Worried about a Disaster, Old Woman Offers (Her Granddaughter) as Concubine

Primary Source Text

English

Classical Chinese

Long ago, there lived a prime minister. He and his lady had grown old together, and [they] had a young slave-girl who was 7 or 8 years old. Her face was pretty, and her disposition was also gentle. The prime minister’s lady was especially fond of her. The prime minister frequently tried to court the slave-girl’s favors, [but] she did not accept or obey [him. Instead, she] cried [in front of his] lady and said: “I am going to die. My lord has repeatedly wanted me to sleep with him. If I do not follow his order, I will ultimately die under the lord’s punishing club. [But] if I follow his order, I will betray the grace your lady has shown in raising me. How can I become a thorn on your side? Besides dying, there is nothing left for me to do; I now wish to go throw myself into the river and die.” The lady sympathized with the girl’s thought, brought out some silver ingots, bronze hairpins and earrings along with some of her own clothes and, wrapping everything in a quilt, gave them to the girl, saying: “[You] cannot live here anymore. Why should a human life die for naught? Take these things. I will let you go seek shelter at a place of your choice. Live with these assets.” [The lady] waited for the dawn-bell to lift the curfew, and then surreptitiously opened the gates and sent [the slave-girl] away. Because the slave-girl was raised in the inner quarters of the prime minister’s house, she had never tried to go beyond the gates and walk down the road before. She held her bundle close; not knowing where to go, she just followed the main road down to the south gates [of the city] and slowly drew near the wharf. As the dawn broke, she heard the sound of horse-bells approaching from behind. She looked, and there was a rider who approached her and asked: “Whose household are you a daughter of? Where are you going by yourself at such an early hour?” The girl said, “I find myself in a most lamentable situation; I am going to throw myself into the river and die.” The man said, “rather than dying in vain, why don’t you come and live with me? I don’t have a wife yet.” The girl accepted [his offer,] and hoisted herself on horseback and rode off [with him.] Some years later, the prime minister and his wife had passed away, their son had also died, and their grandson had reached adulthood. But their house had become poor, and, left without a livelihood, the grandson suddenly thought, ‘my forefathers owned many slaves in various places. If I were to track them down, then I could take hold of this wealth.’ So he set out [to find them] on his own. He first went to a place and gathered all the local toughs. Showing them the household register, he said: “You are all slaves of my forefathers. I have come today to collect your dues. You all must pay, according to the number of men and women in your families.” With their words they agreed, but in their hearts they harbored resentment. They gave him a room for him to stay and served him dinner, [all the while] conspiring to kill him that night. Oblivious, the yangban fell asleep. But he suddenly awoke in the middle of the night, because he heard voices and footsteps of many people outside the window. Suspicious, he listened and heard them discussing who would enter [his room] first. Realizing what was afoot, he was greatly alarmed. He arose quietly, kicked down the north wall, and got out. Some of the men entered through the room and some came through the kitchen, some bearing knives and some clubs. Having nowhere to run, the yangban clambered out over the fence. Suddenly a tiger appeared before him. It grabbed him and left. Seeing him taken by a tiger, the men looked at each other in glee, proclaiming, “He will be devoured by a tiger and we haven’t had to lift a finger. How can this not be the will of Heaven? We will never have trouble again.” Although the tiger caught the man and carried him off, it had only nabbed him by the collar of his robe, after which it flung him unto its back. They travelled for the better part of the night, covering an unknown distance, before he was thrown off at a certain place. He had sustained no injury to his body, but his mind was in a perturbed daze. He soon came to his senses with a start. Opening his eyes and looking around, [he found himself] by the well in a large village, just outside the front gate of a dwelling house. As morning broke, the tiger was still crouched by his side. When the residents came out to draw water from the well, they unexpectedly came across this man lying motionless on the ground and the great tiger guarding by his side. Startled, they ran off, yelling “There’s a tiger!” The residents, young and old all together, came out armed with clubs. Finally, when the tiger saw the gathering crowd, she rose with a yawn and slowly sauntered off. The residents began to ask the man lying on the ground, “What kind of a person are you? Why did you come here? Also, why did the striped tiger stay by your side and not leave?” When the man gave a full account of his story, people all gasped and thought it strange. The old matriarch of the family also came out and met him. Recognizing his face, she invited him into the inner quarters and told him, “Aren’t you the son of someone called so-and-so?” The man was greatly surprised and said, “Yes, I am. How did you know?” The old woman thereupon described in detail: “When I was little, I served a certain household as a slave-girl, and benefitted from the grace of the lady of the house. My well-being today could not have been possible without her benevolence. I am now 70 years old, but how could I ever forget that? But the capital is remote and news from afar is hard to come by. Now that you have arrived unexpectedly, this is heaven’s message that I repay an old debt.” Thereupon, she summoned all her sons and grandsons and said, “This man is my master, and each and one of you should show yourselves [and greet him].” She then opened the window to the north, and called forth all her daughters-in-law to greet him. She then prepared a banquet and served him; she made new clothes and dressed him. Then she asked him to stay for several days. Sons of the old woman were all healthy, strong, tough and fierce; they had power, with which they cast influence over the entire village. Now, all of a sudden, their mother called this homeless beggar her master – making all of them slaves – for which rage filled their hearts. They also thought this brought shame to their village. Their mother’s disposition, however, was straight as an arrow, so all her sons didn’t dare oppose her will; they couldn’t but assiduously follow her command. The yangban said to the old woman, “I’ve been away from home too long already, and it’s about time I hurry back. You must let me return quickly.” The old woman said, “What harm is there in staying a few more days?” She then waited for the deep of the night, saw that her sons had long fallen asleep, [went] and whispered into the yangban’s ear, “Have you not seen the signs written on all my sons’ faces? They, due to my command, may be obediently following orders on the outside, but nobody knows what goes on in their heads." If you go back alone, you will be met with a disaster on the road. I have a plan; will you follow it or not?” The yangban said, “What is the plan?” The old woman said, “I have a granddaughter, who is almost sixteen years old. She is quite good looking and a husband has not be determined [for her] yet. I am willing to offer this slave-girl to you; how about it  will you not agree to the offer?” Upon hearing this out of the blue, the yangban was surprised and could not answer. The old woman said, “If you follow my words, then you can return [home] alive. If not, then surely you will face disaster. I cannot forget the benevolence of my old lady; therefore, I came up with this plan. Will you not agree to it?” The yangban consented to it. The next day, the old woman called all her children and said, “I present my granddaughter to my master in marriage. Tonight, you should arrange and prepare the utensils for a wedding; do not dare disobey [my order].” The sons did not make a sound other than “yes, ma’am,” and withdrew from her.” That night, they decorated a room as the bridal chamber and let the yangban go in. Then a properly adorned granddaughter was sent into [the chamber]. The marriage was finally consummated. The next morning, the old woman visited the couple and exchanged civilities [with them]. And then she summoned all her children again and said, “My master will return to his home tomorrow, and my granddaughter will indeed follow him as well. You should prepare a riding horse, a carriage horse, and several pack-horses. You will accompany him to the capital, receive a letter from the master, and send a message to me that the journey was completed peacefully. All her children scurried about, carrying out her orders, getting everything ready, taking care of their departure for the capital. They loaded bedsheets and pillows, dresses and garments, and a small amount of money on a horse. Nothing happened on the road, and they arrived in peace. The yangban drafted the document and dispatched it with the returning party. Afterwards, messengers were sent every year until the old woman died.

