The Tale of Sim Cheong

Long ago, in a small village by the sea, there lived a poor blind man named Sim Hakgyu. He had lost his sight as a young child due to a terrible illness, and since then had lived in a world of darkness, relying on his other senses and the kindness of neighbors to survive. Despite his disability, Sim Hakgyu was known throughout the village for his gentle nature and his skill in weaving baskets from bamboo, which he sold to earn a meager living.

Sim Hakgyu’s greatest joy in life was his daughter, Sim Cheong, who had been born to him and his beloved wife. Tragically, his wife died shortly after giving birth, leaving him to raise Cheong alone. From the very beginning, it was clear that Cheong was an extraordinary child - not only was she beautiful with a kind and generous heart, but she seemed to possess an inner light that brightened her father’s dark world.

As Cheong grew up, she became her father’s eyes and hands. Every morning, she would wake before dawn to prepare his simple breakfast of rice and vegetables, carefully cutting everything into small pieces so he could eat easily. She would guide him to his work area, where he would spend the day weaving baskets while she attended to the household chores and helped neighbors with their work to earn a few extra coins.

“Father,” Cheong would say each evening as they shared their modest dinner, “tell me about the world when you could see. What did the sky look like? What about the flowers in spring?”

Sim Hakgyu would smile sadly and stroke his daughter’s hair. “My dear Cheong, the most beautiful thing I ever saw was your mother’s face when you were born. And though I cannot see you now, I know you must be even more beautiful than she was, for your kindness and love shine brighter than any light I remember.”

Cheong’s heart would ache for her father whenever he spoke this way. More than anything in the world, she wished she could somehow restore his sight so he could see the beauty of the world again - and more importantly, so he could see her face and know how much she loved him.

Despite their poverty, Cheong never complained about their difficult life. She had never owned a pretty dress or eaten fine food, but she was content as long as she could care for her father. The other children in the village sometimes mocked their poor circumstances, but Cheong bore their taunts with quiet dignity, never allowing their words to embitter her heart.

One day, when Cheong was sixteen years old, father and daughter were walking together along the village path. Sim Hakgyu was using his walking stick to feel his way, while Cheong held his arm to guide him safely around obstacles. As they approached a small wooden bridge over a stream, they encountered a Buddhist monk who was traveling through the village.

The monk, seeing the blind man struggling to cross the bridge safely, called out in a voice filled with compassion, “Good sir, I can see that you have been blessed with a devoted daughter, but cursed with blindness. Have you ever considered seeking divine intervention for your condition?”

Sim Hakgyu stopped in surprise. “Honored monk,” he replied respectfully, “I have long since accepted my fate. What divine intervention could possibly restore sight to eyes that have been dark for so many years?”

The monk stepped closer, his robes rustling softly in the breeze. “There is an ancient legend,” he said in a mysterious voice, “that speaks of a great Buddha statue across the sea, so powerful that it can grant any pure-hearted wish. It is said that if someone makes a sacrificial offering of three hundred bags of rice to this Buddha, accompanied by a prayer of true devotion, even the impossible can become possible.”

Cheong’s heart leaped with sudden hope. “Three hundred bags of rice?” she whispered. “And this Buddha can really restore sight?”

“So the legend says, child,” the monk replied kindly. “But the offering must come from a heart of pure sacrifice, given freely without thought of reward.”

That night, as her father slept, Cheong lay awake thinking about the monk’s words. Three hundred bags of rice was an enormous fortune - more money than they could earn in several lifetimes. But the possibility, however remote, that her father might regain his sight filled her with desperate hope.

The next morning, Cheong rose earlier than usual and began working with renewed energy. She took on extra tasks for neighbors, worked longer hours, and saved every single coin she earned. But after months of this intense effort, she had managed to save only enough money for a few bags of rice. At this rate, it would take her entire lifetime to accumulate the necessary amount.

One day, while Cheong was working in the village market, she overheard a conversation between some traveling merchants and local fishermen. The merchants were discussing their need for a ritual sacrifice to ensure safe passage across the dangerous seas to a distant land where they planned to trade their goods.

“The sea spirits have been angry lately,” one merchant was saying. “Several ships have been lost in storms. The oracle has told us that only a pure human sacrifice will appease them and grant us safe passage.”

“But who would be willing to make such a sacrifice?” asked a fisherman.

“Anyone who volunteers will be paid three hundred bags of rice for their family,” the merchant replied. “It is a generous offer for someone who has nothing left to lose.”

