An old man hummed cheerful tunes despite a massive lump on his neck. We explore the secret of his night meeting with goblins in a deep mountain hut and the origin of the proverb ‘went to remove a lump and came back with another.’
Settle in and listen to the story at a gentle pace before you begin reading.
A Tale Passed Down Through Books and Lips
The story of the old man with the lump, a beloved tale from our childhood, has been warmly passed down through generations. It was recorded as a widely known story in neighboring lands within the mid-Joseon scholar Gang Hang’s Sueunrok (Records of a Hidden Scholar). Later, through Takahashi Toru’s Joseon Mworjip (Collection of Joseon Tales) in 1910 and its inclusion in the colonial-era textbook Joseon EO Dokbon from 1915 onward, it firmly established itself as a classic children’s story in Korea. While versions in neighboring countries often feature the protagonist joyfully dancing, a unique charm of the Korean transmission is the joyful singing.
At the foot of a mountain village lived two old men, each bearing a fist-sized lump on one side of his neck. One was kind-hearted Dolsoe, who always hummed cheerful, clear tunes; the other was calculating, greedy Manbok, who constantly envied what others had. Though they both carried the exact same heavy lump, their daily outlooks on life were worlds apart.
A Broken Cart and a Delayed Climb
One morning, Dolsoe set out up the mountain path with an A-frame carrier to gather firewood. As he neared the edge of the village pass, he spotted a neighboring farmer sitting heavily by the roadside, groaning in distress. The farmer’s cart wheel had caught on a rocky root and shattered, spilling sacks of grain all over the path.
“Oh dear, Dolsoe! I need to get these to market before sunset, but the spokes are completely broken,” the farmer cried, waving his hands despairingly. Dolsoe immediately lowered his A-frame carrier and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
“Helping one another is simply how people live. Don’t worry alone; let’s lift this together.”
Putting aside his plans to gather firewood for a moment, Dolsoe cut thick wisteria vines, tightly bound the broken spokes, and neatly reloaded the scattered sacks of grain. By the time the work was finished, the sun had already slipped beyond the western mountains, leaving a deep red twilight in its wake.
A Song Echoing in an Empty Mountain House
Climbing deep into the mountains belatedly, Dolsoe realized that darkness had completely enveloped the surroundings before he could even tie a few bundles of firewood. Night in the mountains fell in the blink of an eye, and it was far too dark to navigate the rugged stone paths back to the village. Just then, an old, creaking thatched-roof hut caught his eye through the trees.
Dolsoe cautiously opened the door and settled into a corner of the dust-covered wooden floor. His stomach rumbled with hunger and the night wind chilled his bones, but he cleared his throat to chase away his fear.
“Bright moon, O bright moon, shining over every valley and ridge~ Even on this cold, dark night path, seeing your face melts away all my sorrows~”
Dolsoe’s rich, resonant singing drifted past the aging door frame and echoed into the fog-shrouded forest.
Goblins Emerging Through the Darkness
Suddenly, a loud thumping and boisterous laughter erupted from the courtyard. The door flew open, and a swarm of furry, massive goblins burst inside. Dolsoe held his breath in shock. However, instead of flying into a rage, the goblin leader approached with wide, curious eyes.
“Old man, where on earth did that rich, magnificent sound come from? We goblins roam every corner of the mountain and have sung our share of songs, but this is the first time we’ve ever heard anything so deeply comforting!”
Frightened yet baffled, Dolsoe instinctively touched the lump on his neck and stammered,
“Oh… it’s nothing special. The sound probably flows right out of this lump I’ve carried my whole life.”
It was just a casual excuse, but the goblins clapped and cheered in admiration.
“It’s a treasure pouch that produces songs! Old man, sell us that treasure. We’ll reward you handsomely with wealth!”
When the goblin leader reached out and tapped the old man’s neck, miraculously, the lump that had never left him his whole life dropped off without a shred of pain. The goblins tossed a sack of gold and silver treasures onto the floor and vanished into the darkness.
Conflicting Rumors and Greed Sweeping the Village
The next morning, when Dolsoe returned to the village with a lighter neck and a sack of treasures on his back, the entire town was turned upside down. Neighbors flocked to his yard to touch his smooth neck in utter amazement.
Hearing the news, the neighboring Manbok was consumed with bitter jealousy. He grabbed passing villagers and interrogated them.
“What on earth happened? Did Dolsoe stumble upon some miraculous talisman?”
One neighbor replied, “Well, they say he sang a sweet song in an empty mountain house, and goblins thought it was a song pouch and took the lump off.” Another standing nearby chimed in, “No, I heard Dolsoe sold a special treasure lump to the goblins for a huge sum!”
Manbok’s ears perked up. Song or treasure, what does it matter? If I can just get rid of my lump and rake in gold and silver, that’s all that counts! Consumed by bottomless greed, Manbok waited eagerly for nightfall.
Passing by a Neighbor and Running All the Way
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Manbok grabbed a large sack and dashed toward the mountain. However, right at the entrance of the mountain path, an elderly woman struggling under a massive load of firewood wobbled and collapsed, reaching out to Manbok in desperation.
