Long, long ago a little green frog and his old widowed mother lived in a small pond in a tiny fishing village. His name was Chung Kaeguri and though he loved his mother wholeheartedly, he was always making trouble.
Chung Kaeguri always did the opposite of what he was told. Once Mother Kaeguri said, “Kaegul, kaegul. There are some snakes slithering around in the area. Stay close to home today.” Promptly, Chung Kaeguri hopped to his friends and said, “Kaegul, kaegul. Let’s go for an adventure and find some snakes to dodge.”
Mother Kaeguri was always distressed with her son’s lack of respect for elders and she often wondered, “Why can’t my son be like other frogs?” and she reprimanded him to no avail. She scolded, coaxed and cajoled but the little green frog did as he pleased and blissfully ignored his mother’s wise words. She often wondered how he would manage when she was no more to take care of him.
Being old, Mother Kaeguri worried herself sick over her son’s behaviour. Knowing that she had only a few precious moments of her life left to live, she called her son to her bedside.
Chung Kaeguri waited by his mother’s side for her words with forlorn looks and a bowed head. Finally, Mother Kaeguri said, “My dear son, I don’t have much longer to live. Promise me that when I die, do not bury me on the mountainside instead bury me on the bank of the river.” She knew that her son would not mend his ways and wanting a decent burial, she decided that she would ask of him to bury her in the mountainside fully knowing that he would do just the opposite of what he promised.
Tears flowed down his face and he pleaded with his mother, “Kaegul, kaegul. Please don’t die momma. I will do whatever you ask of me.” But his words were too late as his mother had already left for her heavenly abode. With a heavy heart, he remembered all the times he had troubled his mother and decided that he would repent for all the bad things he had done.Chung Kaeguri resolved that starting from now; he was going to follow his mother’s instructions to the letter. He knew that his mother’s last wish wasn’t a very prudent one but he did just as she had asked him to and buried her by the river.
Soon, the rains arrived and he looked up at the sky and prayed for the river not to be flooded as it did after a downpour. That summer, the rains were torrential and the river swelled and rose very high, flooding the banks and washing away his mother’s grave.
Chung Kaeguri saw the rushing water washing his mother’s grave away. He sat by the riverbank in the pouring rain and mournfully began to cry. He cried and cried. “Kaegul, kaegul”, he called over and over.
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