젊어지는 샘물

Long ago, in a mountain village, there lived a kind-hearted old man and old woman. They had no children, but they cared for each other and lived happily together. Every day the old man cut wood on the mountain and took it to market to sell.

One hot day, while cutting wood, the old man grew terribly thirsty. Just then, a bluebird flew down and led the old man into the forest. Following the bluebird, he found a clear spring bubbling up out of the ground.

The old man scooped up the spring water in both hands and drank it, cool and refreshing. Suddenly his body felt light, and his white hair turned black. When he looked at his face reflected in the water, he saw he had become a strong young man.

When he came home, the old woman was startled to see a young stranger. "Who are you?" After hearing about the spring, the old woman went there the next day and drank the water too. She became a lovely young woman, and the two of them were overjoyed.

A greedy old man who lived next door heard the news. "I'll drink even more, and become much younger still!" The greedy old man ran to the spring and gulped down the water without stopping.

When night came and the neighbour still hadn't returned, the kind couple went to the spring to look for him. By the spring, a newborn baby was crying "waah, waah" inside a pile of oversized clothes. The kind couple took the baby home and lovingly raised it as their own child.