, one of China’s largest dragons, capable of creating rain and spraying tons of water on its foes, was brought over and kept in a swamp. It was awarded a royal decoration, allowed to wear a string of amber beads around its ear, given a horsehair hat, a nobleman's sash, and fed as many turnips as it wanted to eat. In every way, it was treated like the king’s favorite.

But it was all for nothing. Money and favors were both wasted. The spoiled dragon made it rain too often, leaving the land waterlogged. When it was told to stop, it became moody and ignored its responsibilities. Eventually, it became lazy and one night fell asleep when it should have been on watch, because the winds were out causing a stir.

Seeing his jailer caught off guard, the Fire Imp jumped out of its volcano prison, quickly rode [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] on the South Wind to Seoul, and within a few hours had once again consumed the royal palace. The next day, all that remained were ashes, which the Fire Monster didn't care about any more than we care for nutshells after the nuts are gone.

With big tears in their eyes, the king and his wise men gathered again to come up with a new plan to keep the Fire Imp away. They were prepared to drown him or watch him get eaten because he had already destroyed the palace twice. They sent the Chinese dragon home, and this time, in addition to the fortune-tellers and the stone masons, they also invited the well-diggers. For many days, the wise men studied maps, discussed geography, examined mountains, valleys, and the volcano, and looked into air currents. Finally, one man known for his extensive knowledge of wood and water, forests and rivers, spoke up:

“It’s clear that the fire has always come from the southwest and up this valley,” pointing to a map.

“Yeah, that’s right,” yelled all the wise men.

"Well, let's dig a big pond right in his way, an actual artificial lake that's really deep, where the Fire Monster will fall in. This will put him out, and he won't be able to go any further."

“Agreed, agreed,” shouted the wise men in unison. “Why didn't we think of this earlier?”

All the skilled well and ditch diggers were [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]called to the capital. With shovels and spades, they worked for weeks. Then they let water from the river flow in until the pond was full.

So everyone in Seoul went to bed thinking that the king’s palace was definitely safe now.

But the Fire Imp, noticing the dragon had left and sensing his chance, climbed out of his volcano and set out for another meal. This time, the South Wind was busy elsewhere and couldn’t accompany him. He went alone, but when he arrived at the pond, he stumbled and got himself so soaked that he felt cold and almost extinguished by the time he reached the palace, which was only half burned. So, he went home grumbling and hungry.

Again, the wise men were called, and the first thing they did was thank the well-digger who created the pond. The king summoned him to his presence to grant him and his children titles. He received four rolls of silk, forty pounds of white ginseng, a tiger-skin robe, sixty dried chestnuts, and forty-four strings of copper coins. Burdened with such Korean wealth and honors, the man fell to his hands and knees and thanked His Majesty gratefully.

Then they called the master stonecutter or head of the guild and asked him if he could carve out a figure of a beast that could eat flames and be ugly enough to scare off the Fire Imp.

The master had long hoped that he would be [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]invited to create this piece of sculpture, but until now, the king and Court had feared it might be too expensive.

So the order was given, and a massive block of white granite was removed from the mountains and transported to Seoul on rollers, pushed, pulled, and lifted by thousands of laborers. Then, concealed behind canvas to keep it a secret from the Fire Imp, the workers labored. Hammers and chisels clinked away, until one day the Great Stone Flame Eater was ready to take his permanent place in front of the palace gate, guarding the royal buildings and treasures.

The Fire Imp laughed when the South Wind told him what the Koreans in the capital were up to, even though she warned him about the risk of being eaten.

“I'll go out and see for myself anyway,” said the Fire Imp.

One night he sneaked out quietly and made his way toward the city. He almost drowned in the pond, but gathering his courage, he pressed on until he was close to the king’s home. Hearing the Fire Imp approaching, the Great Flame Eater turned his head and licked his lips in anticipation of gulping down the Fire Imp whole, just like a toad does with a fly.

But just one glance at the ugly stone monster was enough for the Fire Imp. There, in front of him, on [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]a tall pedestal was something never seen before in heaven or on earth. It had huge fire-resistant scales like a salamander, with curly hair resembling asbestos, and its mouth was filled with large fangs. It was so hideous that it could give even a Volcano Spirit the creeps.

“Just imagine those jaws clamping down on me,” said the Fire Imp to himself, as he looked at them and their fangs. “I really think that creature is part alligator and part tortoise. I should head home. No dinner this time!”

So just by his icy stare, the Great Flame Eater scared off the Fire Imp, so he never returned and the royal palace was never burned. Today, the ugly creature still stands guard. Just looking at him lets you appreciate this story. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

Pear Blossom was the name of a little Korean maid who was suddenly left without a mother. When her father, Kang Wa, a high-ranking magistrate, remarried, he chose a proud widow, and their daughter was named Violet. Both mother and daughter disliked housework and made Pear Blossom clean the rice, cook the meals, and tend to the fire in the kitchen. They treated Pear Blossom terribly; besides never saying a kind word, they called her Pigling or Little Pig, which often made the girl cry.

It didn't help to complain to her dad because he was always busy. He smoked his long pipe and played checkers for hours, seeming to care more about having his great white coat properly starched and polished than about his daughter’s happiness. His linen had to be beaten until it shone like frost, and apart from his wide-brimmed black horsehair hat, he looked perfectly white when he left the house for the Government office.

[__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

Poor Pigling had to do the washing, starching, and glossing, along with the kitchen work, and the sound of her laundry stick could be heard in the outer room until after midnight, long after her unfeeling stepsister and mother had gone to bed.

There was going to be a big festival in the city, and for many days, everyone was busy preparing at home to get the father dressed in his finest robe and hat, while the women got ready in their fancy outfits to go out and see the king and the royal parade.

Poor Pigling really wanted to see the parade, but the mean stepmother, putting a huge straw bag of unhulled rice and a big cracked water jar in front of her, told her she had to husk all the rice and fill the jug with water from the well before she could go out onto the street.

What a job it was to shell three bushels of rice with her fingers and fill up a leaky container! Pigling cried hard. How could it ever be accomplished?

While she was lost in thought and opening the straw bag to start spreading the rice out on mats, she heard a whir and a flurry of wings, and down came a flock of pigeons. They first landed on her head and shoulders, and then, hopping to the floor, they began diligently using their beaks and claws, and in just a few minutes the rice was in a clean, white, and glistening heap, while with their pink toes they pulled [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]away the hulls and set these aside in a separate pile.

Then, after a lot of chattering and cooing, the flock took off and flew away.

Pigling was so amazed by the incredible work of the birds that she hardly knew how to express her gratitude. But, unfortunately, there was still the broken pot that needed to be filled. Just as she grabbed the bucket to start, a sooty black imp named Tokgabi crawled out of the fire hole.

“Don’t cry,” he squeaked. “I’ll fix the broken part and fill the big jar for you.” Right away, he sealed the crack with clay, and after pouring a dozen buckets of water from the well into the crock, it was filled to the brim and water spilled over on all sides. Then Tokgabi the imp bowed and crawled back into the flues before the amazed girl could thank her helper.

So Pigling had time to put on her simple yet clean clothes that were pure white. She set off and saw the royal banners and the king’s magnificent procession of thousands of loyal men.

The next time, the stepmother and her favorite daughter planned a picnic in the mountains. So the snacks were prepared and Pigling had to work hard to starch the dresses they would wear—jackets, long skirts, belts, sashes, and more—until she was nearly exhausted. Yet instead of thanking or encouraging her, the cruel stepmother told Pigling she couldn't go out until [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]she had pulled all the weeds from the garden and cleared the grass from between the stones of the path.

Again, the poor girl's face was wet with tears. She was left home alone while the others went off in nice clothes, with plenty to eat and drink, for a day of celebration.

While crying like this, a large black cow approached, and out of its big, watery eyes seemed to shine compassion for the kitchen worker. Then, in ten bites, the animal devoured the weeds, and, between its hooves and lips, quickly finished off the grass in the stone pathway.

With her tears dried, Pigling followed this amazing creature out over the meadows and into the woods, where she discovered the most delicious fruit she had ever seen. She tasted it and enjoyed herself, indulging to the fullest before returning home.

When the jealous stepsister heard about the amazing things the black cow was doing, she decided she wanted to have a feast in the forest too. So, on the next big holiday, she stayed home and let the kitchen servant go see the royal parade. Pigling couldn't understand why she was excused, even for a little while, from her chores, but she was even more surprised by the cash gift from her stepmother to spend on treats. Gratefully thanking the woman, she put on her best clothes and quickly made her way to the main street, enjoying [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]the lively sights and watching the happy people. There were tightrope dancers, music from drummers and flutists playing by bands of wandering performers, tricks from magicians and street performers, with miming and castanet performances, singing girls posing, and all kinds of fun. Boys selling honey candy, barley sugar, and sweets were everywhere. At the dining hall, Pigling had a delicious dinner of fried fish, boiled rice with red peppers, turnips, dried persimmons, roasted chestnuts, and candied oranges, and she felt as happy as a queen.

The selfish stepsister stayed home, not to help Pigling with work, but to see the amazing cow. So, when the black cow showed up and saw that its friend was gone and had nothing to do, it wandered off into the forest.

The stepsister quickly followed the cow's path, but the animal decided to run fast and headed into rough areas. Before long, the girl found herself in a swamp, muddy, filthy, and full of thorny bushes. Still hoping for some amazing fruit, she continued on until she was exhausted and the cow was nowhere in sight. Then, covered in mud and a mess, she tried to head back, but the thorny bushes ripped her clothes, hurt her hands, and scratched her face so badly that by the time she finally made it home, nearly collapsed, she was in tatters and her beauty was gone.

But Pigling, plump and rosy, looked so beautiful that a young man from the south, from a good family [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]and visiting the capital at that time, was captivated by her beauty. Since he was looking for a wife, he quickly tried to find out where she lived. Then he arranged for a mediator to visit both families and handle all the details for the engagement and marriage.

The wedding was magnificent. The groom, Su-wen, wore elegant white and black silk robes, along with a luxurious horsehair cap and headdress that signified his status as a Yang-ban, or gentleman. Across his chest, held by a silver-studded sash, was a golden square embroidered with flying cranes above the waves—the symbols of civil office. He was tall, handsome, well-educated, and quite well-known as a poet, in addition to being well-versed in the classics.

Charming, indeed, looked Pear Blossom, as she was called again, in her brocade robe and long undersleeves that extended from her inner dress of pure white silk. Her dainty red leather shoes curved up at the toes. With a silver belt featuring detailed cutouts, a high-waisted long skirt, and several layers of her inner silk robes showing gracefully at the neck, along with the silver wedding ring on her finger, she looked as beautiful as a princess.

Besides her wedding gift, her father asked Pear Blossom what she wanted as a special present. When she told him, he laughed out loud. Still, he granted her wish, and to this day, in [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] the boudoir of Pear Blossom, now Mrs. Su-wen, there's an earthen figure of a black cow made from the clay of her home province, while the pigeons love to gather around a pear tree that blooms every spring and showers the ground with a flurry of fragrant petals. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

The city of Seoul is located by the Han River, which runs all the way across Korea from the high mountains to the flat sea. For most Koreans back in the day, when travel abroad was rare, Seoul was considered the center of the universe.

All roads in the kingdom led to this amazing city, filled with large shops and bustling streets full of lively people in fancy clothes. The gentlemen in their crisp, bright white outfits walked proudly with their heads held high. When they sat on the small Korean ponies, which are about the size of Newfoundland dogs, it looked like elephants were trying to ride on donkeys.

From morning to night, the streets were busy with traffic and activity. All the amazing items brought by the Arabs from India, and by merchants from Japan and China, were available to buy in the Korean capital.

A thousand bulls loaded with hay and firewood came through the city gates into Seoul every [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]day. You could see them passing by, but mostly just their legs, tails, and horns were visible. During breakfast and dinner, clouds of blue smoke rose up from tens of thousands of low, and often underground chimneys, carrying the heat and smoke from the kitchens, where delicious meals were being cooked. The cartloads of bags filled with rice, millet, barley, fruits and vegetables, snacks and cookies, jars and dishes, seen in the shops, would create a mountain.

Palaces, pagodas, temples, and the mansions of nobles and rich people made the area where the king lived very beautiful, while beyond them were the tall stone city walls, either white or covered in vines.

When the sun went down behind the mountains, the gates were closed, and no one could enter until morning. Each time the gates closed or opened, the musicians played upbeat songs, and the big bell rang to announce the time of sunrise and sunset. The band included drums, flutes, trumpets, and string instruments.

At night, from inside the house and bars, you could hear the sounds of celebration—music, singing, dancing, and feasting—that often went on until morning.

