In the south of Korea there is a small island in the middle of the sea, it is not for nothing that they call it Turtle Island - Kobukseong. In appearance it resembles a turtle shell.
A willow grove has been preserved on the island to this day; in the summer, orioles fly there, and then the whole island is resounding with the sounds of their songs, so similar to the deep trills of a willow pipe. Old people come to listen to the birdsong, sit under the spreading willows and tell each other fairy tales.
Here is one of them.
This began a long time ago when the spreading willows were very small: during the day the willow leaves shrank and turned yellow. And as soon as night came and dew fell, they came to life and became green again.
The inhabitants of the island could not understand it. what a miracle this is. The secret of what was happening was known only to the old fisherman. He lived on the island for many centuries. He had neither a son nor a daughter, only an old wife. Zhilioni in peace and harmony. A fishing boat and torn gear - that’s all their wealth. The fisherman became hunched over from old age and became deaf. They tell him, but he doesn’t hear. Instead of answering, he waves his hands. How can I find out the secret of the spreading trees from him?
But then one day a new ruler arrived in the district town. I heard about the miracle and called the old fisherman. The old man patched up his old and patched-up clothes and went to the ruler. The ruler saw the old man, stroked his mustache and said:
“I heard that you know the secret of the willow grove on Turtle Island.”
Open it for me!
The old man bowed his head and answered:
– Even as a child, my grandfather talked about the willow grove. I’ll tell you everything he said.
The fisherman sat down more comfortably and began to talk.
A long time ago, in the place where the willow grove is now, there was the grave of a brave young man. They say that one day foreigners attacked our island.
The inhabitants of the island fought bravely, but the forces were unequal - there were more enemies.
All the island’s warriors died in that battle, only the young man survived. Full of corvids, he continued to fight with his enemies. But then he fell, struck down by the enemy’s sword. All the girls on the island came running to him. They mourned the death of the brave young man, dug a grave, and went for the tombstone. We returned and the willows had grown thickly at the grave site. They began to look for where the grave was, but there was no trace of it left. Since then, in the evenings, when the wind rustled in the treetops, it seemed as if someone invisible was moaning pitifully. One of the girls cried out:
- Oh, woe is me, how can I now find the grave of my loved one?! “She made a pipe and played it, and then she said: “If only I could see the grave of my loved one, I wouldn’t be happier in the world!”
As soon as she uttered these words, the wind came and pushed the trees apart.
The girl looks - there is a path in front of her. The girl ran along the path and found the grave of her loved one. The people put a tombstone on the grave and went back.
We came out into the clearing, the paths were as if they had never happened: only the willows were swaying in the wind.
Soon, foreigners attacked the island again. And there is not a single young warrior there. Old men and women. They went out to fight, some with a spear in their hand, some with a kitchen knife. Can they resist their enemies?! Foreigners began to land on the island. And at this time the same girl who was playing the pipe ran into the willow grove, tore off a willow branch, and made the pipe again. He blows the pipe and shouts at the top of his lungs:
- Hey you, sea pirates, robbers, get away from our island!
Then the wind came and blew all the foreigners into the sea in an instant!
The sea became raging, covered the pirates with waves, and they all drowned.
That pipe is amazing. For the kind and honest - magical. For the greedy wicked - a simple whistle.
Then the old man fell silent, untied the bag, pulled out a pipe from the bag, and gave it to the ruler. The ruler took the pipe and couldn’t be happier. I wanted to blow on it, but changed my mind. I remembered that I didn’t only do good to people. He hid it in a box decorated with gold and silver.
But I must tell you that not all the pirates died. Some of them returned to their homeland and told their king about the magic pipe. The king's greed overcame him. And he decided to take possession of the pipe. He called one of his subjects. He ordered to get a pipe by hook or by crook. The subject set off on his journey, but did not know how to get to the island. From the side of the willow grove it’s scary. And he decided to sail to the island on a raft, wait for the right opportunity, and then enter the island. The stranger disguised himself as a poor merchant, got to Korea and began asking people about Turtle Island: as if the king had ordered him to buy rare fish. He walked and walked, but he couldn’t get across the island. Meanwhile, rumors about the magic pipe spread throughout the district. There was only talk about her. There were brave souls, most often seafarers, who equipped their boats and sailed to Turtle Island. But as soon as anyone approached the island, a storm arose and the boats sank. Happiness if someone managed to escape.
The fame of the magic pipe spread throughout Korea. But there were no more hunters to swim to the island. Several months have already passed, and the royal envoy keeps walking and walking. One day he went to the market and saw that in one place the women had gathered and were whispering to each other. He came closer and listened:
“We heard that our ruler has a magic pipe in a precious box,” said one of the women.
The stranger was delighted and thought: Now there is no need for me to go to the island, and he returned to the inn. He began to think and figure out how to steal the pipe from the ruler. He took a bunch of selected tobacco and went to the palace the next day. I got an appointment with the king. He talked about this with the ruler, asked for help in trade matters and, as if by chance, offered to smoke tobacco. The king tried tobacco and, out of habit, immediately fell asleep. In addition, the tobacco was mixed with a sleeping drug. The stranger found the box, pulled out the pipe and was gone. He immediately sailed to his homeland and gave the pipe to the king. The king was delighted. A feast was arranged for the occasion. The courtiers praise the successful messenger for having served well.
“Now no one in the whole world can overcome me,” the king boasts, “I will conquer all countries, I will make them my slaves.” - He says and rubs his hands with pleasure.
The king drank wine, got drunk, took the pipe, and wanted to try the magical power. It blows and blows - all to no avail. The pipe squeaks pitifully, but there is no wonder. The king did not know that for the good the pipe was a magic one, but for the greedy and wicked it was a simple whistle. The king became angry when he shouted:
- Hey, you scoundrel! Are you trying to deceive me?! You won't live anymore.
The king called the executioner and ordered:
- Push into the water!
They threw the royal messenger and the pipe into the sea. And he drowned.
And the pipe floated away. Far, far away. Since then, no one has seen her again!
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru