Korean Folk Tale: The Vanity of the Rat
by Y.T. Pyun
In Korea, it was formerly the custom for parents to
arrange their children’s marriages. A long time ago, there
lived a rat couple who had one daughter named Rena. Since
they had no other children, they gave her everything. When
it became time for their daughter to marry, they wanted only
the best, respectable and powerful husband for her. They
thought about all of the rats that they knew, but none of them
were good enough for their daughter.
One day, Mr Rat said to his wife "I know who will
make the perfect husband for our daughter, the Sun." "The
Sun?" asked Mrs. Rat. "Why do you think the Sun would
make a good husband?" "Because there is none more
powerful in the world than the Sun" said the husband. "Yes,
Yes. Yes. The Sun is the most powerful. He's bright as well.
Let's ask him at once" said Mrs. Rat.
The two rats went out into their garden where the
Sun was shining. "Oh, Mr. Sun!" they called, trying to keep
their eyes open as they looked up into the sky. "Yes, what
can I do for you?" replied the Sun. "Should you accept, my
wife and I would like to offer you our daughter's hand in
marriage," said Mr. Rat proudly. "I'm honored" said Mr. Sun,
"But why do you want me to marry your daughter?"
"Because you are so powerful and magnificent!" said Mr.
Rat, while Mrs. Rat nodded her head in agreement.
"Well, I'm pleased that you think so highly of me"
said Mr. Sun. "But there is one that is more powerful than
me." "Who might that be? asked Mr. Rat. "Why Mr. Cloud, of
course! I am powerless when he covers me." "Yes, so true"
said Mr. Rat, nodding over and over." Come on dear.” he
said, taking his wife by the hand. "Let's go see Mr. Cloud."
They climbed up a nearby mountain, over which a
big cloud hung in the sky. They called to Mr. Cloud and
telling him what Mr. Sun had said, offered their daughter's
hand in marriage. Again, the couple received a much
different answer that what they were expecting. Mr. Cloud
said "What the Sun says is true. However, I am powerless
when I meet Mr. Wind. Wherever he blows, I must go." "Yes.
Yes. Of course, of course" said Mr. and Mrs. Rat. They then
set out to find Mr. Wind.
Coming down the mountain, they found Mr. Wind in
a grove of trees. "I am strong" he told them on hearing their
story. "I can make a big tree fall over or blow down a house.
I can shake up an ocean. But try as I may, I can't move a
stone Buddha." "Then, we'll just have to ask a stone
Buddha" said Mr. Rat. So, Mr. and Mrs. Rat hurried down the
mountain to the stone Buddha standing near their village.
"Well, I'm flattered that you want me to marry your
daughter" said Mr. Stone Buddha. "But I don't think I'm right
for her either. I am indeed strong and Mr. Wind can't move
me, but I am no means the strongest of them all. There is
one that can make me fall over easily. The very thought of it
is making me shake already." "Please Mr. Stone Buddha"
said Mr. Rat. "Please tell us who." "None other than you and
your cousins the moles" said Mr. Stone Buddha. "You and
your cousins are very strong. Why if you burrow under my
feet, I'll fall over and land on my head. I'm no match for you"
said Mr. Stone Buddha. "Thank you" said Mr. Rat, "You've
been very helpful.
After the long search for a suitable partner, the rat's
daughter married Roger the Rat who of course is part of the
race of rats that is the most powerful of all.
Korean Folk Tale: The Vanity of the Rat
by Y.T. Pyun
In Korea, it was formerly the custom for parents to
arrange their children’s marriages. A long time ago, there
lived a rat couple who had one daughter named Rena. Since
they had no other children, they gave her everything. When
it became time for their daughter to marry, they wanted only
the best, respectable and powerful husband for her. They
thought about all of the rats that they knew, but none of them
were good enough for their daughter.
One day, Mr Rat said to his wife "I know who will
make the perfect husband for our daughter, the Sun." "The
Sun?" asked Mrs. Rat. "Why do you think the Sun would
make a good husband?" "Because there is none more
powerful in the world than the Sun" said the husband. "Yes,
Yes. Yes. The Sun is the most powerful. He's bright as well.
Let's ask him at once" said Mrs. Rat.
The two rats went out into their garden where the
Sun was shining. "Oh, Mr. Sun!" they called, trying to keep
their eyes open as they looked up into the sky. "Yes, what
can I do for you?" replied the Sun. "Should you accept, my
wife and I would like to offer you our daughter's hand in
marriage," said Mr. Rat proudly. "I'm honored" said Mr. Sun,
"But why do you want me to marry your daughter?"
"Because you are so powerful and magnificent!" said Mr.
Rat, while Mrs. Rat nodded her head in agreement.
"Well, I'm pleased that you think so highly of me"
said Mr. Sun. "But there is one that is more powerful than
me." "Who might that be? asked Mr. Rat. "Why Mr. Cloud, of
course! I am powerless when he covers me." "Yes, so true"
said Mr. Rat, nodding over and over." Come on dear.” he
said, taking his wife by the hand. "Let's go see Mr. Cloud."
They climbed up a nearby mountain, over which a
big cloud hung in the sky. They called to Mr. Cloud and
telling him what Mr. Sun had said, offered their daughter's
hand in marriage. Again, the couple received a much
different answer that what they were expecting. Mr. Cloud
said "What the Sun says is true. However, I am powerless
when I meet Mr. Wind. Wherever he blows, I must go." "Yes.
Yes. Of course, of course" said Mr. and Mrs. Rat. They then
set out to find Mr. Wind.
Coming down the mountain, they found Mr. Wind in
a grove of trees. "I am strong" he told them on hearing their
story. "I can make a big tree fall over or blow down a house.
I can shake up an ocean. But try as I may, I can't move a
stone Buddha." "Then, we'll just have to ask a stone
Buddha" said Mr. Rat. So, Mr. and Mrs. Rat hurried down the
mountain to the stone Buddha standing near their village.
"Well, I'm flattered that you want me to marry your
daughter" said Mr. Stone Buddha. "But I don't think I'm right
for her either. I am indeed strong and Mr. Wind can't move
me, but I am no means the strongest of them all. There is
one that can make me fall over easily. The very thought of it
is making me shake already." "Please Mr. Stone Buddha"
said Mr. Rat. "Please tell us who." "None other than you and
your cousins the moles" said Mr. Stone Buddha. "You and
your cousins are very strong. Why if you burrow under my
feet, I'll fall over and land on my head. I'm no match for you"
said Mr. Stone Buddha. "Thank you" said Mr. Rat, "You've
been very helpful.
After the long search for a suitable partner, the rat's
daughter married Roger the Rat who of course is part of the
race of rats that is the most powerful of all.