Tokgabi and His Pranks

Tokgabi is the most mischievous sprite in all Korean fairy-land. He

does not like the sunshine or outdoors, and no one ever saw him on the

streets.

He lives in the sooty flues that run under the floors along the whole

length of the house, from the kitchen at one end of it to the chimney

hole in the ground at the other end. He delights in the smoke and smut,

and does not mind fire or flame, for he likes to be where it is warm.

He has no lungs, and his skin and eyes are both fire-proof. He is as

black as night and loves nothing that has white in it. He is always

afraid of a bit of silver, even if it be only a hairpin.

Tokgabi likes most to play at night in the little loft over the

fireplace. To run along the rafters and knock down the dust and cobwebs

is his delight. His favorite game is to make the iron rice-pot lid

dance up and down, so that it tumbles inside the rice kettle and cannot

easily be got out again. Oh, how many times the cook burns, scalds, or

steams her fingers in attempting to fish out that pot lid when Tokgabi

has pushed it in! How she does bless the sooty imp!

But Tokgabi is not always mischievous, and most of his capers hurt

nobody. He is such a merry fellow that he keeps continually busy,

whether people cry or laugh. He does not mean to give any one trouble,

but he must have fun every minute, especially at night.

When the fire is out, how he does chase the mice up and down the flues

under the floor, and up in the garret over the rafters! When the

mousies lie dead on their backs, with their toes turned upward, the

street boys take them outdoors and throw them up in the air. Before the

mice fall to the ground, the hawks swoop down and eat them up. Many a

bird of prey gets his breakfast in this way.

Although Tokgabi plays so many pranks, he is kind to the kitchen maids.

When after a hard day’s work one is so tired out that she falls asleep,

he helps her to do her hard tasks.

Tokgabi washes their dishes and cleans their tables for good servants;

so when they wake up the girls find their work done for them. Many a

fairy tale is told about this jolly sprite’s doings—how he gives good

things to the really nice people and makes the bad ones mad by

spitefully using them. They do say that the king of all the Tokgabis

has a museum of curiosities and a storehouse full of gold and gems and

fine clothes, and everything sweet to eat for good boys and girls and

for old people that are kind to the birds and dumb animals. For bad

folks he has all sorts of things that are ugly and troublesome. He

punishes stingy people by making them poor and miserable.

The Tokgabi king has also a menagerie of animals. These he sends to do

his errands rewarding the good and punishing naughty folks. Every year

the little almanac with red and green covers tells in what quarter of

the skies the Tokgabi king lives for that year, so that the farmers and

country people will keep out of his way and not provoke him. In his

menagerie the kind creatures that help human beings are the dragon,

bear, tortoise, frog, dog and rabbit. These are all man’s friends. The

cruel and treacherous creatures in Tokgabi’s menagerie are the tiger,

wild boar, leopard, serpent, toad and cat. These are the messengers of

the Tokgabi king to do his bidding, when he punishes naughty folks.

The common, every-day Tokgabi plays fewer tricks on the men and boys

and enjoys himself more in bothering the girls and women. This, I

suppose, is because they spend more time in the house than their

fathers or brothers. In the Land of Rat-tat-tat, where the sound of

beating the washed clothes never ceases, Tokgabi loves to get hold of

the women’s laundry sticks which are used for pounding and polishing

the starched clothes. He hides them so that they cannot be found. Then

Daddy makes a fuss because his long white coat has to go without its

usual gloss, but it is all Tokgabi’s fault.

Tokgabi does not like starch because it is white. He loves to dance on

Daddy’s big black hat case that hangs on the wall. Sometimes he wiggles

the fetich, or household idol, that is suspended from the rafters. But,

most of all, he enjoys dancing a jig among the dishes in the closet

over the fireplace, making them rattle and often tumble down with a

crash.

Tokgabi likes to bother men sometimes too. If Daddy should get his

topknot caught in a rat hole, or his head should slip off his wooden

pillow at night and he bump his nose, it is all Tokgabi’s fault. When

anything happens to a boy’s long braid of hair, that hangs down his

back and makes him look so much like a girl, Tokgabi is blamed for it.

It is even said that naughty men make compacts with Tokgabi to do bad

things, but the imp only helps the man for the fun of it. Tokgabi cares

nothing about what mortal men call right or wrong. He is only after fun

and is up to mischief all the time, so one must watch out for him.

The kitchen maids and the men think they know how to circumvent Tokgabi

and spoil his tricks. Knowing that the imp does not like red, a young

man when betrothed wears clothes of this bright color. Tokgabi is

afraid of shining silver, too, so the men fasten their topknots

together, and the girls keep their chignons in shape, with silver

hairpins. The magistrates and government officers have little storks

made of solid silver in their hats, or else these birds are embroidered

with silver thread on their dresses. Every one who can afford them uses

white metal dishes and dresses in snowy garments. Tokgabi likes nothing

white and that is the reason why every Korean likes to put on clothes

that are as dazzling as hoar frost. Tons and mountains of starch are

consumed in blanching and stiffening coats and skirts, sleeves and

stockings. On festival days the people look as if they were dipped in

starch and their garments encrusted in rock candy. In this manner they

protect themselves from the pranks of Tokgabi.