“Manbok, my leg is sprained and I can’t get up. Please lighten just one bundle of wood for me.”
Without even looking back, Manbok snapped dismissively,
“Do you take me for someone who has time to mess with other people’s firewood? I have places to be, so get out of my way!”
Brushing the old woman aside roughly, Manbok sprinted breathlessly toward the darkened mountain hut, driven solely by the obsession to claim the gold and silver.
The Goblins’ Wrath and Another Lump
Arriving at the empty house, Manbok sat down on the wooden porch without even wiping his sweat and bellowed at the top of his lungs. Driven not by heartfelt joy, but by the greedy desire to summon goblins quickly and plunder their wealth, he squeezed his throat and belted out a harsh, nasal tune.
Disgusted by the bizarre noise, the goblin leader kicked the door open, glared at Manbok, and growled,
“It’s ear-splitting! Where on earth are you making such a hideous sound?”
Mimicking Dolsoe, Manbok stroked his lump and spun a sly lie.
“Hehe, it’s right here on my neck! This lump is a magic club-like treasure that pours out all sorts of wonderful songs and treasures in the world. Come on, give me gold and silver and take away this miraculous lump!”
Hearing this, the goblin leader roared in anger,
“We were fooled by that other old man’s words last time, and even the lump we took didn’t produce a single song, so we threw it in a corner! Do you dare try to trick us again to extort our wealth? It seems one lump isn’t enough for a liar like you!”
Pulling Dolsoe’s old lump from his pocket, the goblin firmly stuck it onto the empty side of Manbok’s neck. Thus originated the proverb, ‘Went to remove a lump and came back with another.’
Warmth Extended Across the Threshold
At dawn, Manbok staggered back down to the village, weeping bitterly as large lumps on both sides of his neck made it impossible to even hold his head straight. Villagers pointed fingers and clicked their tongues in judgment, while Manbok, overwhelmed by shame and sorrow, bolted his wooden gate and sobbed alone in the corner of his room.
Just then, the gate creaked open quietly, and Dolsoe entered the yard carrying a load of firewood and a bowl of warm herbal tea. Dolsoe gently knocked on Manbok’s door.
“Manbok, are you inside? The mountain wind must have been quite chilly; please have a sip of this warm tea first.”
Manbok opened the door a crack, looking at Dolsoe with swollen eyes. He asked with a voice mixed with resentment and shame,
“Did you come to mock me? You must be thrilled now that greed has brought me to this state.”
Silently setting the firewood down on the porch, Dolsoe gently clasped Manbok’s rough hands.
“Mock you? Who knows the sorrow of carrying a heavy burden on your neck better than I do? Let’s leave the past behind. When the weather warms up, come with me to the forest to forage for dried greens.”
At that affectionate gaze and warm touch, the stiffness in Manbok’s shoulders slowly melted away. Before long, warm wisps of evening smoke began to rise amicably from the chimneys of both old men’s homes.
Definition and Characteristics of the Tale of the Old Man with the Lump
‘The Old Man with the Lump’ is a representative traditional folktale about a kind-hearted old man who removes his neck lump thanks to goblins, while a greedy old man ends up with an extra lump because of them. The story features a structure of character deception and repetition, emphasizing consequences driven by repetitive actions and sequence rather than a simple binary division of good versus evil.
Literary Records and Historical Transmission
This folktale is recorded as a story famous in Japan within the mid-Joseon scholar Gang Hang’s Sueunrok. It was later included in Takahashi Toru’s Joseon Mworjip in 1910 and featured in the colonial-era textbook Joseon EO Dokbon from 1915 onward, serving as a turning point for it to become a representative Korean children’s story. When Takahashi Toru first introduced it to Korea, its structural similarity to Japanese tales resulted in its preservation as a historical record.
Differences Between Korean and Japanese Versions and the Origin of the Proverb
Fascinating differences exist between Korean and Japanese transmissions. While the Japanese version of the tale features the protagonist dancing, a major characteristic of the Korean tradition is singing cheerful songs. Additionally, this narrative gave rise to the widely used Korean proverb, “went to remove a lump and came back with another.”
Continuing Legacy Today
‘The Old Man with the Lump’ continues to be passed down as a familiar traditional fairy tale through various children’s books and media today. Furthermore, the idiom derived from the tale’s ending—”went to remove a lump and came back with another”—is actively used in daily life to describe situations where someone tries to solve a problem or gain an advantage, only to end up saddled with a greater burden or loss.
The Boundary Between Folklore and Historical Fact
‘The Old Man with the Lump’ is a traditional folktale passed down for ages, and its mystical elements—such as goblins appearing to remove or attach lumps—are rooted in fictional tradition. However, records like the Joseon-era text Sueunrok and its inclusion in colonial-era textbooks are historical facts backed by documentary evidence. The detailed descriptions of characters’ personalities and everyday actions in creative adaptations are fictional reconstructions meant to enhance storytelling engagement.
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