Writer: Karthiha Kamatchi (Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India)
Editor: Ankita Panda (Kolkata, West Bengal, India)
The story of Heungbu and Nolbu (흥부와 놀부) is one of the most ancient Korean folktales and is widely known among all South Koreans. Heungbujeon (흥부전), which literally translates to ‘Tale of Heungbu’, was written during the late Joseon period. Many researchers and scholars are still unsure who wrote this folktale, but the story has been passed down through many generations, enriching Korean culture, ethics, and history.
Video Credits: KBS WORLD English
The tale begins with the two sons of a very rich man, living in a village. Nolbu, the elder brother, was known for his scoundrelous behaviour. He was vulgar, selfish, and very greedy. On the contrary, Heungbu was the sweetest person in the village. He always cared about others and was kind to everyone.
When their father suddenly passed away due to his old age, he said his last wish was for the brothers to be helpful and loyal to each other. But Nolbu had only one thing on his mind — to inherit his father’s wealth. On the other hand, Heungbu was devastated by his father’s death.
Picture Credits: Screenshot from YouTube KCCLA
As a very selfish and greedy person, Nolbu hoarded all the wealth and denied Heungbu’s right to his share. He kicked Heungbu’s family from the house, making them homeless, and leaving them no choice but to go to the mountainside and build a small house there. Heungbu was crushed after he saw his children crying from hunger. So, he went to Nolbu as his last resort.
Once he reached there, he saw Nolbu’s wife cooking in the kitchen. She had the same mean personality as her husband. As soon as she saw Heungbu, she made a ruckus, screaming for him to go away. Then, suddenly, she slapped Heungbu with a rice scoop, leaving a few grains on his cheek. He asked her to slap him with the ladle again, so that he could get more rice grains stuck to his cheeks. Heungbu then returned to his house, sadly collecting the meager rice grains from his cheeks.
Picture Credits: Screenshot from YouTube KCCLA
While returning, Heungbu found an injured swallow; it had broken its leg. He took it back home so that the whole family could take care of that little bird. His kids became very happy to have a small bird pet in their house. Just like their parents, the kids took really good care of the bird.
Picture Credits: Screenshot from YouTube KCCLA
After its recovery, it flew away to bring back a gourd seed to give to Heungbu and his family to return their favor. The couple happily accepted its gift and grew gourd plants. After a few months, in the excitement of gaining gourds to make gourd porridge, they started harvesting the gourd crop. To their surprise, they found the gourds containing pure gold, fine fabrics, and even servants that could help the family.
Picture Credits: Screenshot from YouTube KCCLA
The news about his good fortune spread around quickly and reached Nolbu’s ears. He and his wife drowned in jealousy to see Heungbu gain wealth and happiness. Nolbu knew that a swallow gave his brother the magical seed, so he caught a swallow and purposely broke its leg.
Picture Credits: Screenshot from YouTube KCCLA
They carefully looked after the bird, hoping to gain the same fortune that Heungbu’s family did. The little bird recovered, flew away, and came back with a gourd seed. Nolbu and his wife planted the seed and eagerly waited for their fruit to ripen. But when they opened the gourds, what happened was the exact opposite of their expectations: they did not get gold, fabrics, or many servants; instead, a dokkaebi (goblin) came out of the gourd to chide them for their greed, and debt collectors came out to take all their wealth.
Picture Credits: Screenshot from YouTube KCCLA
Suddenly, Nolbu and his family were stranded with no money or house, but Heungbu, being a generous person, took them all under his care. This made Nolbu realize the wrongdoings he had done in his life, especially towards his younger brother. The older brother changed after that, and both families lived in harmony for a long time.
This folktale (민담) was created during Korea’s Joseon Dynasty, where Confucianism (유교) was the core moral and political philosophy. Confucian values placed huge importance on brotherly bonds and filial piety.
Picture Credits: Screenshot from YouTube KCCLA
Essentially, this narrative teaches us the significance of being kind and generous. The core moral here is that all our good deeds are rewarded while our bad deeds result in bad outcomes in our lives, so it is better to be kind and understanding to others, just like Heungbu in the story.
What do you think about this folktale? Do you have a favourite Korean folktale? Tell us in the comments!!
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My favourite Korean folktale is The Woodcutter and the Heavenly Maiden. I love it because it’s such a beautiful but bittersweet story about love, freedom, and separation. It feels magical, but at the same time, there’s a deeper message about not trying to hold on to someone against their will 🥹❤️