KOREAN LITERATURE CORNER - Nov 2025

By Josh Kim

The Blind Mouse

The Blind Mouse and her son

Once there was a very selfish girl. She was completely spoiled. If something displeased her, she would fuss and make her parents miserable. She would never listen to others and always wanted her own wishes granted.

No matter how often her mother and father told her how bad she was it didn't seem to have any effect. “What will happen to this child of ours?” they despaired. 

One day, this girl was sitting in her room when a small mouse came scampering out of its hole.

“My, how horrible!” she cried. But the mouse was so cute that she did not feel afraid. She waited to see what would happen. 

The little mouse ran around the room searching for something to eat. In one corner, he found a few grains of rice. Strangely though, he didn't gobble them up but instead scurried back into the hole.

After a bit, he came out again but was not alone. He was followed by a larger mouse. His mother.

The small mouse led his mother to the grains of rice. She sniffed until she found them on the floor—the girl could see that the mother mouse was blind. The girl watched as the little mouse helped his mother find the food.

Then there were sounds of footsteps outside the door.

The little mouse cried, “Squeak, squeak, mother! We must hurry home.” He led his mother back into their hole, guarding her all the while with care.

Watching the mouse take care of his mother changed something in the girl. She reflected and became ashamed. She said to herself, “Why, even a little mouse loves and cares for its mother like that. What a bad girl I have been.”

After that, she changed so much that everybody thought she was a different girl. She was praised now for being a good child, but she never told anyone about the little mouse and his blind mother.