Korean Folktale : The Ghost of the Field Path and the Grandmother

🌾 Korean Folktale Series 77

“The Ghost of the Field Path and the Grandmother”
(논두렁 귀신과 할머니 · Nondureong Gwisin-gwa Halmeoni)

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🕰️ 1. The Story

In a quiet farming village surrounded by golden rice fields, there lived a gentle grandmother named Halmeoni Sunae. She was loved by everyone—children ran to her for rice cakes, neighbors came for warm advice, and even wandering travelers found shelter at her humble home.

But each autumn, as the rice ripened and the air grew cool, villagers warned one another about the ghost of the field path—a wandering spirit said to appear between the paddies at dusk. Some claimed it cried like a lost child; others said it whispered their names from the shadows.

One evening, while returning from delivering warm soup to a sick neighbor, Halmeoni Sunae found herself walking home along the narrow field path. The sun had just set, and mist rose gently from the wet soil.

Suddenly, she heard soft sobbing.
A faint figure appeared ahead—a pale girl dressed in torn clothing, standing barefoot on the cold ground.

Instead of fear, Halmeoni felt a deep sadness.

“Child, why are you crying alone at this hour?”

The ghost lifted her head. Her eyes were filled with loneliness.

“I… I cannot find my way home.”

Most villagers would have run, but Halmeoni stepped closer, her voice warm and steady.

“Come closer, dear. No child should wander alone in the dark.”

The ghost hesitated, then approached slowly. As she drew near, the wind chilled, and the field lights flickered. But Halmeoni stood firm, wrapping her shawl around the girl—even though the fabric passed through her body like mist.

The girl whispered,

“Long ago, I worked in these fields. One stormy night, I slipped into the water and never returned. I have searched for my family ever since.”

Halmeoni’s heart tightened.

“Poor child… let me help you.”

She guided the ghost along the path—not with fear, but with compassion. When they reached an old stone marker at the edge of the fields, the ghost stopped. A warm glow rose gently from the ground.

“This is where your journey ends,” Halmeoni whispered.
“Rest now. You are not alone.”

The ghost looked at her with gratitude.

“Thank you… for seeing me not as a monster, but as someone lost.”

Her form dissolved into soft light that floated upward like a drifting lantern. The mist cleared, and the night grew calm.

The next day, villagers noticed that the field path felt different—warm, peaceful, free of whispers. Children began running along it without fear.

From then on, whenever people spoke of the ghost, they added softly,

“She was not a spirit to fear—but a child waiting for kindness.”

And they honored Halmeoni Sunae for teaching them a simple truth:
Sometimes, even a ghost needs someone to guide it home.

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🪄 2. Meaning & Lessons

▪️ Fear fades when we look deeper with compassion.
▪️ Even lost souls seek understanding, not judgment.
▪️ Kindness can bring peace to places touched by sorrow.

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👀 3. Reflections in Life

▪️ What we fear often reveals what someone else has suffered.
▪️ A gentle heart can heal wounds unseen by others.
▪️ Courage is not the absence of fear, but the presence of kindness.

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🌏 4. Similar Tales Around the World

Japan — The Ghost of Okiku
A misunderstood spirit finds peace through compassion rather than fear.

China — The Weeping Maiden of the Riverbank
A ghost freed when a kind woman listens to her sorrow.

England — The White Lady of Valleys
A wandering soul guided home by a compassionate villager.

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💬 A Warm Saying

“Even the darkest path brightens when walked with a gentle heart.”

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📌 Note
This is creative cultural content from the Misojieum Story Blog (kor-telling.com).
Please do not copy without permission. Sharing is welcome with proper source citation.