as retold by me.

In a small village near a forest, lived a logger with his wife and daughter. The daughter was known far and wide for her extra-ordinary beauty and obedience. The logger had had a run of bad luck, and had to borrow money from the wealthy man who owned nearly all the land in the area.

One day the wealthy man called the logger to him and told him he had to repay the loan. “It is six months now, and you must pay me right away,” he ordered.

The logger begged for more time, and the wealthy man told him he had one more day. “But,” the wealthy man said, “I will be paid in full tomorrow, or you will give me your daughter! I will come to collect tomorrow at noon. Now get out.”

The logger stumbled out, shaking his head and moaning “Oh, what can I do?” He walked down the road, crying and not really paying any attention to where he was going. He was too worried, as he didn’t have the money to pay his debt, nor did he want to turn his daughter over to the cruel rich man. “Oh, woe is me!” he cried.

“What is wrong?” a voice said behind him. “Why are you so sad and upset?”

He turned and found himself face to face with a very handsome young man. Wiping his face on his sleeve, he told the young man his troubles.

The young man smiled, and said “Worry no more, friend, I will pay him for you.”

The logger stared, mouth agape in surprise. “You are offering to pay my debt to the wealthy man?” he exclaimed.

“Yes,” said the young man. “And in exchange, I want you to give me your daughter to be my wife. It is a fair exchange, is it not? I am wealthier than the man to whom you owe money. Your daughter will have a good life with me.” He smiled again.

After a few moments of thought, the logger said he would have to ask his daughter. If she agreed, so would he. They walked to the logger’s house, and the logger explained the young man’s proposition. The daughter looked at the young man, and then, with bowed head, she said “dear Father, I will do as you ask.”

The young man smiled, and told the logger to wait, he would be back shortly. And so it was - in a very short time he returned, carrying a fairly large, heavy, bag. This he gave to the logger, and took the girl by the hand.

“This is enough to pay your debt, and to provide well for you and your wife for the rest of your lives.” And with that, he led the girl outside, and they started off over the mountain, and then disappeared like smoke.

The logger and his wife gazed at the mountain where their daughter had disappeared, and cried. The hadn’t even been give a chance for one last hug and kiss, or to say goodby to their sweet girl. But there was nothing that they could do but accept things as they were, and go on as before. But, though they lived better than they ever had, they were always sad because they missed their daughter so.

The daughter was sad, too, for she soon found herself in a dark tunnel in the mountain, facing not a handsome young man, but an ugly, shaggy-haired, snaggle-toothed phantom, whose eyes glowed a strange, eerie blue. Her life was miserable as she became the phantom’s slave. She never saw the sun, or felt a breeze. Never smelled flowers or heard a bird sing. She was deeply unhappy, and feared the phantom, for when he gave her orders, there was a small spot of red, deep in his eyes. She never spoke to him, except in answer to his orders.

Sometimes he left her alone for brief periods, and she saw that when he was going to venture outside, he became the handsome young man again. One time while he was gone an idea came to her. Perhaps, if she pretended friendship, she could find a means to escape. But she would have to change her ways, and at least appear to be friendly. She needed to find out all that she could about him.

When he returned, she greeted him in a friendly manner, saying she would like to talk to him, as she was very lonely. “Tell me,” she asked, “what things do you like to do? Is there any kind of music you enjoy? Or do you like to dance, or to watch dancers? I used to sing a lot, and people said that I had a lovely voice. Would you like me to sing for you?”

The phantom was astonished. No one had ever showed an interest in him, or treated him in a friendly manner before. So he had told her a lot about himself, and begged her to sing for him. When the song was over, he said he had never heard anything more beautiful.

Later, she asked “What is the thing that you find most abhorrent, the thing that you will avoid at all costs?”

“I can’t stand white cocks or white dogs,” he said. “You must never let either of them come near me! But now it is time for you to rest. I will see you tomorrow.”

She said how much she had enjoyed talking with him, and bade him goodnight, hugging the information about the white animals close to her heart. The next day, she didn’t go as she always had, to prepare for his rising. Instead, she stayed in her little alcove. She had decided to lie to him, and tell him she was ill.

The phantom came looking for her, and when he saw her sitting there, he growled “Why are you sitting here? Why have you not commenced on the day’s chores?”

She stood slowly, and put a hand to her head. “I am not well,” she said. “I felt a little ill, and sat down for a moment, but it has been getting worse. I fear I will die!”

He was very concerned, and asked “Is there anything I can do for You? Anything at all that you know of that will cure you?”

“Well,” she said, “there is a peach that I once heard of. It is said that it will cure any illness. Only it is in a province far away. Even for you it will be a long journey.”

“That doesn’t matter!” he exclaimed. “I will get you as many as you need. Take care and rest, and I will return in about ten days with a large bagful for you.” With that, happy that she had asked his help, he went off with the speed of a flash of lightining.

During the time she had been working in the tunnel, she had found where everything was stored, including his treasure. As soon as he was gone, she prepared a packet of food and a water skin, and went to the treasure room. There she took a bag and filled it with as much gold and jewels as she could carry. And making the most of her opportunity, she escaped from the tunnel and headed off over the mountain.

It took three days of climbing up and down, over rocks and across streams, for her to finally reach her old home. There she was greeted joyously by her parents. She told them that the handsome young man was really an ugly phantom, and that she had been his slave. Then she told them how to keep him from coming to take her away again.

Her parents quickly went out and caught or bought all the white cocks and white dogs they could find, and brought them home. The cocks they killed, and hung the carcases around the outside of the house, sprinkling the blood in the gardens. The dogs were tied to the trees around the property, at the gate, and at the door of the house.

When the phantom returned to the tunnel with the peaches, he searched in vain for the girl. Realising that she had tricked him, he rushed out to swoop down on the house and get her back. But when he came near, he saw the white cocks and dogs, and veered off. Screeching in anger and frustration, he threw the bag of peaches away and retreated to his tunnel. He was never seen around the logger’s home again.

What was left from the original money the phantom had given them, combined with the gold and jewels girl brought with her, the family became very wealthy. In fact, in the end, the logger owned more land, and was wealthier than the previous landowner.

My story is based on the Korean folktale The Logger’s Daughter and the Phantom.