Korean Folk Tales

<h2 class="label">XLI</h2> <h2 class="main">THE OLD MAN IN THE DREAM</h2></div> <div class="divBody"> <p class="par first">Kwon Jai was a man high in rank and well advanced in years. He was, however, much given to sport and various kinds of pleasure. One night he had a dream, when an old man came to him, who bowed low, and in tears said, &ldquo;Sir, Minister Hong wishes to kill off me and all my posterity. Please save me, won&rsquo;t you?&rdquo;</p> <p class="par">Kwon asked, &ldquo;How can I save you?&rdquo; The old man replied, &ldquo;Hong will assuredly ask Your Excellency to help him. Desist from it, please, for if you do, Hong will give it up and I shall live and all mine.&rdquo;</p> <p class="par">A little later there came a rap at the door, when Kwon awakened and asked, &ldquo;Who is there?&rdquo; It was Hong, who that day had planned an excursion to Lotus Lake to fish for turtles, and now had come specially to invite Kwon to go with him. <span class="pagenum">[<SPAN name="xd21e2928" href="#xd21e2928" name= "xd21e2928">209</SPAN>]</span></p> <p class="par">Then Kwon knew that the turtle had appeared to him in a dream in the form of an old man, so he declined, saying he was ill. I learned later that Hong also did not go.</p> <p class="par signed"><span class="sc">Yi Ryuk.</span> <span class="pagenum">[<SPAN name="xd21e2935" href="#xd21e2935" name= "xd21e2935">210</SPAN>]</span></p> </div> </div> <div id="ch42" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pagenum">[<SPAN href="#xd21e592">Contents</SPAN>]</span> <div class="divHead"> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />