Long ago, a mother worked in the mountains to provide for her young son and daughter. While returning home with rice cakes, she was stopped by a hungry tiger. 'Give me a cake and I won't eat you,' the tiger growled. He took every cake, but eventually devoured the mother anyway. Disguising himself in her clothes, the tiger went to her house to trick the children. Suspicious of the raspy voice and hairy hands, the siblings realized the danger and fled to a tall tree. The tiger chased them and began to climb. In desperation, the children prayed to the Heavens: 'If you wish to save us, send down a sturdy rope; if you wish us to perish, send a rotten one.' A golden rope descended, lifting them into the sky. The tiger tried the same prayer but was sent a rotten rope. It snapped, and he fell to his death in a buckwheat field. The children were transformed into the Sun and the Moon to watch over the world.
Goodness and faith provide a path to safety, while greed and deception eventually lead to a person's own destruction.
Questions about this story
What is the moral of The Sun and the Moon?
The story teaches that virtue and resourcefulness are rewarded by divine protection, while cruelty and greed lead to inevitable failure. It emphasizes the triumph of innocence over evil.
Who are the main characters in this Korean folktale?
The main characters are a young brother and sister, their hardworking mother, and a cunning, shapeshifting tiger who attempts to eat the family.
How did the siblings become the sun and the moon?
After praying to the Heavens for help, they were pulled up by a divine rope. They were then transformed into celestial beings to light the day and night.
What happens to the tiger at the end of the story?
The tiger receives a rotten rope from the Heavens as punishment for his crimes. The rope breaks as he climbs, and he falls into a buckwheat field where he perishes.
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Good night.