Out on the Great South Mountain, a huge fire blazed and the flames shot high into the air. This was the welcoming message that everything was peaceful throughout the entire kingdom. On hilltops and [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]mountains, from the snowy peaks of the Ever White Mountain to the islands in the Southern Sea, and from the east coast to the west coast, these signal fires burned brightly. Flames responding to flames created a signal confirming that all was well.

But at nine o’clock, Seoul outdoors became a women’s city. All boys and men had to leave the streets. Any male caught by the police would be taken to the magistrate’s office and would receive a harsh beating with wooden paddles from the public spankers. Then the women and adult girls, old and young, went outside, enjoyed the fresh air, took walks, visited each other, and had a great time with play, conversation, and gossip. But by midnight, everyone had to be indoors.

It was no surprise then that in the countryside, farmers and villagers believed that Seoul, the capital, was the most amazing city in the world. If they ever heard of London, Paris, or New York, they thought those names on the map were just small towns. How could any city compare to or be better than Seoul? The very thought was ridiculous!

In every village, even the kids dreamed of visiting the city someday. They often imagined flying through the air on the back of a dragon to get there. It was believed that anything a regular person or even the never-satisfied Tokgabi wanted could be found in Seoul. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

Now in a village up north, which we could call Cucumberville, lived a miller, Mr. Kim, and his wife, Cho. The man had worked hard for many years and amassed piles of coins made of iron and brass, which he kept hidden under a rafter in the roof. He had long planned to visit the royal city, and his wife encouraged him, as she wanted a new dress, a comb, and a pair of shoes like the ones city people wear. His daughters said they would like to have belts, ermine-trimmed slippers, and silver hairpins. Kim felt he really should go, to please both himself and his family.

So, one beautiful May morning, he set out to walk to Seoul and check out the sights. His wife and daughters, bowing their heads to the paper carpet, asked him to bring back the nice things they often talked about, and whatever else he found that would make him happy.

His loyal wife warned him to be careful of thieves and robbers and not to leave his money lying around at the inns along the way. When he was in Seoul, he shouldn’t go into the bars or visit the dancing girls called ge-sang (or geisha), or waste his money on stupid things. There were a lot of bad people around, and she had heard that in addition to the polite crowd, there were also rude individuals in the capital. She believed this must be true, since there was a saying that supported it.

On his part, Kim warned his wife that since it was still chilly outside, she should keep the kitchen fires going to keep the house warm and ensure the girls didn’t get sick. She also needed to be careful of robbers. These dangerous men had a habit of coming after midnight, when the fire was out, and quietly loosening the stones in the foundation under the floor to get inside, as well as into the rooms through the flues. The house had to be locked up tightly and the door barricaded at night to prevent any prowling leopard or tiger from getting in. If she heard any scratching or clawing on the roof, she should hit the gong. This would alert the villagers, and the men would rush out with torches to drive off the predators. If she heard the pigs squealing in the pen, she needed to sound the alarm because the tigers preferred Korean pork even more than Korean people.

Now Kim was a top-notch guy. When he was at home, he was really good at striking a deal when buying beans, millet, or rice, and he was skilled at grinding barley or cutting up straw for the donkeys. But once he stepped inside the city walls, you'd think "he was clueless," as the Koreans say.

For with so many unusual sights and sounds, he was bewildered. Like a big fool, he stood on the main street, mouth agape. As the crowds passed by, he wondered where all the people came from and how they made a living. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

He found the saying to be true that “There are rude people, even in Seoul,” as one guy shouted at him, asking if he planned to swallow the moon. Some of the boys laughed at him, and one said his mouth was like a birdhouse, and something might fly in.

Kim looked at a lot of things in the shops, but when he asked how much they cost, he nearly fainted. He was genuinely shocked by the prices and moved on. However, he did buy some nice things for his wife and daughters, like a fan, a roll of silk for a dress, a box of hairpins, some amber beads, and a silver ring, so that when his oldest daughter, who was about to get married, became a bride, she would have everything she needed.

While in the silk shop, the clerk who sold him the goods noticed that Kim was from the countryside and thought he would have a bit of fun. So he told Kim about the fairies and pointed to a shop across the street. There, if he looked at the round object that the shopkeeper would happily show him, he would see and feel things like never before.

Immediately, Kim crossed the street to the shop that made metal items—bright, shiny, polished, and silver. He stood in front of a round object that looked like the moon. Inside it was a man’s face. It was the face of someone he thought he recognized. He imagined it was a man about his own age, [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] but he couldn’t quite figure out who it was or remember his name, even though he was certain he had seen him before. When he turned around suddenly, hoping to catch a friend—or maybe a neighbor—from his hometown by surprise, there was no one nearby. He looked again. There it was! Had his friend hidden and then come back?

When Kim moved out of the way, he lost sight of the face, but when he stood in front of this round object, there was the same man again in the mirror, because that’s what the shiny metal was.

When Kim laughed, the guy laughed too. When he made a funny face or grimaced, the other person, whoever he was, did the same. No matter how quickly Kim turned around to catch him, he was gone.

Now Kim had never seen a mirror before and didn't know what it was. Still, thinking it was almost like fairy magic, he bought the metal disc and took it home with him.

When he got home, he had to first unpack the boxes filled with nice things for the women in his family because the girls were eager to see what their dad had brought for them.

They were so caught up in their gifts that they didn’t see what Mr. Kim had bought for himself. He placed the case with the mirror on the table and stored some other purchases in the large cabinet, decorated with mother-of-pearl, that [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]stood in the main room. After that, he went out to check on his mill, and the pigs, the donkey, and the bull.

No sooner had the girls opened the mirror case than awful things happened. The mother, who was standing behind her daughter, saw the face of a young woman and was shocked to find a stranger, as she believed, in her house. Immediately, she erupted in a fit of jealous rage.

“Your dad has brought home another woman, a ge-sang, from Seoul to replace me. What does he mean?”

At the same time, the daughter, noticing a reflection in the shiny metal, exclaimed, “No mom, we won’t let any strange woman take your place. Plus, she’s too young and will end up being a tyrant to us.”

Hearing the loud voices and crying, the grandmother walked in slowly and asked what was going on.

“Look, see for yourself what our dad brought home to make us unhappy.”

Seeing the mirror, Granny looked into it for a moment. Then she also burst into a fit of anger and shouted, “I won’t have this old woman in our house. It’s enough for my son to support me and his family. Oh, why did he go to Seoul?”

By this point, there was such a commotion with four women—young, middle-aged, and old—crying so loudly that each of them quickly went through three paper [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]handkerchiefs before they could wipe away their tears.

While still yelling, “ugo, ugo!” very loudly, grandpa came in, shaking his stick and telling them to be quiet. Then, seeing their tear-streaked faces, he asked what was going on.

“See for yourself,” said his wife. Then she handed him the metal troublemaker, like nothing anyone had ever seen in the village before.

At that moment, the old man turned nearly purple with anger.

“What,” he shouted in his hoarse voice, “is my son so disrespectful as to bring another old man into the house? How can he take care of two fathers? Where will he get the kimchi and millet for the old guy to eat?” Then he tossed the mirror into its box and slammed the lid shut.

All this time, while jealousy was consuming these angry people and threatening to tear the family apart, the noise grew so loud that the husband left his pigs and his mill and rushed in to see what was going on.

At that moment, his wife, who was a very strong woman, charged at him, grabbed his topknot, pulled him, and dragged him across the floor and outside into the street, not stopping until she reached the judge's house to share her troubles. There, she spun a terrible story. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

Once she was in front of the important man with the impressive hat and a string of amber beads dangling from his ear, she shared the story of what her husband had brought back from Seoul, which had disrupted the peace of their family. Surely, he intended to return to the capital and take a young wife! In her anger, she couldn't stop talking for even a second.

She accused her husband of every crime in the books. However, the only thing she could prove was that he had brought a round, metal object into the house. She told the judge it was filled with as much dark magic as Tokgabi and all his demons.

Now the other family members also accused the miller. They backed up the wife's account and insisted that every detail was true because all five witnesses agreed on their version of the events.

When the chatter finally calmed down a bit, the judge, who had been smoking a brass-bowled pipe with a stem about a yard long and a bowl the size of a chestnut, asked,

“In what form did you say this dark magic came?”

At this, the miller's elderly father pulled out the box, opened it, and passed the metal mirror to the judge, who had never seen anything like it before. In fact, he had only left his district [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] once, when he attended exams years ago in Seoul. Even then, he spent so much time with his classmates and was cooped up in his small room writing his essays that he barely saw anything of the city.

When he raised the mirror to his face, he suddenly looked like a demon in his anger and acted just like everyone else in the courtroom.

On the surface of the round object he was holding, he saw a man in official robes, like the ones only distinguished individuals wear. He had a tall round hat on his head, similar to those that only judges wear, while on his right ear dangled a string of twenty-eight large round amber beads.

When he held the mirror down in front of him, he also noticed the embroidered breastpiece and the small silver stork that held the folds of a judge’s coat together, while a decorated belt was around his waist.

All of this made him nearly choke with anger at the thought of another magistrate coming into the village of Cucumberville to take his spot.

What should he do for a salary? If he lost his job, how would he support his elderly parents and his twenty-five struggling relatives? He imagined himself as a beggar in his old age.

Speechless with anger, there was silence in the courtroom for at least half a minute. Even the [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]women didn't speak. Everyone looked at each other to see what would happen next.

But the peace lasted no longer than thirty seconds, because the storm erupted again when the jealous wife grabbed her husband by his topknot to pull him home. She was worried that the magistrate was so angry and jealous that he might postpone the court.

Just when the commotion was at its peak, a messenger burst into the courtroom to announce that the royal inspector, coming straight from the king, was on his observation tour in the province. He would be at the courthouse gate in five minutes.

Immediately, the jealous wife released her husband's topknot. The magistrate called for order and positioned his subordinates as per the protocol for welcoming the king’s representatives. Then, the magistrate, fixing his hat and topknot that had become disheveled in his agitation, went out to greet his esteemed guest, the Royal Inspector. After exchanging greetings, he waved his hand to signal his superior to take the main seat of honor.

Once all the formalities were finished, the high-ranking officer asked about the reasons for the troubles and the details of the case.

The local magistrate placed the mirror on a silk cushion and gave both to his highness, the inspector, saying: [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

“Please, your honor, this is what has made us all jealous devils. What is it?”

Then this guy from the capital, who was used to the comforts and conveniences of the big city and the luxury of the palace, explained what a mirror was. He gently scolded them for their foolishness and sent them away, telling them that whenever he or she felt angry or jealous, they should go outside and pull the tops off five turnips; or, drink a cup of rice water slowly before saying an angry word.

Thereupon, the miller's wife fell to the ground and apologized to her husband. Then, the whole family, both young and old, laughed heartily at their mistakes while walking home.

When a Korean starts to laugh, it can be tough for him to stop; but after about half an hour, everything was quiet again. After that, almost everyone who could afford it bought a mirror. All the girls in the village eventually had one.

They used to look into its face so often to see their own that the oiled-paper carpet in front of the mirror wore out pretty quickly in many homes.

In Seoul, the mirror-makers were curious about what had happened in Cucumberville, the village long known only for its cucumbers, but they couldn’t help but celebrate and got rich. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

The fairies in the Korean province of Kang Wen, which means River Meadow, were having a blast when one of them shared how they pranked an ox-driver they called Old Timber Top. This story will explain how he got such a strange name.

This driver was a wealthy and stingy guy who had made a fortune in lumber. He used to buy up all the trees he could find. Then he would have them cut down and sawed into logs and boards. His workers would haul them away in their rough carts, pulled by sturdy bulls, to his lumber yard. In the winter, they used sleds, but whether it was snowy and icy or the season of blooming trees and flowers, the animal used to pull sleds or carts was always a bull.

For in Korea, horses or donkeys don't know how to pull anything. The ponies and donkeys are too small. Since they're not used to the work, if they're harnessed, they would kick the wagon to pieces.

They can carry loads on their backs, but the bulls can do this too, so the creature with horns [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] is seen as the most valuable pack animal. Plus, he brings in money and provides good meals once his owner is done with him.

You can see these patient carriers loaded with brushwood or sticks piled so high they look like they’re carrying little mountains of twigs, grass, and leaves for kindling, or heavy logs of wood for fuel. But when the bull is very young, just a baby, he has a better time than a colt or little donkey because he lives indoors and is the kids’ pet.

Old Timber Top sold his logs and boards for such high prices that it hurt the poor. They were cold and couldn’t afford to pay so much cash for fuel. People used to say he would even skin a mosquito for its hide and fat. So, at times, they called him Skin-flay.

Not many of the villagers could afford thick, heavy planks of wood strong enough to keep their pigs safe from the tigers that came down from the mountains and roamed the villages at night. These long-haired, black-striped beasts became so fond of pork that even in the snow, they would fearlessly claw their way into pens, ignoring the cold and the hunters' guns, to get at the squealing prey. They could snatch a baby pig quickly or drag enough meat from a larger pig to feed their cubs for a week. All the barns and cow sheds [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]had to be built very strong, because when tigers went a long time without food, they seemed hungry enough to eat a horse, harness and all, or even a full-grown cow or ox. However, generally, no tiger wanted to eat beef or horse meat if they could get young pork or veal.

