{"content_id":"gmozh6990g","slug":"golden-silver-axe-busan-daejeo-story-and-ending","locale":"en","schema_type":"Article","category":"story","category_name":"Tales","title":"Golden Axe Silver Axe: Busan Daejeo-dong Plot and Ending","summary":"The version recorded in Busan's Daejeo-dong includes a passage in which the woodcutter says the silver axe is his. This retelling follows the flow of that oral account and explains the helper's appearance and the reward for honesty.","sponsorship_disclosure":null,"affiliate_disclosure":null,"commerce_disclosure":null,"author":{"name":"Injoys Editorial Team","url":"https://injoys.com/ko/about"},"key_points":["This retelling is based on tale 34 from Busan's Daejeo-dong, recorded on February 12, 2014.","In the Daejeo-dong oral account, the helper is first likened to a fairy and then described as a white-haired old man.","The woodcutter refuses the golden axe but says the silver axe is his.","For the woodcutter, the axe is a tool for earning a living by cutting wood.","Similarities to Aesop's Fables alone cannot establish the origins of the Korean tradition."],"content_markdown":"“The Gold Axe and the Silver Axe” is a traditional folktale about a lost axe and the reward for honesty. This article retells a story recorded in Daejeo-dong, Busan, in 2014. In this oral account, the woodcutter says that the silver axe is his.\n\nThis article follows *Folktales of the Western Busan Cultural Region Ⅰ: Gangseo-gu Volume* and was prepared as of November 2026.\n\n## The Story\n\nThis oral account begins with a poor woodcutter losing his axe. He was cutting wood near a pond. In the middle of chopping, the axe slipped from his hands. It sank into the water and disappeared from view.\n\nThe axe was not even made of good iron. Still, the woodcutter could not afford to buy another. Without an axe, he could not cut wood. He sank to the ground beside the pond and wept.\n\nThen an unfamiliar being appeared, holding an axe. The being, who seemed to be a heavenly maiden, approached in the form of a white-haired old man. The old man first showed him a gold axe. He asked whether this was what the woodcutter had lost.\n\nThe woodcutter replied that the gold axe was not his. Next, the old man held out a silver axe. This time, the woodcutter said it was his. He received the gold axe as well, and the story ends by praising him as a good person.\n\n## Source and Origins\n\nThe source text for this article is an oral folktale recorded in Daejeo-dong, Busan. “Source text” means the record used as the basis for the retelling. Here, “source” does not mean the oldest written account of this story.\n\nThe full oral account appears in a folktale collection published by the Busan Metropolitan City History Compilation Committee. It is listed as Daejeo-dong Folktale 34, on printed page 151. The story, told by Mun Pil-sun, was recorded on February 12, 2014. The original text is available in the [public PDF of *Folktales of the Western Busan Cultural Region Ⅰ: Gangseo-gu Volume*](https://busandabom.net/data/history/ebook/EB_culture_story03.pdf).\n\n| Item | Recorded details |\n| --- | --- |\n| Publication | *Folktales of the Western Busan Cultural Region Ⅰ: Gangseo-gu Volume* |\n| Location in the publication | Daejeo-dong Folktale 34, printed page 151 |\n| Narrator | Mun Pil-sun |\n| Recording date | February 12, 2014 |\n| Recording location | Sinchon Grandmothers’ Senior Center, Daejeo 1-dong |\n| Nature of the material | A record of an orally transmitted folktale of unknown authorship |\n\nThe recording date is the day the story was documented. It is not the date when the folktale first arose or when its events occurred. The place name Daejeo-dong likewise identifies the area where this account was passed down. It cannot be read as evidence that someone actually received an axe there.\n\n### Why He Said the Silver Axe Was His\n\nThis recorded account alone does not establish why he answered that the silver axe was his. The opening describes the woodcutter’s axe as an iron axe of poor quality. Later, however, he says that the silver axe is his. The record offers no explanation for this discrepancy.\n\nThere is also no basis for concluding that it was a lapse in memory or a deliberate alteration. This retelling leaves his answer about the silver axe unchanged. Replacing it with the familiar iron-axe scene would erase a distinctive feature of this oral account. Inconsistencies in the telling also offer clues when reading the recorded account.\n\n## Other Versions and Similar Stories\n\nThe name and appearance of the being who offers the axes vary across versions. Han Myeong-suk’s 2024 study introduces versions featuring a mountain spirit, an elder sister, an old man, and others. These distinctions appear in the abstract of [“Transmission Patterns and Implications of ‘The Gold Axe and the Silver Axe’”](https://www.kci.go.kr/kciportal/landing/article.kci?arti_id=ART003087845).