Cheong’s heart nearly stopped when she heard these words. Three hundred bags of rice - exactly the amount needed for her father’s cure! Without thinking of the consequences, she stepped forward from behind the market stall where she had been listening.

“Honored merchants,” she said in a clear, steady voice, “I volunteer to be your sacrifice.”

The merchants and fishermen stared at her in shock. Here was a young, beautiful girl, barely past childhood, offering to give up her life. One of the merchants, moved by her courage, asked gently, “Child, do you understand what you are saying? This sacrifice means death. Why would someone so young throw away her life?”

“My father is blind,” Cheong replied with quiet dignity, “and I have learned that with three hundred bags of rice, I can make an offering to the great Buddha that will restore his sight. My life is a small price to pay for such a miracle.”

The merchants were amazed by her filial devotion. Never had they encountered such selfless love. After much discussion among themselves, they agreed to accept her offer, but insisted on giving her time to reconsider such a momentous decision.

“We will return in one month,” the lead merchant told her. “Use this time to think carefully. If you still wish to proceed, we will provide the three hundred bags of rice to your father immediately, and you will accompany us on our voyage.”

That evening, Cheong sat with her father for what she knew might be one of their last meals together. She wanted to tell him about her decision, but she knew it would break his heart. Instead, she simply held his hand and listened to him talk about his plans for the future.

“Cheong, my dear daughter,” he said happily, “I’ve been thinking that perhaps it’s time you considered marriage. You’re old enough now, and though we are poor, your virtue and beauty will surely attract a good husband. I know I’ve been a burden to you all these years, preventing you from living a normal life.”

“Father,” Cheong replied, fighting back tears, “you have never been a burden. Caring for you has been the greatest joy of my life. You are the most precious thing in the world to me.”

As the days passed, Cheong’s resolve only strengthened. She spent her time taking care of final arrangements, preparing food for her father, and teaching him how to manage certain household tasks on his own. She also visited the village temple to pray for strength and to ask the Buddha to ensure that her sacrifice would truly restore her father’s sight.

When the month was up, the merchants returned as promised. They brought with them three hundred bags of the finest rice, which they delivered to Sim Hakgyu’s humble home. The blind man was astonished by this sudden wealth.

“Cheong,” he asked in confusion, “where did all this rice come from? What have you done?”

With a heavy heart but unwavering determination, Cheong finally told her father about her agreement with the merchants. “Father,” she said, taking his hands in hers, “I have made an offering to the Buddha for your sight. These merchants will take me on a journey, and in return, you will have everything you need for the rest of your life.”

Sim Hakgyu was horrified when he understood what his daughter had done. “No!” he cried, tears streaming down his face. “I cannot accept such a sacrifice! My blindness is not worth your precious life! Cancel this agreement immediately!”

But Cheong had already made her decision, and nothing her father said could change her mind. “Father,” she said softly, “all my life, you have given me love and guidance. Now please allow me to give you this gift. My greatest happiness will come from knowing that you can see again.”

The next morning, despite her father’s desperate pleas and the sympathy of the entire village, Cheong boarded the merchants’ ship. As the vessel pulled away from shore, she stood at the rail, watching her father’s figure grow smaller and smaller until it disappeared entirely.

The journey across the sea was long and treacherous. For many days, the ship battled fierce winds and towering waves. Cheong spent her time praying and preparing her heart for the sacrifice she was about to make. The merchants and sailors, deeply moved by her courage and serenity, treated her with the greatest respect and kindness.

Finally, they reached the point in the ocean where the sacrifice was to be made - a place where the water was so deep it seemed to have no bottom, and where ancient legends said the sea dragons lived. The sea was particularly rough that day, with waves as tall as mountains crashing over the ship’s deck.

As the crucial moment approached, Cheong stood calmly at the ship’s edge, dressed in a simple white robe. The merchants and sailors gathered around her, many with tears in their eyes.

“Noble lady,” the captain said with deep respect, “your courage and devotion to your father have moved us all. We will ensure that your sacrifice is remembered with honor.”

Cheong bowed to them gratefully. “Please,” she said, “when you return to my village, tell my father that I died happily, knowing that my action will restore his sight and that my love for him will live forever.”

With these words, Sim Cheong closed her eyes, said a final prayer for her father’s well-being, and leaped into the turbulent sea. The moment she touched the water, something miraculous happened. Instead of being swallowed by the violent waves, she seemed to be gently embraced by them. A brilliant light emanated from the spot where she had entered the water, and the storm immediately began to calm.

