A long time ago there was a small village on the shores of the Eastern Sea. In that village there lived an old woman. And she had neither silver nor gold, but she had a son named Van Don. Every morning Van Don got up before everyone else and got to work: he cut bamboo in the grove and weaved baskets from it. And then VanDon sold those baskets at the market and bought his mother everything she needed.
And Van Don was the most handsome young man in the village, the most powerful and intelligent, and everyone loved him.
But then one day something bad happened: Wang Don’s mother fell ill. She lay in her room all day, and every day she felt worse and worse. Wang Dong did not leave his mother and kept asking:
- Would you like to eat, mom?
“No, son, I don’t need anything,” the mother answered and sighed heavily.
The whole village knew that Wang Dong’s mother was sick, everyone felt sorry for her, but they could not help.
Summer passed, cold autumn came, and Wang Dong’s mother could not get better. One day Van Don was sitting by his mother’s bedside, and outside the window the wind was howling and the sea was roaring. Suddenly the mother sighed quietly and said:
- I wish I could try some fresh fish...
Before she had time to say this, Wang Don took the net and left the house. He came to the seashore and saw huge waves moving across the sea. But the brave Van Don was not afraid, got into the boat and swam towards the waves. And the wind is getting angrier, and the waves are getting higher. “I’ll drown you!” - the sea roars, but Wang Dong is not afraid of death. How can he not fulfill his mother's wishes?
Finally, Wang Don caught a fish and returned home. He cooked fish soup, fed his mother, and she felt better.
-What else do you want, mom? – Wang Dong asks. The mother smiled weakly and said:
- I want peaches, son... But where can you get them now? After all, winter is coming...
Van Don thought. He remembered that he always brought peaches from the market and his mother loved them very much. He hurried to the market, and the traders laughed at him: what kind of peaches are there when there is snow in the yard? So Van Don returned with nothing. He sat at his mother's bedside all day, and at night he dozed off while sitting. And a beautiful fairy appeared to him in a dream. She looked at him, smiled affectionately and said:
“I see that you love your mother very much, Wang Dong, that you are a respectful son. Pick a white peach that grows on a hundred-year-old tree and give it to your mother. She will eat a peach and get well.”
“Where can I find this peach?” – Wang Dong asked.
The fairy did not answer, she rose into the sky and melted away like a white cloud.
Van Don woke up, told his mother about everything he had seen in his dream, picked up a staff and set off on his journey to look for a white peach.
He walked for many days and nights, and then high mountains blocked his way. Van Don began to climb the mountains, and an evil wind was blowing in his face, white snow was falling like a shaft, and he couldn’t see anything.
Suddenly Van Don heard a terrible roar, and the tiger jumped from the cliff onto the path - Van Don barely managed to jump to the side. He bowed to the tiger politely, and the tiger roared:
- Y-ry-ron, y-ry-ron, how dare you step into my domain? Don't you know that I'm the boss here?
Wang Dong answers him respectfully:
- Why are you growling, uncle tiger? I am looking for a white peach that grows on a hundred-year-old tree: my mother is sick and only a peach can cure her.
The tiger growled even louder, his eyes sparkled even angrier. He sat down on his front paws and aimed to jump at Wang Don. Here Van Don grabbed his staff and thrust it into the tiger’s mouth, so that the staff stood across the mouth. The tiger roared, shook his head with all his might, and Wang Dong asked:
- Well, uncle tiger, are you going to offend people now? And the tiger shakes his head: I won’t, I’m sorry, please!
“Well, look, I forgive you for the first time,” said Wang Don and pulled out his staff.
And at that same moment the terrible tiger jumped at Wang Don again. Van Dong barely managed to shove the staff down his throat, and the tiger began to roar again. But Van Dong didn’t believe him. He approached the evil tiger and said:
“Come on, tiger, offer your back: if you take me over the mountains, I’ll free you, no, blame yourself.”
The tiger turned his back to Wang Don, Van Don sat down more comfortably, grabbed the tiger by the ears, and the tiger flew like an arrow across the mountains.
Before Van Don had time to look back, the high cliffs were left behind, and the tiger ran out onto the wide plain.
Wang Dong let go of the tiger as good as he could and moved on.
He walked and walked and reached the village. He looked into the chibi that he came across first and asked:
– Tell me, good people, where the hundred-year-old tree grows, and on it there is a white peach.
The owners answer him:
- Human life is short, young man. How do we know about a hundred-year-old tree? Only a hundred-year-old man can show you the way.
Wang Dong entered another chibi, bowed to the old lady and asked:
- Tell me, grandma, where does the white peach grow? The old woman answers him:
- Do peaches grow in winter, son? We have never heard of such a miracle.
Van Don left the village and moved on. He met a hundred-year-old man. Wang Dong approached him, bowed low and said respectfully:
- Hello, grandfather. Where are you heading? And have you seen the white peach that grows on a hundred-year-old tree?
The old man thought and answered:
“There are few people in the world who can live a hundred years, and there are few such trees.” Go further, young man, to the west. You will walk for many days and nights, and you will come to a country where only good people live. In that country, on a high mountain, sacred cranes roam, wise turtles crawl, and hundred-year-old trees grow there, and on them are fragrant flowers and strange fruits. Look for your white peach there. Maybe you'll find it. But Remember: only a kind and brave person with a pure heart and a clear soul is destined to reach a wonderful country...
The old man said this and disappeared, as if he had never existed, and Wang Don moved on.
Winter has passed, spring has come, and Van Don goes on and on. Young grass is turning green in the fields: “Lie down, rest, Van Don.” The clear-voiced birds sing in the mountains: “Stop, listen to our songs, Van Don.” But Van Don does not rest on the green grass, does not listen to the clear-voiced birds, but goes forward and forward.
So Van Don came not to the very west, he saw: a wide river flows in front of him, and behind the river a mountain rises. Van Don was delighted: wasn’t the hundred-year-old man talking about her?
Van Don began to think about how to cross the river. I looked around - there was no boat or ferry in sight. He then took off his komusins, hid them on the shore and entered the water.
And at the same moment lightning flashed in the sky, thunder roared and a dragon rose from the water - the formidable owner of the river. Wang Don was frightened, but did not retreat in front of the dragon and swam to the other side. He rows with all his might, but cannot budge: the dragon hits the water with its tail, and powerful waves move along the river.
Suddenly the dragon thunders with a thunderous voice:
– Why did you come here? How dare you enter my river? Why didn't you ask permission?
The dragon waved its tail, threw Wang Don ashore and disappeared under the water.
Van Don lies on the shore, and he does not have the strength to get up. But then he remembered his sick mother and went to the river again. “It’s better to die than to return home empty-handed,” he thinks.
As soon as he stepped into the water, heavy clouds covered the sky, steel lightning flashed, thunder roared, and nine mighty dragons rose from the bottom of the river. They waved their tails at once and wild waves roamed along the river. Van Don is floundering in the waves and can’t swim out. A high wave swept over him and carried him ashore. Van Don entered the water again, and again began to fight with the mighty dragons, and for the third time he was thrown ashore by violent waves.
Wang Dong was completely exhausted. He stood up, staggering: he wanted to go into the water for the fourth time. But then the black clouds parted, the clear sun sparkled, and beautiful fairies descended on a seven-colored rainbow. One of them approached Wang Dong, took his hand and said:
– Don’t be angry, Wang Dong, that we gave you a test. Van Dong looked at the fairy, and in front of him was the same beauty that appeared to him in his dream!
The fairy put Van Don on a rainbow and took him to the treasured mountain.
And that mountain seems to be covered with a colorful carpet: what kind of flowers does not grow on it!
Van Don walks and looks around. Streams run around, waterfalls make noise, sacred cranes roam in the clearings, wise turtles crawl around the lakes.
Suddenly the beautiful fairy says to him:
- Look how blue the lake is. Take a swim, Wang Dong, put on a fresh dress.
She said so and gives Wang Dong a silk outfit and shoes that are woven from rose petals. Wang Dong shook his head:
“I, beautiful fairy, cannot swim in the lake.” My sick mother is waiting for me. And I don’t need a silk outfit and shoes that are woven from rose petals, but I need a white peach.
Then the fairy took him by the hand and led him to a large tree. Wang Dong looks - tteok is growing on the tree.
[Tteok is a Korean bread. ]
-Why did you bring me here? - he asks the fairy. “I won’t eat this until I find a white peach.”
The fairy laughed loudly, as if silver bells were ringing.
“Look more closely, Van Don,” he says. - This is the white peach that grows on a hundred-year-old tree.
Van Don climbed a tree, picked a white peach, and the fairy gave him a basket, exactly the same as the one Van Don saw in his dream.
“Take this basket,” he says. – It contains medicinal herbs, ginseng root and deer antlers. Take it to the people. Now ask for whatever you want, I will fulfill any wish.
Van Dong thought, bowed to the good fairy and asked:
“Make it so that all people can come to Green Mountain and that there are no dragons in the river.”
The fairy clapped her hands, and nine dragons rose from the bottom of the river.
“From now on you will live in heaven,” the fairy told them, and the dragons flew into the blue sky.
Then the fairy took the wise turtle:
- Enough for you, turtle, to swim idle in lakes. Now you will live in the river and transport people to Green Mountain.
The fairy said so and threw the turtle into the river. Then she looked at Wang Dong, sighed and said:
- Goodbye, Wang Dong. I’m sorry to part with you, but there’s nothing to be done - it’s time for you to go home.
She brought the sacred crane to Wang Don, Wang Don sat on his back, the crane flew over the high mountains and landed right next to Wang Don.
Wang Dong's mother ate a white peach and immediately recovered.
And Green Mountain still stands today, and is now called “Mountain of Healing.” The River of Nine Dragons flows in front of the mountain, and a wise turtle is waiting by the river for people to transport them to the magic mountain.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru