Two Brothers and Their Magic Gourds (Korean Folk Story for Children, Series II)

"Two Brothers and Their Magic Gourds" is a Korean folk story about a man who had two sons living in a farmhouse that was a mansion where there was enough for all to share. Before he died the father bid his sons farewell and reminded them to be king to their neighbors and to live together in perfect harmony. After the old man joined his ancestors the two sons did live in harmony, but the eldest, Nolbu, was a miser who was married to a selfish woman, while the younger son, Hungbu, was a very gentle man who would say nothing rather than cause an argument. Nolbu and his wife take advantage of Hungbu and his family until Nolbu finally ordered Hungbu and his family to leave (I wonder who Nolbu's wife thinks will do all of the hard work now that Hungbu's wife and children are gone?). Although this story is set in Korea, young readers from around the world will recognize the basic situation of there being one good son and one bad son (you might be reminded of the parable of the prodigal son, although certainly the story here is different). Hungub and his family are very poor but they are happy working together in a small field. When Hungbu takes pity on a small wounded swallow, his kind-heartedness leads to the seeds from which grow the magic gourds of the story. Of course when Nolbu hears the story of what has happened to his brother, his heart is filled with envy and in trying to duplicate his brother's success Nolbu sews the seeds (literally) of his own destruction. If you remember the father's words to his two sons then how this one plays out in the end will not surprise you. Although this is purely a Korean tale its origin in unknown. However, the idea that "good" is rewarded and "bad" punished is a common theme in many Korean folktales. The orignal title is "Hungbu-jon," which means "prosperous husband tale." Edited by Edward B. Adams, "Two Brothers and Their Magic Gourds" is illustrated by Dong Ho Choi with regard for the true image of "Old Korea" and its cultural past. So the clothing, farm utensils, rural architecture and country customs (e.g., kite flying) are faithfully reproduced. It turns out there are many Korean legends about the gourd ("pagaji"), and Adams mentions a few in his editorial comments to parents in the back of this book, which also provides some cultural insights into the aforementioned details of Choi's illustrations.