Old Timber Top wasn’t satisfied just making money at his lumber yard. In Korea, it’s customary to plant beautiful trees around tombs or in cemeteries. When this miser heard about a family that had become so poor they had to sell the magnificent trees planted around their ancestors’ graves, he sent his agents to buy the timber. These guys would load a horse with long ropes of copper and iron cash—coins that had a square hole in the middle and were strung together with twisted straw twine. It was a heavy load to carry twenty dollars’ worth of coins. Once they arrived, after driving the owner down to the lowest price possible, Old Timber Top’s men would chop down and saw up the grand trees, leaving only the sawdust on the graves while the family wept over their loss.

In this way, the landscape was ruined, and this made many villagers very angry at a man like that, because Koreans love natural scenery and almost worship beautiful trees, which have made the country lovely for centuries. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

But what did Old Timber Top care, as long as he could stack up his cash and jingle his coins?

Eventually, this tough old guy could only think about how to get richer by exploiting other people's needs and struggles. The richer he became, the more he wanted. Still, he didn’t find any happiness. Nobody cared for him, and many people despised him.

At last, he decided to take a trip to Seoul, the bustling capital city that every Korean dreams of visiting at some point. There, he anticipated receiving honor and a promotion in rank and position. Timber Top had a relative serving the king, whom he believed would help him, as all Koreans are kind and supportive of one another, especially when they are family.

To be an officer, Timber Top knew, would allow him to wear a beautifully shiny mandarin's hat with wide flaps or wings and a long white silk coat with a big square on the velvet or satin breast, embroidered with storks or dragons, clouds, and waves. When he walked the streets, he could strut around as if he were the lord of the universe; he would wear a hat so tall and with such a wide round brim that he wouldn't dare to go out during a strong wind for fear of being blown away, like a ship caught in a storm. In such a costume, he would be [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]saluted by servants and regular people, who would bow down to him, thinking he was a great man.

But how could he achieve such a position and gain the glory that comes with it?

He wasn't a scholar, well-versed in books, law, or medicine. He wasn't a soldier either, so he had no knowledge of war. He couldn't ride a monocycle like a general, who was either pulled or pushed by four men while wearing a long red coat covered in shiny metal and a brass helmet decorated with a small dragon on top. He worried that, even if he were appointed, he might fall off the one-wheeled vehicle and embarrass himself.

Nevertheless, this old guy was so vain and full of himself that he followed what used to be a common practice in Korea. He took his trip to Seoul, leaving his family behind to survive on the cheapest kind of kimchi, turnips, and millet.

Now the Koreans are well-known for their warm welcomes and hospitality towards their less fortunate relatives, and often they extend this kindness even to drifters and lazy individuals. When someone becomes wealthy or takes on a prestigious position, they often attract many followers. Some, we might even say, are just freeloaders.

So when he got to Seoul, Old Timber Top settled in a part of his relative’s big [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]house. He lived there for a long time and was treated well because he constantly said nice things and gave flattering speeches to his host. In fact, he acted like a servant when he was around his important relative. But in reality, even the servants and workers looked down on him.

To avoid overstaying his welcome, he had to occasionally buy his patron an impressive gift. This gradually drained both his income and savings, and as these dwindled, his family back home struggled. Eventually, he received a letter informing him that his business had collapsed, and soon no more money could be sent to him in Seoul. As he waited, the updates from home became increasingly grim. His wife had to sell their house to cover debts. The next update was that she and their daughter were living in a run-down shack at the edge of the village and had fallen out of social life.

All this time, people in Seoul who knew that the foolish guy was still as eager as ever to wear the fine white clothes of a scholar or the bright colors of a soldier said that Old Timber Top was not very bright. They even joked about a pumpkin being balanced on his shoulders, or they laughed when they said that the wood he had sold for so long had gone to his head. They debated in the bars whether, if they opened his skull, they would find pumpkin seeds or timber inside it. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

So they also called him “Old Timber Top,” suggesting that his skull was made of wood and no better than that of a statue carved from persimmon wood, which were common in the Buddhist temples. Others insisted that he actually had a real head of bone and brains, but “he carried it under his armpits,” as the saying went.

When the fairies heard all this, they all decided to change the old guy, even if it meant turning him into an ox.

Timber Top, now broke and out of money, realized he had to leave Seoul and go back home to earn a living. When he made his last visit to his wealthy relative in Seoul and told him that he sadly had to leave and return to his hometown, he was not greeted warmly. Since he was too poor to buy a gift for his host, with whom he had lived for so long, he received a cold response and was told to go and do what he wanted.

And this, after years of flattering and making gifts! Not a single word of thanks or appreciation! Poor Timber Top was feeling really down and his heart was heavy. He knocked on his head with his fists, trying to see if, after all, it had actually turned into timber.

On his way back, a big storm hit, and when he arrived at a village inn, cold, wet, and hungry, he asked for a place to stay overnight. The woman running the inn was the wife of a butcher, who was then [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] away from home. This was a huge hit to Timber Top’s pride because butchers were considered the lowest of people, and they weren't even allowed to wear hats like the other men in Korea.

The woman was nice to the traveler. She offered him a hot dinner and let him sleep in the room of the house that had the best stone floor, where the heat from the kitchen fire ran underneath. So he warmed up and dried his soaking wet clothes until they were dry. He was so tired that he kept sleeping until very late the next morning, almost until noon. He felt so comfortable that it seemed to him like he was a big shot in the capital, receiving such generous treatment.

Waking up from one of his naps, he heard what he thought was the big butcher, who had come home, asking his wife in a gruff voice, “Where is that ox? I have to sell him this morning because it’s market day,” he said.

In less than a minute, the man and his wife entered the room with four sticks that the fairies had placed there, a halter, and a rope made of twisted rice straw, along with a thick iron ring, similar to what is used in bulls’ noses to make them obey their handlers. They quickly threw down the iron ring and rope on the floor and shoved the stick under Old Timber Top’s back. In a moment, he felt horns sprouting from his head, [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]and his lips thickening like sausages. His mouth opened wide like a saucer, revealing large teeth on his upper jaw. A tail grew at the other end, and the four sticks transformed into four legs.

Before he could fully grasp what was happening or what the issue was, Old Timber Top was on all fours and the butcher was putting a ring through his nose. Ouch, that really hurt!

It was a tricky task to get the animal out of the room and through the narrow door, which caused some damage to the wallpaper and furniture. But once outside in the fresh air, the bull, who was actually the man Timber Top, walked calmly toward the marketplace. Any attempt to pull his head, stop him, or make him misbehave really hurt his nose, so he quickly gave in. The butcher only had to give a slight tug on the rope for the bull to change his pace and become as gentle as a lamb, even though he was large enough to gore the man and toss him on his horns or crush him under his hooves if he got mad.

One might have thought Timber Top would be a fighting bull, but no! In the marketplace, he stood patiently and quietly for hours, barely even stamping when the flies started to bite.

“Oh, if only I had been as hardworking and continued with my honest work in my hometown, like that fly!” thought the bull, who still had the memory of a man.

At last, a man showed up with money to buy. He was a drover who unloaded his pony and handed over a bunch of coins, around twenty pounds’ worth, in copper and iron. The owner placed the halter in the buyer’s hand, and the new owner then led Timber Top away to be sold to a butcher from his hometown in the north. This guy planned to fatten up the animal first and then turn it into steaks and stew meat.

But on his way, the new owner thought that since he had scored a good deal, he should stop at a wine shop and have a drink. So he tied Timber Top’s nose with a rope to the low wall that enclosed a turnip field and went inside the shop.

But while the drover drank his wine, he lost his wits and fell asleep, staying in the shop for a long time. In fact, it was just like the old song said:

Meanwhile, Timber Top looked over the low wall and, giving in to temptation, pulled up some of the plants by the roots with his teeth, first chewing the green leaves and then grinding the turnips and swallowing them. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

Presto! The horns pulled back and shrank away. The ring came out of his nose and crashed onto the stones of the village path. His two front legs transformed into arms, the fur and hooves became human legs, and Old Timber Top was a man again, back to his old self. To confirm it, he checked himself all over; tugged at his nose, felt around his back to see if he had a tail, and rubbed his head to check for horns. Nothing there! He looked down and saw he had just two legs. Then he swung his arms with joy at being a man once more.

“Well named, Turn-up you,” he thought, “you green plant with a mustard-like flavor. You’ve turned me inside out. Or, have the fairies been at work?”

He had barely processed these thoughts in his half-wooden head when he was back on two legs, a man again, and able to think like one. He then set off on the road home. Just then, the drover burst out of the wine shop and approached him, saying:

“Have you seen a stray bull around here?”

Of course, Timber Top, speaking eloquently like a cultured person, said there was no bull in the area that he could see or knew of, and he hadn’t heard any bellowing. Then he gave the drover a look of disdain for being so foolish, especially for asking him, a gentleman, such a silly question.

Yet after he was out of sight of the drover he [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] slapped his thighs, like Koreans do when they find their own cleverness amusing, and continued on happily. He kept repeating to himself, “sticks and turnips, turnips and sticks.”

Then a big idea hit him, like a beat on a wooden drum you’d see in Buddhist temples. It hit him so hard and swelled his head so much that his big Korean hat almost fell off. He immediately put this idea into action.

He rushed back to the inn and into the room where he had been transformed into a bull and took the butcher’s four magic sticks, which were in a corner, then he quickly made his way down the roads to the capital.

Reaching Seoul, he went to his wealthy relative's house, where he had waited ten years for the fortune and favor that never came. Going into his host’s bedroom, he tapped the high lord of the house with the fairy sticks, not hard, but just lightly.

Immediately, the man's head sprouted horns, and his face became flat with thick lips. His hands transformed into front hooves, and his legs became the hindquarters of a bull. However, he was not fully an ox; he was a mix of half animal and half man.

Old Timber Top stopped tapping and then left to wait for what would happen next, leaving behind the creature that was half man and half ox. He knew that he would be called in soon. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

When the family of the wife—many sons, several daughters, servants, retainers, hangers-on, and so on—saw their master, who was part man and part ox, with horns and hooves, they were frantic. Everyone had their own idea about how to turn him back into a human and restore him to his old self. Each person ran all over town and into the nearby villages to find and call in the shamans.

These shamans were primarily women whose job was to drive away the mischievous spirits and bad fairies that had caused the trouble in this case. The kitchen maids firmly asserted that Tokgabi was responsible for the change in their master. They were convinced of it, but the men believed that the mountain gods were punishing him for his wrongdoings. Meanwhile, the shaman said she would find a way to return him to his human form if they paid her enough money.

With drums, dancing, singing, shouting, and all kinds of noise, the mudangs made such a loud commotion that it nearly deafened the family. Several of them were called in, and they knew they would all be well compensated.

Meanwhile, the doctors continued with their terrible medicines, along with rubbing, pounding, blowing, and sticking needles into the bull and burning moxa, or little balls of cottony mugwort, on its skin.

Yet not a hoof or horn, not even a hair changed. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

The shamans said that the imps had invaded the man and they needed to expel them. One guy brought a large bottle to catch the imps and seal them inside. Another argued that they would need scissors to make about a hundred tiny cuts in the man's skin, creating small openings to let the evil beings escape. After that, they would have to bottle them up, so they wouldn't escape and take over the house or infest the entire town.

There didn't seem to be much hope for recovery, like "one hair among nine oxen"; but the wife argued that they should delay using the scissors until every other option had been exhausted. She wanted to avoid seeing her beloved husband's skin turned into a strainer, or sieve, if at all possible.

At that moment, when the noise and despair were at their highest, Old Timber Top showed up. Since some family members had collapsed and were lying helpless on the floor, and everyone was too exhausted to ask questions, they immediately made way for him. After examining the patient with a wise expression like an owl, Old Timber Top gravely declared that only one thing could save him: a rare and amazing drug, the secret of which he alone knew, but he could quickly get it. Naturally, the wife, sons, and daughters immediately promised to give everything they had to bring their husband and father back to them.

So while Timber Top went out to get the famous [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]medicine, they all fell asleep, exhausted, while the ox-man lay on his side resting his horns and hooves on the floor; in Korea, they don’t have bed frames, meaning beds are placed directly on the floor.

As for Old Timber Top, as soon as he was out on the street, he immediately started repeating to himself, over and over again, “Turnips and sticks, sticks and turnips.”

