Latest / Myths and Legends Around the World - Collection 05 / 009 - A Bridegroom for Miss Mole - Korean

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009 - A Bridegroom for Miss Mole - Korean · Myths and Legends Around the World - Collection 05

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  Speaker 1: A Bridegroom for Miss Mole from Korean Fairy Tales by
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  Speaker 1: William Elliot Griffiths. This is the LibriVox recording. All LibriVox
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  Speaker 1: recordings are in the public domain. For more information or
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  Speaker 1: to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. A Bridegroom for
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  Speaker 1: Miss Mole. By the River Chinjin stands the great stone
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  Speaker 1: image or Mivek, that was cut out of the solid
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  Speaker 1: rock ages Ago. Its base lies far beneath the ground
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  Speaker 1: and around its granite cap many feet square. The storm
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  Speaker 1: clouds gather and play as they roll down the mountain.
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  Speaker 1: Down under the earth, near the mighty colossus lived a
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  Speaker 1: soft furred mole and his wife. One day a daughter
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  Speaker 1: was born to them. It was the most wonderful male
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  Speaker 1: baby that ever was known. The father was so proud
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  Speaker 1: of his lovely offspring that he determined to marry her
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  Speaker 1: only to the grandest thing in the whole universe. Nothing
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  Speaker 1: else would satisfy his pride in the beautiful creature he
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  Speaker 1: called his own father. Mole sought long and hard to
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  Speaker 1: find out where and what in all nature was considered
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  Speaker 1: them most wonderful. He called in his neighbors and talked
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  Speaker 1: over the matter with them. Then he visited the King
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  Speaker 1: of the Moles and asked the wise ones in his
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  Speaker 1: court to decide for him. One and all agreed that
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  Speaker 1: the great blue Sky was above everything else in glory
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  Speaker 1: and greatness. So up to the sky the Mole father
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  Speaker 1: went and offered his daughter to be the bride of
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  Speaker 1: the great Blue, telling how with as vast as your robe,
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  Speaker 1: the sky had the reputation both on the earth and
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  Speaker 1: under it, of being the greatest thing in the universe.
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  Speaker 1: But much to them all father's surprise, the sky declin'd, no,
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  Speaker 1: I am not the greatest. I must refer you to
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  Speaker 1: the Sun. He controls me, for he can make it
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  Speaker 1: day or night as he pleases. Only when he rises,
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  Speaker 1: can I wear my bright colors. When he goes down,
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  Speaker 1: darkness covers the world, and men do not see me
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  Speaker 1: at all, but the stars instead. Better take your charming
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  Speaker 1: daughter to him. So to the Sun went mister Mule,
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  Speaker 1: and though afraid to look directly into his face, he
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  Speaker 1: made his plea he would have the Sun marry his
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  Speaker 1: attractive daughter. But the mighty luminary that usually seemed so fierce,
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  Speaker 1: dazzling men's eyesight and able to burn up the grass
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  Speaker 1: in the field seemed suddenly very modest. Instead of accepting
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  Speaker 1: at once the offer, the son said to the father, alas,
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  Speaker 1: I am not master. The cloud is greater than I,
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  Speaker 1: for he is able to cover me up and make
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  Speaker 1: me invisible for days and weeks. I am not as
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  Speaker 1: powerful as you think me to be. Let me advise
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  Speaker 1: you to offer your daughter to the cloud. Surprised at this,
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  Speaker 1: the mole father looked quite disappointed. Now he was in
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  Speaker 1: doubt as to what time he had best proposed to
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  Speaker 1: the cloud, when it was silvery white and glistening in
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  Speaker 1: a summer afternoon, or when it was black and threatening
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  Speaker 1: a tempest. However, his ambition to get for his daughter
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  Speaker 1: the mightiest possible bridegroom prompted him to wait until the
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  Speaker 1: lightning flashed and the thunder rolled. Then, appearing before the
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  Speaker 1: terrible dark cloud that shot out fire, he told of
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  Speaker 1: the charms of his wonderful daughter and offered her as bride.
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  Speaker 1: But why do you come to me, asked the cloud,
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  Speaker 1: its face inky black with the wrath of a storm,
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  Speaker 1: and its eyes red with the fires of lightning. Because
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  Speaker 1: you are not only the greatest thing in the universe,
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  Speaker 1: but you have proved it by your terrible power, replied
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  Speaker 1: the father Mole. At this the cloud ceased its rolling,
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  Speaker 1: stopped its fire and thunder, and almost laughed. So far
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  Speaker 1: from being the greatest thing in the world, I am
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  Speaker 1: not even my own master. See already how the wind
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  Speaker 1: is driving me. Soon I shall be invisible, dissolv'd in air.
