Heungbu and Nolbu - Korean

My wings have carried me over tall mountains and wide, sparkling seas, but I'll never forget one special place: a small village nestled in the Korean countryside. Hello, my name is Jebi, and I am a swift swallow. Every single year, I spend my winters in the warm south where the sun always shines, but as soon as spring arrives, I fly all the way back to this village. I do this because it is where two brothers lived, one who was very kind and one who was not. I had a big part to play in their famous story, the tale of Heungbu and Nolbu. My adventure with them all started on a sunny spring day. I was carefully building my nest from mud and twigs under the cozy roof of a small, welcoming house. I was so excited to make my home there for the summer, but I had no idea what was about to happen next.

As I was weaving a piece of straw into my new home, I suddenly lost my footing and tumbled to the ground. Oh, it hurt so much. My leg was broken, and I couldn't fly. I lay there, helpless and chirping sadly, until a kind man named Heungbu found me. He was very poor and had many children to feed, but his heart was as big as a mountain. 'Oh, you poor little thing,' he said gently. He and his kind wife carefully picked me up. They wrapped my leg in a soft, clean cloth and made a tiny splint from a twig. They gave me fresh water and tasty crumbs to eat every single day until I was strong enough to fly again. I felt so safe and loved. Before I left for the winter, I knew I had to thank him for his wonderful kindness. So, I flew to a secret, magical garden and brought back a single, special gourd seed, which I dropped right into his hand. Heungbu planted the seed, and it grew and grew into three giant gourds, bigger than anything he had ever seen. He and his family were so curious. When they finally sawed the gourds open, their eyes grew wide with surprise. They didn't find slimy pulp inside—they found sparkling gold, shimmering jewels, and beautiful, fine silks. Heungbu's kindness had been rewarded in the most amazing way, and his family would never be hungry or cold again.

Heungbu’s older brother, Nolbu, was the opposite. He was very rich, with a big house and lots of land, but he was also very greedy and his heart felt small and cold. When he heard about Heungbu's good fortune, he didn't feel happy for his brother. Instead, he grew green with jealousy. 'If Heungbu can get rich from a bird, so can I.' he thought. So, he caught one of my poor cousins and cruelly broke its leg on purpose. Then, he pretended to fix it, thinking he could trick his way into getting a magical reward, too. My cousin, who could see the greed in Nolbu's eyes, also brought him a gourd seed from the magical garden. Nolbu eagerly planted it, dreaming of even more riches. His gourds grew even bigger than Heungbu's. But when he impatiently cut them open, out jumped not treasure, but angry, mischievous goblins called dokkebi. They had pointy horns and carried big clubs. They smashed his furniture, broke his windows, and chased him right out of his house, leaving him with nothing at all. Nolbu learned a hard and scary lesson that day about being greedy.

Having lost everything, a humbled Nolbu went to his younger brother for help, afraid of what Heungbu would say. But the kind Heungbu didn't turn him away or laugh at his misfortune. He forgave his older brother completely and welcomed Nolbu and his family into his new, wonderful home, sharing his fortune with them all. From my nest, I watched the two brothers live together in peace. This old story has been told in Korea for hundreds of years to teach children that kindness is a treasure greater than gold, while greed only leads to unhappiness. Even today, the tale of Heungbu and Nolbu inspires plays and cartoons, reminding everyone that a compassionate heart is the most magical thing in the world, a lesson I was happy to help teach.