The Korean Cinderella

by Shirley Climo; illustrated by Ruth Heller

Book reviews Story Characters Use of Magic Country of origin & printable map Related Books

From Publishers Weekly
Conflating several Korean variants of Cinderella, this story is “at once comfortingly familiar and intriguingly exotic,” said PW, with “lavish” and extensively researched art. Ages 5-9.

Ingram
Mistreated by a cruel stepmother who forces her to perform difficult tasks, Pear Blossom finds help from her fairy godmother, who appears to her in the form of tokgabis, special magical creatures.

Long ago in Korea, there was an old couple that wanted children badly. One day a daughter was born. The old Man being so proud planted a pear tree in his courtyard to honor her birth. The old woman decided that they would call her Pear Blossom.

As the pear tree grew lovelier so did Pear Blossom. The old woman tended Pear Blossom daily until she died. Pear Blossom had always been taken care of.

When the old woman died, Pear Blossom’s father sought out the matchmaker. He was matched with a widow who had a daughter the same age as Pear Blossom. The old man married her.

From the minute the widow and her daughter moved in, they found fault. Because they were jealous of Pear Blossom, they worked her from sunrise to sunset. The only company she had was the crickets.

Every year things got worse. Pear Blossom’s father grew older and didn’t pay much attention to her problems. Omoni dressed Pear Blossom in rags. She lay at night trying to find ways to get rid of her stepdaughter. Omoni and Peony called Pear Blossom, Little Pig or Pigling.

One morning Omoni insisted that Pear Blossom fill the jar by the door. When Pear Blossom informed her of the onion-sized hole in the jar, she still insisted she fill the jar. When Pear Blossom thought no one would ever help her, she heard a hoarse voice. At first, she thought it was a goblin; but when she looked into the jar, there was a gigantic frog. The frog croaked and squeezed itself like a stopper into the hole of the jar. The jar was filled.

When Omoni and Peony returned, Pear Blossom told them how a frog helped her keep the jar filled. Omoni made Peony look into the jar to see the frog. As she looked, the jar fell over and soaked her clothes. Omoni was so angry with Pear Blossom, she called her Little Pig and made her crawl through the puddles and lick up the water.

The next morning, Omoni scattered a huge sack of rice around the courtyard. She ordered Little Pig to polish every grain before her and Peony returned from the village. After they left, Pear Blossom threw her arms around the pear tree and asked for help. A flock of sparrows flew from the tree, picked at the rice, separated the husk from the kernel, and piled it into a corner.

When Omoni and Peony returned, Omoni found Pear Blossom sleeping under the pear tree. She started threatening to send her to China when she discovered the pile of rice. She started questioning how this could be. Pear Blossom told her of how the sparrows helped. Thinking there was magic in the air, she forced Peony under the pear tree. The sparrows swooped down and picked at her head and clothes. They both blamed Pear Blossom. She wasn’t given anything to eat for two days.

There was a festival coming. Pear Blossom had to pack a picnic hamper of food and sew a dress for Peony. As Omoni and Peony left, they made fun of Pear Blossom. Omoni teased her and told her she could to the festival after she weeded the rice paddies. When Pear Blossom arrived at the rice paddies, she saw there was a week of work. She asked herself who could do such a job. Suddenly, a big ox appeared and began eating the weeds as fast as the wind. She closed her eyes afraid to see. When she finally opened her eyes, the ox was gone, the field was cleared of weeds, and her wilted turnips were replaced with fruit and honey candy. She bowed and called a thousand thanks.

Pear Blossom rushed to the festival. On her trip, she stopped to allow the magistrate to pass. As she hid behind the willow, her straw sandal fell into the water. When the magistrate yelled for his men to stop, it frightened Pear Blossom and she ran away. Her beauty struck the magistrate. He ordered his men to retrieve the sandal from the water.

