I.

In the province of Chullado, in Southern Korea, lived two brothers. One

was very rich, the other very poor. For in dividing the inheritance,

the elder brother, instead of taking the father's place, and providing

for the younger children, kept the whole property to himself, allowing

his younger brother nothing at all, and reducing him to a condition

of abject misery. Both men were married. Nahl Bo, the elder, had many

concubines, in addition to his wife, but had no children; while Hyung

Bo had but one wife and several children. The former's wives were

continually quarrelling; the latter lived in contentment and peace with

his wife, each endeavoring to help the other bear the heavy burdens

circumstances had placed upon them. The elder brother lived in a fine,

large compound, with warm, comfortable houses; the younger had built

himself a hut of broom straw, the thatch of which was so poor that

when it rained they were deluged inside, upon the earthern floor. The

room was so small, too, that when Hyung Bo stretched out his legs in

his sleep his feet were apt to be thrust through the wall. They had

no kang, and had to sleep upon the cold dirt floor, where insects were

so abundant as to often succeed in driving the sleepers out of doors.

They had no money for the comforts of life, and were glad when a

stroke of good fortune enabled them to obtain the necessities. Hyung

Bo worked whenever he could get work, but rainy days and dull seasons

were a heavy strain upon them. The wife did plain sewing, and together

they made straw sandals for the peasants and vendors. At fair time the

sandal business was good, but then came a time when no more food was

left in the house, the string for making the sandals was all used up,

and they had no money for a new supply. Then the children cried to

their mother for food, till her heart ached for them, and the father

wandered off in a last attempt to get something to keep the breath

of life in his family.

Not a kernel of rice was left. A poor rat which had cast in his lot

with this kind family, became desperate when, night after night,

he chased around the little house without being able to find the

semblance of a meal. Becoming desperate, he vented his despair in such

loud squealing that he wakened the neighbors, who declared that the

mouse said his legs were worn off running about in a vain search for

a grain of rice with which to appease his hunger. The famine became

so serious in the little home, that at last the mother commanded her

son to go to his uncle and tell him plainly how distressed they were,

and ask him to loan them enough rice to subsist on till they could

get work, when they would surely return the loan.

The boy did not want to go. His uncle would never recognize him on

the street, and he was afraid to go inside his house lest he should

whip him. But the mother commanded him to go, and he obeyed. Outside

his uncle's house were many cows, well fed and valuable. In pens he

saw great fat pigs in abundance, and fowls were everywhere in great

numbers. Many dogs also were there, and they ran barking at him,

tearing his clothes with their teeth and frightening him so much that

he was tempted to run; but speaking kindly to them, they quieted down,

and one dog came and licked his hand as if ashamed of the conduct of

the others. A female servant ordered him away, but he told her he was

her master's nephew, and wanted to see him; whereupon she smiled but

let him pass into an inner court, where he found his uncle sitting

on the little veranda under the broad, overhanging eaves.

The man gruffly demanded, "who are you?" "I am your brother's son,"

he said. "We are starving at our house, and have had no food for

three days. My father is away now trying to find work, but we are

very hungry, and only ask you to loan us a little rice till we can

get some to return you."

The uncle's eyes drew down to a point, his brows contracted, and he

seemed very angry, so that the nephew began looking for an easy way of

escape in case he should come at him. At last he looked up and said:

"My rice is locked up, and I have ordered the granaries not to be

opened. The flour is sealed and cannot be broken into. If I give

you some cold victuals, the dogs will bark at you and try to take it

from you. If I give you the leavings of the wine-press, the pigs will

be jealous and squeal at you. If I give you bran, the cows and fowls

will take after you. Get out, and let me never see you here again." So

saying, he caught the poor boy by the collar and threw him into the

outer court, hurting him, and causing him to cry bitterly with pain

of body and distress of mind.

At home the poor mother sat jogging her babe in her weak arms, and

appeasing the other children by saying that brother had gone to their

uncle for food, and soon the pot would be boiling and they would all

be satisfied. When, hearing a foot-fall, all scrambled eagerly to

the door, only to see the empty-handed, red-eyed boy coming along,

trying manfully to look cheerful.

"Did your uncle whip you?" asked the mother, more eager for the safety

of her son, than to have her own crying want allayed.

"No," stammered the brave boy. "He had gone to the capital on

business," said he, hoping to thus prevent further questioning,

on so troublesome a subject.

"What shall I do"? queried the poor woman, amidst the crying and

moaning of her children. There was nothing to do but starve, it

seemed. However, she thought of her own straw shoes, which were

scarcely used, and these she sent to the market, where they brought

three cash (3/15 of a cent). This pittance was invested equally in

rice, beans, and vegetables; eating which they were relieved for the

present, and with full stomachs the little ones fell to playing happily

once more, but the poor mother was full of anxiety for the morrow.