\n\n| Version or comparison | Helper’s appearance | Distinction to note |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Account recorded in Daejeo-dong, Busan | Mentioned as if a heavenly maiden, then described as a white-haired old man | The description changes within a single oral account |\n| Korean versions introduced in the study | Mountain spirit | Cases where the helper is called a mountain spirit |\n| Korean versions introduced in the study | Elder sister | Cases where the helper is addressed differently |\n| Korean versions introduced in the study | Old man | Cases passed down with the helper appearing as an old man |\n| Aesop’s fable “Hermes and the Woodcutter” | Hermes | A comparison involving a similar axe story |\n\n### What Role Does the Mountain Spirit Play?\n\nThe mountain spirit is not a fixed character in every version of this folktale. Reading several versions together reveals the role of a helper who tests honesty. Appearance and forms of address can be distinguished as different ways of expressing that role.\n\nIn the Daejeo-dong oral account, a reference to a heavenly maiden is followed by a description of an old man. It does not, however, explain that a heavenly maiden transformed into an old man. This retelling likewise adds no separate transformation scene. It preserves the oral account’s distinctive lack of a single, clearly defined identity for the helper.\n\n### Differences in the Ending of “The Gold Axe and the Silver Axe”\n\nIn the Daejeo-dong recorded account, the woodcutter is rewarded after saying that the silver axe is his. The part where he does not insist that the gold axe is his remains. The narrator describes the woodcutter as good.\n\n| Point of comparison in the ending | Familiar iron-axe ending | Daejeo-dong recorded account |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Axe he identifies as his own | Iron axe | Silver axe |\n| Answer about the silver axe | Says it is not his | Says it is his |\n| Treatment in this article | A comparison used to explain the difference | The actual basis for the retelling |\n\nThis recorded account contains no follow-up story about a greedy neighbor. Nor does it describe the woodcutter selling the axes he received and becoming rich. Those events have therefore not been added to the ending of this oral account.\n\n### Did It Originate in Aesop’s Fables?\n\nA similar plot alone does not establish that the story originated in Aesop’s fables. Han Myeong-suk’s study examines differences between Korean versions and Aesop’s fable. The study also suggests the possibility that the two traditions arose independently. This is the researcher’s interpretation, not a confirmation of the story’s origin.\n\n## Folk Culture in the Story\n\nThis folktale can be read as a moral tale linking honest behavior with reward. The National Folk Museum of Korea classifies it as a moral tale in the [Folktales section of the *Encyclopedia of Korean Folk Literature*](https://folkency.nfm.go.kr/api/file/download/dictionary/31). A moral tale centers on the principles people should follow.\n\n### What Does the Axe Mean?\n\nIn the Daejeo-dong oral account, the axe is a tool that sustains the woodcutter’s livelihood. He cries because he cannot afford a new axe. The narrator describes his inability to cut wood as a serious problem. His livelihood is thus already in danger before he receives a reward.\n\nAccording to this description, the axe’s value is not determined solely by the price of its material. Even an iron axe of poor quality enables its owner to work. On that basis, this article interprets the axe as the foundation of his livelihood.\n\n### How Is the Reward for Honesty Expressed?\n\nThe reward for honesty is reflected in the scene where the woodcutter does not claim that the gold axe is his. Although poor, he does not pretend to own the gold axe. The narrator connects that behavior with a good heart.\n\nHis answer about the silver axe, however, departs from the familiar course of the moral lesson. This difference does not have to be erased to explain the meaning of honesty. The narrator’s judgment and the answer actually recorded need to be read together. The former shows the story’s lesson; the latter shows what distinguishes this version.\n\n### A Supernatural Being and Hopes for Everyday Life\n\nThe supernatural helper steps in when the woodcutter faces a difficulty he cannot resolve alone. This can be interpreted as a story expressing the hope that people who live honestly will receive help. It also imagines a being who recognizes the actions of a poor person.