은혜 갚은 까치
The magpie that repaid the kindness

옛날에 한 선비가 한양으로 과거 시험을 보러 가고 있었어요.
Once upon a time, a scholar was going to Seoul to take a civil service examination.

선비는 한양에서 멀리 떨어져 있는 마을에 살았기 때문에 시험을 보기 위해 몇 날 며칠을 걸어가야 했어요.
Since the scholar lived in a village that was far away from Seoul, he had to walk for many days to take the exam.

선비가 걷고 있는데, 한 까치 부부가 선비 머리 위로 날아와서 시끄럽게 지저귀기 시작했 어요.
As the scholar was walking, a magpie couple flew above his head and started to twitter loudly.

선비가 위를 바라보니, 커다란 구렁이가 까치 둥지를 향해서 나무 위를 슬금슬금 기어가고 있었어요.
When the scholar looked up, a big snake was slowly crawling on the tree towards a magpie nest.

까치 둥지에는 까치 새끼들이 겁에 질려 울고 있었어요.
In the magpie nest, baby magpies were crying in fear.

선비는 서둘러 활과 화살을 꺼내 구렁이를 향해 활을 쏘았어요.
The scholar pulled out a bow and arrow right away and shot an arrow at the big snake.

화살은 정확히 구렁이를 명중했고, 구렁이는 땅에 떨어져 죽었어요.
The arrow hit the target, and the big snake fell on the floor and died.

까치 부부는 선비의 머리 위에서 한참을 빙빙 돌며 고맙다고 인사를 했어요.
The magpie couple expressed their thanks by flying around above the scholar’s head.

까치 새끼들을 구해 준 선비는 또다시 바쁘게 발걸음을 옮겼어요.
The scholar, who had saved the baby magpies, started walking again busily.

한참을 걷자 주위가 어두워졌어요.
After he walked for a while, it became dark around.

‘오늘은 여기 어딘가에서 쉬어 가야겠구나.’
‘I should rest somewhere here today.’

쉴 곳이 없나 주위를 둘러보니, 저 멀리 불빛이 새어 나오고 있었어요.
He looked around to see if there was a place to rest, and far away, light was leaking out.

불빛을 향해 다가가니 오래된 기와집이 하나 나타났어요.
As he approached the light, an old tile-roofed house appeared .

“이보시오. 아무도 안 계시오?”
“Hey. Anybody here?”

“누구세요?”
“Who is it?”

“과거를 보러 가는 나그네요. 밤이 어두우니 하룻밤만 쉬어 가도 되겠소?”
“I am a traveler on his way to go and take the civil service examination. Since it’s dark, can I stay here overnight?”

“네, 들어오세요.”
“Yes, come on in.”

기와집에서 나온 한 여인이 선비를 따듯하게 맞이했어요.
A woman came out of the tile-roofed house and welcomed him warmly.

여인은 선비에게 안방을 내어 주고 저녁밥도 차려 주었어요.
The woman let him stay in the main room, and served him dinner, too.

먼 길을 걷느라 피곤했던 선비는 저녁밥을 먹자마자 잠이 들었어요.
The scholar, who was tired from walking for a long distance, fell asleep as soon as he ate dinner.

깊은 잠에 빠져들었던 선비는 어느 순간 숨이 막혀 오는 것을 느끼고 눈을 떴어요.
The scholar, who was in a deep sleep, felt at some point that he was suffocating and opened his eyes.

그런데, 커다란 구렁이 한 마리가 선비의 몸을 감고 있었어요.
And a big snake was coiling around his body.

그때, 구렁이가 말을 하기 시작했어요.
And then, the big snake started to talk.

“네가 오늘 죽인 구렁이가 내 남편이다. 네가 내 남편을 죽였으니 내가 복수를 할 것이다.”
“The big snake you killed today was my husband. Since you killed my husband, I will take my revenge on you.”

선비는 살려 달라고 애원했어요.
The scholar begged for his life.

“미안합니다. 하지만 당신 남편은 이제 갓 태어난 새끼 까치들을 잡아먹으려고 했어요. 내가 그것을 가만히 보고만 있을 수 없어서 한 일이니 너그럽게 용서해 주시오.”
“I am sorry. But, your husband was about to eat baby magpies that were just born. I did that because I couldn’t just sit back and let that happen, so please forgive me with generosity.”

그러자 구렁이 부인이 잠시 생각하더니 말했어요.
Then, the big snake’s wife thought for a second and said,

“저 산 위에 아무도 드나들지 않는 낡은 절이 하나 있고, 그 절 안에 큰 종이 있다. 새벽 닭이 울기 전에 그 종소리가 세 번 들리면 당신이 살 수 있을 것이오.”
“There is an old temple on top of that mountain, and there is a big bell in the temple. If I hear the bell ring three times before the chicken crows at dawn, you will be able to live.”

“사람이 아무도 없는 산 꼭대기에서 누가 그 종을 친단 말이오.”
“Who can possibly ring the bell on top of the mountain when there is no one there?”

선비는 한숨을 푹 내쉬며 ‘이제 죽은 목숨이구나' 하고 생각했어요.
The scholar sighed deeply and thought ‘I’m a dead person now’’.

그런데 그때, 종소리가 들려왔어요.
But then, he heard the sound of the bell.

“댕.”
(the sound of a bell ringing)

깜짝 놀란 선비와 구렁이 부인이 산을 바라보자 종소리가 또 울렸어요.
The scholar and the big snake’s wife were surprised and looked at the mountain, then they heard another sound of the bell.

“댕.”
(the sound of bell ringing)

그리고 얼마 후 또다시 종소리가 "댕" 하고 울렸어요.
And a while later, the bell rang again.

세 번째 종소리가 “댕" 하고 울리자, 구렁이 부인은 선비를 풀어 주고 사라졌어요.
As the bell rang the third time, the big snake’s wife released the scholar and disappeared.

날이 밝고 선비는 산에 올랐어요.
The day broke and the scholar climbed the mountain.

어떻게 새벽에 종소리가 났는지 궁금해 산꼭대기의 절을 찾았어요.
He visited the temple wondering how he could hear the sound of the bell at dawn.

그곳에서 선비는 죽은 까치 부부를 발견했어요.
There, the scholar found the magpie couple dead.

까치 부부가 자신들의 새끼를 구해 준 선비의 은혜를 갚기 위해 자신들의 몸을 부딪혀 종 을 울렸던 거예요.
The magpie couple had rang the bell by bumping their body into it in order to repay him for having saved their babies.

선비는 까치들에 크게 감동하고 까치들을 양지바른 곳에 잘 묻어 주었답니다.
The scholar was deeply moved, and buried the magpies in a sunny place.

Grammar point

Verb stem + -자마자
= “As soon as”

먹다 + -자마자 → 먹자마자
먹다 to eat
먹자마자 As soon as (I) eat

오다 + -자마자 → 오자마자
오다 to come
오자마자 As soon as (I) come

보다 + -자마자 → 보자마자
보다 to see
보자마자 As soon as (I) see