Going to a vegetable shop, he bought a nice big turnip, or turnip-radish, of the kind that grows in Korea, silvery white and about four feet long. He first peeled it, then sliced it, and finally pounded it into a very fine paste. Then entering the house triumphantly, he woke up the doctors, kicked the servants awake, and announced that the powerful remedy would soon bring their master back to health. He seriously told them all to watch and see him do it.

Pulling and hauling all together, five or six guys were able to get the man-bull on his two hooves and two feet, and then Timber Top put a spoonful of the sauce on the big tongue.

Suddenly, an incredible transformation occurred!

The horns shrank until they vanished, the lips became thinner, and the mouth got smaller. Hoofs, hair, and skin faded into thin air. In the wagging of a dog's tail, the powerful man of the house had returned to being himself again.

All the doctors, performers, and shamans packed up their potion bottles and medicines, and with their drums, flutes, bags, boxes, and goods quietly left, while the family loaded Old Timber Top with heartfelt thanks and compliments.

As for the master, he claimed that Timber Top was the best doctor the world had ever seen. He invited him to live in the house permanently and showered him with many gifts, plenty of food, and bright white clothes starched to perfection. The hats he gave Timber Top were so big and had such wide brims that he used them, when covered with oiled paper, as umbrellas during rainy weather, but he never went outside when it was windy, fearing he might be blown down the street. Additionally, he worried that there was still too much wood in his head, which could turn into a top and start spinning if he wasn't careful.

Old Timber Top set up a medical practice, treated the nobility, and became the king’s physician. When he visited the palace, he used a red business card that was a foot long. He wore a velvet embroidered square on his chest. He had a string of amber beads the size of walnuts hanging over his ears. He soon became overweight with a double chin and chubby fingers, showing that he was thriving. He lived to a ripe old age, provided well for his family, his sons and daughters [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]married well, and he had seventeen grandchildren before he passed away.

Yet all the while, the fairies insisted that they were behind it all. They made the sticks function one way and the turnips another, and they still pull their pranks on the Koreans, especially those who are a bit dense. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

In the land of Morning Radiance, where family names are just one syllable, like Kim, Yi, Pil, Wun, Hap, etc., people wear shoes, but they’re not made of black leather. They don’t stand on wooden clogs like in Japan, nor do they wear straight-soled gaiters without heels like in China. The men wear white socks with tough soles, while the women wear elegant slippers with pointed toes that curl up. Regular folks wear sandals mainly made of straw and twine, and it takes quite a bit of cord to make a pair.

Once, under an old stone by a persimmon tree, there lived a lovely young girl named Miss Thousand Feet. She wore gray clothes and had so many toes that anyone who tried to count them quickly got tired; they would give up and just call the total a thousand, a number as round as she was. She took as much pride in each of her many little feet as a Chinese lady does in her two. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] Miss Thousand Feet was quite modest, though, and if anyone stepped on her toes or touched her, she would curl up, first into a ring and then into a ball, which led people to playfully call her “a pill millipede,” a pun on her family's name, since she belonged to the Pil family, one of the most renowned in all of Korea.

Miss Thousand Feet was very happy living under a damp stone in the cool earth, and she played a lot. But eventually, when she grew up, her parents told her it was time for her to get married. So they started looking around to see if any gentleman in the whole world was worthy of her, not just as a suitable husband, but also as a good match.

Now, in another village, there lived a rich, chubby, young, and promising creature named Mr. Long Body from the Wum family. His job was to burrow through the ground while creating little curled mounds of dirt on the surface, and he was kept very busy with this task. He had to watch out for the birds because they loved to eat creatures like him, as he was so soft and sweet. Constantly moving through the ground kept his body shiny, so overall, among earthworms, he was quite handsome and considered a great catch for Miss Thousand Feet. Moreover, since he had no feet and she had so many, while his body was long and hers was short, it was thought that they would complement each other's differences, and that [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] they would both be happy together as husband and wife.

Mr. Long Body, when he heard about the allure of Miss Thousand Feet, agreed completely. All his friends were getting together with their partners, the guys bringing their brides back to their parents’ homes and starting to settle down. Since he had reached adulthood, he decided it was time for him to get married too.

So he sent letters and started the process, following Korean customs, through a “go-between,” which is what they call the lady who arranges marriages. This person visits both families, complimenting one on the beauty and qualities of the promised bride and the other on the strength and wealth of the future husband. In fact, she speaks highly of both of their characters. Eventually, the “six proprieties,” or “half dozen rules,” were fulfilled and the engagement of Mr. Wum and Miss Pil was announced.

What a buzz of gossip erupted in both villages! No one ever imagined that such a handsome guy as Mr. Long Body Wum would marry into the Pil family. Some envious people suggested that Mr. Long Body, even if he married a woman with a thousand feet, would never be able to afford his shoemaker. On the other hand, as long as his bride was okay with simple twine shoes, everything might turn out fine; but for special occasions, or if his wife turned out to be extravagant and wanted fancy, turned-up shoes made of red morocco like those only rich people wear—well, there would be trouble at home. How could he keep her in shoes? However, others, knowing that the Pils were well-known people, wondered how Mr. Wum managed to snag such a catch as Miss Pil.

In the other village, the gossipers were talking about the same things. What could she possibly admire in a guy without legs? Once the honeymoon was over and it was time to make gentleman’s clothes for her husband, did she even know how to sew? Could she make a long coat and one pant leg big enough for him? And think about all the days of work it would take to cut and sew those clothes, not to mention the exhausting hours spent washing, starching, and making them look nice. The thought of it! She would just be a slave.

As her husband’s servant, tailor, and laundress, she would never get a break. Just think about washing, starching, and ironing the one-legged pants that Mr. Wum often had to change because he was always getting dirty!

Mr. Long Body Wum was so focused on digging that he didn’t have time to listen to the village gossip. Miss Pil, on the other hand, couldn’t help but overhear what the women and others said about her, particularly the talk about the difficult responsibilities she would face if she got married. While Mr. Wum continued to dig the three-yard tunnel underground, preparing for his wedding, Miss Pil obsessed over the gossip and the long coats and one-legged trousers she would have to stay up late to sew, wash, starch, and polish. She could already picture her arms getting tired just thinking about starching and beating the Korean fabric, which was essential for any gentleman in the Land of Morning Calm. If his coat didn’t have that trendy shine from all the beating, the women would notice right away, and soon enough, the men would too.

Miss Pil’s constant worrying about the situation didn’t help things and eventually wore on her nerves. She refused to work on her own wedding clothes, and despite all her friends praising Mr. Long Body Wum, she decided to write him a letter. In it, she explained that due to his long body without limbs, the effort needed to make him suitable clothing, as well as the starching and maintaining it, she felt she couldn't stick to the engagement and had to call it off.

But before she had poured water on the ink stone and started mixing the ink, or picked up the brush pen and paper, Mr. Long Body had heard about her complaints, and it troubled him. Why would he marry someone who didn’t want him?

Then, as he thought it over, being a very frugal and practical bachelor, he started to wonder if he could buy enough shoes to fit all the feet of his fiancée. He hadn’t yet looked at her face or figure. In fact, it wasn’t really proper according to Korean etiquette for him to do so—at least not openly. So far, he hadn’t seen her tiny feet to count them, but he suspected that, since she belonged to the Pil family, she must have a thousand feet based on her reputation. When he calculated what it would cost him, even for cheap twine sandals, he was taken aback. When he figured out how much ladies’ turned-up kids would come to, he was so shocked that he nearly fainted. The thought of five hundred pairs of shoes, no matter how small, nearly took his breath away, and he felt like he was going to be ruined. What should he do?

And when she took off her shoes at night, where was he supposed to put them? And think about the noise she would make if she wore heavy-soled shoes while working around the house and yard. It was unbearable for a quiet bachelor to even imagine the racket she would create. He already felt like he was losing his hearing. Should he end the engagement? But how could anyone from the Wum family dishonorably do that? What would [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]the neighbors think? If he was the type to break his word, would he ever find another bride from a family as respectable as the Pil?

However, he decided to think it over since there were still a few days before the wedding. But by the next morning, things became clearer, and he was able to retreat to his safe space comfortably. He wrote a letter to Miss Pil, explaining the situation and asking to be released from the engagement. The main point of his letter was that, due to his limited finances, he wouldn't be able to buy her all the shoes she needed, especially the kind suited for someone of her quality and taste. Therefore, he felt he couldn't ask her to share in his lack of money, and he requested that she find another husband who could provide for her.

Now it turned out that the letters crossed paths. Each had a rejection before the ink was even dry, so neither could complain.

So there was no wedding, no fun for the young people, and no family feasting, and to this day, Miss Pil is still single, and Mr. Wum has no wife. They were pretty harsh on the girl. Everyone gossips that she got what she deserved for being so shameless. People should focus on the good qualities in someone instead of nitpicking their faults. On the flip side, in Mr. Wum’s village, everyone agrees that bachelors should consider all the costs involved in getting married. Miss Pil still walks around barefoot, hiding from the light, and Mr. Wum stays hidden underground because he has nothing to wear. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

No bird is more common in Korea than the magpie. There are millions of them. Every day of the year, except the seventh day of the seventh month, the air is filled with their presence. However, on that date, they have a standing engagement every year. All of them are expected to be away from the streets and houses, as every proper magpie is then high up in the sky building a bridge across the River of Stars, known as the Milky Way. Using their wings as cables and their heads to create the floor of the bridge, they create a pathway for lovers on either side of the Silver Stream.

Boys and girls are usually very nice to the magpies, but if one is spotted around the houses, on the roofs, or in the streets on August 7th, watch out! Every dirt-faced kid throws sticks or stones at the poor bird for not doing its job of building a bridge across the Starry River. By evening, the magpies go back to their usual spots, as they’re expected to have finished their work and built the bridge. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

To prove beyond a doubt that the bridge was built and crossed, you just have to look at the bare heads of the magpies right now. Their feathers have been completely worn off by the heavy foot traffic of the crowd of followers who accompany the Prince of Star Land across the bridge to meet his bride.

If it's rainy on the morning of the day of the Weaver Maiden and the Cattle Prince, the raindrops are the joyful tears shed by the lovers at their first meeting. If it rains in the afternoon, those are the tears of sadness from saying goodbye when the prince and princess part ways. If there's any thunder, every boy and girl knows it's the sound of the wagons carrying the prince and princess's luggage as they head home, each going their separate ways.

Now, this is the story that Korean mothers tell their children about the Bridge of Birds.

Once upon a time, in the Kingdom of the Stars, there was a king who had a beautiful daughter. Not only was she the most stunning person anyone had ever seen, but she was also a talented weaver. There wasn't a task in the palace that she couldn't handle. She was not just highly skilled, but also kind-hearted and very eager to help. A true example of hard work, she was deeply loved by her parents, and her influence over her father was immense. He [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]would do almost anything to make his beloved daughter happy.

In time, a young and very handsome prince from Star Land came to her father's court and fell in love with the beautiful princess. With her parents' approval, the wedding was celebrated in grand style.

Now that she was a wife and had her own home to take care of, she became an even greater example of a wonderful woman and a role model for all the young women in Korea forever. Along with being dedicated to managing clothes and food and setting a good example of thrift for her servants, she cared deeply about their happiness. She was always there for her husband. Her main goal was to ensure that his life was filled with joy.

But the prince, instead of following his bride’s positive example and appreciating what his beautiful and selfless bride was doing for his happiness, surrendered to wastefulness and extravagance. He became lazy and reckless. Ignoring his responsibilities, he squandered his own wealth and his wife’s dowry. He sold all his oxen and calves to get money, only to lose it all through gambling. He borrowed large sums of money from anyone who would lend him cash. Eventually, he was so embarrassingly poor, down to his last bit of cash, that he risked being [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]degraded from his rank as prince and having his name spoken with disdain.

The King of the Stars, seeing his son-in-law going downhill, had threatened multiple times to disinherit or banish him, especially after the prince lost his cattle. However, when his daughter, the young wife, pleaded and asked for forgiveness for her husband, the king softened, paid off his son-in-law’s debts, and gave him another chance to improve. But when the useless guy fell back into his old habits and got worse, the king decided to separate them. He banished the prince far away, six months' journey from the north side of the River of Heaven, and exiled the princess half a year’s distance from the south side of the Starry Stream.

Although the king, in his anger, had hardened his heart even against his own beloved child and had banished her from the court and palace due to her unworthy husband, as a sign of his compassion, he decided that on one night each year, on the seventh night of the seventh moon, they could meet for a few hours.

The young people said their goodbyes and made their sorrowful way to the edge of the starry sky, but they cared for each other so much that, as soon as they reached their place of exile, they turned around to meet again on August 7th. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

So when the day finally arrived, after six months of exhausting travel, they reached the edge of the Starry River. There they stood, catching glimpses of each other and waving their hands, but unable to draw closer. You can see them on summer nights, shining on opposite sides of the wide Stream of Stars, loving each other but unable to cross.

