Myths, Legends, Fables...?
The story of the swallow.
In ancient Korea, there were two neighbors living in a very poor area. They both had large families and farming rice was all they did, along with some vegetables to feed themselves. Because of their poverty, both families lost a couple of their children because of starvation and disease. The only difference between these two families were in characteristics. One family was very kind, while the other was very mean.
A young swallow bird was one day found with its wing broken between the two farmer's yards. The mean farmer came out and looked down at the swallow. He spat at it and said he didn't have time or food to help something not linked to his family. The kind farmer saw his neighbor make a fuss about something, so he came out to see what the problem was. He saw the hurt bird and rushed to help it. Food was a precious thing back then, and the kind farmer had a lot of mouths to feed. He still took care and nursed the bird back to full health, feeding it some of his own food, and helping it anyway he could. The young swallow, once he was fit, left suddenly from the kind farmers home.
The next day, the swallow came back and talked to the farmer. In shock, the farmer just stared. Birds were not suppose to talk to you. It told the farmer thank you, and dropped a seed in the farmer's hand. He told the farmer to take the seed and care for it just like he cared for him. As the bird left, the farmer did as he was told and planted the seed. The next morning, there was a large gourd in his back yard, almost as tall as him. He took his ax and cracked it open, and out came a flow of gold coins. The farmer cried with happiness and right then, the swallow came back. The farmer blubbered his thanks as the bird told him to plant this seed as well. The farmer told the swallow, no I don't need another seed, I'm rich as it is, but the bird pressed the seed in the farmers hand and flew away. The farmer once again planted the seed and took care of it. The next morning an even bigger gourd grew and once the farmer cracked it open, rivers of silk and other precious clothes flowed out of it. Once again, the farmer cried with happiness and the swallow came back. Once again, the bird gave the farmer another seed and told him to plant it. The farmer yet again refused saying this was plenty enough and it was honestly too big of a thanks. Before the farmer could give back the seed, the swallow left and the farmer planted the 3rd seed. The next morning, the gourd that grew was just as big as the farmer's house. The farmer cracked open the gourd and out came his children that died from starvation and disease. As the farmer greeted them and cried with happiness, the swallow came back one last time to see the kind farmer's reaction. All during this time, the mean farmer saw all the treasure the swallow gave his neighbor, so he stole the bird away when the kind farmer wasn't looking and broke the bird's wing. That way he could heal the swallows wing and get rich like his neighbor. The kind neighbor thought the swallow left, and so he took all of his things and moved into the city to live comfortably and happily.
Once the swallow was healed, he took off without notice and brought back a seed the next day. The mean farmer quickly took it and planted it. The next day a gourd as big as his neighbor's first gourd grew and he quickly took an ax to it. Many diseases flowed out and took hold of him and his family. The swallow returned and the mean farmer cried and asked for the swallow's forgiveness. The bird told him it must come in threes and you must be punished. The bird planted the 2nd seed in the ground for the farmer and the next day, another large gourd grew. The farmer didn't open the gourd so it broke apart itself. Out came locusts and other insects that ate away his house and other possessions. The bird came back a third time and planted the seed for the mean farmer yet again. As it left the farmer begged for forgiveness and to take it all away. The bird just flew away. The next morning, the gourd was as big as his house. The farmer was too scared to even go near it when it burst open. Demons from hell ran out and took the mean farmer away from his family and dragged him down to hell.
This was a story I heard from my mother, aunt, and grandmother as I lived in Korea when I was really young. For some odd reason I just remembered this story last night as I was coming home. I just felt the need to type it out.
In ancient Korea, there were two neighbors living in a very poor area. They both had large families and farming rice was all they did, along with some vegetables to feed themselves. Because of their poverty, both families lost a couple of their children because of starvation and disease. The only difference between these two families were in characteristics. One family was very kind, while the other was very mean.
A young swallow bird was one day found with its wing broken between the two farmer's yards. The mean farmer came out and looked down at the swallow. He spat at it and said he didn't have time or food to help something not linked to his family. The kind farmer saw his neighbor make a fuss about something, so he came out to see what the problem was. He saw the hurt bird and rushed to help it. Food was a precious thing back then, and the kind farmer had a lot of mouths to feed. He still took care and nursed the bird back to full health, feeding it some of his own food, and helping it anyway he could. The young swallow, once he was fit, left suddenly from the kind farmers home.
The next day, the swallow came back and talked to the farmer. In shock, the farmer just stared. Birds were not suppose to talk to you. It told the farmer thank you, and dropped a seed in the farmer's hand. He told the farmer to take the seed and care for it just like he cared for him. As the bird left, the farmer did as he was told and planted the seed. The next morning, there was a large gourd in his back yard, almost as tall as him. He took his ax and cracked it open, and out came a flow of gold coins. The farmer cried with happiness and right then, the swallow came back. The farmer blubbered his thanks as the bird told him to plant this seed as well. The farmer told the swallow, no I don't need another seed, I'm rich as it is, but the bird pressed the seed in the farmers hand and flew away. The farmer once again planted the seed and took care of it. The next morning an even bigger gourd grew and once the farmer cracked it open, rivers of silk and other precious clothes flowed out of it. Once again, the farmer cried with happiness and the swallow came back. Once again, the bird gave the farmer another seed and told him to plant it. The farmer yet again refused saying this was plenty enough and it was honestly too big of a thanks. Before the farmer could give back the seed, the swallow left and the farmer planted the 3rd seed. The next morning, the gourd that grew was just as big as the farmer's house. The farmer cracked open the gourd and out came his children that died from starvation and disease. As the farmer greeted them and cried with happiness, the swallow came back one last time to see the kind farmer's reaction. All during this time, the mean farmer saw all the treasure the swallow gave his neighbor, so he stole the bird away when the kind farmer wasn't looking and broke the bird's wing. That way he could heal the swallows wing and get rich like his neighbor. The kind neighbor thought the swallow left, and so he took all of his things and moved into the city to live comfortably and happily.
Once the swallow was healed, he took off without notice and brought back a seed the next day. The mean farmer quickly took it and planted it. The next day a gourd as big as his neighbor's first gourd grew and he quickly took an ax to it. Many diseases flowed out and took hold of him and his family. The swallow returned and the mean farmer cried and asked for the swallow's forgiveness. The bird told him it must come in threes and you must be punished. The bird planted the 2nd seed in the ground for the farmer and the next day, another large gourd grew. The farmer didn't open the gourd so it broke apart itself. Out came locusts and other insects that ate away his house and other possessions. The bird came back a third time and planted the seed for the mean farmer yet again. As it left the farmer begged for forgiveness and to take it all away. The bird just flew away. The next morning, the gourd was as big as his house. The farmer was too scared to even go near it when it burst open. Demons from hell ran out and took the mean farmer away from his family and dragged him down to hell.
This was a story I heard from my mother, aunt, and grandmother as I lived in Korea when I was really young. For some odd reason I just remembered this story last night as I was coming home. I just felt the need to type it out.
posted by Angel at
4:28 PM
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