\n\nHowever, this recorded account contains no description of any particular offering or ritual. It should therefore not be treated as a record of a specific mountain-spirit worship practice. Supernatural beings in stories and actual religious practices must be considered on separate evidence.\n\n## Frequently Asked Questions\n\n### Did This Really Happen?\n\nIt is a traditional folktale, not a story verified as a historical event. The recording location and date document when and where the oral account was recorded. They do not establish where or when the events in the story occurred.\n\n### Where Can I Read the Original Oral Account?\n\nIt appears in the public PDF of *Folktales of the Western Busan Cultural Region Ⅰ: Gangseo-gu Volume*. Look for Daejeo-dong Folktale 34. The printed page number is 151.\n\n### Which Axe Does the Woodcutter Say Is His in the Daejeo-dong Account?\n\nThe woodcutter says that the silver axe is his. Earlier, he says that the gold axe is not his. This retelling follows the principle of preserving that difference in his answers rather than replacing it with an iron-axe scene.\n\n### Is the Being Who Gives Him the Axes Always a Mountain Spirit?\n\nThe being is not always described as a mountain spirit. The study also introduces versions in which the helper appears as an elder sister or an old man. The Daejeo-dong oral account itself retains both a reference to a heavenly maiden and a description of an old man.\n\n### Does a Greedy Woodcutter Also Appear?\n\nNo such character appears in the Daejeo-dong recorded account on which this article is based. The oral account ends when the first woodcutter receives his reward. A follow-up story remembered from another tale should not be treated as part of this record.\n\n### What Is the Lesson of This Story?\n\nThe lesson is not to covet valuable things that do not belong to you. The Daejeo-dong oral account describes the woodcutter who refuses the gold axe as good. It also conveys that losing his axe leaves him unable to earn a living.\n\n### Is the Recording Date the Day the Folktale Was Created?\n\nThe recording date is the date when the oral account was documented. It does not mean the day the folktale was first created. This record alone cannot establish when the story originated.","content_html":"\u003cp\u003e“The Gold Axe and the Silver Axe” is a traditional folktale about a lost axe and the reward for honesty. This article retells a story recorded in Daejeo-dong, Busan, in 2014. In this oral account, the woodcutter says that the silver axe is his.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis article follows \u003cem\u003eFolktales of the Western Busan Cultural Region Ⅰ: Gangseo-gu Volume\u003c/em\u003e and was prepared as of November 2026.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#the-story\" class=\"anchor\" id=\"the-story\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eThe Story\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis oral account begins with a poor woodcutter losing his axe. He was cutting wood near a pond. In the middle of chopping, the axe slipped from his hands. It sank into the water and disappeared from view.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe axe was not even made of good iron. Still, the woodcutter could not afford to buy another. Without an axe, he could not cut wood. He sank to the ground beside the pond and wept.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen an unfamiliar being appeared, holding an axe. The being, who seemed to be a heavenly maiden, approached in the form of a white-haired old man. The old man first showed him a gold axe. He asked whether this was what the woodcutter had lost.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe woodcutter replied that the gold axe was not his. Next, the old man held out a silver axe. This time, the woodcutter said it was his. He received the gold axe as well, and the story ends by praising him as a good person.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#source-and-origins\" class=\"anchor\" id=\"source-and-origins\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eSource and Origins\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe source text for this article is an oral folktale recorded in Daejeo-dong, Busan. “Source text” means the record used as the basis for the retelling. Here, “source” does not mean the oldest written account of this story.