Ungnyeo

In a cozy, warm cave lived a big, gentle bear. The cave smelled sweet like honey. The bear's name was Ungnyeo. She had a friend, a stripey tiger. They loved to watch the people in the village below. The bear had a big, big wish in her heart. She wanted to be a person. Oh, how she wished she could be a person too. This is the story of a bear's big wish. This is the myth of Ungnyeo.

The kind prince from the sky, Hwanung, heard her wish. He told the bear and the tiger, "You can become a person. But first, you must stay inside your cave. Stay inside for one hundred days. You must only eat special food, like yummy garlic and green herbs." The tiger did not want to wait. He missed the warm sun. Roar. The tiger ran outside to play. But the bear was patient. She was so, so patient. She stayed in her cozy cave and ate her special food. She waited and waited for her wish to come true.

Then one day, something magical happened. It started with a little tickle. The bear's brown fur went away. Poof. Her big paws turned into hands. She stood up tall on two feet. She was not a bear anymore. She was a woman. The prince Hwanung was so happy for her. Later, she had a son named Dangun. Dangun grew up to be a great king. Ungnyeo's big wish came true because she waited. Her story teaches us that being patient can help big dreams grow, just like the bear who became the mother of a nation.