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Saturday, April 02, 2022

TALE OF HUNGBU AND NOLBU, a Korean tale

I've heard this folk for the first time on "Crash landing on you". So, I'd like to share with you this beautiful Korean story. Here there are two different videos, but beautiful.



TALE OF HUNGBU AND NOLBU

 Nolbu, a greedy brother, seized his father's entire fortune, leaving his good brother Hungbu in poverty. When Hungbu appealed to his brother for help in order to feed his family, the greedy Nolbu accused his brother of being lazy and refused to help him. Soon afterward, Hungbu and his wife rescued and tenderly cared for a swallow with a broken leg. When it recovered, the swallow flew away, only to later return to Hungbu and his wife with a gourd seed that grew gourd plants. Happy to be able to have the gourd pulp for kimch’i and the gourds as dippers, Hungbu and his wife were overcome with joy when they found the gourds were actually filled with gold, silver and precious stones. When Nolbu discovered that his brother had become a rich man, he went to his brother and asked him how he acquired such wealth. Hungbu told his brother what had happened with the swallow and the seed. Nolbu left his brother's house, went home and proceeded to hunt for swallows. Upon finding one, he purposely broke its leg, crudely cared for it and ordered it to return in the spring with a gourd seed. When the swallow returned with a gourd seed, Nolbu and his wife expected to become rich. But instead of growing gourds with gold, silver and precious stones, the gourds contained a shaman and a goblin. The shaman forced Nolbu and his wife to give up their money and their riches. Hungbu then nursed Nolbu and his wife, caring for them as though nothing bad had ever happened between them. Eventually Nolbu realized the error of his ways, and they all lived happily ever after.




MORAL OF THE STORY

 This story, which is set in a family situation, discourages greed and avarice. The tale assumes that the family is biologically inseparable unit whose members will care for one another and, in particular, for their elders. For centuries the family bond has been strongly emphasized by Koreans following Confucian teachings and ethics. Traditionally, someone like Nolbu was, in fact, shunned and ostracized. A Korean expression is derived from the Tale of Hungbu and Nolbu. It is Nolbu-shimsa, which means "thinking and acting like Nolbu," or being wicked, perverse, ill-natured, cross, etc.