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe full oral account appears in a folktale collection published by the Busan Metropolitan City History Compilation Committee. It is listed as Daejeo-dong Folktale 34, on printed page 151. The story, told by Mun Pil-sun, was recorded on February 12, 2014. The original text is available in the \u003ca href=\"https://busandabom.net/data/history/ebook/EB_culture_story03.pdf\"\u003epublic PDF of \u003cem\u003eFolktales of the Western Busan Cultural Region Ⅰ: Gangseo-gu Volume\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"overflow-x-auto\"\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003cthead\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eItem\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eRecorded details\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/thead\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Item\"\u003ePublication\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Recorded details\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFolktales of the Western Busan Cultural Region Ⅰ: Gangseo-gu Volume\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Item\"\u003eLocation in the publication\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Recorded details\"\u003eDaejeo-dong Folktale 34, printed page 151\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Item\"\u003eNarrator\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Recorded details\"\u003eMun Pil-sun\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Item\"\u003eRecording date\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Recorded details\"\u003eFebruary 12, 2014\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Item\"\u003eRecording location\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Recorded details\"\u003eSinchon Grandmothers’ Senior Center, Daejeo 1-dong\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Item\"\u003eNature of the material\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Recorded details\"\u003eA record of an orally transmitted folktale of unknown authorship\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe recording date is the day the story was documented. It is not the date when the folktale first arose or when its events occurred. The place name Daejeo-dong likewise identifies the area where this account was passed down. It cannot be read as evidence that someone actually received an axe there.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#why-he-said-the-silver-axe-was-his\" class=\"anchor\" id=\"why-he-said-the-silver-axe-was-his\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eWhy He Said the Silver Axe Was His\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis recorded account alone does not establish why he answered that the silver axe was his. The opening describes the woodcutter’s axe as an iron axe of poor quality. Later, however, he says that the silver axe is his. The record offers no explanation for this discrepancy.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is also no basis for concluding that it was a lapse in memory or a deliberate alteration. This retelling leaves his answer about the silver axe unchanged. Replacing it with the familiar iron-axe scene would erase a distinctive feature of this oral account. Inconsistencies in the telling also offer clues when reading the recorded account.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#other-versions-and-similar-stories\" class=\"anchor\" id=\"other-versions-and-similar-stories\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eOther Versions and Similar Stories\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe name and appearance of the being who offers the axes vary across versions. Han Myeong-suk’s 2024 study introduces versions featuring a mountain spirit, an elder sister, an old man, and others. These distinctions appear in the abstract of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kci.go.kr/kciportal/landing/article.kci?arti_id=ART003087845\"\u003e“Transmission Patterns and Implications of ‘The Gold Axe and the Silver Axe’”\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"overflow-x-auto\"\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003cthead\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eVersion or comparison\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eHelper’s appearance\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eDistinction to note\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/thead\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Version or comparison\"\u003eAccount recorded in Daejeo-dong, Busan\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Helper’s appearance\"\u003eMentioned as if a heavenly maiden, then described as a white-haired old man\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Distinction to note\"\u003eThe description changes within a single oral account\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Version or comparison\"\u003eKorean versions introduced in the study\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Helper’s appearance\"\u003eMountain spirit\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Distinction to note\"\u003eCases where the helper is called a mountain