6She asked the tiger for one of its whiskers. "Yun Ok," he greeted her with a smile, "I have good news. What I found myself remembering when I heard this story was a renewed fascination with my edges. Required fields are marked *. Following the telling of this story, one class interviewed senior citizens about their lives. At the bottom, she let out a huge sigh of relief in the midst of panting to catch her breath. Many of the students spoke about how they felt afraid and lost after the attacks on September eleventh of this year. She was almost afraid to live with her own husband. "Eatueooy," s`k t`num`t, rkckcjkrdhm dts eocnst gdttkhds` onng es s`k, ghnw dt." It was a days journey. So, she went to a mountain hermit. Ask an adult to send your question to curiouskids@theconversation.edu.au. It takes time and patience to gain the tigers trust and get the whisker. The next few days, she noticed that the tiger was closer and closer to where she normally put the bowl of rice. How could she? Just like how the hairs on your arm can feel a soft breeze blowing or a spider crawling on you, whiskers on a tigers face and chin give it messages about what is going on around him or her. She tries to get the tigers attention but she doesnt get a response. ", She explained the situation. She tensed, she wrung her hands in anticipation, but she did not breach the silence. 3. to appear in the form of a ghost. Whiskers are so sensitive they can even feel a small change in the air or wind around it. The witch told her that she needed the whisker of a live tiger to make the potion. She shook and her hands were sweaty which made her grip the bowl tightly to ensure she didnt drop it. the tigers whiskers summary Ive done what you asked. A number of the tales are edited for content. Curious Kids: why do tigers have whiskers? - The Conversation All the despair rushed back in and more. 2. to urge or drive by force or moral pleasure. The story of The Tiger's Whisker is a Korean folktale. With a silence that weighed her own lifeshe never looked away, never flinched in her empowered stance for even half a second. A ancient Korean folktale "The Tiger's Whisker is retold - Medium So the number of whiskery tigers grew and grew while the tigers with shorter or no whiskers may not have lived long enough to have babies, and their numbers fell. This adaptation seems to typify Courlanders approach: offering a variety of folk tradition forms in the hope that the young reader will be inspired to investigate one genre or nationality more closely. Tell me, is a man more vicious than a tiger? More than once, listeners, especially elders, have shared their memories of wartime, spouses, and hard times in their lives. Tigers use their whiskers to catch prey - When stalking prey a Tiger must approach from downwind so as not to be detectable. Unsubscribe at any time. But after the war, he was very harsh and short-tempered. And that carries over into my life quite beautifully. D `evk t`k, "Tnu fnh't sey>" `k sedf, turhdhm ernuhf. Then one day, when she came home from the market, she saw someone sitting on the porch. But this day, she went a bit further up the path, past the next curve. British-history - Summary Britain: Student's Book; . That night Yun Ok tossed and turned. She searched until the sun was disappearing and the light waning. The purpose of this story was primarily to get the meaning of the story across. Whether she was about to die in that moment was a surprisingly distant thought. So it went, day after day, for several months. Each day became a frightening, but regular routine. the tiger's whisker - Weebly Motifs. As she proceeded through the cave, she could feel the profound stillness of the place. Answer: She wanted the hermit to make a potion for her husband. the tigers whiskers summary. Perhaps she eventually becomes the wild cave woman herself, guiding people to wisdom as well. When he came back, he was a changed man. At the end of her song, he laid his great head next to her and closed his eyes, as if in agreement. Do I have what it takes to meet my fears, put myself out there, and overcome the many unknown challenges ahead? husband? Her anger spent, she began to worry again. Believe it or not, every one of these blogs is terrifying. ", "Dt wdoo tegk t`rkk feys jkinrk D aeh kvkh onng dhtn dt. Once upon a time, many years ago there lived a man and his wife. O NCE UPON A TIME a young wife named Yun Ok was at her wit's end. For many years no one had dared take the path. "Irnc e odvk tdmkr>", "Vkoo ck," sedf t`k `krcdt, dhtkrkstkf. When I told this story to my fourth grade students, I started with a quieting activity. She saw its glowing eyes first which she continued to stare into. Therefore, she decided to ask an old man who helps people with problems for advice. But then, as if her whole life and its purpose flashed before her eyes, the sense of it dawned on her. This article first appeared in the Diving in the Moon Journal, Issue 3, Spring 2002. They began to lead separate lives, spoke less and less, and on the rare occasion when they made loveit was quick, empty, and only for him. The Balinese considered the ground powder of tiger whiskers to be a potent and undetectable poison for one's foe. Three anxious and tense days later she stepped into the cave once again. He grew fond of her and daily waited for the food. Yun Ok stood speechless. After a few moments, as she kept peering forward, she saw a flicker of light coming somewhere from the depths. She cried out and embraced him. INFORMANT:My informant originally learned of this folklore when she was in junior high school during her Korean Language school that she attended every Sunday after church. Curious Kids: do ants have blood? Q`k eoweys prdfkf `krskoi t`et, Q`k kxpoedhkf t`k sdtuetdnh. Together they stood in silence, touched by the beauty of a flower and by the mystery of life already lived so completely, and yet still full of unexpected gifts. It often takes much more than one breakthrough to conquer our fears And yet at the same time, this story still makes me feel a roar of awakening within. He had been to wars. Summaries Ex-colonel Gerard is poisoned after arguing with his nephew Edward. They help it find its way around small spaces even when it is completely dark and can send important messages to the tigers brain. V`k hkxt tdck s`k vdsdtkf, s`k moehakf up et t`k tdmkr jrdkioy. Her husband had always been a tender and loving soulmate before he had left for the wars, but ever since he returned home he was cross, angry, and unpredictable. A short time passed in this place. She cooked extra food before she left, and gently caressed her husband. ", "It will take three days before I can even look into it. The next morning seemed endless. And so the woman knelt down and petted the man-eating tigers belly, finding it especially soft. MY INTERPRETATION:My interpretation of this story aligns with my informants views of the story. There were no thoughts; there was only stillness. Most animals (including you and me) have a nervous system in their body which sends messages to the brain about the world they feel and sense around them. She held her ground and stood still, breathing, just breathing in this breathtaking moment. She had gone as far as she could go. I have told this folktale at pre- wedding gatherings and anniversaries, with very touching responses. "Cegk ck e pntdnh!" The woman went home. Have you got a question youd like an expert to answer? She saw that the moon was waxing and rising in the sky, and found herself smiling at the beauty of the night. Each day, she would go further up the path to sing the song and leave the gift. The hermit examined it, satisfied himself that it was indeed a whisker from a live tiger, then flicked it into the fire where it sizzled and burned in an instant. The contribution of historical processes to contemporary extinction She walks closer and closer to the tiger every night. But no matter what she did, he would only sit, staring down the road. I rather like the idea that perhaps she kept visiting the tiger into her elder years. Answer: The hermit dropped it into the fire. There was a moment of implied causation within the story that I realized was there after I rewrote what she told me. (v) 1. to drive or to propel. One step ahead of the next, she dared not think about her goal. She approached the same spot, clicking softly with her tongue. A ancient Korean folktale The Tigers Whisker is retold for the sake of healing some of the oldest wounds we all share. Just tell me. The days had gone by without counting when she walked around the curve that led to the tigers cave. "Tnuhm wnceh, ynur rkqukst fnksh't, kxeatoy ieoo dhtn t`k seck aetkmnry es e jrngkh jnhk nr ker dhikatdnh. The Tiger's Whisker ~ Folktales Stories for Kids . Amidst potions and dusty books, and jars lined on endless shelves, she told the wise one about her husband. As Yun Ok approached the hermit's hut, she saw the door was open. be easy. Her husband had always been a tender and loving soulmate before he had left for the wars, but ever since he returned home he was cross, angry, and unpredictable. Ive got them she cried. She consulted doctors and friends, but none had an answer. After she set down the fresh bowl and the tiger allowed her to pet its head she said in a low voice, "Oh, my tiger, may I please have just one of your whiskers?" "What have you done?" And just as you approached the tiger with great and gently caring, patiently waiting for its trust and love, so you must also approach your husband, whose wounds are so great.