Feeling that the vastness of space was insurmountable, the loving couple broke down in tears. The torrent from their eyes flooded the ground, threatening to sweep away everything—houses, people, animals. What could be done?

The four-legged animals, fish, and birds held a meeting, but they agreed that only the birds with strong wings who could fly high would be able to do anything. So, the magpies, with a lot of flattering speeches, were praised for taking on the task.

When these noisy, chatty creatures, who are still so kind and friendly to the sparrows, heard about the lovers' troubles above, they decided to help the sad couple across the River of Stars. They happily flew out of their big, ugly nests to join the gathering that voted to build the bridge. Spreading the word all over the world, millions of magpies gathered in the air. Under the guidance of their wisest leaders, they started building a flying bridge made of a mass of wings that would span from one side to the other of the [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]Starry Stream. First, they worked together to create a floor, so closely that the bridge looked like it was paved with white granite. Then, with their wings, they supported the great arch and roadway, over which the prince crossed to reach his bride along with all his luggage and entourage. Soon, the tables were set, and the two royal lovers enjoyed a feast filled with tender words and affectionate gestures.

Every year, for many years, on the seventh day of the seventh month, the magpies have done this. Even though the star-crossed lovers meet only once a year, they live on forever, allowing the wife to have her husband and the husband to have his wife for much longer than human couples who live on earth. It's a rule in the magpie kingdom that no bird can avoid this duty.

Any magpie that tries to dodge the task and is too unwilling or lazy to contribute to bridge building is chased away by the Korean kids, who don’t want any slackers around. After all, doesn’t every girl hope to be as hardworking and accomplished as the Star Princess, so that when she grows up, she can be as great a wife as the beautiful lady who stands by the Starry River every year to meet her husband? As for the boys, it’s hoped they’ll grow up to be as loyal husbands as the remorseful bridegroom who waits for his bride on the shining shore of the River of Stars every year on the night of August 7th. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

After the islanders in the Eastern Ocean discovered how wealthy Korea was, they became unhappy with their own land. They had a greedy look in their eyes, wanting everything they saw. They kept borrowing until they acquired many of the plants and animals they now have, which everyone knows came from the Land of Morning Glory.

Even the neko, or Korean cat, made its way to the islands; though somehow it either lost its tail during the journey or had it shortened. This is why the poor cat in these islands seems to have something like a corkscrew instead of a tail. Furthermore, when the Korean cat, used to climbing over roofs and back alleys at home, was introduced to the islands, it was mistaken for a wild animal and was treated like a fox or badger for a long time. However, because it helped control the rat and mouse population, this bob-tailed cat was greatly appreciated.

Yet not satisfied with taking so many things, [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]the greedy islanders figured they might as well take all of Korea and everything in it, and then go even further to conquer China.

So they sent a huge army in a powerful fleet of ships to invade Korea. They brought horses with them, but since their soldiers mostly ate rice, salted fish, and pickles, they didn't need any wagons. They only had oxen to pull their carts, as they had never trained horses to pull anything, only to be pack and saddle animals.

This army of islanders marched to the capital, which had palaces and pagodas. Then they sent one of their armies along the coastline and another along the west coast. They expected to march into China, but two things happened to stop them. After wasting time in the country for five years, they gave up and were sent home in disgrace.

From the north, a Chinese army arrived to assist the Koreans and pushed the islanders to the coast. But when they reached the coast, they discovered their ships were missing. A clever Korean admiral had created an ironclad ship that rammed and sunk their war junks. So, their army had to wait until a new fleet of ships was built before coming over to retrieve them.

But before the islanders left Korea, they destroyed statues and monuments, smashed images, and even [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]the observatories for studying the stars. They took apart marble pagodas to load onto their ships and take away. They lured or forced hundreds of Korean potters, artists, and craftsmen to go with them.

By this point, the islanders had stopped living in straw huts and wandering around like Arabs or gypsies. They had cities with paved streets, similar to those in Korea, although they lacked the beautiful marble pagodas, statues, and temples, as everything was made of wood, while thousands of large buildings and sculptures in Korea were made of stone, carved into stunning shapes.

Now in Korea, there were some beautiful daughters of the land and many noblemen and brave men who decided not to be taken away from their beloved country. The Rock of the Fallen Flower in southern Korea stands as a witness to this even today.

Over three hundred years ago, when “the terrible fighting dwarfs,” as the Koreans called their enemies, arrived, they set up camp in a town where a beautiful dancer named Longka lived. As a ge-sang (gei-sha), or skilled young woman, she could sing beautifully. The islanders captured this lovely girl and made her a waitress in the general’s tent.

One night, a lavish banquet was held in a well-known pleasure hall called the Cliff House, because [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] it was built on a high bank overlooking a deep river. All the top captains were invited, and the spacious room was lit up with a thousand wax lights. These were tall, square candles, shaped beautifully, and each one was painted and decorated with images of flowers, birds, and cute animals. A Korean candle is quite unusual and decorative.

Oh, how charming was the dancer, and what a beautiful sight her graceful poses were! Korean dances tell stories of birds and flowers, of summer, and of lovely snow-covered landscapes in winter, of a boat in a storm, of a tiger in a trap, of a brave soldier in battle, or a sad lady in the palace, or of the fairy tales of the Western Queen Mother and many more. Those who watch the dance and understand the customs, the dancer’s gestures and poses, the movements of her fan and sleeves, as well as the games of children, the sports of the people, the harvest songs, and the fun at the festivals, can interpret the story of each tale told in the most graceful motions. There are several languages beyond spoken words, and these appeal to the eye instead of the ear.

The beautiful dancer wore a pure white costume, with slippers trimmed in ermine and a jeweled belt, and her shining hair was styled like a queen's. The applause from the audience at the end of each dance was loud.

After dinner, the islanders' general became very animated because he had drunk a lot of wine and was not content just watching the dances of the lovely girl. Some of the rowdy soldiers also wanted to waltz with the beautiful maiden. However, it wasn't customary for Korean virgins to dance or waltz with male partners, as in this Country of Gentle Manners, dancing is performed separately by the sexes.

Yet the tough islanders insisted and pressured her so intensely that she felt both her own modesty and her country were violated. She thought of the thousands of her fellow citizens—brothers, fathers, and friends—who had died on the battlefield defending their beloved land. Why shouldn’t she? So, pretending to give in to her country's enemies, she led the general out of the banquet hall and down toward the river, close to the edge of the rock.

Before he understood her intention, she grabbed his hands and jumped out, pulling her adversary with her over the cliff, and both entered the other world.

She died for her country. To this day, the Rock of the Falling Flower is shown to visitors, and the story is shared to highlight a woman's devotion to her nation. Around this rock, poets have [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]woven their verses, while romantic memories gather like the azalea flowers that blanket the hills of Korea with vibrant colors, making their land appear to the locals as the most beautiful place on earth. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

In a valley surrounded by rocky mountains, there lived an old farmer named Pak We and his wife. Their land was poor, and he had to work from sunrise to sunset, often at night when the moon was shining, just to get food. They had no children and were too poor to adopt a son. So, he found entertainment in fishing at the pond higher up in the hills, which fed the stream that watered his millet and rice fields. Being quite skilled, he often caught a good number of fish, which he sold in the nearby village to provide himself and his wife with some of the few comforts they needed. Despite their grim life, the old couple managed to stay happy, although they often wondered what would happen to them when they got too old to work.

But one summer, Pak noticed that there were fewer fish in the pond, and each day, they seemed to be dwindling. Where he used to catch a full string in an hour, he could barely catch half that amount in an entire day. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

What was wrong? Was he getting less skilled? Was the bait bad?

Not at all! His worms were just as plump, his hooks and lines were in great shape, and his eyesight was as sharp as ever.

When Pak noticed that the water was getting shallower, he was shocked. Could the pond be drying up?

Things got worse every day until finally, there were no fish left.

Where there used to be sparkling ripples in a pond was now a dry stretch of dirt and rocks, with barely more than a small stream trickling through that he could easily jump over. No fish and no pond meant no water for his rice fields. Terrified at the thought of starving or having to leave his old home and become a beggar, Pak looked down from what had once been the pond's banks to discover the source of all this trouble. There in the mud among the stones, he saw a bullfrog, almost as big as an elephant, blinking at him with its huge round eyes.

In a fit of anger, the farmer Pak lashed out, accusing the frog of being cruel for eating all the fish and drinking all the water, putting him and his wife at risk of starvation. He then went on to curse the entire lineage of the frog's ancestors and relatives, especially the females, for eight generations back, as is customary in Korea. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

But instead of feeling sorry or showing any anger at the scolding, the bullfrog just blinked and bowed, saying:

“Don’t worry, Farmer Pak. You’ll appreciate it eventually. Besides, I want to go home with you and live in your house.

“What! Take over my place, you slimy creature! No way,” said Pak.

“Oh! But I have news to share with you, and you won’t regret it, because you’ll see what I can do. You’d better get me involved.”

Old Pak thought about it. How should he handle his wife with such a guest? But then, the frog had some news to share, and that might make the old lady happy, since she loved gossip. Since her husband wasn't very chatty, she might be open to hosting such an unusual guest.

So they started down the valley. Pak shuffled along as quickly as his old shins could manage, but the bullfrog made it in a few jumps, since his hind legs were three feet long.

Arriving at his door, Mrs. Pak was shocked at the idea of hosting such a guest. But when her husband told her that Froggie knew all about everyone and could talk interestingly for hours, she changed her attitude and welcomed him. In fact, she became so friendly that she gave him one of her best rooms. All the leaves, grass, and brushwood that had been collected [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] in the wood-shed to supply the kitchen fire and house flues were taken into the room. There, it was soaked with tubs of water to create a nice soft spot that bullfrogs like. After that, he was fed all the worms he wanted.

Then after dinner and a nap, Mrs. Pak and Mr. Pak put on their best clothes and went to make a formal visit to their guest.

Mr. Bullfrog was so friendly and charming in conversation, plus he shared so many great stories and juicy bits of gossip, that Mrs. Pak was absolutely thrilled. In fact, she felt like she might as well adopt Froggie as her son.

The night went by quietly, but when the first light of day broke, Froggie was on the porch singing a beautiful song to the rising sun. When Mr. and Mrs. Pak woke up to greet their guest and listen to his tune, they were amazed to find that the music was bringing them good fortune. Everything they had ever wished for throughout their lives seemed to be within reach, with even more unexpected blessings arriving in abundance. In the yard stood oxen, donkeys, and horses loaded with all sorts of boxes, bales, and bundles waiting to be unpacked, and more were on the way; sturdy porters showed up and began to unload, while groups of lovely girls in shining white took beautiful items made of jade, [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]gold, and silver from the men. There were fine clothes and hats for Mr. Pak, jade-tipped hairpins, tortoise-shell and ivory combs, silk gowns, embroidered and jeweled belts, and all kinds of dresses and women's garments for Mrs. Pak, along with inlaid cabinets, clothes racks, and wardrobes. Most importantly, there was a polished metal mirror that resembled the full autumn moon, which Mrs. Pak now found herself wanting to spend every minute admiring.

Four or five of the most beautiful maidens they had ever seen danced, sang, and played sweet music. The unpacking of boxes, bales, and bundles went on. Tables made of jade and top-quality sandalwood were filled with the finest foods and wines. Soon, with the skilled hands of carpenters and decorators at work, the old place transformed. Instead of oiled paper on the floors, covering old bricks and broken stones sitting over the flues, and smoky rafters and poorly papered mud walls, a new house arose. It featured elegant wide halls and large rooms with partitions made from the finest craftsmanship. It was decorated with growing flowers, chess game boards, and everything else you would find in a palace. As for the wealth of the pantry and the delicious food served daily at the table, only a Korean could truly describe them all. In the new storehouse, there were piles of dried fish, edible seaweed, bags of rice, bins of millet, tubs of kim-chi made from various peppers and Korean hot pickle that the [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]locals love, not to mention peaches, pears, persimmons, chestnuts, honey, barley, sugar, candy, cake, and pastries, all arranged in high stacks and bright colors.

The old couple seemed to enjoy meals twice as big as before, especially since the adopted Bullfrog was so entertaining. Mr. and Mrs. Pak laughed constantly, claiming they had never heard such great stories. However, the good wife was just as good as her guest at sharing gossip. One of her favorite topics, which she never got tired of, was the beauty and charm of Miss Peach. She was the talented daughter of the wealthy nobleman, Mr. Poom, who lived in a large house with many servants and staff in the next village, and Mrs. Pak insisted there was no young woman in the world like her. It was noticeable that Mr. Bullfrog was especially interested whenever Miss Peach Poom was the topic of the old lady’s compliments.

