The Hungbu and Nolbu tale type: a Korean double contrastive narrative structure

Folklore, April, 2002 by James Huntley Grayson

This tale is different from the two tales recounted above in that the second narrative sequence is very much reduced in length and reads as if it were a single narrative rather a series of contrasting narratives. Nonetheless, the story narrates the rewards meted out to good intentions and behaviour and the punishment meted out to bad intentions and behaviour in the context of family relations. Here there are two older brothers rather than one, but the dual antagonists are used for the same purpose of role inversion to emphasise the value of moral suasion. Unlike the tale of "The Gold Mallet and the Silver Mallet," the story of "The Third Brother and the Monk's Gift" does not have a tragic ending for the antagonists. They are transformed because of their adventures and the example of their youngest brother and go on to live the rest of their lives happily.

An interesting aspect of this folktale is the use of a strong Buddhist motif when the goodness of the youngest brother is rewarded by the monk. This is curious because the ruling elite of the Confucian Choson dynasty (1392-1910) viewed Buddhism as a noxious superstition and had made strenuous efforts to suppress it--including two attempts to eradicate Buddhism altogether. [5] In fact, the Confucian element in this tale is less obvious than in the other tales which we have looked at, as the aspect of filial piety and parental support is displaced by the motif of kindness towards an old man who is Buddhist. There are certain magical elements in this tale, such as the mysterious appearance of assistants, the sudden creation of buildings, and the unexpected disappearance of the monk's temple. Nonetheless, a Confucian moral point is made in this tale in that exemplary behaviour is shown to alter a person's character. There is also the further implication that while the older brothers had been away in search of a fortune, the youngest brother had been taking care of their families. In spite of obvious differences, this tale expresses the same essential Confucian values as "The Story of Hungbu and Nolbu."

Doubled Doublet Tales

Of the tales which are parallel in structure, content, and narrative actors to "The Story of Hungbu and Nolbu," Tales 458, "Two Brothers and a Dog," and 459, "A Speaking Tortoise," are particularly interesting because the doublet narrative is doubled so that there is a repetition of the rewards and punishments given to the principal actors. This double doubling of the narrative occurs also in Tale 466, "Open the Door!" which is the Korean version of the tale of "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves."

Tale Type 458--Two Brothers and a Dog

   Long ago, two brothers lived in a small village. Their mother suddenly fell
   ill and there seemed to be no end to her suffering. The younger brother
   vowed that if he could only find a cure for her illness, he would bear any
   hardship. So, with that purpose in mind, the younger brother went off in
   search of some medicine. His efforts were, however, in vain, as eventually
   his mother died. While the younger brother suffered an all-consuming grief,
   the older brother seemed to be totally unaffected. After the funeral, the
   younger brother frequently visited her grave. On one such day, a dog
   suddenly appeared at the grave and seemed pleased to greet him. When the
   younger brother made to go home, the dog tried to follow him. Not being
   able to prevent the dog from following him, the younger brother took it
   home with him. He raised it as a brother and the dog obeyed his every
   command.

      One day, when he was in the back field sowing barley, the dog came and
   helped him. Just then, a pedlar appeared carrying many wares for sale on
   his back. The dog, upon seeing him, immediately started barking. The pedlar
   became angry, picked up a stone, and was about to throw it at the dog when
   the younger brother, seeing what was about to happen, went up to the pedlar
   and said, "The dog is in the middle of helping me sow the barley." He then
   asked the pedlar to forget the incident. Unconvinced, the pedlar said that
   the dog had threatened him. Dogs that bark at pedlars should be killed. The
   younger brother replied, "Look how well the dog is helping me to do the
   sowing." The pedlar decided to offer the younger brother a wager and said,
   "If the dog can really do all that, I'll give you all the goods which I am
   carrying. But, if you lose, what could you give me?" "I'll wager this field
   and that cow," the younger brother replied and they sealed the wager.

      The brother then started to sow the barley and the dog fell in behind
   him and pressed down the earth over the sown seeds with its four paws.
   It appeared to be exactly like the actions of a man. The pedlar lost the
   wager and consequently lost all the goods which he had brought to sell. The
   younger brother as a consequence became rich.

      When the elder brother heard this news, he became exceedingly envious
   and went to see his brother about borrowing the dog. One day, when he
   was sowing barley, a pedlar appeared carrying a huge bundle of gold brocade
   on his back. The elder brother yelled at the dog to make it bark, and when
   the dog did so, the pedlar bent down to pick up a stone and was about to
   throw it. Although the elder brother did exactly the same things as the
   younger brother had done, the dog did not help him in the slightest. Having
   made a wager, he had to honour it and accordingly surrendered a cow and a
   field to the pedlar. In a fit of fury, the elder brother killed the dog.

      The younger brother came and carried the dead dog home, and with
   sincerity and devotion buried it in a grave. A bamboo shoot sprouted up
   from the grave and before long had grown so tall that it touched the sky. A
   fabulous treasure fell down the bamboo pole and showered the younger
   brother who became even richer. The elder brother was once again consumed
   with envy and dug up the grave of the dog and reburied it in the garden of
   his own house. A bamboo shoot sprouted up from this grave and eventually
   grew so tall that it touched the sky. However, this time it was pebbles and
   earth which fell down the bamboo pole and showered the elder brother. The
   pebbles and earth fell so quickly and forcefully that his house was
   completely destroyed (Choi 1974, 182-4). [6]