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Family Month Special: Korean Folktales

Episode 4: “Rabbit and the Turtle” 

His court officials brought him all kinds of medicine and called the best doctors to cure his illness but nothing seemed to work. 

  

“This may be my last days on this earth. I will no longer be able to eat delicious food and see beautiful sights. How sad to bid farewell to such a wonderful world!” (Dragon king)

Then one day, an old man with a long white beard appeared before the dragon king.

“I’m a divine spirit from heaven. I heard that you were gravely ill and came to see you.”

“Oh, can you save me?”

“Well, there is a way.”

“What is it? I will do anything to save myself.”

“You can be cured if you eat the liver of a rabbit.”

“The liver of a rabbit? But what in the world is a rabbit?”

“A rabbit is an animal that has two long ears, two round eyes, a slim body and a stubby tail.”

  

“아, 나는 이렇게 죽는가보다. 이 재미난 세상을 하직해야 하다니 어찌하면 좋을꼬”

그러던 어느 날, 신선이 나타났습니다.

“저는 하늘에 사는 신선인데,  용왕님께 깊은 병이 생겼다는 소식을 듣고 찾아왔습니다”

“아이고~ 신선님.  제발 저 좀 살려주십시오”

“딱 한가지 방법이 있기는 한데....”

“그게 뭡니까? 제가 살 수 있는 그 딱 한가지 방법이?”

“산속에 사는 토끼의 간을 구해서 먹으면 병을 고칠 수 있습니다”

“토끼의 간이요? 토끼라~ 토끼가 도대체 뭡니까?” 

“토끼로 말할 것 같으면,

 두 귀는 쫑긋쫑긋, 두 눈은 동글동글.

 허리는 늘씬늘씬, 꼬리는 뭉특뭉특하게 생긴 동물입니다” 

Byeol Jubu swam up to the human world with the painting of a rabbit carefully tucked inside his jacket. 

“Wow, what a strange world. I never knew such a world existed outside of the sea. This is wonderful. What a fantastic sight!” (Turtle)

 

Byeol Jubu was so fascinated by the exotic sights that he almost forgot about his mission.

“Oh, what am I doing? I have work to do. I have to catch a rabbit and take him back to the sea palace. But where can I find one?” (Turtle)

“세상에~ 나는 용궁이 세상의 전부인줄 알았는데 이런 곳이 있네~

 정말 좋구나, 좋아.  내가 이런 구경을 다 할줄이야~”

 

자라는 난생처음 보는 경치에 한참동안 눈길을 빼앗겼습니다.

 “아참, 내가 이럴때가 아니지~  빨리 토끼를 잡아서 용궁으로 돌아가야지~

 근데 어딜가야 토끼를 만날 수 있으려나”