Three Sons Under the Stars

A Korean folktale
Retold by Cynthia Elder

"Which one of us shall be our prince?" Hoasaki asked his two younger brothers. The three boys laughed and tussled with each other as they ran together through the mountain glen.

"You, my brother," said 11-year-old Tosoki. "You are the eldest."

"Why not Pangsoki?" said Hoasaki. "Our middle brother is compassionate and brave."

Pangsoki bowed in a knightly fashion. "Thank you, elder brother, but don't forget young Tosoki. He is wise beyond his years, and patient as a moonbeam."

"I challenge us to find out who is meant to lead the others," Hoasaki said. "Let's go on a quest. Whoever brings home the most precious thing - whether of the earth or of the spirit - shall rule the others for a year."

The three boys raced back to their village of Mokpo, in the province of Cholla, in the heart of the Korean Mountains. They told their father of their plan.

"My sons, I give you my blessing," he said at last. "But remember your teachings, those of the heart and those of the body. You will be tested in many ways. You may face great danger and great doubt. Come back to me safely with your treasures."

And with those words the three young men set out for adventure, each charting a different course through the vast expanse of mountains and woods that lay at their feet.

Pangsoki and the Tiger's Den

Pangsoki, the middle son, traveled deep into the forest, lured by a strange moaning and whimpering sound. The haunting voice echoed through the trees, begging him to come closer. Fighting his way through a bamboo thicket, he came upon a wounded man who was delirious and close to death. Pangsoki's head swam with the smell of fresh blood seeping from open gashes in the man's chest and forehead.

"I must depart this world soon," the man said through rattled breaths. "My name is Kim Kyos-ubi, from the village of Andong. I was cut down by thieves seeking to steal my family's fortune. But my secret remains safe."

"How can I serve you, Kim Kyos-ubi?" Pangsoki replied, gently cradling the man's head in his hands.

"I have no family," the man said. "All were taken by the plague. I have no one to prepare my burial. No one to make the appropriate sacrifices. I can see that you are a person to be trusted, despite your youth. If you will promise to provide for my burial, I will reveal to you the pathway to my family treasure."

"You have my promise," Pangsoki said. Moments later, Kim Kyos-ubi died in pain, but in peace.

Pangsoki was true to his word and made all the necessary arrangements for the man's burial, with every honor bestowed to ensure his ascent to the heavens.

A distant light drew him further in, down winding pathways, to an underground lake. There, a small boat awaited him. He rowed noiselessly to the other side, then followed a curving passageway which ended in a second, even larger, cave. He shielded his eyes from the brilliant colors dancing off the walls of this enchanted cavern. Stalagmites rose like inverted icicles from the ground. The landscape was studded with the frozen faces of a mysterious people who seemed to have been carved out of rock, but for their lifelike postures.

Off in the distance, Pangsoki spied the form of an old man with a long, scraggly beard, still as stone. Just as Kim Kyos-ubi had predicted, a heavy iron chest sat next to him. Pangsoki pried open the chest to find a king's ransom of jewels and gold, more than he could ever hope to carry home. He filled his satchel to the brim and quickly left the magical place, certain that he had found a worthy treasure.

Hoasoki and the Deer

Hoasoki, the eldest son, took a different route through the forest. He, too, encountered someone in need of help - not a man, but a handsome young deer. It limped pitifully toward Hoasoki, suffering from an acacia thorn in its hoof.

"What have we here?" Hoasaki said in a soothing voice, encouraging the injured deer to come closer. Slowly, he reached for the animal's hoof and pulled the thorn out.

As Hoasoki left the clearing, he noticed the deer following just a few paces behind. All through the day, the deer stayed in his tracks. Then without warning, the deer bounded ahead of him and nearly threw him off balance. The deer brushed up against Hoasoki as if to say, "Get off this path!" Only then did Hoasoki notice the deadly tiger trap in the center of the path, which would have taken his life.

Later that day, Hoasoki's deer alerted him to a poisonous serpent, which lay camouflaged in a tangle of roots. Just as the snake was coiling to attack, Hoasoki smashed it with a rock, killing it instantly. He collected the precious venom, which was considered a valuable medicine.

