A Korean folk tale
We read last week that Mr and Mrs Pak were ecstatic with their guest. In their daily chats, Mrs Pak began to tell him about Miss Peach the beautiful, youngest daughter of a rich man in a neighbouring village. Soon the bullfrog told Mr Pak that he wanted to be married and only to Miss Peach. He insisted and Mr Pak went to Mr Poom’s mansion to ask for his daughter’s hand. After he had extolled the qualities of the prospective bridegroom, Mr Poom asked for his name. Mr Pak had none to give and under intense questioning by Mr Poom, finally admitted that the suitor was a bullfrog. Mr Poom became very angry and accusing Mr Pak of disrespecting him, ordered his men to whip Mr Pak. The story concludes… 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 with his good looks. Never had she seen so handsome 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 an offence, 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 had to be done before he could be allowed to return. They 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 from the stars. Now, leaving his foster parents on earth to enjoy their gifts, he was ready to 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, he stepped in with his bride and the pair disappeared beyond the clouds. From that time forth a new double star was seen in the sky. The End.