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A FROG FOR
A HUSBAND OFF in a
valley, among very stony mountains, lived an old farmer named Pak We
and his
wife. His land was poor and he had to toil from sunrise to sunset and
often in
the night, when the moon was shining, to get food. No child had ever
come to
his home and he was in too great straits of poverty to adopt a son. So
he took
his amusement in fishing in the pond higher up on the hills, that fed
the
stream which watered his millet and rice fields. Being very skilful, he
often
caught a good string of fish and these he sold in the village near by
to get
for himself and his wife the few comforts they needed. Thus the old
couple kept
themselves happy, despite their cheerless life, though they often
wondered what
would become of them when they got too old to work. But one
summer Pak noticed that there were fewer fish in the pond and that
every day
they seemed to be less in number. Where he used to catch a stringful in
an
hour, he could hardly get half that many during a whole day. What was
the matter? Was he getting less skilful? Was the bait poor? Not at all! His worms were as fat,
his hooks and lines in as good
order, and his eyesight was as keen as ever. When Pak
noticed also that the water was getting shallower, he was startled.
Could it be
that the pond was drying up? Things
grew worse day by day until at last there were no fish. Where once
sparkled the wavelets of a pond was now an arid waste of earth and
stones, over
which trickled hardly more than a narrow fill, which he could jump
over. No
fish and no pond meant no water for his rice fields. In horror at the
idea of
starving, or having to move away from his old home and become a pauper,
Pak
looked down from what had been the banks of the pond to find the cause
of all
this trouble. There in the mud among the pebbles he saw a bullfrog,
nearly as
big as an elephant, blinking at him with its huge round eyes. In a rage
the farmer Pak burst out, charging the frog with cruelty in eating up
all the
fish and drinking up all the water, threatening starvation to man and
wife.
Then Pak proceeded to curse the whole line of the frog's ancestors and
relatives, especially in the female line, for eight generations back,
as
Koreans usually do. But
instead of being sorry, or showing any anger at such a scolding, the
bullfrog
only blinked and bowed, saying: "Don't
worry, Farmer Pak. You'll be glad of it, by and by. Besides, I want to
go home
with you and live in your house." "What!
Occupy my home, you clammy reptile! No you
won't," said Pak. "Oh! but I have news to tell
you and you won't be sorry, for you
see what I can do. Better take me in." Old Pak
thought it over. How should he face his wife with such a guest? But
then, the
frog had news to tell and that might please the old lady, who was fond
of
gossip. Since her husband was not very talkative, she might be willing
to
harbor so strange a guest. So they
started down the valley. Pak shuffled along as fast as his old shins
could
move, but the bullfrog covered the distance in a few leaps, for his
hind legs
were three feet long. Arrived at
his door, Mrs. Pak was horrified at the prospect of boarding such a
guest. But
when the husband told her that Froggie knew all about everybody and
could chat
interestingly by the hour, she changed her manner and bade him welcome.
Indeed,
she so warmed in friendliness that she gave him one of her best rooms.
All the
leaves, grass and brushwood that had been gathered in the wood-shed to
supply
the kitchen fire and house flues, was carried into the room. There it
was
doused with tubs of water to make a nice soft place such as bullfrogs
like.
After this he was fed all the worms he wanted. Then after
his dinner and a nap, Mrs. Pak and Mr. Pak donned their best clothes
and went
in to make a formal call on their guest. Mr. Pak put on his horsehair
hat and
long white coat, as white as snow, which had been starched and beaten
by his
loving wife, until it glistened all over like hoar frost. Mr.
Bullfrog was so affable and charming in conversation, besides telling
so many
good stories and serving up so many dainty bits of gossip, that Mrs.
Pak was
delighted beyond expression. Indeed, she felt almost like adopting
Froggie as
her son. The night
passed quietly away, but when the first rays of light appeared, Froggie
was out
on the porch singing a most melodious tune to the rising sun. When Mr.
and Mrs.
Pak rose up to greet their guest and to hear his song, they were amazed
to find
that the music was bringing them blessings. Everything they had wished
for,
during their whole lives, seemed now at hand, with more undreamed of
coming in
troops. In the yard stood oxen, donkeys and horses loaded with every
kind of
box, bale and bundle waiting to be unloaded and more were coming; stout
men
porters appeared and began to unpack, while troops of lovely girls in
shining
white took from the men's hands beautiful things made of jade, gold and
silver.