spirit\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Version or comparison\"\u003eKorean versions introduced in the study\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Helper’s appearance\"\u003eElder sister\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Distinction to note\"\u003eCases where the helper is addressed differently\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Version or comparison\"\u003eKorean versions introduced in the study\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Helper’s appearance\"\u003eOld man\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Distinction to note\"\u003eCases passed down with the helper appearing as an old man\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Version or comparison\"\u003eAesop’s fable “Hermes and the Woodcutter”\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Helper’s appearance\"\u003eHermes\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Distinction to note\"\u003eA comparison involving a similar axe story\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#what-role-does-the-mountain-spirit-play\" class=\"anchor\" id=\"what-role-does-the-mountain-spirit-play\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eWhat Role Does the Mountain Spirit Play?\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe mountain spirit is not a fixed character in every version of this folktale. Reading several versions together reveals the role of a helper who tests honesty. Appearance and forms of address can be distinguished as different ways of expressing that role.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the Daejeo-dong oral account, a reference to a heavenly maiden is followed by a description of an old man. It does not, however, explain that a heavenly maiden transformed into an old man. This retelling likewise adds no separate transformation scene. It preserves the oral account’s distinctive lack of a single, clearly defined identity for the helper.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#differences-in-the-ending-of-the-gold-axe-and-the-silver-axe\" class=\"anchor\" id=\"differences-in-the-ending-of-the-gold-axe-and-the-silver-axe\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eDifferences in the Ending of “The Gold Axe and the Silver Axe”\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the Daejeo-dong recorded account, the woodcutter is rewarded after saying that the silver axe is his. The part where he does not insist that the gold axe is his remains. The narrator describes the woodcutter as good.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"overflow-x-auto\"\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003cthead\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003ePoint of comparison in the ending\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eFamiliar iron-axe ending\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eDaejeo-dong recorded account\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/thead\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Point of comparison in the ending\"\u003eAxe he identifies as his own\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Familiar iron-axe ending\"\u003eIron axe\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Daejeo-dong recorded account\"\u003eSilver axe\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Point of comparison in the ending\"\u003eAnswer about the silver axe\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Familiar iron-axe ending\"\u003eSays it is not his\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Daejeo-dong recorded account\"\u003eSays it is his\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Point of comparison in the ending\"\u003eTreatment in this article\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Familiar iron-axe ending\"\u003eA comparison used to explain the difference\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Daejeo-dong recorded account\"\u003eThe actual basis for the retelling\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis recorded account contains no follow-up story about a greedy neighbor. Nor does it describe the woodcutter selling the axes he received and becoming rich. Those events have therefore not been added to the ending of this oral account.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#did-it-originate-in-aesops-fables\" class=\"anchor\" id=\"did-it-originate-in-aesops-fables\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eDid It Originate in Aesop’s Fables?\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA similar plot alone does not establish that the story originated in Aesop’s fables. Han Myeong-suk’s study examines differences between Korean versions and Aesop’s fable. The study also suggests the possibility that the two traditions arose independently. This is the researcher’s interpretation, not a confirmation of the story’s origin.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#folk-culture-in-the-story\" class=\"anchor\" id=\"folk-culture-in-the-story\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eFolk Culture in the Story\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis folktale can be read as a moral tale linking honest behavior with reward. The National Folk Museum of Korea classifies it as a moral tale in the \u003ca href=\"https://folkency.nfm.go.kr/api/file/download/dictionary/31\"\u003eFolktales section of the \u003cem\u003eEncyclopedia of Korean Folk Literature\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e. A moral tale centers on the principles people should follow.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#what-does-the-axe-mean\" class=\"anchor\" id=\"what-does-the-axe-mean\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eWhat Does the Axe Mean?\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the Daejeo-dong oral account, the axe is a tool that sustains the woodcutter’s livelihood. He cries because he cannot afford a new axe. The narrator describes his inability to cut wood as a serious problem. His livelihood is thus already in danger before he receives a reward.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAccording to this description, the axe’s value is not determined solely by the price of its material. Even an iron axe of poor quality enables its owner to work. On that basis, this article interprets the axe as the foundation of his livelihood.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#how-is-the-reward-for-honesty-expressed\" class=\"anchor\" id=\"how-is-the-reward-for-honesty-expressed\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eHow Is the Reward for Honesty Expressed?\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe reward for honesty is reflected in the scene where the woodcutter does not claim that the gold axe is his. Although poor, he does not pretend to own the gold axe. The narrator connects that behavior with a good heart.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis answer about the silver axe, however, departs from the familiar course of the moral lesson. This difference does not have to be erased to explain the meaning of honesty. The narrator’s judgment and the answer actually recorded need to be read together. The former shows the story’s lesson; the latter shows what distinguishes this version.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#a-supernatural-being-and-hopes-for-everyday-life\" class=\"anchor\" id=\"a-supernatural-being-and-hopes-for-everyday-life\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eA Supernatural Being and Hopes for Everyday Life\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe supernatural helper steps in when the woodcutter faces a difficulty he cannot resolve alone. This can be interpreted as a story expressing the hope that people who live honestly will receive help. It also imagines a being who recognizes the actions of a poor person.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowever, this recorded account contains no description of any particular offering or ritual. It should therefore not be treated as a record of a specific mountain-spirit worship practice. Supernatural beings in stories and actual religious practices must be considered on separate evidence.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#frequently-asked-questions\" class=\"anchor\" id=\"frequently-asked-questions\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#did-this-really-happen\" class=\"anchor\" id=\"did-this-really-happen\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eDid This Really Happen?\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is a traditional folktale, not a story verified as a historical event. The recording location and date document when and where the oral account was recorded. They do not establish where or when the events in the story occurred.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#where-can-i-read-the-original-oral-account\" class=\"anchor\" id=\"where-can-i-read-the-original-oral-account\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eWhere Can I Read the Original Oral Account?\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt appears in the public PDF of \u003cem\u003eFolktales of the Western Busan Cultural Region Ⅰ: Gangseo-gu Volume\u003c/em\u003e. Look for Daejeo-dong Folktale 34. The printed page number is 151.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#which-axe-does-the-woodcutter-say-is-his-in-the-daejeo-dong-account\" class=\"anchor\" id=\"which-axe-does-the-woodcutter-say-is-his-in-the-daejeo-dong-account\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eWhich Axe Does the Woodcutter Say Is His in the Daejeo-dong Account?