Onions - a Korean Folk Tale
From Folk Tales From Korea (1952)
Collected and translated by Zǒng In-Sob
Told by Zǒng Yǒng-ha; Ǒnyang (1915)
In the very earliest days of human history there was a time when men used to eat one another. This was because in those days men often appeared in the form of cattle, and so were slaughtered for food.
At last a certain man set out in quest of a better world. In his wanderings he met a leper, who asked him the reason for his journey. He answered "This world is horrible and I hate it, for men eat one another. I am on my way to seek a better world, where men may not do such evil things." To this the leper replied, "Your quest will be in vain, for wherever you may go you will find that men everywhere behave in the same way. So I would advice you to go back to your native place." Then the wanderer replied, "I cannot go back now, for if I do they will assuredly kill me. Whatever shall I do?" The leper said, "My advice to you is that you should eat onions. Any man who does so will thereafter appear in human form, even though he had previously appeared in the form of an ox."
So then the traveler hastened homewards. As he drew near his home he met some of his friends, and greeted them cheerfully, "Hullo, how do you do? I haven't seen you for some time." Thereupon the others said, "The lowing of this ox is most remarkable," and instantly they seized him. He was greatly alarmed, and said, "No! I am not an ox. I am your friend, and my name is..." But the others did not understand what he was saying, and said to one another, "This ox is bellowing too much. Isn't he making a din? We had better kill him at once." With these words they tied him to a post.
Just then it happened that a young girl passed by, carrying a basket full of onions on her head. With great effort he managed to snatch one and swallow it. When he had eaten it all he immediately changed into human form. The others were astonished, and said, "What, so it is you, our dear friend. We are very sorry indeed. We did not realize it was you."
So then he told them all about the miraculous powers of onions, and advised them to eat them. From that day men began to eat onions, and thereafter always appeared in human form. And it is said that the cultivation of onions was encouraged in order that men might not eat one another any more.
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