There is a Taedong River in Korea. It carries its waters majestically, and the dense forests of Mount Moran-bona and the weeping willows of Rynna Island are reflected in it. In one place, a steep cliff hung over the water - as if a fairy-tale giant had cut it in two. There is a legend about this rock.
Once upon a time, outside the eastern gate of the Pyongyang fortress, there lived a peasant guy with his old father. And his name was Sor. He was kind and hardworking, from childhood he worked in the fields, toiled by the sweat of his brow, but just as he was a poor man, he remained a poor man. Sometimes they would grow a crop with their father, but it would be flooded with floods. And then you have to collect brushwood in the forest and sell it at the market. Sor will tighten his belt and go to the mountains.
The only joy is that I can sell the brushwood and not return to my father empty-handed. If he’s unlucky, he walks without anything, barely dragging his feet.
And Sor cared so much about his father that it’s hard to tell. His neighbors respected him for this. And then one day I sold some brushwood, bought some rice, and got ready to go home. Suddenly he sees a crowd gathered on the shore. Sor came closer, and there was a fisherman selling carp. Yes, so big and beautiful.
The scales sparkle in the sun and shimmer. Sor looks, and tears flow from the carp’s eyes, like a human’s. Sor felt sorry for the carp and said to the fisherman:
- Let me buy your carp.
“Lay out two yang and take it,” the fisherman answers.
[Yang (liang) is a monetary unit in old Korea.]
And the guy just had two yans - no more, no less. It's a pity for him to part with them. After all, the hungry father is waiting at home, but you won’t go for brushwood again, it’s late, and the market is ending.
And the carp looks at the guy, as if asking for salvation, and slightly moves its tail. And Sor finally made up his mind.
“Okay,” he says to the fisherman, “take the money.”
He gave the money, took the carp, went out to the river bank and thought: “Let my father and I sit without dinner, but I saved the fish.” Sor thought so and let the carp into the river.
The carp dived, then suddenly surfaced and circled around, as if thanking Sora.
Sor is glad that he saved the carp, and thinks: “Since there is no rice, I’ll go into the forest and pick some berries.” I picked some berries, wrapped them in a wide leaf, and went home. He brought his father some berries and told him about the carp.
“You did a good deed, son,” said the old man, “you can go hungry for that.”
It got dark. It's time for bed soon. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a young man. His clothes are rich, and he has a crown on his head. No matter what, the prince. And next to him are boy servants, all dressed up too.
The young man bowed to Sora and said:
“I am the son of the King of the Western Sea, I went out for a walk and accidentally fell into a fisherman’s net. I don’t know how to thank you for saving me from certain death.
Sor stared at the prince - and indeed his lips were exactly like those of a carp.
“I don’t need any gratitude,” says Sor. “Was it worth it for you, young man, to come to our wretched hut because of this?”
“They never forget good in the underwater kingdom,” answered the young man. “Get ready for the journey—my father, the Lord of the Western Sea, is waiting for you.”
- How can I come to your father if he lives at the bottom of the sea?
“Don’t worry about that,” the prince answered and waved his hand.
At that same moment, out of the ground, a huge turtle grew. The servants helped Sora climb onto her back; before he could blink an eye, the turtle swam, taking him further and further into the underwater kingdom. And there is such beauty that it’s hard to describe. They swam and swam and reached the palace gates. The columns here are all made of red corals in amber bowls, the roof is like a bird in flight, sparkling with gold and silver. Music is playing in the garden.
They passed through twelve gates and arrived at the palace of the Lord of the Sea.
And here the floor is lined with tortoiseshells, the ceiling and walls are made of mother-of-pearl - it hurts the eyes. The magical aroma spreads everywhere.
All the royal dignitaries came out to meet Sora: a shark in a caftan, a crucian carp in a uniform, a saber fish with a sling over his shoulder, an important cuttlefish, an arrogant stingray, an old crab - all in orders, a pearl shell and even a court lady - a seaweed. And they took Sora straight to the king. King Sora saw it and rejoiced and said:
- So this is what you are, the savior of my son! Guest from the kingdom of people!
The king took him by the hand and sat him down next to him.
And the feast began in honor of the dear guest. They feasted for three days and three nights. You can’t count how many exotic dishes were eaten, how many sweet wines were drunk! The inhabitants of the underwater kingdom were having fun, and how they danced! Sor looked at them and couldn’t stop looking at them. After all, I’ve never seen anything like this in my life!
The king raised glass after glass to the guest's health from the ground, and Sor bowed respectfully to him each time.
And when three days and three nights had passed, King Soru said:
“I want to reward you, oh worthy one, for saving your beloved son.” Tell me what do you want?
The guy listens to the king, and he himself thinks: “How is my father doing? I eat and drink, and he is hungry, waiting for me. There was a rainfall recently, maybe the whole harvest was flooded again? And the father is now standing on the edge of the field with his fellow villagers, not knowing what to do.”
And the king of the sea says again:
- Take what you want, I don’t mind anything for you!
“Thank you for your kind words,” Sor replies. “But I don’t need any riches, I have one request for you, king.”
The king answers:
“Tell me, young man, what the request is, don’t be afraid.” I'll do whatever you ask.
The courtiers are waiting for Sor to answer, looking at him with all their eyes.
And Sor says:
- Turn the Taedong River towards Mount Moranbong with your magical power, king! So that it does not flow past our village, it does not flood the crops. The river will flow past Moranbon Mountain, and extraordinary beauty will be revealed there. And we will be calmer.
The king heard these words, rejoiced and said:
- How kind you are, Sor! I will not be the Lord of the sea if I do not fulfill your desire! I'll just tell you this. When you return home, tell your fellow villagers to go to the mountains for three days and three nights. I will send heavy rain.
No matter how much the king restrained the guy, no matter how much he persuaded him to have more fun, Sor did not agree, sat on the back of the turtle, and went home.
Sora's father saw him and was happy. Sor told him about the underwater kingdom, and persuaded his neighbors to go to the mountains with their belongings. As soon as they left, the rain began to pour.
A greedy and evil landowner found out about this and spread a rumor that Sor was crazy. The guy was sent to prison.
Day and night it rains, and poor Sor beats on the cell door with his fists and shouts with all his strength:
- Save yourself, people, go to the mountains!
People began to leave for the mountains, and there was a commotion in the fortress. But at least it would matter to the landowner. He ordered Sora to be whipped, and he feasted with the geishas. They beat Sora, and he shouted:
“Soon the Taedong River will flow past Mount Moranbong!” Save yourself, good people!
It rains for three nights, Sora beats for three nights. In the landowner's palace there is a huge feast, fun and laughter, loud singing.
Suddenly thunder struck. A huge blue dragon soared into the sky, cutting Mount Moranbon in two with its tail. And the river turned its waters and flowed into the cleft.
The landowner got scared and started yelling:
- Release this madman into freedom!
The executioners threw down their sticks and threw Sora outside the prison gates.
Residents woke up in the morning and couldn’t believe their eyes. The Daedong River flows to the foot of Mount Moranbong. And the mountain was cut in two, as if by a sword.
This is how the Cheongnyu rock appeared.
Many years have passed. The residents built a gazebo near that place in memory of the heroic deed of the humble guy. And they called it the Sorsu gazebo. And the village is still called Sorsu.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru