The Blind Man's Daughter, Part 1
© Susan Johnson-Roehr
The following is a popular Korean folk tale focusing on filial piety, honesty and integrity. The story of Chung Shim, the blind man's daughter, appears again and again in Korean literature as an example of a daughter's traditional duty toward her parents.
Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, there lived a poor blind man, Mr. Shim. Mr. Shim lived alone with his daughter, Chung Shim. Chung Shim's mother had died when she was born, and the poor blind man was forced to go from house to house, begging for food, to feed his only daughter. Chung Shim was a beautiful baby girl, and the women in the village took pity upon Mr. Shim and gave him food and milk so his daughter would grow. As the years passed, Chung Shim grew into the girl that the women of the village had predicted. Even though she was young, her charm and poise attracted the attention of the wife of a local noble, and soon Chung Shim was working as a maid in the noble's rich household. In the evenings after a day of work, Chung Shim returned home to help her poor blind father at home. One day, Chung Shim was forced to return late, and Mr. Shim went out to the road to meet her in the twilight. As he was trying to cross a narrow wooden bridge over the village stream, he lost his footing and fell into the water. Luckily, a passing Buddhist monk heard his cries for help and rescued him from a watery death. The monk told Mr. Shim that if he could bring 300 bags of rice to the Buddhist temple, he would recover his sight. Alas, the poor blind man knew this miracle could never happen--how could he, a poor man, ever find 300 bags of rice? Still, he mentioned the monk's promise to Chung Shim. From that point onward, every day Chung Shim prayed that somehow the monk's promise would come true. One day, a group of sailors came into the village. They were sailing to China with their cargo, and wanted to buy a maiden from the villagers so that they could sacrifice her to the angry sea dragons. Chung Shim heard that these men would pay any price for a maiden. She hurried to the dock and offered herself to the captain of the ship in exchange for 300 bags of rice. The sailors were deeply touched by Chung Shim, and admired her for offering to sacrifice herself in exchange for her father's sight. Still, they could not bear to take the life of such a beautiful and principled maiden. In the end, however, they relented, and the requisite 300 bags of rice were taken to the temple. Chung Shim was given notice that the sailors would set sail at the next full moon, and she would be going with them. Despite her fate, she was happy and ran to tell her father that the monk's promise was sure to come true. But where did the rice come from, her father wondered. As honest as Chung Shim was, she could not bear to tell her father the truth. Instead, she explained that the local nobleman's family was going to adopt her, and the 300 bags of rice were made to Mr. Shim as payment for his daughter. Mr. Shim, not suspecting that his daughter would lie, was at once content--now he would not only receive his sight back, but his daughter would be well placed in a rich family! Chung Shim tried to distract herself from her upcoming date with destiny by thoroughly caring for her father and his home. She washed his clothes, repaired his sleeping mat, and made sure all the rice paper windows on the house were free of tears and soot. Even as the night of the full moon approached, Chung Shim worried endlessly about her father. Who would take care of him once she was gone? The night before the full moon, she cried to herself as she took refuge in her room, worrying about her father's future. She begged the rooster to suppress his crow in the morning, not wanting to hear the sound that would wrench her from her father's home and announce the breaking of her father's heart. At daybreak, the sailors were Chung Shim's door, ready to take her to sea. She begged for a few more minutes with her father. She still had not told him of her fate, nor had she fixed his breakfast. The good sailors allowed her to visit with her father one more time as she prepared his breakfast. She tried to make everything especially good for this last meal at home. And Mr. Shim was indeed pleased with the food, and complimented Chung Shim on her cooking. She flushed uncomfortably at his happiness, and became even more distraught as he continued to tell her of his night's dream. In his dream vision, he had seen his daughter Chung Shim riding a four-wheeled wagon drawn by white horses. He interpreted this to be a good omen. At this, Chung Shim could not suppress her tears any longer. This dream was not a good omen, but was instead a foretelling of her death. Still, she tried to prevent her sobs and tell her father what a wonderful dream it must have been. Chung Shim lit her father's bamboo pipe for him and placed the brass mouthpiece in his mouth. Dutifully, she stepped out to the family altar and said one last farewell to the spirits of her ancestors. She bowed twice and returned to her father. Seeing him seated on his mat, bamboo pipe in his hands, she fainted from sadness. Poor, blind Mr. Shim did not understand any of this. Why was his daughter hot and feverish? What were these tears? Why would she faint? Struggling awake, Chung Shim finally told the truth. She told her father of her deceit. She told her father about the 300 bags of rice. She told her father about the sailors heading to China and the angry sea dragon. She told her father that this was the day she would die. Crying, she begged Mr. Shim to hold her one last time. Mr. Shim was devastated. What meaning would his life have if he lost his beautiful daughter? Father and daughter knelt on the ground, crying and hugging, both in despair over Chung Shim's future. As promised, the sailors returned to claim their maiden, and knowing she must keep her word, Chung Shim pulled free of her father and followed the men to the boat. Soon she was on the sea, watching the water and waiting for the inevitable.
Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, there lived a poor blind man, Mr. Shim. Mr. Shim lived alone with his daughter, Chung Shim. Chung Shim's mother had died when she was born, and the poor blind man was forced to go from house to house, begging for food, to feed his only daughter. Chung Shim was a beautiful baby girl, and the women in the village took pity upon Mr. Shim and gave him food and milk so his daughter would grow. As the years passed, Chung Shim grew into the girl that the women of the village had predicted. Even though she was young, her charm and poise attracted the attention of the wife of a local noble, and soon Chung Shim was working as a maid in the noble's rich household. In the evenings after a day of work, Chung Shim returned home to help her poor blind father at home. One day, Chung Shim was forced to return late, and Mr. Shim went out to the road to meet her in the twilight. As he was trying to cross a narrow wooden bridge over the village stream, he lost his footing and fell into the water. Luckily, a passing Buddhist monk heard his cries for help and rescued him from a watery death. The monk told Mr. Shim that if he could bring 300 bags of rice to the Buddhist temple, he would recover his sight. Alas, the poor blind man knew this miracle could never happen--how could he, a poor man, ever find 300 bags of rice? Still, he mentioned the monk's promise to Chung Shim. From that point onward, every day Chung Shim prayed that somehow the monk's promise would come true. One day, a group of sailors came into the village. They were sailing to China with their cargo, and wanted to buy a maiden from the villagers so that they could sacrifice her to the angry sea dragons. Chung Shim heard that these men would pay any price for a maiden. She hurried to the dock and offered herself to the captain of the ship in exchange for 300 bags of rice. The sailors were deeply touched by Chung Shim, and admired her for offering to sacrifice herself in exchange for her father's sight. Still, they could not bear to take the life of such a beautiful and principled maiden. In the end, however, they relented, and the requisite 300 bags of rice were taken to the temple. Chung Shim was given notice that the sailors would set sail at the next full moon, and she would be going with them. Despite her fate, she was happy and ran to tell her father that the monk's promise was sure to come true. But where did the rice come from, her father wondered. As honest as Chung Shim was, she could not bear to tell her father the truth. Instead, she explained that the local nobleman's family was going to adopt her, and the 300 bags of rice were made to Mr. Shim as payment for his daughter. Mr. Shim, not suspecting that his daughter would lie, was at once content--now he would not only receive his sight back, but his daughter would be well placed in a rich family! Chung Shim tried to distract herself from her upcoming date with destiny by thoroughly caring for her father and his home. She washed his clothes, repaired his sleeping mat, and made sure all the rice paper windows on the house were free of tears and soot. Even as the night of the full moon approached, Chung Shim worried endlessly about her father. Who would take care of him once she was gone? The night before the full moon, she cried to herself as she took refuge in her room, worrying about her father's future. She begged the rooster to suppress his crow in the morning, not wanting to hear the sound that would wrench her from her father's home and announce the breaking of her father's heart. At daybreak, the sailors were Chung Shim's door, ready to take her to sea. She begged for a few more minutes with her father. She still had not told him of her fate, nor had she fixed his breakfast. The good sailors allowed her to visit with her father one more time as she prepared his breakfast. She tried to make everything especially good for this last meal at home. And Mr. Shim was indeed pleased with the food, and complimented Chung Shim on her cooking. She flushed uncomfortably at his happiness, and became even more distraught as he continued to tell her of his night's dream. In his dream vision, he had seen his daughter Chung Shim riding a four-wheeled wagon drawn by white horses. He interpreted this to be a good omen. At this, Chung Shim could not suppress her tears any longer. This dream was not a good omen, but was instead a foretelling of her death. Still, she tried to prevent her sobs and tell her father what a wonderful dream it must have been. Chung Shim lit her father's bamboo pipe for him and placed the brass mouthpiece in his mouth. Dutifully, she stepped out to the family altar and said one last farewell to the spirits of her ancestors. She bowed twice and returned to her father. Seeing him seated on his mat, bamboo pipe in his hands, she fainted from sadness. Poor, blind Mr. Shim did not understand any of this. Why was his daughter hot and feverish? What were these tears? Why would she faint? Struggling awake, Chung Shim finally told the truth. She told her father of her deceit. She told her father about the 300 bags of rice. She told her father about the sailors heading to China and the angry sea dragon. She told her father that this was the day she would die. Crying, she begged Mr. Shim to hold her one last time. Mr. Shim was devastated. What meaning would his life have if he lost his beautiful daughter? Father and daughter knelt on the ground, crying and hugging, both in despair over Chung Shim's future. As promised, the sailors returned to claim their maiden, and knowing she must keep her word, Chung Shim pulled free of her father and followed the men to the boat. Soon she was on the sea, watching the water and waiting for the inevitable.
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