[Korean Folk Story] The Green Frog (Cheong Gaeguri)

Quick Lesson

• The cry of a frog in the rain is a song of regret and love for the mother he lost.
• In Korean, people sometimes call themselves a “cheong gaeguri” when they always do the opposite of what they’re told. For example, I was such a cheong gaeguri growing up that my mom never told me to study. She knew I wouldn’t if she said it. So, she used reverse psychology and told me not to study. And of course… that’s when I did.

The Story of the Green Frog

A long time ago, deep in a forest, there lived a Green Frog and his mother.

However, this Green Frog was very disobedient. Whenever his mother told him to go east, he would go west. If she told him not to go into the water, he would jump in right away.

At first, his mother scolded and advised him, hoping he would change. But no matter how many times she tried, the Green Frog never listened and always did the opposite.

One day, his mother fell ill and became very weak.

She knew her time was coming to an end, so she gave her son one final request.

“When I die, please bury me by the river.”

But in truth, his mother actually wanted to be buried on the mountain.

She knew her son would do the opposite of what she asked, so she purposely told him to bury her by the river, hoping that he would disobey as usual and bury her in the mountains instead.

However, for the first time in his life, the Green Frog decided to obey his mother’s words.

He felt deep regret for never listening to her before and wanted to follow her wishes at least this one time.

So he buried his mother by the river, just as she had asked.

But as time passed and the rain began to fall, he started to worry.

“What if the river overflows and washes away my mother’s grave?”

Thinking about this filled him with sadness, and every time it rained, he sat by the river and cried.

Ever since that day, whenever it rains, the Green Frog cries in sorrow.

People say that the croaking of frogs on rainy days is actually the sound of the Green Frog mourning his mother, filled with regret and longing.

Click here to read this story in Korean:

청개구리 이야기

옛날 옛적, 깊은 숲속에 청개구리와 그의 어머니가 살고 있었습니다.

그런데 이 청개구리는 엄마의 말을 듣지 않는 개구리였습니다. 엄마가 동쪽으로 가라고 하면 서쪽으로 가고, 물에 들어가지 말라고 하면 일부러 물속에 뛰어들었죠.

엄마는 처음에는 타이르기도 하고, 혼내기도 했지만, 청개구리는 언제나 반대로만 행동했습니다. 시간이 지나도 청개구리는 전혀 변하지 않았습니다.

그러던 어느 날, 엄마 개구리는 병이 들어 몸져누웠습니다.

엄마는 자신의 수명이 다해가고 있음을 알고, 마지막으로 청개구리에게 유언을 남겼습니다.

“얘야, 내가 죽거든 제발 강가에 묻어다오.”

사실 엄마 개구리는 청개구리가 또 반대로 행동할 것을 알고 있었습니다. 그래서 본래는 산에 묻히고 싶었지만, 청개구리가 꼭 반대로 행동할 것을 생각해 일부러 강가에 묻어 달라고 말한 것이었습니다.

그러나 이번만큼은 청개구리가 엄마의 말씀을 그대로 따르기로 결심했습니다.

평생 엄마의 말을 듣지 않고 엇나가던 자신을 후회하며, 마지막만큼은 엄마가 원한 대로 하기로 했습니다.

그래서 엄마의 무덤을 강가에 만들었습니다.

하지만 시간이 지나고 비가 내릴 때마다 청개구리는 걱정이 되었습니다.

“비가 오면 강물이 불어나서 엄마의 무덤이 떠내려가 버릴지도 몰라!”

이런 생각이 들 때마다, 청개구리는 강가에서 슬프게 울었습니다.

그 후로도 비가 내릴 때면, 청개구리는 엄마를 떠올리며 하염없이 울었습니다.

그래서 사람들은 비 오는 날 개구리들이 우는 소리를 들을 때마다, 그것이 청개구리가 엄마를 그리워하며 우는 소리라고 전하게 되었습니다.

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The story of the Green Frog isn’t just for kids.

It’s a cute, bittersweet reminder of how love, regret, and family play out in everyday Korean culture.

Even now, Koreans refer to someone who enjoys doing the reverse as “cheong gaeguri,” a phrase that is both affectionate and humorous.

I hope this little folk story makes you feel more connected to Korean traditions and our everyday language!