\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe woodcutter says that the silver axe is his. Earlier, he says that the gold axe is not his. This retelling follows the principle of preserving that difference in his answers rather than replacing it with an iron-axe scene.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#is-the-being-who-gives-him-the-axes-always-a-mountain-spirit\" class=\"anchor\" id=\"is-the-being-who-gives-him-the-axes-always-a-mountain-spirit\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eIs the Being Who Gives Him the Axes Always a Mountain Spirit?\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe being is not always described as a mountain spirit. The study also introduces versions in which the helper appears as an elder sister or an old man. The Daejeo-dong oral account itself retains both a reference to a heavenly maiden and a description of an old man.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#does-a-greedy-woodcutter-also-appear\" class=\"anchor\" id=\"does-a-greedy-woodcutter-also-appear\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eDoes a Greedy Woodcutter Also Appear?\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo such character appears in the Daejeo-dong recorded account on which this article is based. The oral account ends when the first woodcutter receives his reward. A follow-up story remembered from another tale should not be treated as part of this record.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#what-is-the-lesson-of-this-story\" class=\"anchor\" id=\"what-is-the-lesson-of-this-story\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eWhat Is the Lesson of This Story?\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe lesson is not to covet valuable things that do not belong to you. The Daejeo-dong oral account describes the woodcutter who refuses the gold axe as good. It also conveys that losing his axe leaves him unable to earn a living.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#is-the-recording-date-the-day-the-folktale-was-created\" class=\"anchor\" id=\"is-the-recording-date-the-day-the-folktale-was-created\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eIs the Recording Date the Day the Folktale Was Created?\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe recording date is the date when the oral account was documented. It does not mean the day the folktale was first created. This record alone cannot establish when the story originated.\u003c/p\u003e\n","tags":["Cultural heritage","Folktales"],"faqs":[{"question":"Did this story really happen?","answer":"It is a traditional folktale, not a story verified as a historical event. The recording location and date indicate where and when the oral account was recorded. They do not prove where or when the events in the story occurred."},{"question":"Where can I read the original oral account?","answer":"It appears in the publicly available PDF of Folktales of the West Busan Cultural Region Ⅰ: Gangseo-gu Volume. Look for Daejeo-dong Folktale 34. The page number printed in the book is 151."},{"question":"Which axe does the woodcutter claim as his own in the Daejeo-dong oral account?","answer":"The woodcutter answers that the silver axe is his. Earlier, he says the gold axe is not his. The guiding principle of this retelling is not to replace this contrast in his answers with a scene involving an iron axe."},{"question":"Is the being who gives him the axes always a mountain spirit?","answer":"The figure is not always described as a mountain spirit. Research also presents versions in which the figure appears as an older sister or an old man. The Daejeo-dong oral account itself contains both a reference to a heavenly maiden and a description of an old man."},{"question":"Does a greedy woodcutter also appear?","answer":"He does not appear in the Daejeo-dong transcript on which this article is based. The oral account ends with the first woodcutter receiving his reward. Later episodes remembered from other stories should not be treated as part of this record."},{"question":"What is the lesson of this story?","answer":"It is not to covet valuable things that are not yours. The Daejeo-dong oral account describes the woodcutter as good for refusing the gold axe. It also conveys that losing his axe would deprive him of his livelihood."},{"question":"Is the recording date the day the folktale was created?","answer":"The recording date is the date the oral account was recorded. It does not mean the day the folktale was first created. This record alone cannot establish when the story originated."