Hello, everyone. Welcome to “Korean Folktales.” This Monday corner takes you into the world of interesting Korean folk stories. I’m Emilee Jennings.

A long time ago, a man and his wife ran a roadside inn. They lived the same life for years. But one day, their situation suddenly changed. They became rich, so they bought a new house and stopped running the inn. The couple later had three sons. The boys grew up well and passed the state civil service examination. The parents were immensely happy, and it seemed there was nothing more the family could wish for.

But then something terrible happened. As soon as the three sons arrived home after passing the exam, they fell from their horses and died instantly. How sad and tragic it would be for the old parents to lose all of their three sons at the same time. They were so shocked and heartbroken that they went to the village magistrate and asked him to do something for them. The magistrate knew there was nothing he could do, as it was a matter of life and death. But he felt pity on the grief-stricken parents, and he decided to ask the king of the underworld about the reason for their death. The magistrate held a ritual to summon the angel of death. When the messenger from the underworld appeared, the magistrate asked about the mysterious deaths of the three young men. In response, the messenger told him an unbelievable story.

The three deceased men had once been silk peddlers who stayed at the inn operated by the couple many years ago. Being greedy for the valuable silk, the couple killed the peddlers and took the silk to become rich. Later, the souls of the silk peddlers were reborn as the couple’s sons. The family was to live happily only for a while, and the parents were destined to lose their sons at the happiest moment in their life. That was the punishment for the murderers. After all, the ill-fated victims were born to the couple for revenge.

After hearing about the ghastly murder story, the magistrate immediately ordered his officials to arrest the couple and searched the abondoned inn that once belonged to them. The officials found skulls and bones along with the peddlers’ clothes that were buried under the floorboards in the stable. Confronted with the evidence, the couple eventually confessed to their crime. After losing their beloved sons, the couple also received heavy punishment for the wrong they had done.

That’s it for today’s “Korean Folktales.” Thank you for listening. Please make sure to tune in again next time for another Korean folk story. I’m Emilee Jennings. Goodbye, everyone.