The Sneezing Colossus
재채기하는 거인 조각상
William Elliot Griffis, after traditional Korean folklore (1843–1928)
The Story
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In old Korea, a poor farmer named Kim lived with his family at the foot of a mountain.Kim did not like to work, so his family often had little food.One day his wife said, "Go up the mountain and find something to eat."
Kim walked up the mountain and soon felt very hungry and tired.Then he saw a huge stone statue standing among the trees.It was an old Buddha statue, taller than any house in his village.
A pear tree grew right beside the statue, and one ripe pear hung near its nose.Kim's mouth watered, but the pear was too high for him to reach.
So he climbed up the statue's arm and stepped onto its great stone nose.As he reached for the pear, his foot tickled the inside of the statue's nostril.Suddenly the giant statue let out a tremendous sneeze!
The sneeze threw Kim high into the air, and he landed in a soft bush far below.When Kim opened his eyes, he found the ripe pear lying right next to him.He laughed all the way home and told his family the strangest story they had ever heard.
Comprehension Check
1. Why did Kim's wife send him up the mountain?
2. Why did Kim climb onto the statue's nose?
3. What happened when Kim's foot tickled the statue's nose?
Vocabulary
noun
statue
조각상, 동상
He saw a huge stone statue standing among the trees.
김씨는 나무들 사이에 서 있는 거대한 돌 조각상을 보았어요.
Your Summary
In 1–2 sentences, say why Kim climbed onto the stone statue, and what happened when his foot tickled its nose.
Source: Adapted from "The Sneezing Colossus," a traditional Korean folktale retold in English by William Elliot Griffis in "Korean Fairy Tales" (1911; Project Gutenberg #67180). Griffis (1843–1928) is long in the public domain in the US and in life+70 countries. This simplified retelling and its Korean translation are original text written for SeoJae Story.