Long ago, in a quiet village surrounded by misty hills and rice fields, there lived an old couple who had long prayed for children. Every morning they visited the temple, lighting incense and offering bowls of rice to the spirits. “Please bless us with a child to care for in our old age,” they prayed.
At last, their prayers were answered. The wife gave birth to three children, two strong sons and, a few years later, a beautiful daughter. The family rejoiced, for the little girl was lovely and gentle, with a voice like a songbird and eyes that sparkled like stars. She quickly became the old couple’s favorite, and even her brothers adored her. They called her Yeowoo, which meant “little fox,” because of her bright, playful smile.
As years passed, however, strange things began to happen. The family’s chickens and goats sometimes went missing, their bodies found lifeless at dawn. Neighbors whispered that a wild animal had entered the village, but no one could find any tracks or traces. The family was troubled, yet no one suspected the gentle daughter.
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One night, when the moon hung low and red in the sky, the eldest son awoke to a noise near the shed. Gripping a lamp, he stepped outside. There he saw something that chilled his blood, a fox’s tail disappearing into the shadows behind the house. He followed quietly, heart pounding. As he turned the corner, he froze. In the dim light he saw his sister crouched on the ground, her face and hands stained with blood, her eyes glowing an eerie gold. In her mouth were feathers.
The brother gasped, and the girl looked up. For a moment, she seemed both human and beast, her form flickering between the two. “Brother,” she whispered, her voice trembling, “do not tell Father and Mother. I do not know what happens to me when the moon is full.”
The eldest son, frightened but compassionate, promised to keep her secret, at least until he could learn the truth. The next day he sought advice from a monk who lived in the mountains. After listening carefully, the monk’s expression grew grave. “Your sister is no ordinary girl,” he said. “She is a kumiho, a fox spirit that takes the form of a woman. Such beings can live among humans but are driven by hunger for life energy. If she continues, your family is in danger. You must act before she harms others.”
The young man returned home with a heavy heart. That night, he watched his sister again. When the moon rose, her transformation returned her eyes shone like amber, her teeth sharp as knives. This time, she turned toward the sleeping parents. The eldest son leaped forward, shouting her name. She hissed, and her body began to shift completely into a white fox with nine flowing tails.
The noise woke the second brother, who ran to help. Together they fought the creature, but her strength was supernatural. Desperate, the eldest remembered the monk’s words and threw a string of sacred beads he had received as protection. The beads burst into flame upon touching the fox, and she shrieked, her form wavering between human and beast.
“Brother, stop!” she cried in a voice filled with both rage and sorrow. “I did not choose this life! The spirit of the fox possessed me at birth!” But before she could finish, the brothers struck again, and she vanished into a storm of silver light. When the smoke cleared, only her robe remained, torn and covered with ashes.
The parents wept for many days, mourning the loss of the daughter they loved. The brothers buried her robe beneath a peach tree, praying that her spirit might find peace at last. Afterward, the family moved to another village, carrying both grief and relief in their hearts.
Years later, villagers said that on certain nights, when the moon glowed white over the hills, a fox’s cry could be heard near the old home. It was said to be the spirit of the Fox Sister, wandering between worlds, half longing for her family, half trapped by the curse that made her what she was.
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Moral Lesson
The story of The Fox Sister teaches that appearances can deceive and that true loyalty sometimes demands painful choices. It also warns that hidden evils, if ignored, can destroy what we hold dear. Beyond its tragedy, the tale speaks of compassion within justice and the eternal struggle between human love and supernatural fate.
Knowledge Check
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What strange events first caused the family to suspect something was wrong?
Their animals began disappearing mysteriously during the night. -
What did the eldest brother see one night behind the house?
He saw his sister in a half-human, half-fox form eating chickens. -
Who did the brother seek advice from?
He went to a monk in the mountains for guidance. -
What did the monk tell him about his sister?
That she was a kumiho, a fox spirit who could harm humans. -
How did the brothers finally defeat the fox spirit?
They used a string of sacred beads that burned the fox and made her vanish. -
What is the main moral lesson of the story?
That deception brings tragedy, and love sometimes means facing painful truth.
Source
Adapted from “The Fox Sister,” a Korean folktale with many regional versions collected through oral storytelling and written folklore archives.
Cultural Origin
Korea (traditional folklore)