After a week of such luxury, during which Mr. and Mrs. Pak felt like they were living in Nirvana or Paradise, as the good priests often described, Mr. Pak’s overwhelming joy came crashing down when the Bullfrog informed him that he planned to get married and that Mr. Pak needed to find him a wife. Even worse, Pak was told by the Frog that he wanted no one but Miss [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] Peach, the daughter of Poom, famous for her beauty and charms.

At this, old Pak nearly lost it. He begged to be let off the task, but the Bullfrog was relentless. So, after cursing his wife's chatter for ever suggesting to the frog that he should marry Miss Peach, he put on his nice clothes and headed out to see Mr. Poom. He braced himself for a beating for his boldness in asking a noble lady to marry a frog.

Now this Mr. Poom had been the magistrate of a district for a long time, cheating the poor people under his control out of a lot of money. After accumulating significant wealth, he retired and returned to his hometown to live. This man had two married daughters, but the third, the youngest and most beautiful, Miss Peach, was now eighteen years old.

Arriving at the Pooms' lavish mansion, Mr. Pak spoke about the suitor's wealth, power, and fame, his prestigious position and potential, and how he had brought joy to the elderly couple.

Old Poom perked up his ears at the first mention of wealth and influence, and became very interested as Pak continued to sing the praises of his future son-in-law.

“And what's his name?” asked Mr. Poom.

Here Pak was in a dilemma. He knew that the frog family was the oldest and most numerous [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]in the world and was famous for their beautiful voices. He got lost in thought for a few minutes. Then, looking up, he said that he had spent so much time thinking about the suitor’s qualities and skills that he had forgotten his name and couldn’t remember it.

So Mr. Poom, to assist Pak, went through the list of well-known families in Korea, naming the Kims, Sims, Mins, Hos, Chos, Kos, Quongs, and Hongs, and so on, because Mr. Poom was an expert on the Korean aristocracy.

“It’s none of those,” said Pak. “I really wish I could remember the name.”

“Strange,” said Mr. Poom. “I've named all the families of any significance in the kingdom. What is his position or rank, and where do his relatives live?”

Pak was pressed so hard by Mr. Poom’s probing questions that he finally had to admit that the suitor for the beautiful maiden was not a man but a frog.

“What! Do you want me to marry my daughter off to a frog? You will pay for insulting me in my own home. Slaves, bring the cross-bench and give this wretch twenty lashes.”

Forthwith, while four men set up the whipping bench, three others grabbed poor Pak, took off his coat, and tied him down with his arms and legs stretched out on the bench. Then a tall, strong guy raised the big wooden paddle to [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]bring it down with all his strength onto the old man's bare skin.

But all this time the sky was getting darker, and before the first strike happened, lightning flashed, thunder rolled, and heavy rain poured down that threatened to drown the house, garden, and everything else in a flood. The hail, which started to hit the livestock, was initially the size of an egg and then grew to the size of stones, like cannonballs.

“Wait,” shouted the scared Mr. Poom. “I’ll hold on and ask more.”

Then the lightning and thunder stopped, and the sun shone brightly.

Mighty impressed by this, Mr. Poom finally agreed to let his daughter marry the frog, without telling her who her husband would be. Within an hour, while she was getting ready, a parade of fine horses and donkeys with palanquins filled with gifts for the bride and her family showed up. Besides boxes of silk dresses and perfumes, hairpieces and items for a lady’s boudoir, there were groups of maidens to attend to the bride. They dressed Miss Peach in the most beautiful robes and styled her hair, so that, with satin puffs and a frame, jade-tipped silver hairpins, rosettes, and flowers, her headdress stood over a foot high above her forehead, adorned with the bride’s red round spot. After the happy maiden had sufficiently admired herself in the [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] metal mirror and heard the praises of her attendant maidens, she stepped into the bridal palanquin—a stunning display of luxury. According to tradition, her eyes were sealed shut and covered with wax, because in Korean culture, a bride doesn't see her husband until the end of the feast, when they meet in the bridal chamber.

So she was taken to his house with a lot of fanfare and a cheerful crowd of beautifully dressed young women. The wedding ceremony and the big dinner were joyful events for all the guests, even though the bride, following Korean customs, seemed blind, quietly and patiently waiting without sight during the entire happy occasion. Only the foster parents and the groom witnessed the actual ceremony.

When in the bridal chamber, the bride opened her eyes, and with her vision clear, she looked up at the one she had married and found not a man, but a frog. She was incredibly angry. She shouted out her objection to having such a groom.

Gently and in the softest tones, the groom first tried to comfort her. Then, handing her a pair of scissors, he asked her to cut open the skin along his back from shoulder to thigh, because it was very tight and he was in pain from it.

In her bitter disappointment about being married to a frog, she grabbed the scissors and almost angrily [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] started cutting from the nape to the waist. She was shocked to discover what felt like silk under the speckled skin. After slicing down for about two yards, her frog husband stood up on his hind legs. He twisted around as if in a fit, pulled at his speckled skin with his front paws, and then, jumping out of his skin, stood before his bride as a prince. He was fair, tall, had an amazing figure, and was dressed splendidly, the embodiment of her dreams. A jeweled belt wrapped around his waist, and the golden dragon embroidery on his shoulders and chest indicated his rank, while a royal cap with a sparkling diamond sat on his head center. Yet no clothes, no matter how handsome, could compare in beauty to his glorious manhood. She had never seen such a handsome man.

Happy was the bride whose feelings shifted in an instant from disgust and fear to the deepest love and greatest respect. The next morning, much to the surprise of his foster parents, Mr. and Mrs. Pak, the prince showed up at breakfast with his bride and shared the story of his life. As the son of the King of the Stars, he had made a mistake, for which his father sentenced him to live on Earth as a frog. Additionally, his father assigned him three tasks that he must complete before [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] he could return to live in Star Land. These tasks were to drink all the water from the lake, eat all the fish, and win a human bride, the most beautiful woman in the world.

All the valuable items he had given to Pak and his wife to make their later years comfortable, along with the gifts sent to the bride's family before the wedding day, had come as a blessing from above. Now, leaving his adoptive parents on earth to enjoy their gifts, he needed to go back home to his father, bringing his bride with him. As soon as he finished speaking, a shining silver chariot and horses appeared at the door. After bowing low to his adoptive parents, he stepped in with his bride, and the two of them vanished beyond the clouds.

From this point on, a new double star appeared in the sky. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

Many centuries ago when Korea was called Chosen, or the Land of Morning Splendor, the island kingdom in the eastern sea, where the sun rises, was known as The Land of the Dragon-Fly; some unwise people refer to it as “the Devil’s Darning Needle” because its body is so slender, its wings are so wide, and its eyes are so big. The Koreans referred to these islanders as “dwarfs” because they weren't very tall, although they were quite fierce and brave. The islanders had no books or writing and were very rough in their behavior.

Therefore, many kind teachers, inspired by the spirit of the Great Buddha, crossed the sea from Eternal Great Korea to teach these islanders about politeness, how to read and write, and to build pagodas, temples, and schools.

This is why these islanders, who didn't have storybooks or writing before the arrival of the Korean teachers, lack an ancient history of what happened long ago when Korea was a great nation. So the grandmothers on the islands [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] used to tell their children classic fairy tales, which many older people know by heart and can share without reading, believing that the kings and queens they mentioned were real people, even though they were just dreams.

The islanders refer to their home as The Land Where the Day Begins, and there are lots of fairies in these islands, some good and some bad.

So today, these islanders create stories in books and performances on stage, along with movies about these Koreans. They put on shows and parades to share how, long ago, the fairies and the King's servants from these distant islands first came to Korea. They wanted to learn about manners, how to make and wear the right clothes, how to draw and paint, how to create artwork, how to build homes, how to dance and sing, create music, and play instruments, how to educate and establish schools. Because the good fairies always enjoy doing beautiful things.

Yet instead of being thankful for what they had received from Korea, there was one of these islanders, a well-known woman, who felt envious because she lived in a poor land while the Koreans enjoyed a rich and stunning country. Instead of swamps and grassy plains, with lots of wild animals and birds, and only a few people who were poor and miserable, Korea was filled with rice fields and orchards bursting with fruit. Flowers bloomed everywhere. Birds, [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]deer, and rabbits were abundant in the mountains, and the scenery was beautiful.

In the warm waters, millions of plump fish swam around and were easy to catch. So the people had plenty of food to eat. Along the seabed were beautiful aquatic plants in vibrant colors—yellow, purple, green, and white—along with seaweeds, corals, and sponges. In some of the sea caves hid giant crabs, cuttlefish, and all sorts of ocean creatures.

Still further down, below, deeper than any line could reach, lived the Dragon King of the World Under the Sea and his Queen, along with genies and dragons, and all her maidens. They made beautiful music, and here among the mermaids, the fairies had a wonderful time.

These islanders had priests who went down to the beach when the tide was low. There, they called on the spirits of the ocean to bless them with a safe trip, good luck, victory over the Koreans, and a safe return. They stood there and watched the gentle waves as the breeze blew over the sea.

The first living thing that emerged from the water was the guardian of the seashore and the tides, known as the Salt Water Giant. He surfaced with his head covered in clam and oyster shells, seaweed, shrimp, and everything that grows in the sand or at the bottom of the ocean. He had [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] to push aside hundreds of white jellyfish that bumped into him as the clumsy old guy made his way to the surface and then waded to the shore.

Now this giant fairy was a grumpy kind of guy, and when he saw the Queen and her soldiers, he growled, “What do you want?”

Very politely, the Queen’s messenger responded softly to the big guy and requested him to inform his master, the Dragon King of the Undersea World, that the Queen needed his assistance.

Would he please ask all the big fish and every sea monster to go ahead and move her ship forward?

Would he also give her the two sparkling tide-jewels that control the ebb and flow of the tides? If he did, then in one case her enemies could be defeated. In the other case, the Korean ships would be stranded on the shore. Then she could travel through the land and collect all the gold, gems, furs, jewelry, clothes, and delicious food, and bring everything back to her home country.

With the tide jewels in her hand, she could definitely take control.

“And if you don’t mind, one more thing,” added the messenger. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

“What else do you want?” the Salt Water Giant growled.

“Ask your master, the Dragon King, to give our queen the authority to capture many hundreds of Korean artists, craftsmen, teachers, and intellectuals. We will take these men as prisoners and bring them to our country to civilize them.”

“And what will you do for me and my master in exchange for all this?” thundered the Salt Water Giant. His voice was like a booming cannon because he was furious.

“As soon as we return safely to these shores, our Queen will build a temple in honor of the Dragon King. We will burn incense for him, and our people will show him our devotion.”

“Well then, what else?” roared the Salt Water Giant.

“There will be a shrine dedicated to you, my lord, and we’ll get the best Korean artists to decorate it with wave patterns and splashes of foam.”

The Salt Water Giant bowed and vanished with a huge splash. Down, down, down he went to report to his master, the Dragon King of the Undersea World.

It was important for the dignity of His Majesty that the Queen and her soldiers wait until high tide, because the Dragon King only showed up [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]at high water. So the Queen’s servant set her ship in motion and waited out on the waves for the response they hoped to receive.

No sooner did the tide mark on the beach show that the waves had reached their highest point, than the sea opened up. The white foam curled around the Queen's ship while everyone on board held their breath, waiting to see what would happen next. They knew they were about to witness something that would send chills down their spines, as the massive ocean was intensely agitated.

First, a terrifying dragon's head appeared on the King's helmet. Its eyes looked like they were shooting fire. Then His Majesty showed up. He was holding the two tide jewels in a massive seashell, as big as a bushel, cradled in both hands.

These he gave to the Queen and then quickly vanished beneath the waves. The last thing they saw was the dragon’s head, which, besides the two lightning-like eyes, had teeth that could bite a boat in half, even when it was filled with people. This monster could swallow the entire crew in his mouth, which was as wide as that of a man-eating shark. His incredibly long black mustaches were as thick as ship cables.

Immediately after getting the tide jewels, the Queen of the barbarians arrived on the southern coast of Korea. After a few weeks of intense battles with the Koreans, she made them [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]bring her their gold, jewels, furs, fans, rice, and other attractive items.

She and her people didn't care about slaves or regular prisoners, but whenever and wherever they could find a painter, an artist, a costume designer, a potter, a scholar, or a priest, they captured him and took him along. They brought with them to the island a huge treasure of gems, gold, jewelry, and beautiful clothes. They also took many seeds of flowers and fruit trees, like lemons, oranges, apples, and pears.

In the islands they arrived at, these clever and knowledgeable men from Korea taught the islanders, who had lived like nomads, how to build houses, palaces, and temples, make nice clothes, paint pictures, and adopt the skills of Koreans and Chinese, who understood these things. As a result, the islands became abundant in fruit, rice, grains, pagodas, and temples. Afterward, the islanders wore beautiful clothes and exhibited good manners.