}],"sources":[{"url":"https://busandabom.net/data/history/ebook/EB_culture_story03.pdf","title":"Busan Metropolitan City History Compilation Committee, 『Folktales of the Western Busan Cultural Region Ⅰ: Gangseo-gu Volume』, Daejeo-dong folktale 34, p. 151","type":"source"},{"url":"https://folkency.nfm.go.kr/api/file/download/dictionary/31","title":"National Folk Museum of Korea, 『Encyclopedia of Korean Folk Literature』, Folktales volume, Ethical Tales category","type":"source"},{"url":"https://www.kci.go.kr/kciportal/landing/article.kci?arti_id=ART003087845","title":"Han Myeong-suk, Transmission Patterns and Implications of 「The Gold Axe and the Silver Axe」, 『Journal of Cheongram Korean Language Education』 99, 2024, KCI abstract","type":"source"}],"images":[{"id":2771,"url":"https://injoys.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/proxy/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6NDI0NDEsInB1ciI6ImJsb2JfaWQifX0=--fba6b3cd00f238c7aa0def255f23bd3f7eab03af/ai-6f69f011.webp","is_representative":true,"generation_method":"ai_image","license":"ai_generated","mime_type":"image/webp","width":1536,"height":1024,"translations":{"ko":{"alt":"해 질 무렵 안개 낀 숲속 연못가에 낡은 옷의 나무꾼이 앉아 있고, 곁에는 땔감 묶음이 놓여 있다.","caption":"생계 수단을 잃는 위기가 이야기의 출발점이다.","description":null},"en":{"alt":"A woodcutter in worn clothes sits beside a misty forest pond at dusk, with a bundle of firewood nearby.","caption":"The tale begins with the loss of a means of earning a living.","description":null},"ja":{"alt":"夕暮れの霧深い森の池のほとりに、古びた服の木こりが座り、傍らに薪の束が置かれている。","caption":"生計を立てる手段を失う危機から物語が始まる。","description":null},"es":{"alt":"Un leñador con ropa gastada se sienta junto a un estanque entre la niebla, con un haz de leña a su lado.","caption":"El relato comienza con la pérdida del medio de subsistencia.","description":null},"id":{"alt":"Penebang kayu berbaju lusuh duduk di tepi kolam hutan berkabut saat senja, dengan seikat kayu di sisinya.","caption":"Kisah ini bermula dari hilangnya sarana untuk mencari nafkah.","description":null},"pt":{"alt":"Um lenhador de roupas gastas está sentado junto a um lago na mata enevoada, com um feixe de lenha ao lado.","caption":"A história começa com a perda do meio de sustento.","description":null},"zh-hant":{"alt":"暮色中，衣衫破舊的樵夫背向觀者坐在霧氣繚繞的林間池畔，身旁放著一捆木柴。","caption":"故事從失去謀生手段的危機開始。","description":null},"de":{"alt":"Ein Holzfäller in abgetragener Kleidung sitzt am nebligen Waldteich, ein Bündel Brennholz neben sich.","caption":"Die Erzählung beginnt mit dem Verlust der Lebensgrundlage.","description":null}}},{"id":2772,"url":"https://injoys.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/proxy/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6NDI0NDcsInB1ciI6ImJsb2JfaWQifX0=--b989aedb0407804817cc5b84cb4dc383194d922e/ai-11729ebd.webp","is_representative":false,"generation_method":"ai_image","license":"ai_generated","mime_type":"image/webp","width":1536,"height":1024,"translations":{"ko":{"alt":"달빛 어린 안개 낀 연못에서 금도끼를 든 백발노인이 내미는 은도끼를 향해 손을 뻗는 나무꾼","caption":"대저동 구술에서는 금도끼를 거절한 뒤 은도끼를 자기 것이라 답한다.","description":null},"en":{"alt":"A woodcutter reaches for a silver axe offered by a white-haired elder holding a gold axe over a misty pond.","caption":"In the Daejeo-dong telling, the gold axe is refused, but the silver axe is claimed as his own.","description":null},"ja":{"alt":"月明かりの霧深い池で、金の斧を持つ白髪の老人が差し出す銀の斧に手を伸ばす木こり","caption":"大渚洞の口承では、金の斧は断るが、銀の斧は自分のものだと答える。","description":null},"es":{"alt":"Un leñador tiende la mano hacia el hacha de plata de un anciano canoso que sostiene otra de oro sobre un estanque brumoso.","caption":"En la versión oral de Daejeo-dong, se rechaza el hacha de oro, pero se afirma que la de plata es propia.","description":null},"id":{"alt":"Penebang meraih kapak perak dari tetua berambut putih yang memegang kapak emas di atas kolam berkabut.","caption":"Dalam tuturan Daejeo-dong, kapak emas ditolak, tetapi kapak perak diakui sebagai miliknya.","description":null},"pt":{"alt":"Lenhador estende a mão ao machado de prata de um ancião de cabelos brancos com outro de ouro sobre um lago com névoa.","caption":"Na versão oral de Daejeo-dong, o machado de ouro é recusado, mas o de prata é declarado como seu.","description":null},"zh-hant":{"alt":"月光下的霧濛池畔，樵夫伸手接向白髮老人遞出的銀斧，老人另一手垂握金斧","caption":"大渚洞的口述版本中，樵夫拒認金斧，卻回答銀斧是自己的。","description":null},"de":{"alt":"Ein Holzfäller greift nach der Silberaxt eines weißhaarigen Alten, der über einem Nebelteich auch eine Goldaxt hält.","caption":"In der Überlieferung aus Daejeo-dong wird die Goldaxt abgelehnt, die Silberaxt jedoch als eigene bezeichnet.","description":null}}}],"published_at":"2026-11-12T23:18:16+09:00","updated_at":"2026-11-12T23:18:16+09:00","license":"cc_by","translation_status":"reviewed","available_locales":["ko","en","ja","es"],"data_locales":["ko","en","ja","es","id","pt","zh-hant","de"],"url":"https://injoys.com/en/articles/golden-silver-axe-busan-daejeo-story-and-ending"}