But Cheong’s story did not end with her sacrifice. As she sank beneath the waves, she found herself not drowning, but floating peacefully in an underwater palace of incredible beauty. The palace was made of coral and precious stones, and it glowed with a soft, ethereal light.

In the center of this magical palace sat the Dragon King of the Sea, an ancient and powerful being with kind eyes and a magnificent flowing beard. He had been watching Cheong’s journey and was deeply moved by her selfless devotion to her father.

“Sim Cheong,” the Dragon King said in a voice like distant thunder, “your filial piety and pure heart have touched not only mortals but the spirits of the sea as well. Such love and sacrifice cannot go unrewarded.”

The Dragon King explained that Cheong’s willingness to sacrifice her life for her father’s happiness had demonstrated the highest virtue known to both heaven and earth. Instead of dying, she would be transformed and given the power to fulfill her wish in an even greater way than she had imagined.

The Dragon King placed Cheong inside a magnificent lotus flower made of pearl and silver. “Sleep now,” he told her gently, “and when you awaken, you will be given the chance to reunite with your father and bring him not only sight, but joy beyond his wildest dreams.”

Meanwhile, back in the village, Sim Hakgyu was consumed with grief over his daughter’s sacrifice. The three hundred bags of rice sat untouched in his house, for he could not bear to use them knowing they had cost him his beloved child. He spent his days weeping and calling out Cheong’s name, wishing desperately that he could trade his sight for her life.

The other villagers tried to comfort him, but nothing could ease his pain. “What good is sight without my daughter to share the world with me?” he would cry. “She was my eyes, my heart, my reason for living!”

One morning, several weeks after Cheong’s departure, the village fishermen discovered something extraordinary floating in the harbor. It was an enormous lotus flower, more beautiful than anything they had ever seen, with petals that seemed to glow with their own inner light. The flower was perfectly formed and appeared to be made of precious pearl and silver.

Word of this miraculous discovery spread quickly through the village, and people came from far and wide to see the beautiful lotus. When the news reached Sim Hakgyu, something in his heart told him that this flower was connected to his daughter’s fate.

“Please,” he begged the fishermen, “bring the lotus to my house. I must touch it and see if it brings me any sense of my dear Cheong.”

The fishermen carefully transported the lotus to Sim Hakgyu’s home and placed it in the center of his main room. The moment the blind man approached and placed his hands on the flower’s glowing petals, a miraculous transformation began.

The lotus slowly opened, revealing Sim Cheong inside, more beautiful than ever, dressed in robes of heavenly silk and radiating divine light. As the flower fully bloomed, Cheong stepped out and embraced her father.

“Father!” she cried joyfully. “I have returned to you!”

But the miracles were not finished. The moment Sim Hakgyu heard his daughter’s voice and felt her embrace, his eyes, which had been dark for so many years, suddenly blazed with light. He could see! Not only could he see, but the first thing his restored vision showed him was his beloved daughter’s face, more beautiful and radiant than anything he could have imagined.

“Cheong!” he wept, holding her close and looking at her as if she were the most precious treasure in the universe. “You’re alive! And I can see you! But how is this possible?”

Cheong explained about the Dragon King’s compassion and how her sacrifice had been transformed into a blessing that restored not only his sight but their life together. The three hundred bags of rice, which had been payment for her sacrifice, were now truly a gift, allowing them to live comfortably for the rest of their lives.

Word of these miracles spread throughout the land, eventually reaching the royal court. The king, amazed by the story of Cheong’s filial devotion and the divine rewards it had brought, summoned father and daughter to the palace. He was so impressed by their virtue and their story that he appointed Sim Hakgyu to an honored position in the royal court and proclaimed Cheong a model of filial piety for the entire kingdom.

Sim Cheong eventually married a kind nobleman who appreciated her virtue and devotion to her father. But even in marriage, she never forgot the lessons of sacrifice and love that had transformed their lives. She and her father lived long, happy lives, always remembered as examples of the power of true filial love.

The story of Sim Cheong became one of Korea’s most beloved tales, told to children for generations as an example of the highest virtue. It teaches that true love requires sacrifice, that devotion to family is the most sacred duty, and that such pure-hearted actions will always be rewarded by divine providence.

The lotus flower, which had been the vehicle of Cheong’s return, was planted in the royal garden, where it bloomed magnificently year after year. Visitors would come from all over Korea to see the miracle flower and to remember the young woman whose love for her father had been so pure that it moved both heaven and earth to grant her the ultimate reward.