Now the islanders were big borrowers. They created very few things on their own, relying on their neighbors for a lot of what they had. So they filled both their minds and pockets with what they had brought from Korea. But they often made funny mistakes. When they wanted to learn about proper manners and nice clothes, they [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]asked what, on serious occasions, and during ceremonies, they should wear on their heads.

The Koreans were deeply insulted by these rough newcomers from across the sea for invading their land and taking their artists and craftsmen. So they decided to pull a fast one on the islanders.

So when men from the islands in the ocean sent a group to Korea asking for hats to wear and for guidance on how to do things right, the Koreans, in disdain, gave them their old shoes, which had laces to tie around their feet.

But the islanders, who loved to wear very little clothing and usually went barefoot, didn’t know what these shoes were. They thought they were some kind of headwear, like hats or bonnets.

So they placed them on their heads like skull caps and tied them with white strings under their chins. These were similar to ribbons and kept the caps secured around their necks.

So even now, the islanders wear this headgear when making offerings to the fairies and believe their shoe caps look great. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

When Tai Jo, the great general and first King of Korea, established a new dynasty, he moved the capital close to the Han River and decided to build a powerful city named Han Yang, or the Castle on the Han. It was meant to have tall walls surrounding it and grand gates on each side. However, people usually referred to the city as Seoul, or Capital. All the roads in the kingdom lead to it.

He was thrilled when the workers, while digging for the foundations of the East Gate, discovered a bell. It was a good sign, and they brought it straight to the king. He had it hung over the entrance to his palace, and it still hangs there.

But such a bell could only ring softly, while King Tai Jo wanted one that would resonate loudly and for a long time. He was particularly eager for this because in Silla, once a rival state, there had hung for centuries one of the largest bells in the world, and Tai Jo wanted one that was even better than that famous timekeeper. He envisioned an even bigger [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]bell to hang in the central square in the heart of Seoul, one that could be heard by every man, woman, and child in the city. After that, it should be able to carry its sound for miles across hills and valleys. With this sound, the people would know when to wake up, prepare their breakfast, sit down for dinner, or go to bed. On special occasions, his subjects would recognize when a king’s procession was passing by or when a royal prince or princess was getting married. It would toll a dirge when His Majesty passed away, signaling that the entire nation must mourn, wearing white clothes for three years, turning Korea into a land of mourners. The city’s guardian spirit would make its home in the bell.

Word went out through messengers riding on big horses, little ponies, donkeys, and bulls to all the provinces, announcing the king’s order to all governors, magistrates, and village chiefs to gather copper and tin to create bronze. The bell was meant to be ten feet high and eight feet wide; basically, as tall and wide as a Korean bedroom. At the top, forming the framework for hanging the bell, were two fierce-looking dragons. It weighed so many tons that it could balance five hundred heavy men on a seesaw, so only sturdy beams made from whole tree trunks could support it in the belfry, which had to be strong enough to withstand the shaking when the huge bell was rung. There was no clapper inside, but [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] outside, swinging from heavy ropes attached to pulleys above, was a long log. The men would pull it back and then let it go, striking the boss on the bell’s surface. This created the bell's music, making it toll, boom, rumble, growl, hum, croak, or roll out sweet melodies, depending on what the old bellman wanted.

So the line of bullock carts on the roads to Seoul creaked under the weight of copper ingots. Many a donkey had gulped down gallons of bean soup at the inn stables before he delivered his load of metal in the city, while hundreds of bulls bellowed beneath the heavy brushwood and timber stacked on their backs to fuel the furnaces that would melt the alloy for casting the massive bell.

The pit was deep, designed to hold the core and mold, and hundreds of fire-clay pots and ladles were prepared for when the molten metal was ready to pour. All the boys in Seoul were excitedly waiting to see the fire ignite, the smoke rise, the bellows roar, the metal flow, and the foreman signal to tap.

When the fire spirit in the volcano found out what was happening, he felt incredibly jealous, never considering that ordinary people could work with so much metal, manage such roaring flames, and create such a massive bell. He scoffed at the thought that King Tai Jo’s men could outdo the bells that hung in China’s grand temples or in Silla’s pagodas.

But when there still wasn’t enough and the [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]copper collectors were busy working, one of them arrived in a village and knocked on the door of a house where an old woman lived with a baby boy strapped to her back. She had no coins, cash, metal, or fuel to offer, but was more than willing to give either herself or the baby. With a tone that expressed her eagerness, she said:

“Can I give you this boy?”

The collector ignored her and moved on, not taking anything from the old woman. However, when he got to Seoul, he shared the story. As a result, many people heard about it and remembered it later.

So when everything was ready, the fire-clay crucibles were placed on the glowing coals. The blast roared until the bronze melted into liquid. Then, at the master's command, the hissing, molten stream poured out and filled the mold. After patiently waiting for the metal to cool, unfortunately, they discovered the bell was cracked.

The casting was lifted using heavy equipment, set up at substantial cost on site, and the bell was smashed into pieces by strong blacksmiths, swinging heavy hammers. Then a second casting was made, but once it cooled, it was discovered to be cracked again.

Three different times this happened, costing the equivalent of a palace for labor, materials, and wages, yet the bell was still not made. King Tai Jo was [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]in despair. Instead of crying, messing up his hair, or blaming the artisans, who had done their best, he offered a big reward to anyone who could identify the problem or reveal what was missing to achieve a perfect casting. Then, a worker from the team stepped forward and shared the story of the old woman, stating that the bell would break after each cooling unless her suggestion was accepted. He also mentioned that the old woman was a witch, and if the child wasn't a real human, then nothing bad could happen.

So the baby boy was called in, and when the molten metal had filled the pit halfway, he was thrown into the mix. There was some concern about “feeding a child to the fire demon,” but when they lifted the cooled bell out of the mold, it turned out to be a perfect success, and everyone seemed to forget about the life that had been sacrificed for the bell. Soon, with a file and chisel, the great work was completed. The installation ceremonies were quite impressive when the bell was set up in the city’s central square, where the wide streets from the South Gate and those facing east and west converged. Suspended by heavy iron links from a strong wooden frame, the mouth of the bell was exactly a foot above the ground. Then, around and over it, the belfry was constructed. The names of the main artisans who cast the bell [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] and the royal officials who oversaw the installation ceremonies were engraved on the metal. However, it was decided not to ring the bell until it was fully installed and the clapper, a suspended log of wood as thick as a ship's mast, was ready to deliver the initial sound.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people waited to hear the first sound of the bell. Everyone believed it would bring good luck and that they would live longer because of it. The boys and girls could hardly go to bed for listening, and some were worried they might be asleep when it rang. The little ones, whose eyes usually shut tight at sunset, begged to stay up that night until they could hear the bell, but some fell asleep because they couldn’t help it, and their eyes closed before they realized it.

“What should we name the bell, your Majesty?” asked a wise advisor.

“Call it In Jung,” said King Tai Jo. “That means ‘Man Decides,’ so every night at nine o’clock, every man and boy should decide to go to bed. Except for magistrates, no male should be found in the streets or risk being paddled. From that hour until midnight, the women will have the streets to themselves to walk in.” The royal decree was announced by trumpeters, and it was also ordered that every morning and evening, at sunrise [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] and sunset, a band should play at the opening and closing of the city gates.

So In Jung, or “Masculine Decision,” is the bell’s name to this day.

But the bell was still silent. It hadn’t made a sound yet. When it finally did ring, the people of Seoul found out it was the most incredible bell ever made. It had a memory and a voice. It could wail as well as sing. In fact, some people still say it can cry; because whether in childhood, youth, middle age, or old age, in joy or happiness, the bell reflects their own emotions with its changing tones, whether lively or cheerful, in warning or celebration.

At nine o’clock on the first night of the seventh moon—the month of the Star Maiden of the Loom and the Ox-boy with his entourage, who stand on opposite sides of the River of Heaven and cross over on the bridge of birds—the big bell of Seoul was to ring. All the men were in their rooms, ready to change and go to bed, while all the women, dressed in their best, were on the doorsteps, each holding a lantern, ready for their evening walk outside.

Four strong men grabbed the rope, pulled the swinging log back a whole yard, and then let it go. The timber slammed back and a wave of music burst forth, spreading across the city in all directions and over the hills, filling miles of space with beautiful sound. The children clapped their hands and danced with joy. They felt they would live a long time, having heard the sweet bell's first tune. The elderly smiled with happiness.

But the adults were surprised to hear that the bell could talk. Yes, its sounds actually formed a sentence.

“Mu-u-u-ma-ma-ma-la-la-la-la-la-la——” until it ended like a baby’s cry. Yes! There was no mistake about it. This is what it said:

“My mom's fault. My mom's fault.”

And even now, the mothers in Seoul, holding their children close, promise it won’t be their fault if they don’t receive love or care. They cherish their little ones more and shower them with deeper affection because they hear the great bell ringing, reminding parents to protect what Heaven has entrusted to them. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

The Korean children wake up every morning to the chirping of sparrows. These tiny birds make their nests among the vines on the roof and along the eaves. People plant melon, gourd, and mock orange seeds on the sunny sides of their houses in spring. Throughout the summer and into late autumn, the walls and roofs are covered with lush green leaves. In these cozy spots, the mother sparrow lays her eggs while the father sparrow looks for worms to feed her, until the hungry chicks open their little mouths for food. After that, both parents stay busy raising their young and teaching them how to fly.

The biggest threats to the baby birds come from vicious snakes that inhabit the roof and devour the young sparrows. Occasionally, to protect their offspring from these predators, the parent sparrows enlist the help of larger birds that aren’t scared of the snakes. These birds peck at the snake until they scare it off. There's always excited chattering celebrating the win. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

One day, a young sparrow that had barely learned to fly was almost caught and could have been eaten by a snake on the roof, but was saved by a big, brave bird that swooped at the reptile. Although it escaped the snake’s jaws, the sparrow got its legs caught in a curtain made of split bamboo that hung in front of the house, and its limb got dislocated. There it lay helpless between the splints.

The owner of the house was a kind man who loved birds. Feeling sorry for the poor sparrow, he gently picked it up, smoothed its feathers, and calmed the little creature, even as its heart raced. Then, after setting its leg in place, he wrapped some moist clay around the injury until it healed. Meanwhile, he kept it warm and fed the bird until it regained its strength. One day, he held it in his hand and, when outside, let it fly away. Soon, it returned and perched on the edge of the roof, chirping its thanks to its kind friend. Then it spread its wings and flew to the King of the Sparrows, who lived in the city of Sparrow Capital, where it promptly informed His Majesty about the good man who helped and befriended birds in trouble and had saved the young sparrow's life.

The King of Sparrow Land and all his wise advisors listened to the story with great interest. Then they held a meeting and voted to reward [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] generously for being such a good friend to all the sparrows. They went into the storehouse where beautiful treasures that humans cherish were kept. From the collection, they selected items they thought would most please their good friend, like gold, jade, brocade, cups and saucers, rice, horses for riding, oxen for heavy loads, and pretty maids to attend to him, along with silk and cotton clothes of all kinds, plus delicious food and drinks. Through some magical process, they packed these items into a seed and gave it to the sparrow to carry to the good man. They instructed the bird not to lose it and to make sure to give it only to the right person.

So the sparrow flew out of Sparrow Land and went to the house of its good friend. Carefully placing the seed, it stayed close to the paper window-frame and made a loud chirping noise until the man came out to see what was going on. Recognizing his old friend, he extended his open hand, and the sparrow dropped the seed into his palm, all the while chattering happily and looking at his face as if to show him how valuable the treasure was.

But the good man only took it to his wife and told her how he got it, laughed about it, and was going to throw it away, thinking it was just a silly joke.

The wife, who was very wise, urged her [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]husband to keep it, and on a warm spring day, she planted it. It grew into a lush vine that covered one side of the house with its leaves. When a particularly large and beautiful gourd was nearly ripe, the man considered picking it for food; however, following his wife's advice, he waited until full autumn arrived. By this time, the gourd, having soaked up the summer sunshine, was completely ripe.

Then they used a saw to open it properly, and wow! a treasure trove of riches came out of that gourd, unlike anything the man or his wife had ever imagined.

First, something appeared before them. It was a lavish jade table, like the kind an Emperor would dine from. Next, a silver bottle of delicious wine rolled out, followed by exquisite cups that settled on the jade table. Soon, a gold tea caddy filled with fragrant leaves showed up. Then came rolls of silk, fine muslin, satin brocade, and an abundance of luxurious clothes, hats, shoes, belts, and socks enough to last a lifetime. After that, there was rice and all kinds of cooked food prepared for a feast. Looking into the yard, they saw strong horses and fat oxen ready to serve their master. Finally, some beautiful young girls, as lovely as the moon, stepped out of the gourd and began to serve the delicious feast, as if they had spent their whole lives waiting on ladies and gentlemen. After the feast, they danced, played music, and provided endless entertainment and service to the man and his wife, who now felt as happy as a king and queen.

