The Sun and the Moon

Long ago in a small Korean village, there lived a poor widow with her two young children - a son and a daughter who loved each other dearly. Their mother worked hard every day, traveling to distant villages to sell rice cakes and earn money to feed her family.

One evening, as the mother was returning home through the dark forest carrying a bundle of freshly made rice cakes, she encountered a fierce tiger blocking her path. The tiger’s yellow eyes gleamed menacingly in the moonlight as it spoke in a deep, rumbling voice.

“Give me one of your rice cakes,” demanded the tiger, “or I shall eat you instead!”

Trembling with fear, the mother quickly handed over one of her precious rice cakes. The tiger devoured it hungrily, but instead of letting her pass, it licked its lips and demanded another.

“One more cake, or you become my dinner!” the tiger growled.

Again, the frightened mother complied, hoping the beast would be satisfied. But the greedy tiger continued to demand more rice cakes, one after another, until the poor woman had given away her entire bundle - her family’s only source of income.

When the last rice cake was gone, the tiger’s expression grew even more menacing. “Now that I’ve tasted your delicious cakes, I find myself craving something even sweeter - you!”

Before the mother could react, the savage tiger pounced upon her. Her terrified screams echoed through the forest, but there was no one to help her. The poor woman’s life came to a tragic end in the depths of the dark woods.

Meanwhile, at home, the two children waited anxiously for their mother’s return. As the hours passed and she did not come, they began to worry.

“Sister, why is Mother taking so long?” asked the young boy, peering out the window into the darkness.

“Perhaps she had to travel farther than usual to sell all her rice cakes,” his sister replied, though her voice betrayed her own concern.

As they sat by the flickering oil lamp, a heavy knock came at their door. Both children froze, hearts pounding.

“Children, it’s Mother! Open the door!” called a voice from outside.

But something was wrong. The voice sounded strange - deeper and rougher than their mother’s gentle tone. The clever sister grabbed her brother’s hand and whispered urgently in his ear.

“That’s not Mother’s voice. Look through the crack under the door.”

They crept quietly to the door and peered underneath. Instead of their mother’s small, delicate feet, they saw enormous furry paws with sharp, deadly claws.

“It’s the tiger!” gasped the sister. “It must have eaten our poor mother and now it wants to eat us too!”

The false voice outside continued coaxing them. “My dear children, I’m so tired from my journey. Please let Mother in so I can rest.”

But the observant sister noticed more differences. “Show us your hands, Mother!” she called out bravely.

The tiger, thinking himself clever, thrust one massive paw through a gap in the door. The children saw the thick, dark fur and razor-sharp claws.

“Mother, your hands look so strange and dark!” exclaimed the sister.

“Oh, my child,” the tiger replied, trying to sound motherly, “I was working so hard today that my hands got dirty and rough. The soot from cooking has darkened them.”

“Then show us your arm!” demanded the brother, catching on to his sister’s plan.

The tiger extended his muscular, fur-covered foreleg through the crack. The children were now certain of the deception.

“Mother, your arms look so thick and furry!” the sister called out.

“My dear ones,” the tiger said, growing impatient, “I’ve been carrying heavy bundles all day, and the cold mountain air has made my arms swell. Now please, let me in!”

But the wise children were not fooled. They quietly backed away from the door and began planning their escape. The sister remembered the large jangdok (earthenware jar) they used to store water, and the tall tree that grew beside their house.

“Brother,” she whispered, “we must escape through the back window and climb the tree. The tiger is too heavy to follow us up there.”

Just as they were preparing to flee, the tiger lost patience. With a mighty roar, he smashed through the wooden door, his massive frame filling the doorway. His yellow eyes burned with hunger as he searched for the children.

“Where are you, my sweet little ones?” he snarled, no longer bothering to disguise his voice. “I’ve had a delicious meal already tonight, but I’m still hungry for dessert!”

The children had already escaped through the back window and were climbing desperately up the tall pine tree beside their house. The tiger quickly discovered their absence and bounded outside, following their scent to the base of the tree.

Looking up, he saw the two frightened children clinging to the high branches, far above his reach.

“Come down, little ones!” the tiger called mockingly. “I’ll catch you whether you stay up there or come down. You cannot escape me forever!”

The tiger began attempting to climb the tree, but his massive weight and clumsy paws made it impossible. Each time he tried to grip the bark, his claws would slip, and he would tumble back to the ground with a frustrated roar.

Growing desperate, the tiger had an idea. He began running in circles around the tree, gaining speed with each lap. His plan was to run so fast that he could build enough momentum to leap high into the branches. Round and round he ran, becoming a blur of orange and black stripes.

Meanwhile, high in the tree, the terrified children held each other tightly. The sister, being older and more thoughtful, looked up at the star-filled sky and began to pray with all her heart.

