Long ago, two siblings named Haesik and Dalsik lived with their poor mother in a small hut high in the mountains. One day, their mother went to work at a village feast and brought back a basket of rice cakes for her children. On her way home, she encountered a giant tiger. The tiger demanded, "Give me a piece of cake, and I will not eat you." She offered cake after cake across the mountain passes, but when the basket was empty, the greedy tiger attacked and devoured her. Then, in a cunning disguise, it dressed in her clothes and covered its face, intending to trick the children and eat them as well.
When the tiger arrived at the hut, it imitated their mother’s voice, but the siblings quickly noticed something was wrong. When they asked to see its hands, the tiger showed them clawed, hairy hands, claiming their mother’s hard work had caused this. Looking through the door crack, they spotted the tiger’s tail sticking out. Realizing the danger, the siblings escaped through the back door and climbed a tall, old tree next to the water well. The tiger searched the house in vain. Seeing their reflections in the well, it tried to reach them, but the clever children remained safely in the tree. Dalsik accidentally revealed a secret trick to climbing, and the tiger attempted to follow, slipping and falling repeatedly.
In their moment of desperation, the siblings prayed to Heaven: "Dear God, if You wish to save us, send a strong golden rope. If You wish us to perish, send a weak, rotten rope." Instantly, a golden rope descended from the clouds, lifting them safely to the sky. The tiger, greedy and evil, tried to climb a rope as well, but Heaven sent a weak straw rope, which broke under its weight, causing it to fall onto a sorghum field. The tiger’s blood stained the stalks red, explaining why sorghum remains red to this day.
Once they reached the heavens, God transformed the brother into the Moon, Dal, and the sister into the Sun, Hae. However, Dalsik, being shy and fearful of the night, swapped positions with her brother. Haesik became the gentle Moon for nighttime, and Dalsik became the bright Sun for daytime. The sister, embarrassed by the constant gaze of people on Earth, shone with intense sunlight to hide her modesty, explaining why the sun’s rays are so bright and blinding.
This story beautifully explains natural phenomena while celebrating the protection of innocent children and the punishment of evil, showing how virtue is rewarded and wickedness is defeated. It has endured as a timeless tale blending mystery, courage, and divine justice.