Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1898-01-14
KOREAN FAIRY TALE
f,eads as Charmingly as One of Mother
Goose's..


Goose's..
The Koreans have an interesting le-
gend concerning the manner in which
Tong Pak-Suk, the Methuselah of their
mythology, got the better Of satan.
Tong lived 1000 years and acquired
great wisdom. The later years of
his life were spent in fishing, but not
wishing to diminish the stock Of fish
in the river, he used straight piece
of wire instead Of hook. Thus he
was able to enjoy the excitement and
pleasure of fishing for several centu-
ries without catching single fish.
Ralizlng that sooner or later the
devil who did deaths errands would
be looking him up, he changed his
name and abode with each generation
and thus eluded him. In the meantime
the evil one disguised himself in
flowing Korean robe which covered up
his tail, concealed his horns under a
mourners hat three feet In diameter
and wrapped his legs in curious pad
ded stockings, so that he easily passed
fishing in the Hnu river. So he col
lected quantity of charcoal and
washed it in that stream. This Of
course blnckened the water, and Tong,
being surprised and annoyed, went up
to discover the cause. Finding the
devil washing the charcoal, he asked
what he was doing. The devil replied
that he was trying to make it white.
Old Tong in his astonishment was
thrown off his guard and said: 81 have
lived in Korea hundreds of years, and
Of course have met many fools, but
never saw II big enough fool to try to
wash charcoal white"
The devil Mt once knew his man, and
unfolding his tail by way Of exhibit
ing his warrant Of arrest, seized Tong
and hurried him along in the direction
Of that dark portal through which all
mortals must pass.
On the way the devil, being in good
humor over his success, chatted pleas
antly with Tong, who ventured to ask
him what he most abhorred and was
most afraid of. The devil made ia
tai blunder-one which might have
been excusable for n mortal, but was
most stupid for a devil-he told the
truth. He said that he hated and fear
ed but four terrestrial things-a branch
Of thorn tree, an empty salt bag,
worn-out straw sandal Of an OK, and a
particular kind Of grass that grows in
Korea-the foXtail-and that when
these were put together he could not
go within thirty feet of them.
In return the devil asked Tong what
he most feared Tong, being wise and
experienced, lied and said he was in
mortal terror of roasted OK head and
mackalee-a kind of beer.
Shortly after this exchange of con-
f1dence Tong noticed that they were
passing thorn tree, around the roots
OF which foXtail grass was growing,
and, curiously enough, under 1t was
an old bag and cast-off OK sandal;
so, making a sudden spring from the
side of the devil, he gathered up the
bag, the grass and sandal, and hang
Ing them on branch Of the tree his
charm was perfect. The devil could
not come within thirty feet.
OF course the devil used every in
ducement to get Tong to come forth,
but the old fellow stuck to his post.
At last the devil went off and got a
roasted OK head and cask of macka-
lee, and rolled them in to Tong, conf
dent from what he had told him, that
Tong would be driven outside the mag
ic circle. But when he saw Tong eat
ing heartily of the beef and drinking
the macka.ee with gusto, he realized
that the game was up, and despairing-
ly departed.
Tong's long life was due to the acci-
dent by which his page in the Book of
Fate stuck to the next one, so that
his name was overlooked. When ulti-
mately the complaint was made that
Tong had been living too long, it took
the registrar of the lower regions 346
years to hunt up his name in the
archives.
| Tow MoEtp%