Books with title KOREAN FOLK TALES

Here are Dan-Gun, the first emperor, whose mother was a bear; Shim Chung, who sacrificed herself to the sea to restore her father's sight, and the magistrate who tried to steal the Dragon King's daughter. The traditional Korean tales in this collection are full of amazing events and characters typical of the Far Eastern folklore. Sad, happy, romantic, and funny, together these tales bring vividly to life the magic of Korea.(reissue of ISBN 0-19-274160-8)

Here are Dan-Gun, the first emperor, whose mother was a bear; Shim Chung, who sacrificed herself to the sea to restore her father's sight, and the magistrate who tried to steal the Dragon King's daughter. The traditional Korean tales in this collection are full of amazing events and characters. Sad, happy, romantic, and funny, together they bring vividly to life the magic of Korea.

PREFACE To any one who would like to look somewhat into the inner soul of the Oriental, and see the peculiar spiritual existences among which he lives, the following stories will serve as true interpreters, born as they are of the three great religions of the Far East, Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism. An old manuscript copy of Im Bang’s stories came into the hands of the translator a year ago, and he gives them now to the Western world that they may serve as introductory essays to the mysteries, and, what many call, absurdities of Asia. Very gruesome indeed, and unlovely, some of them are, but they picture faithfully the conditions under which Im Bang himself, and many past generations of Koreans, have lived. The thirteen short stories by Yi Ryuk are taken from a reprint of old Korean writings issued last year (1911), by a Japanese publishing company. Three anonymous stories are also added, “The Geomancer,” to show how Mother Earth has given anxiety to her chicks of children; “Im, the Hunter,” to tell of the actualities that exist in the upper air; and “The Man who lost his Legs,” as a sample of Korea’s Sinbad. The biographical notes that accompany the stories are taken very largely from the Kuk-cho In-mul-chi, “Korea’s Record of Famous Men.” J. S. Gale. BIOGRAPHICAL Im Bang was born in 1640, the son of a provincial governor. He was very bright as a boy and from earliest years fond of study, becoming a great scholar. He matriculated first in his class in 1660, and graduated in 1663. He was a disciple of Song Si-yol, one of Korea’s first writers. In 1719, when he was in his eightieth year, he became governor of Seoul, and held as well the office of secretary of the Cabinet. In the year 1721 he got into difficulties over the choice of the Heir Apparent, and in 1722, on account of a part he played in a disturbance in the government, he was exiled to North Korea, where he died. (From Kuk-cho In-mul-chi, “Korea’s Record of Famous Men.”) Yi Ryuk lived in the reign of King Se-jo, matriculated in 1459, and graduated first in his class in 1564. He was a man of many offices and many distinctions in the way of literary excellence.

A collection of stories based on the three great religions of the Far East, Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism. They are translated from the Korean of Im Bang who in 1719, aged 80, became governor of Seoul, and Yi Ryuk, known for his literary excellence during the 15th century. This English translation first published in 1913 was made by James Scarth Gale, a Canadian Presbyterian missionary, educator and Bible translator in Korea who wrote widely about the country and produced his own Korean-English Dictionary.

Here in these twenty most wonderful stories, children will meet the long-time friends of Korean children. A rabbit who outwits a tiger, a brother and a sister who became the Sun and the Moon, ogres and their magic clubs, a tortoise and hare who are totally different from the ones in Aesop's fable, rats who want the Sun to became their son-in-law, and many many more beloved characters.Such stories as these, while appealing to children everywhere, are also true reflections of Korean customs and tradition. So these stories also serve as a wonderful way to understand the culture and customs of Korea.

From time immemorial, folk tales and stories have delighted children everywhere. Children are most happy when they are listening to stories as they fall sleep, and living the stories in their dreams.Sometimes the stories make them feel happy, sometimes sad, weak or strong, scared or brave, but mostly the stories become part of them as they grow up. Children who read many stories can learn how to live, how to dream, how to make their dreams come true, and how to sympathize with others. Here in these twenty most wonderful stories, children will meet the long-time friends of Korean children. A rabbit who outwits a tiger, a brother and a sister who became the Sun and the Moon, ogres and their magic clubs, a tortoise and hare who are totally different from the ones in Aesop's fable, rats who want the Sun to became their son-in-law, and many many more beloved characters.Such stories as these, while appealing to children everywhere, are also true reflections of Korean customs and tradition. So these stories also serve as a wonderful way to understand the culture and customs of Korea.

To any one who would like to look somewhat into the inner soul of the Oriental, and see the peculiar spiritual existences among which he lives, the following stories will serve as true interpreters, born as they are of the three great religions of the Far East, Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism. An old manuscript copy of Im Bang's stories came into the hands of the translator a year ago, and he gives them now to the Western world that they may serve as introductory essays to the mysteries, and, what many call, absurdities of Asia. Very gruesome indeed, and unlovely, some of them are, but they picture faithfully the conditions under which Im Bang himself, and many past generations of Koreans, have lived.