chapter 2

"A Seonnyeo Girl and Her Fairytale"

"You know, Seon Nyeo.. 

Even now, sometimes on my concerts..

when I see someone singing  along with my songs.. I see you shadow.

Where are you now?

I don't know how I'm supposed to forget you.

How I'm never ever going to talk to,

Or see you again.."

              I am a wandering seonnyeo. I had been here on Earth for hundreds and hundreds of years now . . I am a seonnyeo who can read emotions because I can hear every single being's heart.

              A shaking heart.. is for sadness and sometimes guilt. A heart that is big is from a happy soul. When it goes "bathump-bathump-bathump".. it meant love. And when it skip beats.. fearful and worried. Dreaming and hopeful . . is when it goes quiet. A trembling heart is angry and a bouncy heart is cheerful.

             These made me different from the usual seonnyeo in Heavens. They would say . . I am special. And there's this one more thing that made me different. I had forgotten when.. why and how, but I could hear it when someone made a wish. And, I couldn't help it. I would grant their wishes. But only if it is a good wish that came from the bottom of a sincere heart. I would make that wish come true.

Always.. always..

"Yah!!!!! Why did you run?!! Where did you go?!!"

             I turned around and saw a familiar tall and slim boy approaching me. He has blonde hair, a pair of piercing blue eyes and a beautiful pale face. His furry white tail swayed at the air. He's running towards me yet his feet didn't reach the ground. This boy is Grumpy Fox. He is grumpy and has a foul mouth but he is a friend.

"Oh, it's Grumpy Fox! Annyeonghaseyo!"

             I saw him pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyebrows were frowning and he looked displeased. I took one step closer to him. The aching look on his face worried me. Does Grumpy Fox has a fever? Can forest spirits get sick? He let out a loud sigh and then he yelled at me loudly, making me fall on the ground in surprise. "WE'D KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR A THOUSAND YEARS!! AND, YOU STILL CALL ME GRUMPY FOX?!!!!! I HAVE A NAME!!!! I HAVE A NAME!!!!!"

Grumpy Fox you know I'm really bad at names, right?

              I stood up slowly and smoothen my dusted white dress. "Omo. Grumpy Fox, oh I mean.. I mean.. aish. I'm really bad at names. You know that right? Don't be mad." I stared at him quietly. As his frown changed to a calm face, I knew I was forgiven. I let out a little chuckle then I saw him turning behind, hiding a smile on his beautiful, pale face.

I remembered something.

Something happened a while ago. Something special and I want this a-thousand-year special friend of mine to know about it.

"I saw him again!" I tiptoed and pulled his face to look at me. The trademark frown on his face came back. "Him? Who is he?"

"Mr. Moustache!" I answered.

"Mr. Moustache, who?"

"Knock~ Knock~"

             "Silly, don't play!!" he growled. "Then I'm just gonna sit here and pout." And that's what I did. I crossed my legs and sat on the ground while pouting. Grumpy Fox. He is always grumpy.

             "Uh-huh!! Mr. Moustache! The singer, right? The 'stache and the chest hair, I remember him now. Stand up! Dongsaeng, you'll get dirty!" he scolded me.

             "Now you remembered!" I told him, still sitting on the ground. I pulled the long sleeves of his colorful hanbok, telling him to sit next to me. Before he sat, he tidied the ground first, wagging his furry white tail on the ground, making smoke of dirt on the air, "We met at the bar. You know, that place where it's so dark inside and humans would shout "Cheers!!" and when they go outside they are all sleepy. It is such a mysterious place, neh?"

Grumpy Fox hit me sligthly. "Are you just thick or what? They are not sleepy, they are drunk!" 

"Are you sure?" I asked curiously.

"Yah.." he turned around and gave me a blank face. "Don't get near that human again."

             Sternly, he stared at me and his voice gave a warn. "That guy.. he almost commited suicide, so stay away. Let's not involve ourselves with him again."

             His words took me aback. The excitement I was feeling was gone. I was disturbed and upset. Grumpy Fox, in a stranger's eyes, he might be bad and unlikable. But, I like him the best. He was a friend I treasure the most. In my hundreds and hundreds of years on Earth, he was there so I'll not be lonely. He would help me every single day. But what he said, made me unhappy.

Because.. I don't want to stay away from him.

             Maybe, Grumpy Fox noticed that I was sad. He quickly changed the subject matter of our conversation. Grumpy Fox asked me if I found where Sir Gangster is. I told him "Yes!" confidently. I was successful and Halmuneeh from the countryside would never be lonely anymore because by this time Sir Gangster's on the train going to back to his Grandmother. I was happy. I made another wish come true.