As evening drew near, the deer found another treasure for his companion - a phoenix perched in a tree bearing the most fabulous plumage Hoasoki had ever seen. Hoasoki shot the bird and knew that he would be bringing home treasures beyond even his own imagining - the rare and potent venom, and the feathers of a phoenix.

Tosoki and the Ginseng Root

All through the long day, Tosoki wandered. His sharp eyes found no great discoveries. His searching revealed nothing magical, nothing dear enough to call a treasure. His heart sank, and the youngest son was ready to give up.

He slumped down against a tree to rest before going home. The light had faded from the sky now, and he would have to set out soon to be home before total darkness. He looked up to the heavens and saw the bright points of the constellation Orion shining down on him. His mind began to wander.

Tosoki knew that Orion shared the same ideograph, or picture word, with the sacred ginseng root. People also used this ideograph to indicate the Mountain Spirit, called Sanson-nim.

"Help me, Sanson-nim," Tosoki whispered, gazing up at the great mountain and Orion's three-starred belt above him. "Help me find what I seek. Show me your wisdom."

Tosoki was startled out of his meditation by a tiny, twisted man who motioned with gnarled hands. "This way, Dara-onara, this way," the gnome said, beckoning. He led Tosoki to an ancient tree, which had the aura of spirits around it. At its base stood an old man who spoke not a word. Tosoki was puzzled, and sat down to think again. This mystery was magical, for certain, but what could it mean? How was he to discover his true path?

He thought again of the shared ideograph for Orion and ginseng - both contained the number three. At the point of the three beams in the ideograph stands the character for "heart." He remembered his teachings: only a kind heart can carry a man to the heavens.

At that moment the gnome reappeared and led Tosoki to a ginseng plant, but this was no common ginseng. It glowed with an ethereal light, as if reflecting the brilliance of Orion's stars. Tosoki quickly dug up the plant, carefully preserving its roots, and held it to his breast. A voice from within the ginseng spoke to him:

"Young Tosoki, you have found me because you were destined to be here at this place and at this very moment. I was planted on the day you were born, and I will be your spirit protector for as long as you live. I will grant you all wishes that are possible, when made from a pure heart. Take me home and treasure me. I am yours."

Tosoki returned home filled with gratitude from his adventure, carefully carrying his sacred ginseng root every step of the way.

The Ginseng People

The three sons gathered before their father to show him their treasures. All were impressed by the courage and kindness the two older boys showed in their trials, and equally amazed by the fabulous jewels, the valuable venom and the phoenix feathers they had brought home. When it was Tosoki's turn, the other boys chuckled and teased him saying, "Dear brother, you were so very brave to dig the ginseng root!" and "Oh, little brother, shall I trade my jewels for your ginseng?"

But the father did not laugh. He asked Tosoki to tell his story and listened intently to every word. At the end, he proclaimed Tosoki the victor, and named him "Prince for a Year."

"But why, father?" the older boys asked. "How can his ginseng root compare to our riches?"

"You did not listen well enough, my sons," he replied. "Tosoki, ask your ginseng to give you a bag of jewels."

Tosoki asked, and the jewels appeared.

"Now ask the ginseng to give you rare venom and the plumage of a phoenix," the father continued.

Tosoki asked, and again they appeared.

"You see, my sons, Tosoki has the most valuable gift of all. For with it, he can have everything you acquired and more."

The two older sons bowed down before their brother and called him, "Our prince."

But Tosoki laughed and said, "Rise, my brothers, rise. Let us keep our friendship and be brothers as before. Let us remain forever together, and call our people "The Ginseng." We will be united in our kinship.

The old mandarin nodded approvingly. "Look to the stars, my boys, whenever life sends you sorrow. Look to your guide, Orion. He will not fail you. Let the heavens show you their pictures, and do not fail to read them. In this wisdom lies your hope and future."

Ever after it was said that the three sons were a shining example of devotion. To their last breath, they stood by each other. And when their lives were done, they ascended to the stars and added their own brilliance to the night sky.