It’s actually The Woodcutter and the Eight Heavenly Maidens, but I hate it when Google shortens my titles:)

Anyway, yesterday it was the 10th of the month and as I said last time, it’s story time again.

This weeks’ story at Legends Myths and Whiskey features a North Korean myth about a young woodcutter in search for a wife.

The young man was always very industrious and honest, and still he was one of the few in his village without a wife.

One day he saved a deer from a hunter, so as a sign of gratitude the deer told him the secret of a long and happy life (the story doesn’t mention the woodcutter gasping in amazement at a deer who could talk like people. Anyway).

All the young man had to do was to climb the Diamond Mountain, hide behind a bush and wait for the Heavenly Maidens to descend to have their bath. Then he should steal one of the Maidens’ clothes, and by doing so she would bound to Earth and be his wife forever.
AS LONG AS HE DOESN’T GIVE HER HER CLOTHES BACK.

By the way, this is very interesting, as I’ve read this in many other stories from other countries.
I mean the fact that supernatural creatures are bound to Earth if you steal their clothes.

Anyway.
The woodcutter climbed the mountain, hid behind a bush, waited, stole some random clothes, one of the Maidens remained on Earth, he married him and gave him three children.
They lived happily together for several years, until the woodcutter gave up to his wife’s insistence and eventually gave her back her clothes.
As a gesture of trust.
The second she put them on she fled to heaven with the kids.

The rest of the story – which you can find here – is about the woodcutter making one mistake after another, but I’ll leave you to the proper narration.

Now, I took a lot of liberties with this image, as the squared frame made it impossible for me to draw the entirety of the waterfall, plus the mountain and the maidens.
I guess it conveys the idea though.

I realized the woodcutter is a bit too dark and with a bit too much contrast.
I’ll fix it soon.

Next story is on the 20th, go check the other podcasts in the meantime!

by Paolo Puggioni