This book is a collection of folk tales from both North and South Korea,
in which readers will encounter traditional Korean dragons, heavenly
maidens, dokkaebis (goblins), bluebirds and many eccentric characters
such as naughty children, greedy men and strange old people. Many of the
tales involve Shamanistic, Buddhist and Taoist cosmology, transporting
readers into a surrealistic fantasy world. As in folk tales from other
cultures, a considerable number of protagonists in this book face
distressing situations and eventually overcome them. These sequences are
usually depicted through humor, jest and wit, which will have readers
smile in recognition. Korean folk tales have not been widely translated
into English, and this book provides an opportunity for readers to
develop a good insight into the unique properties of Korean folk tales.