Tiger’s Whisker

A Korean tale of a woman’s courage and skill

Wife – loves husband, but he becomes difficult to live with after returning from fighting in a war. Now never happy with her.

She asks a magician if he can help.

“Yes, can make magic powder, this will make husband love you again. But I need a tiger’s whisker for this, can you bring me one?”

Woman frightened – but loves husband so is determined to get whisker.

Jungle, looks for tiger. At last finds one asleep. Very frightened at enormous animal.

But creeps close, puts out fingers, starts gently scratching tiger. Tiger purrs in sleep. Woman scratches more vigorously, tiger purrs more and more.

At last tiger is so carried away by scratching, she can pull out whisker without waking animal.

Takes it to magician. But before her horrified eyes, he burns it.

“But now you can’t make magic powder to make husband love me!”

“You no longer need a powder. Just use on him the courage and skill you used to get the whisker, you’ll have things just as you want them.”