There were fine clothes and hats for Mr. Pak, jade-tipped hairpins,
tortoise-shell and ivory combs, silk gowns, embroidered and jeweled
girdles and
every sort of frocks and woman's garments for Mrs. Pak, besides inlaid
cabinets, clothes-racks and wardrobes. Above all, was a polished metal
mirror
that looked like the full autumn moon, over which Mrs. Pak was now
tempted to
spend every minute of her time. Four or
five of the prettiest maidens they had ever seen in all their lives
danced, sang
and played sweetest music. The unpacking of boxes, bales and bundles
continued.
Tables of jade and finest sandalwood were spread with the richest foods
and
wines. Soon, under the skilful hands of carpenters and decorators,
instead of
oiled paper on the floors, covering old bricks and broken flat stones
set over
the flues, and smoky rafters and mud walls poorly papered, there rose a
new
house. It had elegant wide halls, and large rooms with partitions made
of
choicest joiner work. It was furnished with growing flowers, game
boards for
chess and had everything in it like a palace. As for the riches of the
larder
and the good things to eat daily laid on the table, no pen but a
Korean's can
tell of them all. In the new storehouse were piles of dried fish,
edible
seaweed, bags of rice, bins of millet, tubs of kim-chee made of various
sorts
of the pepper-hash and Korean hot pickle in which the natives delight,
to say
nothing of peaches, pears, persimmons, chestnuts, honey, barley, sugar,
candy,
cake and pastry, all arranged in high piles and gay colors. The old
couple seemed able to eat and enjoy twice as big dinners as formerly,
for all
the while the adopted Bullfrog was very entertaining. Mr. and Mrs. Pak
laughed
continually, declaring they had never heard such good stories as he
told. The
good wife was, however, quite equal to her guest in retailing gossip.
One of
her favorite subjects, of which she never tired, was the beauty and
charm of
Miss Peach. She was the accomplished daughter of the big Yang-ban, or
nobleman,
Mr. Poom, who lived in a great house, with a host of servants and
retainers in
the next village, and Mrs. Pak insisted there was no young woman in the
world
like her. It was noticed that Mr. Bullfrog was particularly interested
when
Miss Peach Poom was the subject of the old lady's praises. After a
week of such luxury, during which Mr. and
Mrs. Pak seemed to dwell in the Nirvana, or Paradise, which the good
priests
often talked about, Mr. Pak's full cup of joy was dashed to earth when
the
Bullfrog informed him that he intended to marry, and that Mr. Pak must
get him
a wife. Still worse than that, Pak was informed by the Frog that he
would have
no one but Miss Peach, the daughter of Poom, so renowned for her beauty
and
graces. At this,
old Pak nearly went wild. He begged to be excused from the task, but
the
Bullfrog was inexorable. So, after imprecating his wife's tongue, for
her ever
putting it into the frog's head to marry Miss Peach, he donned his fine
clothes
and set out to see Mr. Poom. He expected to be beaten to death for his
brazen
effrontery in asking a noble lady to marry a frog. Now this
Mr. Poom had long been the magistrate of a district, who had squeezed
much
money wrongly from the poor people over whom he ruled, and having won
great wealth,
had retired and come back to his native place to live. Yet to keep up
his old
habits, he still kept a cross-bench on which common people who offended
him
were thrown and beaten with paddles, until often they went away
bleeding
cripples. This man had two daughters married, but the third, the
youngest and
most beautiful, Miss Peach, now eighteen years old, was the only one
Mr.
Bullfrog would have for his bride. Arriving
at the Pooms' grand mansion, Mr. Pak told of the suitor's wealth, power
and
fame, high position and promise, and how he had made the old couple
happy. Old Poom
had pricked up his ears from the first mention of riches and power, and
became
highly interested as Pak went on sounding the praises of his
prospective
son-in-law. "And
what is his name?" asked Mr. Poom. Here Pak
was in a quandary. He knew that the frog family was the oldest and most
numerous in the world and was famous for fine voices. He fell into a
brown
study for a few minutes. Then, looking up he declared that he had so
long
thought of the suitor's graces and accomplishments, that he had
forgotten his
name and could not then recall it. So Mr.
Poom, in order to help Pak out, ran over the list of famous families in
Korea,
reciting the names of the Kims, Sims, Mins, the Hos, Chos, Kos, Quongs
and
Hongs, etc., etc., for Mr. Poom was an authority on the Korean peerage.
"It
is none of these," said Pak. "I deeply regret that I cannot recall
the name." "Strange,"
said Mr. Poom. "I have named all the families of any standing in the
kingdom.
