Bedtime Story: A Tale of Brothers Hongbu and Nolbu
By Goldsea Staff | 02 May, 2026

This ancient Korean folk tale of two brothers illustrates the power of kindness over greed.

Come closer, my little ones…
Let halmoni tell you an old story… from Korea…
Older than even your great-great-grandmother’s stories.

This one is called… Hongbu and Nolbu.

Now… long ago… there were two brothers.

The older brother… Nolbu…
He was very rich.
But… hmm… how shall I say this nicely…

He was also very greedy… very grumpy…
and not very kind.

The younger brother… Hongbu…
Ahh… he was different.

Very poor.
But so kind… so warm-hearted…
even the birds and animals trusted him.

Hongbu had a wife…
and ohhh… so many children…

So many that sometimes… even he might have lost count.

One year… times became very hard.

No food.
No rice.
The children were so hungry… their little stomachs made noises like drums.

So Hongbu went to his brother’s house…
and bowed politely.

“Dear older brother…
could you spare just a little rice… for my children?”

But Nolbu…
he didn’t just say no.

No… no…

He shouted…
and chased Hongbu away… with a stick.

Aigoo…

But even then…
Hongbu did not become angry.

He simply sighed…
and went home.

Because a kind heart…
doesn’t turn hard… just because someone else is cruel.

Now one day…

Hongbu found a маленькая swallow bird…
lying on the ground.

Its tiny leg… was broken.

“Aigoo… poor thing…” he said.

Very gently… he picked it up…
and fixed its leg… with care.

He fed it… protected it…
until it was strong again.

And when the bird finally flew away…
Hongbu only smiled… and waved goodbye.

But the story… was not finished.

The next spring…

The swallow returned.

And this time…
it brought a gift.

A tiny seed… dropped right at Hongbu’s feet.

So he planted it.

And soon…
a great vine grew…
with large, heavy gourds hanging from it.

When Hongbu cut one open…

Ahh…

Out poured treasure.

Gold.
Silk.
Food.

Everything his family needed.

No more hunger.
No more tears.

Only warm rice…
and happy laughter.

Now of course…

Nolbu heard about this.

“Magic bird?” he said.
“Magic seed? Treasure gourds?”

“I want that too!”

But Nolbu…
did not learn the right lesson.

Instead…
he found a swallow…

and—aiyoo—
he broke its leg on purpose.

Mm… already… you know this is not wise.

He cared for the bird…
only because he wanted the reward.

And yes…

The swallow came back.

It brought him a seed.

He planted it.
The vine grew.
The gourds appeared.

Nolbu rubbed his hands together.

“Now I’ll be even richer,” he said.

He cut open the first gourd…

And out came…

Goblins.

Not nice ones.

Oh no.

Noisy… messy… troublemaking goblins.

They ran everywhere…
tearing his house apart…

breaking things…
shouting… laughing…

making the biggest mess you can imagine.

Another gourd?

Snakes.

Another?

Storm winds that blew everything away.

In the end…

Nolbu lost everything.

Everything.

But here… is the part I like best.

Hongbu did not laugh.

He did not say… “Serves you right.”

No.

He opened his door.

He welcomed his brother in.

Gave him food.
Gave him shelter.

Helped him begin again.

Because that…
is what a truly kind heart does.

So remember, my little ones…

Be kind… even when others are not.

Do not let greed grow in your heart…
it only brings trouble.

And if you make mistakes…

It is never too late… to change.

Ahh… and one more thing…

Please…
do not go around breaking birds’ legs.

That part… is very important.

Now…

Close your eyes…

And dream of kind hearts…

And maybe…
a magic gourd or two.