Their fortune had turned, however, with their new lease of life,

for the father returned with a bale of faggots he had gathered

on the mountains, and with the proceeds of these the shoes were

redeemed and more food was purchased. Bright and early then next

morning both parents went forth in search of work. The wife secured

employment winnowing rice. The husband overtook a boy bearing a pack,

but his back was so blistered, he could with difficulty carry his

burden. Hyung Bo adjusted the saddle of the pack frame to his own back,

and carried it for the boy, who, at their arrival at his destination

in the evening, gave his helper some cash, in addition to his lodging

and meals. During the night, however, a gentleman wished to send a

letter by rapid dispatch to a distant place, and Hyung Bo was paid

well for carrying it.

Returning from this profitable errand, he heard of a very rich man, who

had been seized by the corrupt local magistrate, on a false accusation,

and was to be beaten publicly, unless he consented to pay a heavy sum

as hush money. Hearing of this, Hyung went to see the rich prisoner,

and arranged with him that he would act as his substitute for three

thousand cash (two dollars). The man was very glad to get off so

easily, and Hyung took the beating. He limped to his house, where his

poor wife greeted him with tears and lamentations, for he was a sore

and sorry sight indeed. He was cheerful, however, for he explained

to them that this had been a rich day's work; he had simply submitted

to a little whipping, and was to get three thousand cash for it.

The money did not come, however, for the fraud was detected, and

the original prisoner was also punished. Being of rather a close

disposition, the man seemed to think it unnecessary to pay for what

did him no good. Then the wife cried indeed over her husband's wrongs

and their own more unfortunate condition. But the husband cheered her,

saying: "If we do right we will surely succeed." He was right. Spring

was coming on, and he soon got work at plowing and sowing seed. They

gave their little house the usual spring cleaning, and decorated the

door with appropriate legends, calling upon the fates to bless with

prosperity the little home.

With the spring came the birds from the south country, and they seemed

to have a preference for the home of this poor family--as indeed did

the rats and insects. The birds built their nests under the eaves. They

were swallows, and as they made their little mud air-castles, Hyung

Bo said to his wife: "I am afraid to have these birds build their

nests there. Our house is so weak it may fall down, and then what

will the poor birds do?" But the little visitors seemed not alarmed,

and remained with the kind people, apparently feeling safe under the

friendly roof.

By and by the little nests were full of commotion and bluster; the

eggs had opened, and circles of wide opened mouths could be seen in

every nest. Hyung and his children were greatly interested in this

new addition to their family circle, and often gave them bits of

their own scanty allowance of food, so that the birds became quite

tame and hopped in and out of the hut at will.

One day, when the little birds were taking their first lesson in

flying, Hyung was lying on his back on the ground, and saw a huge

roof-snake crawl along and devour several little birds before he

could arise and help them. One bird struggled from the reptile and

fell, but, catching both legs in the fine meshes of a reed-blind,

they were broken, and the little fellow hung helplessly within the

snake's reach. Hyung hastily snatched it down, and with the help

of his wife he bound up the broken limbs, using dried fish-skin for

splints. He laid the little patient in a warm place, and the bones

speedily united, so that the bird soon began to hop around the room,

and pick up bits of food laid out for him. Soon the splints were

removed, however, and he flew away, happily, to join his fellows.

The autumn came; and one evening--it was the ninth day of the ninth

moon--as the little family were sitting about the door, they noticed

the bird with the crooked legs sitting on the clothes-line and singing

to them.

"I believe he is thanking us and saying good-by," said Hyung, "for

the birds are all going south now."

That seemed to be the truth, for they saw their little friend

no longer, and they felt lonely without the occupants of the now

deserted nests. The birds, however, were paying homage to the king

of birds in the bird-land beyond the frosts. And as the king saw the

little crooked-legged bird come along, he demanded an explanation of

the strange sight. Thereupon the little fellow related his narrow

escape from a snake that had already devoured many of his brothers

and cousins, the accident in the blind, and his rescue and subsequent

treatment by a very poor but very kind man.

His bird majesty was very much entertained and pleased. He thereupon

gave the little cripple a seed engraved with fine characters in gold,

denoting that the seed belonged to the gourd family. This seed the

bird was to give to his benefactor in the spring.

The winter wore away, and the spring found the little family

almost as destitute as when first we described them. One day they

heard a familiar bird song, and, running out, they saw their little

crooked-legged friend with something in its mouth, that looked like

a seed. Dropping its burden to the ground, the little bird sang to

them of the king's gratitude, and of the present he had sent, and

then flew away.

