Classic fictionB1

구운몽: 자객과 용왕의 딸

The Cloud Dream of the Nine: The Assassin and the Dragon Princess

Kim Man-jung (1637–1692)

2 min read

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소유의 군대는 싸우는 곳마다 이겼고, 토번의 왕은 점점 겁을 먹기 시작했어요.토번의 왕은 소유를 없애려고 솜씨가 뛰어난 여자 자객을 몰래 보냈어요.

어느 깊은 밤, 소유의 막사에 칼을 든 여인이 소리 없이 나타났어요.소유는 조금도 놀라지 않고 조용히 여인을 바라보았어요.그러자 여인은 칼을 내려놓고 무릎을 꿇었어요.“저는 심요연이라고 해요. 스승님께서 제가 장군님과 인연이 있다고 하셔서, 해치러 온 것이 아니라 뵈러 온 거예요.”요연은 토번 군대를 이길 방법을 알려 준 뒤, 때가 되면 다시 찾아오겠다며 바람처럼 사라졌어요.

며칠 뒤 소유의 군대는 반사곡이라는 깊은 골짜기에 이르렀는데, 그곳의 물은 마시면 병이 드는 나쁜 물이었어요.병사들이 목이 말라 괴로워하자, 소유는 걱정 속에 잠이 들었어요.꿈속에서 한 아름다운 여인이 나타나 소유를 물속 궁전으로 안내했어요.

“저는 동정호 용왕의 딸 백능파예요. 남해 용왕의 아들이 억지로 저와 혼인하려 해서 이곳에 숨어 지내고 있어요.”바로 그때 남해 용왕의 아들이 군사를 이끌고 쳐들어왔고, 소유는 꿈속에서 싸워 적을 크게 물리쳤어요.능파는 소유에게 고마워하며, 인간 세상에서 다시 만나기로 약속했어요.

잠에서 깨어 보니 골짜기의 물은 맑고 달게 변해 있었고, 병사들의 병도 모두 나았어요.힘을 되찾은 소유의 군대는 토번을 크게 무찔렀고, 토번의 왕은 항복했어요.소유는 승리의 소식을 황제에게 알리고, 도읍으로 돌아갈 채비를 했어요.

Full translationTry the story first — open this only to check your understanding.

Soyu's army won every battle it fought, and the King of Tibet began to grow afraid. To get rid of Soyu, the King of Tibet secretly sent a highly skilled woman assassin.

Late one night, a woman with a sword appeared without a sound in Soyu's tent. Soyu was not in the least alarmed, and simply looked at her calmly. Then the woman laid down her sword and knelt. "My name is Sim Yoyeon. My teacher told me that my fate is bound up with yours, General, so I have not come to harm you. I have come to meet you." Yoyeon told him how to defeat the Tibetan army, then said she would come back when the time was right, and vanished like the wind.

A few days later Soyu's army came to a deep valley called Bansagok, where the water made anyone who drank it ill. His soldiers were suffering from thirst, and Soyu fell asleep full of worry. In a dream, a beautiful woman appeared and led him to a palace under the water.

"I am Baek Neungpa, daughter of the Dragon King of Dongting Lake. The son of the Dragon King of the South Sea is trying to force me to marry him, so I have been hiding here." Just then the South Sea prince attacked with his soldiers, and in the dream Soyu fought him and drove him off in a great defeat. Neungpa thanked Soyu and promised to meet him again in the human world.

When he woke, the water in the valley had turned clear and sweet, and all the soldiers were well again. With their strength restored, Soyu's army crushed the Tibetans, and the King of Tibet surrendered. Soyu sent news of the victory to the emperor and made ready to return to the capital.

Comprehension Check

1. Why did Sim Yoyeon come to Soyu's tent?

2. What trouble did Soyu's army face at Bansagok?

3. Who was Baek Neungpa?

Vocabulary

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noun

자객

jagaek

assassin

토번의 왕은 여자 자객을 몰래 보냈어요.

The King of Tibet secretly sent a woman assassin.

Your Summary

In 1–2 sentences, say who came to Soyu's tent in the night, and how the water in the valley became good to drink.

Source: Based on Guunmong (구운몽, The Cloud Dream of the Nine), the classic Korean novel Kim Man-jung wrote around 1687, long in the public domain; James Scarth Gale's 1922 English translation (also public domain) was consulted. Part 9 retells Yang Soyu's war against Tibet: the swordswoman Sim Yoyeon, who comes to kill him and stays to help, and Baek Neungpa, the Dragon King's daughter, whom he rescues in a dream. This simplified retelling in modern Korean and its English translation are original text written for SeoJae Story.

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