Heungbu and Nolbu
Encyclopedia
Heungbu and Nolbu is a story written in the late Chosen Dynasty
(1392–1897) by an unknown person. (Naver Dictionary) “Heungbu and Nolbu” was set down about 200 years ago, and was passed down through generations and is now told as a bedtime story
for all Korea
n children.
.
One day, a snake
was climbing up the tree in Heungbu’s house in order to eat a baby swallow
. Heungbu chased the snake away and fixed the baby swallow’s broken leg. The following autumn, the swallow's family came back from the South and gave Heungbu a seed as a thank-you present. Heungbu planted the seed in his backyard until it grew into giant plants with hard shells named gourd
s. When Heungbu and his family split the gourds in half, they found jewel
s, money and a new house. In another words, they became very wealthy.
The rumor that Heungbu became rich spread throughout the whole town and reached Nolbu. Without hesitation, Nolbu met Heungbu and asked him how he got rich so quickly. Nolbu heard the secret and did the same, except he broke a swallow's leg by himself. The swallow brought Nolbu a gourd seed the following spring, and Nolbu planted the seeds. When he split his gourds, however, thieves came out and stole all his possessions. Nolbu and his wife suddenly became poor and asked Heungbu to forgive them and they lived together happily ever after.
Names like “Heungbu” and “Nolbu” might be unfamiliar to people in other countries but the moral that good deeds bring you wealth and luck is similar to any other folk tale in the world. This story has cultural value in Korea because it carries values of Korean people that eldest sons are the most important. Recently, “Heungbu and Nolbu” was published in an American textbook
named “Literary Place 2, 3", which has added an extra credibility to the story because it spread Korean culture to the United States.
This tale centers around a perverse man called Nol-boo. An organ filled with vice (simsulbo) protruded from under his left rib cage. He is the most greedy, perverse and heartless character in Korean literature.
Among his listed favorite activities are:
He was rich, but miserly. Instead of making real offerings to his ancestors, he wrote words on pieces of paper. He had no wife.
He had a brother, named Hung-boo, who was his opposite, poor but good-natured. One day, Hung-boo found a swallow with a broken leg. He cared for the swallow and in the late summer the swallow flew south with its family. The next spring the swallow returned and dropped a gourd seed to him. He planted the seed in his thatch and it was soon groaning with the weight of the gourds. In the autumn, he and his wife used a saw to open the gourds, which were packed with jewelry and gold.
When Nol-boo heard about it, his simsulbo ("a bag of perverseness") began to ache. He caught a swallow, broke its leg and tied it with splints. The bird flew south and returned with a seed the next year. However, out of Nol-boo's gourds emerged monsters that kicked his buttocks, yanked his beard and sapped his wealth. One gourd spewed excrement on him when it was opened.
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
(1392–1897) by an unknown person. (Naver Dictionary) “Heungbu and Nolbu” was set down about 200 years ago, and was passed down through generations and is now told as a bedtime story
Bedtime story
A bedtime story is a traditional form of storytelling, where a story is told to a child at bedtime to prepare them for sleep.Bedtime stories have many advantages, for parents/adults and children alike. The fixed routine of a bedtime story before sleeping has a relaxing effect, and the soothing...
for all Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n children.
The story
Heungbu and Nolbu were brothers. The older one, Nolbu, was very greedy but the younger one, Heungbu, was kind and empathetic. One day, Heungbu and Nolbu’s father died and ordered them to split his fortune in half. However, Nolbu kicked Heungbu’s family out to have the fortune all to himself. So Heungbu and his family lived in povertyPoverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
.
One day, a snake
Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
was climbing up the tree in Heungbu’s house in order to eat a baby swallow
Swallow
The swallows and martins are a group of passerine birds in the family Hirundinidae which are characterised by their adaptation to aerial feeding...
. Heungbu chased the snake away and fixed the baby swallow’s broken leg. The following autumn, the swallow's family came back from the South and gave Heungbu a seed as a thank-you present. Heungbu planted the seed in his backyard until it grew into giant plants with hard shells named gourd
Gourd
A gourd is a plant of the family Cucurbitaceae. Gourd is occasionally used to describe crops like cucumbers, squash, luffas, and melons. The term 'gourd' however, can more specifically, refer to the plants of the two Cucurbitaceae genera Lagenaria and Cucurbita or also to their hollow dried out shell...
s. When Heungbu and his family split the gourds in half, they found jewel
Gemstone
A gemstone or gem is a piece of mineral, which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments...
s, money and a new house. In another words, they became very wealthy.
The rumor that Heungbu became rich spread throughout the whole town and reached Nolbu. Without hesitation, Nolbu met Heungbu and asked him how he got rich so quickly. Nolbu heard the secret and did the same, except he broke a swallow's leg by himself. The swallow brought Nolbu a gourd seed the following spring, and Nolbu planted the seeds. When he split his gourds, however, thieves came out and stole all his possessions. Nolbu and his wife suddenly became poor and asked Heungbu to forgive them and they lived together happily ever after.
Names like “Heungbu” and “Nolbu” might be unfamiliar to people in other countries but the moral that good deeds bring you wealth and luck is similar to any other folk tale in the world. This story has cultural value in Korea because it carries values of Korean people that eldest sons are the most important. Recently, “Heungbu and Nolbu” was published in an American textbook
Textbook
A textbook or coursebook is a manual of instruction in any branch of study. Textbooks are produced according to the demands of educational institutions...
named “Literary Place 2, 3", which has added an extra credibility to the story because it spread Korean culture to the United States.
Older version
The older version is longer and contains an extra element.This tale centers around a perverse man called Nol-boo. An organ filled with vice (simsulbo) protruded from under his left rib cage. He is the most greedy, perverse and heartless character in Korean literature.
Among his listed favorite activities are:
- dancing at a funeral
- killing a dog during a birthing
- forcing excrement into the mouth of a crying baby
- fanning the flames of a burning house
- taking a debtors wife as payment
- grabbing the nape of an elderly man
- relieving himself in a well
- poking holes in rice paddies
- driving stakes through green pumpkins
- stomping on the back of a hunchback
- pushing down on a man squatting to relieve himself to cause him to sit in his own excrement
- kicking the chin of a disabled man
- wielding a stick at a dealer in pottery
- stealing bones from graves
- breaking an engagement by spreading malicious rumors
- scuttling a ship in high seas
- punching a boil on a man's face
- slapping the cheek of a man with a toothache, and
- opening the lid of a neighbors bean sauce jar in the rain.
He was rich, but miserly. Instead of making real offerings to his ancestors, he wrote words on pieces of paper. He had no wife.
He had a brother, named Hung-boo, who was his opposite, poor but good-natured. One day, Hung-boo found a swallow with a broken leg. He cared for the swallow and in the late summer the swallow flew south with its family. The next spring the swallow returned and dropped a gourd seed to him. He planted the seed in his thatch and it was soon groaning with the weight of the gourds. In the autumn, he and his wife used a saw to open the gourds, which were packed with jewelry and gold.
When Nol-boo heard about it, his simsulbo ("a bag of perverseness") began to ache. He caught a swallow, broke its leg and tied it with splints. The bird flew south and returned with a seed the next year. However, out of Nol-boo's gourds emerged monsters that kicked his buttocks, yanked his beard and sapped his wealth. One gourd spewed excrement on him when it was opened.