Hyung picked up the seed with curiosity, and on one side he saw the

name of its kind, on the other, in fine gold characters, was a message

saying: "Bury me in soft earth, and give me plenty of water." They

did so, and in four days the little shoot appeared in the fine

earth. They watched its remarkable growth with eager interest as

the stem shot up, and climbed all over the house, covering it up

as a bower, and threatening to break down the frail structure with

the added weight. It blossomed, and soon four small gourds began to

form. They grew to an enormous size, and Hyung could scarcely keep

from cutting them. His wife prevailed on him to wait till the frost had

made them ripe, however, as then they could cut them, eat the inside,

and make water-vessels of the shells, which they could then sell, and

thus make a double profit. He waited, though with a poor grace, till

the ninth moon, when the gourds were left alone, high upon the roof,

with only a trace of the shrivelled stems which had planted them there.

Hyung got a saw and sawed open the first huge gourd. He worked so long,

that when his task was finished he feared he must be in a swoon, for

out of the opened gourd stepped two beautiful boys, with fine bottles

of wine and a table of jade set with dainty cups. Hyung staggered back

and sought assurance of his wife, who was fully as dazed as was her

husband. The surprise was somewhat relieved by one of the handsome

youths stepping forth, placing the table before them, and announcing

that the bird king had sent them with these presents to the benefactor

of one of his subjects--the bird with broken legs. Ere they could

answer, the other youth placed a silver bottle on the table, saying:

"This wine will restore life to the dead." Another, which he placed

on the table, would, he said, restore sight to the blind. Then going

to the gourd, he brought two gold bottles, one contained a tobacco,

which, being smoked, would give speech to the dumb, while the other

gold bottle contained wine, which would prevent the approach of age

and ward off death.

Having made these announcements, the pair disappeared, leaving Hyung

and his wife almost dumb with amazement. They looked at the gourd, then

at the little table and its contents, and each looked at the other

to be sure it was not a dream. At length Hyung broke the silence,

remarking that, as he was very hungry, he would venture to open

another gourd, in the hope that it would be found full of something

good to eat, since it was not so important for him to have something

with which to restore life just now as it was to have something to

sustain life with.

The next gourd was opened as was the first, when by some means out

flowed all manner of household furniture, and clothing, with rolls

upon rolls of fine silk and satin cloth, linen goods, and the finest

cotton. The satin alone was far greater in bulk than the gourd had

been, yet, in addition, the premises were literally strewn with costly

furniture and the finest fabrics. They barely examined the goods now,

their amazement having become so great that they could scarcely wait

until all had been opened, and the whole seemed so unreal, that they

feared delay might be dangerous. Both sawed away on the next gourd,

when out came a body of carpenters, all equipped with tools and lumber,

and, to their utter and complete amazement, began putting up a house

as quickly and quietly as thought, so that before they could arise

from the ground they saw a fine house standing before them, with

courts and servants' quarters, stables, and granaries. Simultaneously

a great train of bulls and ponies appeared, loaded down with rice

and other products as tributes from the district in which the place

was located. Others came bringing money tribute, servants, male and

female, and clothing.

They felt sure they were in dreamland now, and that they might

enjoy the exercise of power while it lasted, they began commanding

the servants to put the goods away, the money in the sahrang,

or reception-room, the clothing in the tarack, or garret over

the fireplace, the rice in the granaries, and animals in their

stables. Others were sent to prepare a bath, that they might don

the fine clothing before it should be too late. The servants obeyed,

increasing the astonishment of the pair, and causing them to literally

forget the fourth gourd in their amazed contemplation of the wondrous

miracles being performed, and the dreamy air of satisfaction and

contentment with which it surrounded them.

Their attention was called to the gourd by the servants, who were then

commanded to carefully saw it open. They did so, and out stepped a

maiden, as beautiful as were the gifts that had preceded her. Never

before had Hyung looked on any one who could at all compare with the

matchless beauty and grace of the lovely creature who now stood so

modestly and confidingly before him. He could find no words to express

his boundless admiration, and could only stand in mute wonder and feast

himself upon her beauty. Not so with his wife, however. She saw only

a rival in the beautiful girl, and straightway demanded who she was,

whence she came, and what she wanted. The maid replied: "I am sent by

the bird king to be this man's concubine." Whereupon the wife grew

dark in the face, and ordered her to go whence she came and not see

her husband again. She upbraided him for not being content with a house

and estate, numbers of retainers and quantities of money, and declared

this last trouble was all due to his greed in opening the fourth gourd.

Her husband had by this time found his speech, however, and severely

reprimanding her for conducting herself in such a manner upon the

receipt of such heavenly gifts, while yesterday she had been little

more than a beggar; he commanded her to go at once to the women's

quarters, where she should reign supreme, and never make such a

display of her ill-temper again, under penalty of being consigned to

a house by herself. The maiden he gladly welcomed, and conducted her

to apartments set aside for her.