The Golden Axe: 금도끼

금도끼

The Golden Axe

나무꾼 한 사람이 연못가에서 큰 나무를 베다가 번쩍 든 도끼를 놓쳐서 그 도끼가 연못물 속에 풍덩 들어가 버렸습니다.

A woodcutter was chopping down a large tree beside a pond when he accidentally let go of his gleaming axe, and it went plop into the pond.

한없이 깊은 연못 속에 들어갔으니까 다시 찾을 생각도 못하고 나무꾼은 그냥 연못가에 쓰러져서 탄식을 하고 있노라니까 어여쁜 물귀신이 나와서 무엇 때문에 탄식을 하느냐고 묻습니다.

Since the pond was so deep that he had no hope of retrieving it, the woodcutter simply collapsed beside the pond and began lamenting his loss. Just then, a beautiful water spirit appeared and asked him why he was sighing.

그래 도끼 잃어버린 말을 하니까,

So he told her that he had lost his axe, and she said,

“염려 말게, 내가 찾아다 줌세.”

"Don't worry. I'll find it for you."

하고, 물 속으로 들어가더니 한참 만에 번쩍번쩍하는 좋은 금도끼를 가지고 나와서,

With that, she went into the water and, after quite some time, came back carrying a fine, gleaming golden axe. She asked,

“네게 이것이냐?”

"Is this yours?"

고, 물으므로 나무꾼은 정직하게 아니라고 하였습니다.

The woodcutter honestly replied that it was not.

그러니까 다시 들어가더니 한참 만에 이번에는 좋은 은도끼를 들고 나와서 이것이냐고 물었으므로 또,

So she went back into the water and, after a while, returned with a fine silver axe. When she asked if this one was his, he again replied,

“그것도 아니올시다.”

"No, that one isn't mine either."

하였습니다.

He said.

그러니까 세 번째 또 들어가더니 한참 만에 이번에는 보통 쇠도끼를 가지고 나왔기 때문에 나무꾼은 그제야,

So, for the third time, she went into the water. After a while, she came back with an ordinary iron axe. Only then did the woodcutter say,

“예예, 그것이 제 것이올시다.”

"Yes, yes! That's mine!"

하였습니다.

He said.

그러니까 물귀신은 나무꾼의 마음이 정직한 것을 기특하게 여기고, 그 금도끼 은도끼까지 모두 내주었습니다.

The water spirit was so pleased by the woodcutter's honesty that she gave him not only his iron axe but also the golden and silver axes.

마음 정직한 나무꾼이 은도끼 금도끼를 얻어서 수가 난 것을 보고 샘 잘 내는 친구 한 놈이 그 길로 자기 집 도끼를 들고 연못가로 뛰어가서 일부러 도끼를 연못물 속에 던져 넣었습니다.

Seeing how the honest woodcutter had come into good fortune by receiving the silver and golden axes, one of his envious friends immediately grabbed his own axe, ran to the pond, and deliberately threw it into the water.

이번에도 물귀신이 나와서 도끼를 잃어버렸단 말을 듣고 다시 들어가더니, 번쩍번쩍하는 좋은 금도끼를 들고 나와서,

Once again, the water spirit appeared. Hearing that the man had lost his axe, she went into the water and returned with a fine, gleaming golden axe. The man said,

“네게 이것이냐?”

"Is this yours?"

하였습니다.

He said.

“예, 그것이 제 것이올시다.”

"Yes, that's mine!"

하고, 두 손을 내밀었습니다.

And held out both hands to take it.

그러나 어여쁜 물귀신은 눈을 크게 뜨고,

But the beautiful water spirit opened her eyes wide and exclaimed,

“예끼 못된 놈.”

"You wicked fellow!"

하고 금도끼를 주지도 않고 그냥 물속으로 들어가 버렸습니다.

She refused to give him the golden axe and simply disappeared back into the water.

그래서 가지고 갔던 도끼만 잃어버리고 말았습니다.

And so, all he got for his trouble was the loss of the axe he had brought with him.