What is his office or rank and where do his relations live?" Pak was
pressed so hard by Mr. Poom's searching questions that at last he had
to
confess that the suitor for the beautiful maiden was not a man but a frog. "What!
do you want me to marry my daughter to a pond-croaker? You shall suffer
for
thus insulting me in my own house. Slaves, bring the cross-bench and
give this
wretch twenty blows." Forthwith,
while four men brought out the whipping bench, three others seized poor
Pak,
stripped off his coat, and bound him with feet and arms stretched out
to the
bench. Then a tall, stalwart fellow raised the huge paddle of wood to
let fall
with all his might on the bare flesh of the old man. But all
this while the sky was darkening, and, before the first blow was given,
the
lightning flashed, the thunder rolled, and floods of rain fell that
threatened
to overwhelm house, garden, and all in a deluge. The hail, which began
to pelt
the cattle, was first the size of an egg and then of stones, like
cannon-balls. "Hold,"
cried the frightened Mr. Poom. "I'll wait and ask further." Thereupon
the lightning and thunder ceased, the sun burst out in splendor. Mightily
impressed by this, Mr. Poom at last agreed to let his daughter become
the bride
of the frog, not telling her who her husband was to be. Within an hour,
while
she was getting ready, a string of fine horses and donkeys with
palanquins
loaded with presents for the bride and her family appeared. Besides
boxes of
silk dresses and perfumes, head-gear and articles for a lady's boudoir,
there
were troops of maidens to wait on the bride. Arraying Miss Peach in the
loveliest of robes, they also dressed her hair, until, what with satin
puffs
and frame, jade-tipped silver hairpins, rosettes and flowers, her
head-gear
stood over a foot high above her forehead, on which was the bride's red
round
spot. Then when the happy maiden had sufficiently admired herself in
the metal
mirror and heard the praises of her attendant virgins, she entered the
bridal
palanquin — a
gorgeous mass of splendor. According to
custom, her eyes were sealed shut and covered with wax, for a Korean
bride sees
nothing of her husband until the end of the feast, when she meets him
in the
bridal chamber. So to his
house she was carried in great pomp and with gay attendance of
brilliantly
arrayed maidens. The marriage ceremony and the grand supper were happy
affairs
for all the guests, even though the bride, according to Korean
etiquette, was
as if blind, quietly and patiently waiting sightless throughout the
whole
joyful occasion. The actual ceremony was witnessed only by the
foster-parents
and the bridegroom. When in
the bridal chamber, the bride having unsealed her eyes, and her vision
being
clear, she looked up at the one she had married and found not a man,
but a
frog, she was furiously angry. She burst out into a protest against
having such
a bridegroom. Gently and
in tenderest tones the bridegroom attempted first to comfort her. Then,
handing
her a pair of scissors, he begged her to rip open the skin along his
back from
shoulder to thigh, for it was very tight and he was suffering pain from
it. In her
bitter disappointment at being married to a frog, she seized the
scissors and
almost viciously began to cut from nape to waist. Her surprise was
great to
find what seemed to be silk underneath the speckled skin. When she had
slit
down two yards or so, her husband the frog stood upon his hind legs. He
twisted
himself about as if in a convulsion, pulled his whole speckled hide
hard with
his front paws, and then jumping out of his skin, stood before his
bride a
prince. Fair, tall, of superb figure, and gorgeously arrayed, he was
the ideal
of her dreams. A jeweled baldric bound his waist, embroidery of golden
dragons
on his shoulders and breast told of his rank, while on his head was the
cap of
royalty with a sparkling diamond in the centre. Yet no clothes,
handsome as
they were, could compare in beauty with his glorious manhood. Never had
she
seen so fair a mortal. Happy was
the bride whose feelings were thus changed in a moment from repulsion
and
horror to warmest affection and strongest veneration. The next morning
when, to
the amazement of his foster-father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. Pak, the
prince
presented himself and his bride at breakfast, he told the story of his
life. As
son of the King of the Stars he had committed some offense, in
punishment for
which his father condemned him to live upon the earth in the form of a
frog.
Furthermore he had laid upon his son the duty of performing three
tasks. These
must be done before he should be allowed to come back and live in Star
Land.
These were, to drink up all the water in the lake, to eat all the fish,
and to
win a human bride, the handsomest woman in the world. All the
precious things which he had presented to Pak and his wife to make
their old
days comfortable, and the gifts sent to the bride's house before her
wedding-day, had come by power from the skies. Now, leaving his
foster-parents
on earth to enjoy their gifts, he must return home to his father,
taking his
bride with him. Scarcely had he spoken these words than a chariot and
horses,
silver bright, appeared at the door of the house. Bowing low to his
foster-parents, and stepping in with his bride, the pair disappeared
beyond the
clouds. From this
time forth a new double star was seen in the sky. |