昔有一宰相。內外偕老，而有一童婢，年七八，容色不麤，性又醇良。夫人寵愛之。 宰相常欲近幸，厥女不承從，泣告夫人曰： 「小人將死矣。大監屢欲以小人薦枕。若不從命，則畢竟死於大監刑杖之下；若從命，則小人蒙夫人子育之恩，何忍爲眼中釘乎？一死之外，更無他，將欲往，投江水而死。」 夫人憐其志，捐出白銀靑銅簪珥之屬，幷與渠之衣服，裹一褓而與之曰： 「今無以在此，人生又何可空死。持此物，往投汝所欲去之處，以此資生。」 待曉鍾纔罷，潛開門出送之。厥婢養於宰相家內舍，未省出門行路。 持此褓裹，不知所向，直從大路而行，出南門漸近津頭。 時天色方曙，聞有馬鈴聲，從後而來。見有丈夫，近前而問曰：「汝是何處女兒？如此早晨，獨往何處？」 厥女曰：「我有悲寃之事；將欲投江而死。」 其人曰：「與其浪死，吾未娶妻，與吾居生，何如？」 厥女許之。遂馱之馬上，而去。 其後幾年，宰相內外俱沒，其子亦已死，其孫已 矣。家計剝落，無以資活，忽思先世「奴婢散在各處者多。若作推奴之行，則可得要賴之資。」遂單身發行。 先往某處，招致諸漢，示以戶籍曰：「汝輩，皆吾先世之奴屬也。吾今收貢次下來，須從汝輩人口男女之數，一一備出。」厥漢輩，口雖應諾，心懷不良；定一房而居之，備夕飯以待之，將於其夜，聚黨而謀殺之。 其班不知而困眠矣，忽於夜半，聞窓外有多人聲跡。心切疑之 ，潛聽之，則而開戶先入互相推諉。始乃覺之，大生驚怯，潛身起來，蹴倒北壁而出。厥漢輩，或持刀劒，或持椎杖，或從房中，或從廚後，而逐來。其班無計逃生 ，遂超越短籬，忽有一虎突前，捉去。厥漢輩，見其人爲虎所捉去，相顧大喜曰：「不勞吾輩之犯手，自爲虎狼所噉，豈非天哉？永無患矣。」 其虎雖拉去其人而去，只啣其衣後領，而飜其體，負背上。半夜之間，不知走幾里，往投一處，掀飜墜地。其人肌膚，則雖不傷，而精神昏窒。已而驚魂小甦，開睫周視，則乃一大村中井邊，人家大門之外，而其虎尙蹲坐其傍。 天色向曙矣，井邊家人，將欲汲水，開門而出，忽見何許人僵臥地上，又有大虎守其傍。大驚走，連呼聲（曰：）「有虎！」其家人老少一齊，持杖而出。虎見衆人齊來，始起身，欠伸，徐徐而去。 始問僵臥之人曰：「汝是何人？緣何到此？斑寅又何故相守而不去也？」其人始述顛末，人皆嗟異之。 其家老母亦出來，相見，認其人容貌，請其人入內舍，語之曰：「子非兒名某氏者耶？」其人大驚曰：「吾是也。老媼何以知之？」 老媼遂細述：「兒時爲某宅婢子，受恩於婦人。今日如此居生，莫非夫人之德，吾年今七十，何日忘之？但京鄉落落，聲聞莫憑。今日郞君意外到此，此天使之報舊恩也。」 遂遍呼諸子、諸孫，諭「以此是吾上典，汝輩一一現身。」又拓北窓，招諸子婦，一並現身，備盛饌而進之，製新服而衣之，挽留數日。 老媼諸子，皆是壯健傑驁，有風力，財産富饒，行號令於一鄕者。今忽不意其母以一介流乞之人，稱之以上典，使渠輩盡爲奴屬，憤怒撑中，又爲鄕中之羞恥。然其母性儼，諸子莫敢違其志，不得已黽勉從令。 其班謂老媼曰：「吾離家已久，可以急歸。須爲我俾得速還。」老媼曰：「姑留數日，亦何妨耶？」待夜深後，見諸子輩睡熟，屬耳而言曰：「郞君不見諸子輩，氣色乎？渠輩雖，以吾命不得不外面順從，其心不可測也。 若單身歸去，則必致中路非常之禍。我有一計，郞君其能從之否？」其班曰：「何計也？」老媼曰：「我有一孫女，年近二八，亦頗有姿色。尙未定婚，欲以此女納于郞君，則如何？」其班猝聞此言，惝怳不能答。老媼曰：「從吾言，則可以生還；不從吾言，則必致非命之禍。我不忘舊主之恩，爲計至此；郞君何不聽之？」其班許之。 明日老媼召諸子輩，言之曰：「吾以孫女某也，納于某上典。汝於今夜整辦婚具，無敢違忤。」諸子輩不做一聲，唯唯而退。其夕修理一房，爲新婚之房，使其班入處，靘粧其孫女，入送，遂成婚焉。 翌早，老媼入見問安，又召諸子輩，語之曰：「上典主明將還宅，孫女又當率去，騎馬一匹、轎馬一匹、卜馬數匹，斯速備倚轎子，亦爲借來。汝輩某某陪行上京，受上典主書札而來，使吾知平安行次之奇。」 諸子輩奔走應命，一齊辦備，遂治發上京，衾枕衣服，如干錢兩，竝載一馱，一路無事，平安得達。其班作書，付其回便。其後每年伻，限老媼終身。

Discussion Questions

1. How can tales such as this be used to learn about life in pre-modern society? As a literary work, to what extent can it be taken as an illustration of social reality?
2. Is this story about upholding or destabilizing existing social structures and the status quo? Does the fact that the old woman’s sons tried to kill the yangban mean that social hierarchy has collapsed?
3. What can this story tell us about the importance of wealth and its relation to social status in this late phase of Chosŏn society?
4. In what way does the marriage between the nobi girl’s granddaughter and the yangban protect the latter from harm?
5. What does the story convey about the relationship between yangban, slaves, and people of wealth without titles? Does the balance of power between yangban and slaves change throughout the narrative? How?
6. What would be the legal status of the girl (the granddaughter of the old woman) be after marrying the yangban? Would a child of this type of marriage be considered a slave? Can we discuss about “social mobility” of the period?
7. What does the tiger represent? Can we discuss it in terms of censorship of the day?