             Then, Grumpy Fox told me all about his day. How he was hunting for food at the forest but ended up going to a crowded street. He saw alot of humans.. and how he tried his best not to eat them. He got teary-eyed when he went to the part of his story where he smelled streetfood liver at the streets. He wanted to buy one but when the streetfood vendor saw him, he got scared and run away with his cart. Liver really was Grumpy Fox's favorite.

             Then I heard his heart wish.. I used some magic.  I made him close his hands and when he opened it there was a plate of steaming hot *soondae. He was beaming at me happily. Then a light shone on us. The sky suddenly became brighter signaling the coming morning and the start of another day.

             Grumpy Fox pointed at the Sun. "*Beep* you! Are you *beeping* kidding me?! Why do you appear whenever I'm eating my precious soondae?!" he cursed angrily.

             As the bright yellow Sun rose up, my thousand-year cursed phantom friend changed into a little white fox. I giggled at the cuteness of my grumpy friend's form during daylight. He doesn't like when others label him as cute. He growled at me but I just smiled and picked him up.

♥

              Grumpy Fox and I went to this place humans called Kindergarten School. I liked going here. These children's heartbeats made a beautiful melody. I could hear it. This place was always full of happiness and innocence.

              There's this teacher who would always tell stories before teaching her lessons. I called her Fairytale Teacher. I loved hearing her fairytales. Folding my arms and resting them on the windows, I waited for her. Grumpy Fox, too. He would listen to her stories. I placed him on the windows and he quietly sat there.

"Teacher is coming! Teacher is coming!" the kindergarten students whispered to each other.

             The door opened and there she was. She wore a bright smile matching her bright, flowery dress. She greeted the little children and those cheerful children greeted her back.

             "Today I prepared a folktale, 선녀 와 나무꾼 Seonnyeo Wa Namukkun [The Fairy and the Woodcutter]" The little kindergarten students was in awe as Fairytale Teacher took out a big book and began reading it.

"There once lived in the mountains a young man and his old mother.

He was very poor and in order to live he cut firewoods and sells them to his neighbors.

All the other young men of his age was married, but he was so poor that he could not find a bride.

He is a good young man, everyday he works hard and never complains.

One day, while he was cutting firewoods on the mountain he saw a trapped deer.

He was tied in a rope and wounded, a sharp arrow was pierced on his side.

The woodcutter is a good young man, he untied the deer, took out the arrow and freed him.

Unknown to the Woodcutter, the young deer is a forest spirit.

In return for his kindness, the deer granted him a wish. The Woodcutter wished for a wife.

"So you want a wife. Young Man, listen to me.

Go up the Mountain tomorrow afternoon before the dawn. You will see a lake that lies between the peaks of the foot of the rainbow.

Hide behind the bushes and you will see Heavenly Maidens descend from the corner of Heaven to bathe in that lake.

While they are bathing, they will hang their silken clothings on the trees. Those clothings are magical. It allows them to fly.

Secretly hide one of those clothing and when they finish bathing, one of them will not be able to return to Heaven.

Offer her help and bring her to your home. She will eventually fall inlove with you and become your wife.

But this I tell you, do not reveal the thruth about her clothing until she had borne you atleast three children."

With these words the deer vanished, leaving the Woodcutter overjoyed at what he had heard.

The next morning, the Woodcutter woke up very early and climbed on top of the Mountain.

He concealed himself behind the bushes and waited for the descending Heavenly Maidens.

Suddenly, in a corner in the sky the clouds set apart and Heavenly Maidens came floating down to the lakes at the rainbow's end.

They chattered happily to each other, and all at once took off their clothes and hang them on the trees.

Then each leapt into the clear lake water. The Woodcutter gazed spellbound at such ethereal beauty.

He crept stealthily and took the youngest Maiden's clothing.

Sunset came and the Heavenly Maidens prepared to return to Heaven.

But, the youngest Maiden couldn't find her clothing and her fellow maidens were forced to return to Heaven without her.

The youngest Maiden stood there utterly bewildered, wondering where her clothing is.

Just when she begans to cry for help, the young Woodcutter came out from his hiding place and offered her regular clothes and shelter.

He was kind and attentive to her.

In time, she married him and bore him two children.

The young Woodcutter was overjoyed and loved her with all his heart, and his mother too rejoiced at their happiness.

But once a month on bathing day, his wife would feel homesick and cry for her lost life.

The Woodcutter decided to tell her the thruth, figuring that her love for him would be enough. He showed her the hidden clothing.

But Alas! When the Maiden put them on, she regained her magic powers and at once went up to Heaven, taking one child on each arm.

The Woodcutter was stricken with grief and scolded himself for not followong the deer's advice.

The reason for the deer’s instructions now became clear — if he had waited until they had three children, the Heavenly Maiden would not be able to carry all her children up to Heaven, nor would she be able to leave any behind.

The deer saw how heartbroken the Woodcutter was. He offered him a solution.

"Since the day you hid the Heavenly Maiden's clothes, they do not come down to bathe there any more.

If you wish to find your wife and children you must go to them yourself.

Go to the same lake and wait until you see a bucket come down from a rope from Heaven.

They drop it to fetch up water from the lake for bathing. Then get on it yourself.

They will pull it up at once, for they will not realize that you are on it. That is the only way you will be able to see your family in I Heaven."

After the Woodcutter thanked him, the deer magically disappeared.

He did the deer's instructions, and the family reunited. And they were happy.

But, the Woodcutter's old mother was left on Earth. After some time, the Woodcutter felt bad and wanted to see her one last time before she died.

His wife appealed to the king of Heavens. The King offered him a way to say his last goodbye.

He lended him a winged-horse that would deliver him home. However, he must not get off the horse or he would be left behind.

The woodcutter did, and his mother was overjoyed to see her son again after his long absence.

They chatted happily together, and when he bade her farewell, still on the winged-horse, his mother said,

''I have cooked some pumpkin porridge for you. Please have just one bowl.''

He could not disappoint her kindly thought, and took the bowl she offered him. But the bowl was so hot that he dropped it on the horse's back.

The horse started in alarm and reared violently throwing him to the ground. Neighing loudly, the winged-horse flew up to the Heavens and disappeared.

The Woodcutter never went back to Heaven. He stood every day in tears looking up at the sky.

At last he died sad and alone, and was transformed into a rooster

They say that roosters climb to the highest part of the roof and crow with their necks stretched out towards Heaven because the Woodcutter's spirit has entered into them, and seeks the highest place it can find."

I cuddled Grumpy Fox. "That is such a sad story."

A little girl came up to Fairytale Teacher. "Teacher, why is it not a happily-ever-after story today?"

"Sometimes a story—"

"Because, that Woodcutter is a y dude!" a little boy interrupted them. "He stole the seonnyeo's clothes."

             "And, he is a badass liar! He lied to her and hide her clothes to make her fall in love with him. Isn't, Teacher?" another boy said. This is very confusing, those two boys looked the same. "Why do they look identical?" I asked Grumpy Fox.

             "Babo! Ofcourse! They are twins!" he telepathically communicated at me. "And Dongsaeng, you really are soooooo forgetful!! That story's seonnyeo and woodcutter, how can you forget that they are your parents?? Remember now?!" My eyes widen. "Oh they are? Omo, yes they are!" The reason I wander on Earth was to find my human Father.

              Grumpy Fox continued his communicating telepathically at me. "Dongsaeng, let's go to the Moon. Okay? Your Father, he is a human and humans can't live for a very, very long time unlike us. This is sad but he might had died already or maybe the Teacher's story is true, he became a rooster. There is no reason in staying here anymore."

*knock*knock*knock*

"Annyeonghaseyo, Kim Seonsaeng-nim!"

             "Omona!!!!!!" Fairytale Teacher blushed deep red and she squeeled loudly, the little girls in her class, too. The identical cursed boys- oh I mean the twins.. ran up to him. They called him Uncle. I took a closer look. Whoa. The Uncle is Mr. Moustache..

             "Can I borrow Wan and Yoon today?" he asked. Still in awe, Fairytale Teacher noded in approval. Mr. Moustache smiled at her. His smile was bright. But . . his heart . . I felt it. Why is it still the same shady heart as 7 years ago?

             Bidding farewell at the little kindergarten students and the teacher with a smile on his face, pinching the chubby cheeks of the twins and chatting with them, driving the car while singing a song, he looked happy outside. But inside.. I could feel the same sadness as it was years ago.

Is the reason for today's sadness still the same reason as with that day?

That day..

When I stopped him from jumping from a building.

             I cuddled the little white fox on my arms. "I will stay here. I won't go to the Moon." Grumpy Fox growled angrily once more. "My Father.. maybe, the story is true. He died already. But, Grumpy Fox," I carried him and made him look at my sincere eyes. "I have another reason for staying. I will make Mr. Moustache happy."

♥

There's this one more thing that made me different  from other seonnyeo in Heavens.

              I could hear every single being's wishes and I couldn't help it, I would grant their wishes. I would make their wish come true. Always . . always . . But, for once.. just once. Can I, myself make a wish?

I wish Mr. Moustache to always be happy.

reikax3 notes:

Soondae is a common, delicious Korean dish made from steaming

or boiling cow/pig intestines that are stuffed with various ingredients,

like pork blood and Grumpy Fox's favorite liver. ☺

The Fairy and the Woodcutter / 선녀 와 나무꾼 / Seonnyeo Wa Namukkun is an old Korean fairytale.

Grumpy Fox is a forest spirit, human form at night and cute little dog/fox at mornings.

Seonnyeo is a heavenly maiden, immortal girl, female fairy.

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