Seori Tales

Seori Tales — Korean Folktales for Children

The Rabbit and the Dragon King

A Korean Folktale of a Clever Rabbit and the Palace Under the Sea

Original Korean title: 별주부전 · Ages 4-8 · about 6 minutes to read aloud

The funniest of the seven, and the best for a child who likes being cleverer than the grown-ups. A turtle talks a rabbit into visiting an undersea palace without mentioning what the Dragon King wants with him. The rabbit gets out by lying beautifully, which children find deeply satisfying and adults may want to discuss afterwards.

An undersea palace with coral towers and pearl domes glows dimly while a pale dragon king lies curled inside beside a grey, faded pearl.

Deep, deep down under the East Sea stood the Dragon King's palace, with coral gates and roofs of shining pearl.

But the halls were quiet and still, and the lanterns burned low.

The great Dragon King was sick — so sick that even his magic pearl had gone grey and dim.

The rest of this story

The Rabbit and the Dragon King is currently exclusive to Kindle, so we can only show the opening here. The full text returns to this page on October 5, 2026.

The Dragon King of the East Sea is sick, and only one medicine can help — a rabbit's liver! So the loyal Turtle paddles all the way to the green mountains to fetch the cleverest rabbit of all... who is about to need every bit of his cleverness to hop his way home again. A warm, funny retelling of one of Korea's best-loved folktales, from a shimmering palace under the sea to a moonlit mountaintop.

Read it on Amazon

24 pages, full colour, ages 4-8. Also on the book page. Meanwhile, every other story here is free to read in full — see all seven.

What it is about

Quick thinking — talking your way out of trouble.

Questions worth asking

  • The rabbit tells a story to save himself. Was he right to?
  • What would you have said to the Dragon King?

More of these, for all seven tales, in the parents and teachers guide.

More Korean folktales