“Oh, great spirits of heaven,” she called out in desperation, “if you truly care for innocent children, please send down a strong rope to pull us up to safety! If we are meant to live, let the rope be new and strong. If we are meant to die, let no rope come at all!”

As her heartfelt prayer echoed through the night air, something miraculous began to happen. The clouds in the sky started to part, revealing a brilliant golden light. Slowly, a strong, gleaming rope began to descend from the heavens, glowing with divine radiance.

The children gasped in wonder and gratitude. Without hesitation, they grasped the magical rope, and it began to lift them gently upward, away from the snarling tiger below.

The tiger, seeing his prey escaping, became even more frantic. He leaped and clawed at the air, trying desperately to reach the rising children. In his fury and jealousy, he too began to pray - but his prayer came from a heart filled with evil intent.

“Spirits of heaven!” the tiger roared, “if this magical rope can save them, then send one down for me as well! I deserve to follow them!”

To the tiger’s surprise, another rope did indeed descend from the sky. But this rope was old, frayed, and rotting - clearly weak and unreliable. The tiger, blinded by his greed and hunger, didn’t notice the rope’s poor condition. He grabbed onto it eagerly and began to climb.

The children watched in horror as the tiger started to follow them up his own rope. But they had faith that heaven would protect them, and their faith was rewarded. Just as the tiger reached the halfway point in his climb, the rotten rope snapped with a loud crack.

With a tremendous roar of rage and terror, the tiger plummeted toward the earth. He crashed into a field of millet with such force that he disappeared completely, and the millet field turned red from the impact. From that day forward, millet stalks have had a reddish color, a reminder of the tiger’s fall.

The children, meanwhile, continued their ascent on the strong, golden rope. As they rose higher and higher into the heavens, they felt a warm, transformative energy surrounding them. They were being changed, blessed by the divine powers that had answered their prayers.

When they finally reached the celestial realm, they found themselves before a council of wise and benevolent spirits. The spirits spoke to them in voices like gentle music.

“Dear children,” said the spirits, “you have shown great courage, wisdom, and love for each other in the face of terrible danger. Your pure hearts and strong bond have earned you a special destiny. You will no longer live as ordinary mortals, but will serve a greater purpose.”

The spirits explained that the earth needed guardians to provide light and warmth for all living creatures. The children would be transformed into celestial beings, taking turns to watch over the world below.

“Sister,” the spirits said to the girl, “you showed the greater wisdom and courage. You will become the sun, bringing bright light and warmth to help crops grow and people work during the day. Your light will be strong and steady, never failing those who depend on you.”

“And you, young brother,” they said to the boy, “your gentle, quiet nature makes you perfect to become the moon. You will provide soft, comforting light during the dark hours, guiding travelers and watching over sleeping children. Your presence will bring peace to the night.”

The transformation was beautiful to behold. The sister began to glow with brilliant golden light, her hair becoming rays of sunshine, her dress transforming into flowing solar flames. She became radiant and warm, filled with life-giving energy.

The brother’s transformation was equally wondrous but gentler. His body took on a soft, silvery glow, and he became serene and peaceful, emanating calm, cool light that would comfort rather than overwhelm.

But there was one more surprise in store. At first, the sister (now the sun) was assigned to shine at night, while the brother (now the moon) was meant to provide light during the day. However, when the sister began her nighttime duties, her brilliant light was so intense that it turned night into day. People couldn’t sleep, nocturnal animals became confused, and the natural order was disrupted.

The wise spirits quickly realized their error and switched the siblings’ roles. The sister would reign over the day as the sun, her powerful light perfect for helping the world grow and thrive. The brother would rule the night as the moon, his gentle glow ideal for providing comfort without disturbing sleep.

And so it has been ever since. Every day, the sun rises to bring light and warmth to the earth, helping plants grow, giving energy to all living things, and making it possible for people to work and play. Every night, the moon appears to provide gentle illumination, guiding those who travel in darkness and watching over children as they sleep.

The brother and sister, now the sun and moon, continue their eternal dance across the sky. Though they can rarely meet, they sometimes pass close to each other during eclipses, brief moments when their love and connection can be seen by all the world.

Some say that on very clear days, if you look carefully, you can still see the moon faintly visible in the daytime sky - the brother keeping watch over his sister as she works. And on especially bright moonlit nights, you can feel the warmth of the sun’s love reflected in the moon’s gentle glow.

The children who once hid in terror from a dangerous tiger had become the eternal guardians of earth, ensuring that light would never fail and that good would always triumph over evil. Their story reminds us that courage, wisdom, and love for family can overcome even the greatest dangers, and that those who protect others with pure hearts may be blessed with the power to serve something greater than themselves.

To this day, Korean parents tell this story to their children, reminding them that the sun and moon watching over them were once children just like them - children who faced danger with bravery and were rewarded for their pure hearts and strong family bond.