Stone Dduk

Long ago there lived a rabbit and a tiger. One warm spring day, after hopping here and there, the rabbit became very tired and fell asleep on a hillside, only to be suddenly awakened by a sharp tap on his back. Seeing a tiger in front of him the frightened rabbit did his utmost to maintain poise and show respect, "Honorable tiger."

"No need to fuss! I haven't eaten anything for lunch and I only want to ease my hunger by eating you."

Wanting to avoid imminent death, the rabbit didn't waste any seconds before coming up with an idea. "My goodness! How did you miss your lunch? You must be terribly hungry by now."

"I don't need your sympathy, poor rabbit. Just prepare yourself for your final moment." The tiger stretched his neck forward with his mouth wide open to devour the rabbit.

Stepping backward, the rabbit said, "If you swallow me in such haste, I'm afraid you might choke on me. Before you eat me, why don't you try my Stone Dduk, which makes an excellent appetizer. Have you ever tried Stone Dduk? You don't know how delicious it is."

Thinking he might as well eat both, the tiger replied, "Well whatever Stone Dduk is, bring me some. Let me try."

The rabbit picked up eleven smooth, round stones. "These are Dduk. They will be delicious once they are roasted and dipped in honey." "Honey? Why would you need honey?"

"Dduk taste much much better when dipped in honey. I will go down to the village to get some. You watch the Dduk so that they don't burn while I am gone. There are ten Dduk, wait until I get back to eat them."

No sooner was the rabbit out of sight than the Tiger counted the Dduk. "The rabbit clearly said there were ten, but there are eleven. I thought the rabbit was smart, but he doesn't even know how to count."

He picked up one large red hot Dduk and put it into his mouth. "Oh, my throat! My mouth! What a fool I am! I have been deceived!" The raging tiger jumped up and down destroying the fire before racing back to his cave.

Days passed. Unable to eat because of his badly burned throat, the tiger waited. Finally so hungry he could wait no longer, he came out of his cave to find something moving in the bushes. It was the rabbit.

"I am glad to meet you again," said the tiger menacingly.

Once again frightened, but again maintaining his poise, the rabbit calmly said, "Honorable tiger. Last time I was chased by a vicious village dog and couldn't bring you honey. After that I would have visited you, but I was so busy with my research."

With a frightening roar, the tiger answered, "What research? You are no good rabbit. This time I will definitely eat you up."

"Please listen to me honorable tiger. I have been researching ways of catching sparrows, lots of sparrows. I have discovered a very effective method."

The tiger was determined not to be cheated again, but in listening to the rabbit, his appetite for sparrows rose. "Tell me how you would catch sparrows?"

"It is not difficult, come with me to the middle of that field and sit with your eyes closed and your mouth wide open."

The tiger did as the rabbit asked, but first he said, "you cannot cheat me again or your death is a sure thing."

The tiger closed his eyes with his mouth open wide, listening to the rabbit chasing sparrows. "Hooee! said the rabbit. "The sparrows are coming; please keep your mouth open." Hoping to soon have a mouthful of sparrows, the tiger remained with eyes closed and mouth open, even though he strangely began to feel warmer and warmer. Finally, curious, he opened his eyes to find himself surrounded by wildfire! As he dashed through the flames for his life he thought, "how stupid of me to be cheated again."

His skin and hair badly burned, the tiger had to lay down again for several days. As he lay there he thought, "I should never have underestimated the little rabbit." As for the rabbit, he has never been seen again.

Filial Tiger

Once upon a time, there lived a young man and his elderly mother. One day, just like any other day, this young man went deep into the mountains behind his village to cut firewood. Each day he had to go deeper and deeper into the mountains to get enough wood. Finding the right spot with plenty of dead wood to cut, he busied himself felling, cutting, and gathering wood. Suddenly Tiger with large fierce slanted eyes, full of venom appeared before the young man. After giving the young man a good stare, Tiger gave a loud roar, shaking the whole valley. Thinking, "you would make a perfect dinner for me," Tiger started walking slowly toward the young man. The young man's death appeared a sure thing.

In a split second, he remembered his mother's words, "Stay alert, and you will find a way to survive even in a fatal crisis." The young man thought he could not allow himself to be so easily devoured without trying to save himself. "Where there is a will there is a way." Gathering up his courage and putting on a pleasant friendly face, he knelt down on the ground giving Tiger a big bow. Surprised, Tiger stepped a couple of steps backward. "Oh my long lost Big Brother, I am so happy to finally meet you," said the young man.

"What you called me Big Brother? I am a tiger. You are human. How could we possibly be brothers?" Tiger's loud roaring sound once again shook the whole valley.

Trying his utmost to maintain his composure, with a happy smile, the young man slowly started explaining. "My mother has previously warned me that you couldn't possibly remember what had really happened to you. When you were a little baby, you were lost in the deep forest, she told me. She believed you had been killed by a fierce beast. But, strangely, you kept appearing in her dreams and told her that a very kind mother tiger had saved you. She nursed you and raised you like a baby of her own. So you grew up to be a tiger. In my mother's dream, you kept telling her how much you missed her, and me, your brother. You kept telling her how much you wished that we could one day meet each other and live all together in one house. So my mother would say to me, "If you ever meet a handsome tiger, he must be your brother. Call him Big Brother and tell him this whole story."

