Introduction
Why Is the Sea Salty is a beloved Korean folktale about two brothers—one generous, one greedy—and a magic millstone that changes their fate. Set in a mountain village in winter, the tale explains how kindness multiplies while greed sinks fast… and why the oceans taste of salt.
Why Is the Sea Salty
Long Ago in Korea
Long ago, in the hills of Korea, there lived two brothers. One was wealthy, with barns full of grain and jars packed with beans and rice. His fields stretched wide, and he lived in a grand house with painted shutters. Yet for all his plenty, he had a hard heart. He kept his wealth locked away and would not share even a spoonful with a hungry neighbour.
Meanwhile, the other brother lived in a poor thatched cottage at the edge of the village. His fields were small, his tools worn, and his cupboards almost bare. Still, he was known everywhere for his kindness. Whenever a traveller knocked at his door, he would give them the last of his rice. If ever a neighbour’s fire went out, he would run to share his own firewood, even in the middle of the night.
So it was: one brother was rich but cold, the other poor but warm-hearted.
Winter Hunger
One winter, snow lay heavy on the mountains, and the streams froze. The poor brother’s store of food was gone. He had only an axe, an empty rice jar, and his will to survive.
“I must gather wood,” he told his wife. “Perhaps I can trade it for food.”
He trudged into the forest, chopping until his arms ached. By midday he sat down to rest, his breath rising like smoke in the cold air. From his pouch he drew a crust of barley bread, hard and small — all he had left.
Just then, he heard a voice.
“Good fellow, might you share a bite with me?”
An old man stood before him, bent with age, leaning on a crooked staff. His robe was patched, his eyes tired.
The younger brother’s stomach rumbled, yet even so, he held out the bread.
“It is not much,” he said gently, “but please, take it. You need it more than I do.”
The old man ate, smiling with every mouthful. Then he leaned close and whispered,
“Kindness is never lost. For your generous heart, I will give you a treasure.”
The Magic Millstone
The old man reached into his sleeve and brought out a heavy stone. It was small enough to carry, but it looked ancient, carved with mysterious marks.
“This is a millstone,” the old man said. “But not like any you have seen before. Whatever you ask, it will grind for you — rice, grain, cloth, even silver or gold. But beware — you must know the words to make it stop, or it will grind forever.”
He bent close and murmured the secret stopping words into the brother’s ear. Then, as suddenly as he had appeared, the old man vanished, leaving only footprints in the snow.
The poor brother stared at the stone in wonder.
“Can this be true?” he whispered. He hurried home with the gift.
Riches at Last
That night, in his cold hut, the brother placed the millstone on his table.
“Millstone,” he said, “grind me a bowl of rice.”
Immediately, the stone began to hum and turn. Out poured white grains of rice, shining as they fell. The man quickly cooked a pot, and he and his wife ate their first full meal in many days.
The next day he asked for warm clothes. The millstone spun, and soft garments appeared. He asked for firewood, and logs tumbled out.
Day after day, the millstone gave him what he needed. He never asked for more than enough, and he always remembered the words to stop it. His house grew comfortable, and he was never hungry again. Furthermore, he even shared with his neighbours, who blessed him for his kindness.
The Greedy Brother
Before long, the rich brother heard of his younger brother’s sudden good fortune.
“This cannot be!” he cried. “That beggar lives better than I do? I must see for myself.”
He strode to the cottage, pretending concern.
“Brother,” he said sweetly, “how well you look! What is your secret?”
The kind brother hesitated but could not lie. He told of the old man in the forest, the gift of the millstone, and how it provided for him.
The elder brother’s eyes gleamed.
“Lend me this stone,” he demanded. “I too will try it, just for a few days.”
The younger brother warned him carefully,
“You must speak the words to stop it, or it will grind forever.”
Nevertheless, the elder brother barely listened. He seized the millstone and hurried home, already dreaming of gold.
Gold, Gold, Gold!
That night, the greedy man set the millstone on his table.
“Millstone,” he commanded, “grind me gold coins!”
Instantly, the stone spun. Out poured bright golden coins, clattering into piles. The man laughed and shouted,
“More! More! More!”
The coins rose like a flood, spilling across the floor and rattling against the walls. But when he tried to stop the stone, he realised with horror that he had not learned the secret words.
“Enough!” he shouted. “Stop, I say!” But the millstone ground on.
The coins filled his house, bursting the doors, tumbling into the street. The man was half-buried in gold, gasping for breath.
In desperation, he dragged the millstone to the shore, loaded it onto a boat, and rowed out to sea.
“There!” he shouted. “Grind all you want! You cannot bury me here!”
The Sea’s Secret
But the millstone, set upon the rocking boat, no longer made gold. Instead, it poured out endless streams of white salt. Bag after bag, mound after mound, the salt piled high. The greedy man wailed,
“Enough! Stop!” But he still did not know the words.
The boat grew heavier and heavier. At last, with a great groan, it sank beneath the waves, dragging the millstone down to the ocean floor.
To this day, the stone remains deep beneath the waves, turning slowly, always grinding salt. And that is why the sea is salty.
The Lesson
Ever since then, the villagers have told the tale beside their fires. Children listen wide-eyed, learning that greed brings ruin, while kindness brings blessings. Whenever they taste the salt of the sea breeze, they remember the poor man’s generosity and the elder brother’s downfall.
Moral: Share what you have, however small. A generous heart is worth more than all the gold in the world.
