Seori Tales

Seori Tales — Korean Folktales for Children

Cover of The Golden Axe, A Korean Folktale of an Honest Woodcutter and the Spirit of the Pond

The Golden Axe

A Korean Folktale of an Honest Woodcutter and the Spirit of the Pond

At the foot of a green mountain lives a poor but honest woodcutter, and his old iron axe is his whole living. One day it slips from his hands and sinks deep into a mountain pond. As he weeps, the water begins to glow — and a kind Mountain Spirit rises up, holding a gleaming GOLD axe. "Is this your axe?" Will the woodcutter tell the truth? And what happens when a greedy neighbor tries the very same trick? A beloved Korean folktale about honesty, told with warmth and gentle humor — and the quiet proof that truth is worth more than gold.

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About this book

At the foot of a green mountain lives a poor but honest woodcutter, and his old iron axe is his whole living. One day it slips from his hands and sinks deep into a mountain pond. As he weeps, the water begins to glow — and a kind Mountain Spirit rises up, holding a gleaming gold axe. "Is this your axe?"

The woodcutter shakes his head. Not the gold axe, not the silver axe — only his own plain iron one. And because he tells the truth, he is given all three. But when a greedy neighbor hears the tale and tries the very same trick... he learns what a lie is really worth.

  • Read-aloud English — a WHOOSH to gasp at, a SPLASH to giggle at, and a gentle rule-of-three that little listeners can say along with you
  • Rich illustrations in a warm painterly style with the glow of Korean minhwa folk art
  • A gentle window into Korea — an "About This Story" note on the woodcutter's jige, the mountain sansillyeong, and how the tale is told around the world
  • Perfect for ages 4–8 — a clear, kind lesson about honesty, with no scary bits and a happy ending

A wonderful gift for curious kids, multicultural classrooms, and any family teaching that the truth is worth more than gold.

Book 6 of Seori Tales — Korean Folktales for Children.

Details

Series
Seori Tales — Korean Folktales for Children, Book 6
Original tale
금도끼 은도끼
Reading age
4-8 (Preschool - Grade 3)
Paperback pages
24, full colour
Publisher
Seori Books
Paperback ISBN-13
9798164550387

Inside the book

At a thatched farmhouse below a green mountain at golden hour, the honest woodcutter kneels offering a bowl of rice to his smiling old mother on the wooden porch, his plain iron axe leaning by the door.
The woodcutter kneels sorrowfully at the mossy edge of the still deep pond with empty open hands and his empty jige beside him; his axe is gone under the water.
The Mountain Spirit lifts the woodcutter's own plain old iron axe from the water, and the woodcutter's whole face lights up with joy as he reaches for it.

Korean Words in This Story

  • Namukkun — a woodcutter, someone who gathers firewood in the mountains.
  • Jige — a wooden A-frame carried on the back to haul firewood.
  • Dokki — an axe. Geumdokki means "gold axe"; eundokki means "silver axe."
  • Sansillyeong — a kind mountain spirit who watches over the mountain and its pond.
  • Hanbok — traditional Korean clothes, worn every day and on special days.
  • Chogajip — a small house with a roof made of thatched straw.
  • Say them out loud together!

More in the series