Wisdom & Cleverness
Resourceful escapes, sharp observations, advice and ingenious tricks shape these tales. Look beyond who wins: what information did a character use, whose help mattered and who was harmed? Comparing an effective trick with a well-judged decision makes room for different readings of cleverness and wisdom.
Korean Folk Tales
Im, the Hunter
Lost in the mountains, a young hunter who will one day be a famous general watches a mysterious woodcutter fight a duel in midair at midnight.
Korean Folk Tales
Hong’s Experiences in Hades
Taken to the underworld by mistake, a Korean officer is shown the hells of liars and deceivers before a golden-faced Buddha sends him back to life.
Korean Folk Tales
Hong Kil-tong
Born to a nobleman’s concubine and denied a true son’s rights, Kil Tong escapes assassins, leads outlaws against corrupt officials and outwits the King.
Korean Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
Haunted Houses
A poor man in old Seoul tests two haunted houses with his brothers and meets ghostly harp music, a glowing blue blade and red-eyed dogs leading demons.
Korean Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
Fancha and the Magpie
A Manchu emperor who wants heavenly ancestors hears an old storyteller’s tale of three sky maidens, a magpie’s red fruit and a boy saved in a forest.
Korean Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
Cheung Puk-chang, the Seer
A brilliant scholar who learns any language at a hearing tells his worried aunt exactly where her overdue servant is, and why he is being beaten.
Korean Folk Tales
Charan
A governor’s son makes a dangerous winter journey to find Charan, who supports their life together and devises a plan to secure their return.
Korean Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
An Encounter with a Hobgoblin
A young captain moves into an empty house in Seoul, where a vanishing woman, a rain of hot coals and a goblin who flings him across Korea await him.
Korean Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
A Visit from the Shades
A palace secretary dreams of his dead mother visiting a shaman's ceremony. A servant's matching account convinces him to change his offerings.
Celtic Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
The Ridere of Riddles
Two princes flee a poisoning stepmother, and a string of strange deaths on the road gives them a riddle that even the Knight of Riddles cannot solve.
Celtic Folk Tales
Smallhead and the King’s Sons
Smallhead, mocked by her cruel half-sisters, outwits a wicked hag again and again, wins husbands for her sisters, then frees an enchanted prince for herself.
Celtic Folk Tales
How Fin Went to the Kingdom of the Big Men
Fin sails to the Kingdom of the Big Men, where the king keeps him as a pet dwarf, and with his hound Bran he defeats the sea monsters that haunt the land.