Tiger thought that this was an incredible story, but somehow he felt good. Everyone he had previously met in his life had become scared of him, hated him, and had run away from him, if they didn't try to shoot him. No one was ever happy to see him, greeting him with such a warm respectful welcome. The big bow especially meant a lot to him. He tried to remember his early childhood, all in vain. He wanted to believe that the story was true. He could have been born human. How sad his mother would have been to lose her dear baby son. Tiger felt a deep sympathy for his human mother and brother. By then, the thought of devouring this young man was long gone. He told his human brother in a soft, kind voice, "I'm happy to hear my childhood story. I'm also happy to know you are my brother. But, I have already put on a tiger's appearance and it would be impossible for us to live together in human society. Go home and tell our mother that I'm well. Tell her not to worry about her long lost son." Tears welled up in Tiger's eyes. From now on, I will bring you a wild boar once every 15 days. You serve our mother good meals."

The young man reluctantly said goodbye to Tiger and came down the mountain. From then on, precisely once every 15 days, the young man found a freshly killed boar at the gate. He and his mother lived happily ever after.

A Lesson For A Young Man

Lee, Whang (1501-1570) is one of the most distinguished scholars in Korean history. He was known not only for his scholastic achievement, but also for his virtues and wisdom. One day a young scholar was on his way to Lee, Whang's study to receive private instruction. He came to a stream with no bridge. There were no stepping stones either. In order to cross the stream, he would have to take off his socks and shoes and roll up his baggy pants. He thought it was too undignified for a Yang Ban (a person from the elite class). He looked around. Nearby, an old man was gathering wood twigs for fuel. This young scholar called out for the old man to come near him and said to him, "You couldn't possibly expect a Yang Ban like me to take off my shoes and socks and get my feet wet. Carry me on your back to the other side of the stream."

The old man gladly agreed, let this young scholar get on his back and started crossing the stream. The young scholar asked the old man, "Do you know the way to 'Do San Suwon?'" (This was Lee Whang's private study.)

"Yes, sir," answered the old man.

"Then you must know the famous scholar, Lee, Whang?"

"Of course, I know him very well."

"How do you know the scholar, Lee, Whang so well?" the young scholar kept asking. Beaming with smiles on his wrinkled face, the old man answered, "I am Lee, Whang."

Can you imagine how this young scholar must have felt? He felt as if he were struck by lightning. He was so embarrassed that he did not know what to do. The young man begged Lee, Whang to allow him to get down from his back. But, Lee, Whang kept calmly crossing the stream saying, "You might as well remain on my back until we cross the stream." He carried him to the other side.

Koreans hold men of virtue and wisdom like Lee, Whang in highest respect. "Ears of rice humbly bend as the rice ripens," says a Korean proverb.

A Grateful Deer

Many years ago, there lived a kind warm hearted little boy, who was also a hard worker. He would go deep into the mountains to gather firewood to sell at the market place. His frail elderly parents could barely live on the little money he made. One day, while gathering firewood as usual, the little boy, heard an animal's footsteps crackle on dry leaves. He became frightened. Could it be a ferocious mountain lion? Could it be the tiger that had killed the neighbor's sheep? His ears perked up in terror.

As he turned around he saw a beautiful little deer with colorful spots on his back. Trembling and frightened, he cautiously approached the boy, stopping a few steps away from him, begging for help, "Master, please save my life. A hunter is coming after me with a shotgun. I am afraid to run any further. The hunter will surely shoot me. Please help me."

The boy told the deer to dive into a nearby heap of hay. No sooner was the deer covered with hay, than a hunter rushed up. Breathing hard, he asked, "Have you seen a deer run this way."
The boy had never lied before. He felt his stomach turn and his lips quiver at the thought of telling a lie. But, with the image of the frightened deer in his mind, he gained courage. "No sir, I didn't see a deer."

The hunter looked at the boy suspiciously, eyeing him from head to toe. "Looks like he got away... I could have shot him. How unlucky I am to miss him." The hunter walked away in search of his lost prize.

After the boy was certain that the hunter had gone he called out to the deer, "You are safe now. You can come out and run away." The deer did not leave right away, hesitating. "What's the matter? The hunter may come back, please hurry, " said the boy.

"No sir, I want to do something for you. Follow this trail over the mountain where you will find a flat boulder rock. Behind it you will find a narrow path hidden among bushes. It will take you to a Hidden Valley where you will find acre upon acre of hundred year old ginseng plants." So saying, the deer bounded off.

The boy followed the trail the deer had revealed to him. Truly there were the ginseng plants. He dug a few which he took and gave to his frail parents. Immediately they regained their youthfulness and strength. Now all three of them worked together to harvest the wild ginseng which sold for the highest prices. They made a large fortune selling them. No longer did the little boy need to pick up firewood on cold mornings. He and his parents lived happily ever after.