An Encounter With A Hobgoblin

I got myself into trouble in the year Pyong-sin, and was locked up; a military man by the name of Choi Won-so, who was captain of the guard, was involved in it and locked up as well. We often met in prison and whiled away the hours talking together. On a certain day the talk turned on goblins, when Captain Choi said, “When I was young I met with a hobgoblin, which, by the fraction of a hair, almost cost me my life. A strange case indeed!”

I asked him to tell me of it, when he replied, “I had originally no home in Seoul, but hearing of a vacant place in Belt Town, I made application and got it. We went there, my father and the rest of the family occupying the inner quarters, while I lived in the front room.

“One night, late, when I was half asleep, the door suddenly opened, and a woman came in and stood just before the lamp. I saw her clearly, and knew that she was from the home of a scholar friend, for I had seen her before and had been greatly attracted by her beauty, but had never had a chance to meet her. Now, seeing her enter the room thus, I greeted her gladly, but she made no reply. I arose to take her by the hand, when she began walking backwards, so that my hand never reached her. I rushed towards her, but she hastened her backward pace, so that she eluded me. We reached the gate, which she opened with a rear kick, and I followed on after, till she suddenly disappeared. I searched on all sides, but not a trace was there of her. I thought she had merely hidden herself, and never dreamed of anything else.

“On the next night she came again and stood before the lamp just as she had done the night previous. I got up and again tried to take hold of her, but again she began her peculiar pace backwards, till she passed out at the gate and disappeared just as she had done the day before. I was once more surprised and disappointed, but did not think of her being a hobgoblin.

“A few days later, at night, I had lain down, when suddenly there was a sound of crackling paper overhead from above the ceiling. A forbidding, creepy sound it seemed in the midnight. A moment later a curtain was let down that divided the room into two parts. Again, later, a large fire of coals descended right in front of me, while an immense heat filled the place. Where I was seemed all on fire, with no way of escape possible. In terror for my life, I knew not what to do. On the first cock-crow of morning the noise ceased, the curtain went up, and the fire of coals was gone. The place was as though swept with a broom, so clean from every trace of what had happened.

“The following night I was again alone, but had not yet undressed or lain down, when a great stout man suddenly opened the door and came in. He had on his head a soldier’s felt hat, and on his body a blue tunic like one of the underlings of the yamen. He took hold of me and tried to drag me out. I was then young and vigorous, and had no intention of yielding to him, so we entered on a tussle. The moon was bright and the night clear, but I, unable to hold my own, was pulled out into the court. He lifted me up and swung me round and round, then went up to the highest terrace and threw me down, so that I was terribly stunned. He stood in front of me and kept me a prisoner. There was a garden to the rear of the house, and a wall round it. I looked, and within the wall were a dozen or so of people. They were all dressed in military hats and coats, and they kept shouting out, ‘Don’t hurt him, don’t hurt him.’

“The man that mishandled me, however, said in reply, ‘It’s none of your business, none of your business’; but they still kept up the cry, ‘Don’t hurt him, don’t hurt him’; and he, on the other hand, cried, ‘Never you mind; none of your business.’ They shouted, ‘The man is a gentleman of the military class; do not hurt him.’

“The fellow merely said in reply, ‘Even though he is, it’s none of your business’; so he took me by the two hands and flung me up into the air, till I went half-way and more to heaven. Then in my fall I went shooting past Kyong-keui Province, past Choong-chong, and at last fell to the ground in Chulla. In my flight through space I saw all the county towns of the three provinces as clear as day. Again in Chulla he tossed me uponce more. Again I went shooting up into the sky and falling northward, till I found myself at home, lying stupefied below the verandah terrace. Once more I could hear the voices of the group in the garden shouting, ‘Don’t hurt him–hurt him.’ But the man said, ‘None of your business–your business.’

“He took me uponce more and flung me up again, and away I went speeding off to Chulla, and back I came again, two or three times in all.

“Then one of the group in the garden came forward, took my tormentor by the hand and led him away. They all met for a little to talk and laugh over the matter, and then scattered and were gone, so that they were not seen again.

“I lay motionless at the foot of the terrace till the following morning, when my father found me and had me taken in hand and cared for, so that I came to, and we all left the haunted house, never to go back.”

Note.–There are various reasons by which a place may be denominated a “haunted house.” The fact that there are hobgoblins in it makes it haunted. If a good or “superior man” enters such a place the goblins move away, and no word of being haunted will be heard. Choi saw the goblin and was greatly injured.

I understand that it is not only a question of men fearing the goblins, but they also fear men. The fact that there are so few people that they fear is the saddest case of all. Choi was afraid of the goblins, that is why they troubled him.

Im Bang.

XXIX

Moral

Wisdom lies in perceiving hidden danger and responding with clever courage. The protagonist’s encounter with a supernatural hobgoblin tests his wits, and only through quick thinking and moral composure does he escape unharmed.

Historical & Cultural Context

Korean folk tales root themselves in Confucian family ethics, Buddhist compassion and Shamanic wonder, often set in thatched villages, mountain temples or the courts of the Joseon Dynasty.

Hobgoblins and shape-shifting spirits feature in Korean Shamanic traditions, where mudang (shamanic priestesses) communicated with spirit realms to diagnose illness and restore balance. The Joseon Dynasty witnessed a tension between official Confucian skepticism and folk belief in supernatural beings; nonetheless, such encounters were recorded in classical histories. This tale echoes accounts of prisoners and travelers meeting spirits, often serving as moral tests. The protagonist’s imprisonment (in the year Pyong-sin, datable to historical chronology) grounds the fantastic elements in a real historical moment, blending folklore with documented court records.

Reflection & Discussion

1. Why do you think the hobgoblin appears to test the protagonist? What is it looking for?
2. What inner qualities help the protagonist survive the encounter with wisdom intact?
3. Can wisdom and courage protect us from things we don’t fully understand?

Did You Know?

• Korean folk tales, called ‘jeonrae donghwa,’ often feature magical tigers who can speak and transform.
• The mythical creature ‘dokkaebi’ (Korean goblin) appears in many Korean folk tales as a mischievous but sometimes helpful being.
• Many Korean folk tales emphasize the Confucian values of filial piety, loyalty, and respect for elders.

What This Tale Teaches Us Today

Old stories keep their power because their lessons never stop being useful. Here is how this one still applies:

• Small creatures with big attitudes can throw big plans off course. Underestimate no one in folklore or in work life.
• Folklore about household helpers reminds us that kindness to all beings – including the unseen – is a worthwhile practice.
• English children’s literature is full of hobgoblin-adjacent characters because they let writers explore fear, humor, and ethics simultaneously.

Why This Story Still Matters

An Encounter with a Hobgoblin is the kind of tale that English grandparents used to tell on dark winter nights – half-serious, half-teasing, always entertaining. Hobgoblins stand in for all the small mysterious forces in life that we do not fully understand. The wise human in these tales is polite, cautious, and quick-witted. The foolish human underestimates the little creature and regrets it. That is a pattern modern office life knows all too well: never underestimate the administrator, the receptionist, the junior teammate who sees everything and reveals little.

A Note on English Folk Tales

English folklore preserves many small mysterious creatures – hobgoblins, pixies, brownies, boggarts – each with their own rules and moods. An Encounter with a Hobgoblin is part of that rich tradition of cautionary household tales. For modern readers, the appeal is partly nostalgia but also partly practical: every era has its small mysterious forces that disrupt plans without warning. The wise response, in folklore and in life, is politeness, patience, and careful attention. That is a formula as useful in offices and homes today as it ever was in the old English countryside.