Dokkaebi and Old Man with a Lump
An Unexpected Ending Brought By Greed
Once upon a time in a deep mountain village, there lived an old man with a large lump under his chin. People called him the 'Old Man with a Lump,' but rather than being ashamed of his appearance, he lived a diligent life. Even though he was sometimes teased because of his lump, he never lost his smile and got along well with his neighbors.
One day, while chopping wood in the ⛰ mountains, the old man encountered an unexpected downpour. As the sun set, making it difficult to return home, he decided to spend the night sheltering from the rain ⛆ under a large tree.
In the middle of the night, strange sounds began to echo through the forest. The sound of drums and flutes, along with a cheerful melody, drifted on the wind. Peeking out cautiously, the old 👴 man was startled. Dokkaebi (Korean goblins) had gathered in a circle, dancing and having a joyful time.
Although frightened at first, watching the festive atmosphere, the old man found himself tapping along to the rhythm without realizing it. Then, mustering his courage, he stepped in among the dokkaebi and danced with them.
Contrary to his expectations, the dokkaebi did not get angry. Instead, they absolutely loved the old man's comical dancing 🎶 and bright expressions. After singing and dancing together all night, the dokkaebi leader smiled brightly and said,
"You must come play with us again next time."
With that, to ensure he would return, they decided to remove and keep the large lump on the old man's chin as a pledge.
The old man was bewildered, but it didn't hurt at all, and he was overjoyed that the lump -a long-time burden-was gone. He returned home with a grateful heart, and the villagers could not hide their astonishment.
This rumor quickly spread throughout the village.
In the same village, there lived another old 🧓 man with a lump. Upon hearing tis story, rather than being happy for him, he was filled with greed.
"I must meet the dokkaebi and ask them to remove my lump, too."
He intentionally went to the place the first old man had mentioned and waited for the night.
After a while, the dokkaebi really did appear. However, the second old man couldn't dance well and just forced himself to imitate the movements, trying to pander to the dokkaebi. Rather than genuinely enjoying the moment together, he was entirely consumed by the greedy desire to get rid of his lump.
The dokkaebi quickly noticed that something was off.
"The old man from last time played so joyfully, but today is not fun at all."
Then, the dokkaebi leader spoke as if he remembered where he put something.
"Ah, right! We have the lump we kept from last time."
He brought the stored lump and stuck it onto the opposite side of the second old man's face.
In the end, the old man ended up with two lumps instead of one and had to return home with a heavy heart.
The Meaning Conveyed by the 'Old Man with a Lump'
'The Old Man with a Lump' is not jus an old tale featuring dokkaebi. It is a traditional folktale that shows us the difference between greed and sincerity.
The first old man had a heart that knew how to enjoy the present and mingle with others, rather than resenting his circumstances. In contrast, the second old man only focused on the outcome and blindly copies others, and that mindset ultimately failed to get him the results he wanted.
This story has been passed down since ancient times to impart the lesson: "Good fortune follows sincerity, not greed."
📌 the Old Man with a Lump and Dokkaebi, a night scenery deep in the mountains during the Joseon Dynasty, Subtle moonlight, cute and friendly Dokkaebi dancing joyfully around a campfire.
