Korean Folk Tales — Im Bang
Korean Folk Tales: Imps, Ghosts and Fairies You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org . If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook. Title : Korean folk tales Imps, ghosts and fairies Author : Pang Im Yuk Yi Translator : James Scarth Gale Release date : January 22, 2016 [eBook #51002] Most recently updated: October 22, 2024 Language : English Other information and formats : www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/51002 Credits : Produced by Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net/ for Project Gutenberg (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) *** START OF GALE London : J. M. DENT & SONS, Ltd. New York : E. P. DUTTON & CO. 1913 All rights reserved TO MY LITTLE SON GEORGE JAMES MORLEY THE DAYS OF WHOSE YEARS ARE TWO EASTERN SPRINGS AND AUTUMNS PREFACE To any one who would like to look somewhat into the inner soul of the Oriental, and see the peculiar spiritual existences among which he lives, the following stories will serve as true interpreters, born as they are of the three great religions of the Far East, Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism. An old manuscript copy of Im Bang’s stories came into the hands of the translator a year ago, and he gives them now to the Western world that they may serve as introductory essays to the mysteries, and, what many call, absurdities of Asia. Very gruesome indeed, and unlovely, some of them are, but they picture faithfully the conditions under which Im Bang himself, and many past generations of Koreans, have lived. The thirteen short stories by Yi Ryuk are taken from a reprint of old Korean writings issued last year (1911), by a Japanese publishing company. Three anonymous stories are also added, “The Geomancer,” to show how Mother Earth has given anxiety to her chicks of children; “Im, the Hunter,” to tell of the actualities that exist in the upper air; and “The Man who lost his Legs,” as a sample of Korea’s Sinbad. The biographical notes that accompany the stories are taken very largely from the Kuk-cho In-mul-chi , “Korea’s Record of Famous Men.” J. S. Gale. CONTENTS PAGE I CHARAN 1 II THE STORY OF CHANG TO-RYONG 18 III A STORY OF THE FOX 26 IV CHEUNG PUK-CHANG, THE SEER 29 V YUN SE-PYONG, THE WIZARD 36 VI THE WILD-CAT WOMAN 41 VII THE ILL-FATED PRIEST 44 VIII THE VISION OF THE HOLY MAN 47 IX THE VISIT OF THE MAN OF GOD 52 X THE LITERARY MAN OF IMSIL 54 XI THE SOLDIER OF KANG-WHA 58 XII CURSED BY THE SNAKE 60 XIII THE MAN ON THE ROAD 63 XIV THE OLD MAN WHO BECAME A FISH 66 XV THE GEOMANCER 69 XVI THE MAN WHO BECAME A PIG 73 XVII THE OLD WOMAN WHO BECAME A GOBLIN 78 XVIII THE GRATEFUL GHOST 80 XIX THE PLUCKY MAIDEN 83 XX THE RESOURCEFUL WIFE 90 XXI THE BOXED-UP GOVERNOR 92 XXII THE MAN WHO LOST HIS LEGS 100 XXIII TEN THOUSAND DEVILS 104 XXIV THE HOME OF THE FAIRIES 111 XXV THE HONEST WITCH 125 XXVI WHOM THE KING HONORS 130 XXVII THE FORTUNES OF YOO 133 XXVIII AN ENCOUNTER WITH A HOBGOBLIN 141 XXIX THE SNAKE’S REVENGE 146 XXX THE BRAVE MAGISTRATE 150 XXXI THE TEMPLE TO THE GOD OF WAR 153 XXXII A VISIT FROM THE SHADES 157 XXXIII THE FEARLESS CAPTAIN 162 XXXIV THE KING OF YOM-NA (HELL) 165 XXXV HONG’S EXPERIENCES IN HADES 171 XXXVI HAUNTED HOUSES 177 XXXVII IM, THE HUNTER 182 XXXVIII THE MAGIC INVASION OF SEOUL 188 XXXIX THE AWFUL LITTLE GOBLIN 191 XL GOD’S WAY 194 XLI THE OLD MAN IN THE DREAM 196 XLII THE PERFECT PRIEST 198 XLIII THE PROPITIOUS MAGPIE 200 XLIV THE ‘OLD BUDDHA’ 202 XLV A WONDERFUL MEDICINE 204 XLVI FAITHFUL MO 205 XLVII THE RENOWNED MAING 208 XLVIII THE SENSES 210 XLIX WHO DECIDES, GOD OR THE KING? 211 L THREE THINGS MASTERED 213 LI STRANGELY STRICKEN DEAD 215 LII THE MYSTERIOUS HOI TREE 217 LIII TA-HONG 219 BIOGRAPHICAL Im Bang was born in 1640, the son of a provincial governor. He was very bright as a boy and from earliest years fond of study, becoming a great scholar. He matriculated first in his class in 1660, and graduated in 1663. He was a disciple of Song Si-yol, one of Korea’s first writers. In 1719, when he was in his eightieth year, he became governor of Seoul, and held as well the office of secretary of the Cabinet. In the year 1721 he got into difficulties over the choice of the Heir Apparent, and in 1722, on account of a part he played in a disturbance in the government, he was exiled to North Korea, where he died. (From Kuk-cho In-mul-chi , “Korea’s Record of Famous Men.”) Yi Ryuk lived in the reign of King Se-jo, matriculated in 1459, and graduated first in his class in 1564. He was a man of many offices and many distinctions in the way of literary excellence. “Korea’s Record of Famous Men.” Korean Folk Tales: Imps, Ghosts and Fairies KOREAN IMPS, GHOSTS AND FAIRIES I CHARAN [Some think that love, strong, true, and self-sacrificing, is not to be found in the Orient; but the story of Charan, which comes down four hundred years and more, proves the contrary, for it still has the fresh, sweet flavour of a romance of yesterday; albeit the setting of the East provides an odd and interesting background.] In the days of King Sung-jong ( A.D. 1488–1495) one of Korea’s noted men became governor of Pyong-an Province. Now Pyong-an stands first of all the eight provinces in the attainments of erudition and polite society. Many of her literati are good musicians, and show ability in the affairs of State. At the time of this story there was a famous dancing girl in Pyong-an whose name was Charan. She was very beautiful, and sang and danced to the delight of all beholders. Her ability, too, was specially marked, for she understood the classics and was acquainted with history. The brightest of all the geisha was she, famous and far-renowned. The Governor’s family consisted of a son, whose age was sixteen, and whose face was comely as a picture. Tho