In their once modest home, now completely renovated, with all kinds of good things and plenty of loyal servants and strong animals to help them, the old couple lived worry-free and traveled wherever they wanted.

But when a cruel man, who hated all sparrows and had often chased them away from his house because he found them too annoying, heard about his neighbor’s good luck, he felt jealous and wanted to get rich in the same way. So he waited for his chance, and when a sparrow came close, he threw a stick at it and broke its leg. Then he wrapped the injured leg with clay and a piece of rag. He kept the poor sparrow until its leg healed, although it was terribly crooked, and then he let it fly away.

In the capital of Sparrow Land, the poor bird shared the story of the bad man's actions. The Sparrow King immediately distributed a seed to be given to the enemy of the sparrows. When the naughty man saw the little bird with the crooked legs, he rushed out, grabbed the seed, and planted it right away. He could barely wait for the gourd to ripen. Amazingly, though, the vine grew lush, covering [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]the entire side of the house and all the thatched roofs of the three homes that made up his residence. Finally, in the autumn, he picked the fruit. Then, sitting down in front of the pile, with a knife and saw, he began to cut them open.

But instead of good things, lovely people, and the treasures that make people rich and happy, like what his kind neighbor received, there came out, one after another, the twelve curses of Korea.

First, a group of rope dancers jumped in, holding out their hands and asking for money. They threatened to stay with him and eat at his table unless they were paid.

There was no way around it. So the ruthless guy had to hand each dancer a bunch of cash before he could wrap up the party.

No sooner had he opened the second gourd than a group of Buddhist priests stepped out, immediately starting to ask for donations for the temples. He was more than happy to pay off these bald men.

The saw had barely cut into another gourd when a group of hired mourners showed up with a corpse. They started weeping, wailing, and crying out so loudly that it could wake the dead. It took another bundle of cash to get rid of these nuisances. By this point, the cruel man was starting to feel quite broke.

Almost afraid to touch the other gourds but still greedily hoping for wealth, he sawed them [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] open; but one after another only took his money and threatened to make him a beggar. From the fourth gourd, a group of dancing girls emerged, who refused to leave until he paid them five thousand cash. From another gourd, a pair of acrobats jumped out and started performing. But knowing they would charge him more for their act if he let them finish, the man bought them off just like he had done with the others.

Getting poorer and poorer, with no sign of wealth from the gourds, he still felt he had to open more, but the outcome was the same. The strangest people, both men and women, showed up, like slackers from government offices, fortune-tellers, jugglers, and blind individuals. The blind people had sticks to help them navigate and bells on their belts to collect donations. Finally, of all the living beings, a giant appeared, threatening to eat both the man and his wife.

By this time, there wasn't a single coin or bill left, and besides being as broke as can be, the man was also hungry. When the twelfth gourd was opened, it seemed to hold all the smells of Korea. Covering their noses, the man and his wife burst out of their house. Thankfully, they did, because just then a strong wind blew the house down, and the thatch and beams caught fire from the heat in the flues. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

Thus stripped of all their belongings due to the man's cruelty to the birds, the wicked guy and his wife would have starved, if not for the kindness of the good man who treated the sparrows well. For the rest of their lives, the old couple relied on their neighbor's generosity. [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]

Over five hundred years ago, in a northern village near Ping Yang, there lived a woodcutter named Keel Wee.

He had a strong bull that carried the firewood he cut from the mountains and sold on the main street of his village during the fair held every five days. The gentle animal could carry a load of brush and firewood stacked high above its head, all tied down with ropes, making it look like just its legs were showing from a distance. Despite its size, this creature was incredibly gentle. The children loved him and played with him like he was one of them, or at least like a favorite pet. This bond formed because he had been separated from his mother when he was just a week old and raised with the kids. The only other favorite in the house was the puppy dog that also grew up with them.

On a beautiful summer morning, Keel Wee, leaving [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]his animal behind, went up the mountain and gathered enough wood to load up and bring down another day.

His wife, as she yelled good-bye, told him to make sure he was home in time for dinner, because their oldest son had gone fishing and they were expecting a good catch of perch.

Shouldering his axe, he began the climb up the mountain path. He had to go quite a distance, since near towns or cities in Korea all the timber had already been cut down. Every year, the woodmen have to look further away to find fuel.

Arriving in the woods at a clearing, Keel Wee got ready to use his trusty axe. He was just about to take off his big hat and outer coat and start swinging when he noticed, not too far away, two fairy-like figures. They had long hair, looked very wise, and were dressed in outfits from the Chow dynasty of two thousand years ago. They were sitting on stones and playing the game of go-ban.

As he got closer, the woodman adopted a respectful stance and, watching intently, soon became fascinated by the players' moves. Instead of being thrown off by his presence, the two fairies seemed to wink at him, inviting him to join in. Feeling quite honored by this attention, Keel Wee rested his chin on the handle of his axe and became absorbed in the game, eventually getting pretty excited. Forgetting to be polite, [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]he reached out with his right hand to move one of the pieces. Immediately, the nearest fairy gave him a sharp tap on the fingers for his boldness and pulled Keel Wee's arm back. Then, without a word, he pulled something that looked like a persimmon seed from his wallet and placed it in the woodman’s mouth. After that, all three were completely silent.

Hour after hour, the game went on, and the players became increasingly engrossed. As for Keel Wee, his eyes didn't blink as he stared intently at the yellow board filled with black and white pieces. Several times, when he thought he saw how the fairy on his right could win the game or how the one on his left could make a better move, he felt like telling one of them. However, when he tried to speak, he discovered he couldn't utter a word or make a sound. He felt strangely as if he were in a dream.

Yet all the while, he became more and more absorbed in the game, determining to see it through to the end and find out who had won. He forgot that for mountain spirits, there is no night or morning, no passing of hours, and they don’t care about clocks or bells, because in fairyland, time doesn’t exist.

All the while, Keel Wee was resting his chin on the sturdy axe handle, gripping it with both hands under his neck. He paid no attention to the sun or [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]stars, to daylight or darkness, and he didn't feel hungry.

Suddenly, the wood of his axe felt like it was crumbling to dust, and his chin dropped. The next thing he realized, he had lost his support. His head dropped down, and his body pitched forward as he toppled over, knocking over the checkerboard, disrupting the game, and scattering the round pieces everywhere on the ground.

Waking up as if from a dream, feeling completely embarrassed for his rudeness, he tried to gather himself and sincerely apologize for the accident caused by his own behavior. He expected to be scolded. But when he looked up, the fairies had vanished. There was no trace of them, the game board, or the checkers, except that when he touched the flat stones they had used as seats, he found them warm.

But where was his axe handle and what had happened? When he left home, he had just come from the barber shop, with his face smooth and clean-shaven. Now he put his hand to his chest and found that he had grown a long white beard. As for the iron axe head, it was there, but rusty and half-buried in the ground. He had worn one of those big farmer’s hats, which, when turned upside down, could hold a bushel or two of turnips, and when secured to his head, spread over [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]his shoulders like a roof. Where could it be? He looked around to find it, but saw only pieces of the slats inside the frame and a few scraps of what was left, as the rest had long rotted away. Meanwhile, he discovered that his joints were stiff, and he felt like an old man. His clothes were a tattered mess, his hemp sandals were gone, and on both his fingers and toes, long nails had grown like bird’s claws. His hair had burst out of its topknot string and hung down his back like a woman’s, only it was grayish-white.

Wondering what it all meant, Keel Wee hobbled down the mountain and found the road that led into the main street of his village. There were rocks and hills, rivers and streams, but what a change! Instead of the two grinning idol poles with male and female faces, carved from tree trunks, with sawed-out teeth painted white and wooden ear flaps nailed on, which had stood before every Korean village since the days of Kija, there was a line of tall, thick poles with iron wire stretching from one to the other for miles in the distance. These, he later learned, were called “lightning-thread-trees” (telegraph poles). In place of the sprawling, three-sided thatched houses and yards, separated by mats hung from sticks, there was a well-built but odd-looking office made of painted wood, with openings through which he saw Korean young [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]men sitting. They were dressed in strange clothes and were fiddling with bizarre-looking clicking devices.

His curiosity drove him to move closer for a better look when something bumped into his nose and almost knocked him over. When he tried again to get nearer, his face was shoved flat, his nose nearly broken, and his lips slammed against his teeth, causing them to swell. As he felt around with his hands to figure out what was happening, he touched something solid but transparent. Just then, he heard a young man inside shout at him in Korean:

“Hey, you mountain man, put that glass down.”

“Glass? Glass?” thought Keel Wee. “What is that?” Yet he couldn’t speak.

He had barely taken a deep breath when he looked down the street lined with gleaming iron tracks and saw a house on wheels headed straight for him. There was no horse, donkey, bull, or person pulling or pushing it, but above it was a long pole that, at the end where it touched a string—which he thought was a string but was actually an iron wire—had something that looked like a squirrel. It was spinning around as if performing flips and seemed to be driving the moving house forward. Inside, close to what he had already heard was glass, sat about a dozen Koreans. The whole thing, wheels and all, almost ran him over [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]as it thundered past, and his mouth opened in amazement while a man at the end shouted rudely:

“Hey, you old goblin, where did you get that pumpkin mouth? Watch out or you’ll swallow the moon. Move out of the way of the trolley.”

So the guy they called the conductor or guard mocked the poor old man, because he really did look like one of those performers who, on New Year’s Eve, entertain or frighten kids by wearing giant round devil masks and fake faces that represent Korea’s original inhabitants and the goblins that used to live in the mountains. These masks are typically shaped like a melon with cut-out eyes, nose, and mouth, similar to those that American boys play with on Halloween.

This was exactly the problem. The old man in rags, with no topknot, long hair down his back, and a white beard flowing over his chest, leaning on a long white cane as he limped down the street, looked just like one of the ancient natives who had long ago been pushed into the mountains. Nurses and old women scared misbehaving kids just by mentioning their names. When one of these mountain men, strange figures that were partly wild in their clothing and behavior, came into town, all the kids laughed and the big dogs barked, while the little ones ran away, because the sight was so unusual. Even the bulls bellowed, [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]the donkeys resisted, and the pigs squeaked as Keel Wee approached. It was no surprise he was mistaken for a mountain granddad or a rustic dressed up like one, since few of the city or village people had actually seen one of the mountain natives, any more than they had seen tigers, which were common farther away but only ever spotted by hunters.

More and more confused, Keel Wee made his way deeper into the town. He noticed that the men no longer wore topknots or chignons, and the young boys didn't have long braids down their backs, which indicated they were young but not yet married. Just then, some rowdy boys, thinking that maybe some clueless country bumpkin had mixed up the time of year, mocked him and shouted:

“Hey, hermit, do you think it’s New Year’s Eve?”

Keel Wee figured it was a good idea to ask some questions. Spotting a dignified gentleman in a black broad-brimmed hat and flowing white clothes walking down the street toward him, Keel Wee bowed his head deeply, almost to the ground. As he did this, the stone the fairies had put in his mouth fell out, and he was finally able to speak. He asked the following:

"Excuse me, sir, can you tell me where I can find the unfortunate hut of my suffering wife and children? [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__]She was the daughter of Gee Kim, and I, your unworthy servant, am Keel Wee."

The gentleman, whose clothing indicated that he was a scholar and someone of importance, stared intently at the questioner to make sure he wasn't being teased or fooled by a clown, acrobat, magician, or any other questionable character, and then exclaimed:

“Heavens! Are you a wandering spirit of the mountains? Your way of speaking sounds like the dialect used around here five hundred years ago. Back then, a family lived here, but the head of the family, a woodcutter and seller of fuel, is said to have gone into the mountains and was killed by a tiger. Over there in the graveyard are the remains of ten or more generations of his descendants.”

“Tell me, good sir, what has happened here since King Wang passed away? It was during his rule that I was born and grew up in this village.”

Still checking out the questioner, as if expecting him to jump out of his rags and reveal himself as a performer and the entire situation a joke, the kind gentleman began to outline the history of Korea over the past five hundred years. There had been many kings. The Tartars first, and then the Japanese, had invaded the land. A significant war between the Mikado's forces and the Chinese had occurred. It had just finished, and now people traveled in cars, communicated hundreds of miles [__A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__] over wires, and moved along iron tracks as fast as a dragon could fly, pulled by a steel horse that drank water and fed on wood and black stones that burned. In short, Korea was in an "era of civilization."

This was too much for Keel Wee. He now understood that he had lived ten times longer than the average person. So, he hobbled over to the graveyard, stumbling among the mounds until he found the one belonging to his family, where the remains of his wife and children rested. The next morning, all that remained of Keel Wee was a pile of dust, rags, some bones, and a lot of long white hair. Yet, when they buried him, strange flowers sprang up around his grave that no one had ever seen in the city or village, but which only bloomed on the high mountains.