Pear Blossom was eating her fruit and enjoying the festival when Omoni and Peony appeared. Angrily Omoni asked why she was there. When Omoni heard the story of how the black ox helped Pear Blossom, she grew angrier. She was accusing Pear Blossom of stealing the food when the magistrate’s men announced that they were searching for the girl that belonged to the straw sandal. Seeing Pear Blossom was missing a sandal, Peony shouted to her mother. Omoni thinking the magistrate was angry with Pear Blossom for stealing his food, decided to get even and turn Pear Blossom in to the magistrate. Instead of being punished, the magistrate asked Pear Blossom to be his bride. Shocked by what she heard, Omoni insisted the magistrate marry Peony who had two shoes. The magistrate thought Omoni was out of her mind. He only wanted Pear Blossom.

When the springtime came, the magistrate sent someone to Pear Blossom’s old father to arrange a great marriage. In the courtyard of her new house, the sparrows and the frogs said “E-wha!” In Korea, Ewha means Pear Blossom.

Pear Blossom’s mother - She was happy to have a daughter. She took great care of Pear Blossom. She became ill and died.

Pear Blossom’s father - He loved his wife and daughter. He was sad and lonely after his wife died. He married Omoni who had a daughter, Peony.

Omoni - She was the stepmother. She found fault with the house after she married Pear Blossom’s father. She made Pear Blossom work hard doing all of the chores. She tried to find ways to get rid of Pear Blossom. When Peony looked into the jar for the frog and got wet, she made Pear Blossom crawl through the puddles and lick up the water. She was jealous of Pear Blossom. She starved Pear Blossom when birds attacked Peony.

Peony - She was a spoiled daughter. She was jealous of Pear Blossom. She called Pear Blossom Little Pig or Pigling. She mocked Pear Blossom. She blamed Pear Blossom for anything that went wrong. She was greedy.

Magistrate - He was struck by Pear Blossom’s beauty. He found the lost sandal. He searched for the girl who fit the sandal. He wanted Pear Blossom for his wife. He married Pear Blossom in the spring.

Pear Blossom - She was happy with her mother and father. She was sad when her mother died. She received a hateful stepmother. She was made to do all of the work. She wore rags and ate scraps. She lost her sandal on the way to the celebration. The magistrate fitted the sandal on her and ask for her hand in marriage.

There was a lot of magic mentioned in this story. The first instance is when Pear Blossom is ordered to fill the water jar. Because of the large hole, it was an impossible job. Suddenly, a large frog appears, jumps into the jar, and plugs the hole. Pear Blossom was able to fill the jar.

The next morning, Omoni spreads a huge sac of rice around the courtyard. She told Pear Blossom to hull the rice, polish every grain, and fill the rice jar. It was another impossible task that could never be done. Pear Blossom put her arms around the pear tree and asked for help. The sparrows flew out of the trees and pecked at the rice separating the husk from the kernels. In a matter of minutes, the rice was piled into a corner.

The next act of magic happened when Pear Blossom was sent to weed the rice paddies. When Pear Blossom reached the field, she was in dismay. Suddenly, a huge black ox appeared. With its strong jaw, it ripped the weeds from the ground. When she opened her eyes, the field was cleared. In her baskets were fruit and honey candy.

Go to a Printable Map of North Korea from National Geographic

Koreans believed that spirits inhabited everything (Solberg 33). This explains the frog, birds, and ox that all help Pear Blossom in different ways.

Apple trees, pears, persimmon, jujube, peach, apricot, cherry, and plum trees are common in Korea (Nash 33). This explains, somewhat, why Pear Blossom’s parents planted a pear tree when she was born.

Rice is very popular in Korea (Solberg 22). Perhaps this is why Omoni gave Pear Blossom the impossible task of hulling the rice she spread around the courtyard.

Nash, Amy K. Places of the World: North Korea. New York: Chelsea House, 1991.

Solberg, S. E. The Land and People of Korea. New York: Harper Collins, 1991.