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  Speaker 1: Let me commend you to the wind. The master of
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  Speaker 1: the cloud will make a grand son in all. Whereupon
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  Speaker 1: Papa Mole waited until the wind calmed down after blowing
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  Speaker 1: away the clouds. Then, telling of his daughter's accomplishments and loveliness,
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  Speaker 1: he made proffer of his only child as bride to
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  Speaker 1: the wind. But the Wind was not half so proud
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  Speaker 1: as the Mole father had expected to find him. Very modest,
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  Speaker 1: almost bashful, seemed the wind, as he confessed that before
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  Speaker 1: Mirrek the colossal stone image, his power was naught. Why
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  Speaker 1: I smite that great stone face, and its eyes do
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  Speaker 1: not even blink. I roar in his ears, and he
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  Speaker 1: minds it not. I try to make him sneeze, but
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  Speaker 1: he will not smite him as I might. He still stands,
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  Speaker 1: unmoved and smiling. Alas no, I am not the grandest
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  Speaker 1: thing in the universe. While Mevec stands. Go to him,
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  Speaker 1: he alone is worthy to marry your daughter. By this
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  Speaker 1: time the mole Father was not only footsore and weary,
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  Speaker 1: but much discouraged. Also evidently all appreciated his shining daughter.
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  Speaker 1: But would he be able, after all to get her
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  Speaker 1: a worthy husband. He rested himself awhile, and then proceeded
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  Speaker 1: to Mivek, the colossus of granite, as large as a lighthouse,
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  Speaker 1: its head far up in the air, but with ears
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  Speaker 1: ready to hear, the mole father squeaked out compliments to
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  Speaker 1: the image as being, by common fashion, the greatest thing
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  Speaker 1: on earth. He presented his request for a son in law,
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  Speaker 1: and then in detail mention'd the accomplishments of his daughter,
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  Speaker 1: sounding her praise at great length. Indeed, he almost ruined
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  Speaker 1: his case by talking so long. With stony patience, Mirvec
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  Speaker 1: listen'd to the proud father with a twinkle in his
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  Speaker 1: white granite eyes. When his lips moved, he was heard
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  Speaker 1: to say, fond parent, what you say is true. I
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  Speaker 1: am great. I care not for the sky day or night,
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  Speaker 1: for I remain the same in daylight and darkness. I
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  Speaker 1: fear not the sun that cannot melt me, nor the
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  Speaker 1: frost that is not able to make me crumble cold
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  Speaker 1: or hot in summer or in winter time, I remain unchanged.
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  Speaker 1: The clouds come and go, but they cannot move me,
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  Speaker 1: their fire and noise, lightning and thunder. I fear not. Yes,
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  Speaker 1: I am great. Then the stone lips closed again. You
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  Speaker 1: will make then a good bridegroom for my daughter. You
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  Speaker 1: will marry her, I understand, asked the proud father, as
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  Speaker 1: his hopes began to rise, though he was still doubtful.
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  Speaker 1: I would gladly do so if I were greatest, But
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  Speaker 1: I am not, said mervek. Down under my feet is
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  Speaker 1: the mole. He digs with his shovel like hands and
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  Speaker 1: makes burrows day and night. His might I cannot resist.
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  Speaker 1: Soon he shall undermine my base, and I shall topple
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  Speaker 1: down and lie like a common stone along the earth. Yes,
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  Speaker 1: by universal confession, the mole is the greatest thing in
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  Speaker 1: the universe, and to him I yield better marry your
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  Speaker 1: daughter to him. So, after all his journeying, the father
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  Speaker 1: sought no further advised on all sides, and opinion being unanimous,
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  Speaker 1: he found out that the mole was the greatest thing
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  Speaker 1: in the universe. His daughter's bridegroom was found at home,
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  Speaker 1: and of the same family of creatures. He married her
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  Speaker 1: to a young and handsome Mole, and great was the
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  Speaker 1: joy in rejoicing at the wedding. The pair were well
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  Speaker 1: mated and lived happily ever afterwards. And of a bridegroom
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  Speaker 1: for Miss Mole by William Elliot Griffiths