단편#4 - 아버지, 오리, 세 아들들
원작은 "The Wishing-Table, The Gold-Ass, and The Cudgel in the Sack"이다.
원작에서 가장 마음에 들지 않았던 부분은,
아버지가 거짓말을 했다는 이유만으로 소중한 아들들을 차례로 쫓아내는 비논리적인 전개였다.
현시대에 가난한 가정 속에서의 극단적인 선택은 아무래도 설득력이 떨어졌고, 아이에게 감정적으로도 좋지 않은 영향을 줄 것 같았다.
또한, 이야기의 결말이 오직 마법 물건들 덕분에 행복을 되찾는 구조라는 점도 마음에 들지 않았다.
즉, 아이들의 노력이나 성장이 아니라 제3자의 개입(마법)에 의해만 문제를 해결한다는 설정은 아이들에게 전하고 싶은 교훈과 맞지 않았다.
하지만 교활한 오리의 속임수로 인해 집을 떠난 아이들이 각각의 여정을 통해 마법 아이템을 얻게 되는 구조는 흥미로움을 유발했다. 그래서 아래와 같은 변화를 주기로 했다.
아버지가 아들들을 쫓아내는 비현실적인 전개 대신, 오리의 간계로 인해 아이들이 자발적으로 떠나게 한다. 이렇게 하면 이야기의 인과관계가 자연스럽고 설득력 있게 이어진다.
마법 아이템은 일시적인 장치로 마법 식탁, 황금 당나귀 등은 여전히 흥미를 유발하는 요소로 등장하지만, 이야기 후반부에는 파손되거나 사라지면서 '마법'의 영향력이 제거된다.
이는 '운이나 기적에 기대지 말고, 결국 중요한 것은 자기 자신'이라는 메시지를 전달하는 장치가 된다.
결국 아이들은 마법 없이, 각자가 길에서 배운 기술과 삶의 지혜를 바탕으로 다시 하나의 가족이 되어, 스스로 가정을 재건한다.
이렇게 원작의 매력을 살리되, 논리성과 교훈을 강화하고, 현대적 감성에 맞는 이야기를 만들어 보았다. 다른 단편에 비해 이야기가 길어, 매 장면에 대한 묘사 대신 등장인물 위주로 그림을 삽입하였다.
A Cook, His Sons, and the Sneaky Duck
Once upon a time, there was a kind old cook who lived with his three sons—and one very spoiled duck.
They didn’t have much, but they were happy. The duck was their only animal, and she gave them eggs and kept them company. Every day, one of the sons took her out to peck at seeds, bugs, and greens so she could stay healthy and full.
But this duck? She was clever—and just a little bit tricky.
One sunny day, the oldest son took her to the churchyard, where the grass was soft and the ground was full of juicy little bugs.
The duck waddled around, snapping up everything she could find.
That evening, the boy asked, “Duck, did you eat enough today?”
The duck fluffed her feathers and said:
“I ate so much, I can’t fit one more crumb! Quack, quack!”
The boy smiled, brought her home, and told his father, “She’s happy and full.”
But when the cook went to check in the stable and gently asked the duck, “Did you eat enough, my dear?”—the duck gave him a sad, pitiful look and said:
“I didn’t eat a thing. I wandered all day and found nothing. Quack, quack…”
The cook was confused—but not angry. He just scratched his head and wondered, “Huh… my son wouldn’t lie, would he?”
But before he could ask again, the duck whispered to the oldest boy later that night, eyes wide and voice low:
“You need to leave. Your father’s lying. He’s not keeping me for eggs—he wants to eat you instead! I heard him say it.”
The boy gasped and ran away in the middle of the night, scared out of his mind. The next morning, the cook woke up and his son was gone.
He looked everywhere. No note, no reason. Just gone.
The next day, the second son took the duck out to the garden fence. There were sweet herbs, soft greens, and even a berry or two. The duck pecked happily all day long.
That evening, the boy asked, “Did you eat enough?”
The duck waddled over, looking proud, and said:
“I ate so much, I can’t fit one more crumb! Quack, quack!”
But later, when the cook checked in on her, she gave him the same sad look as before and said:
“I didn’t eat anything. Nothing at all. I’m still so hungry. Quack, quack…”
Again, the cook was puzzled. He didn’t know what was going on, but he felt something was off. And again, that night, the duck whispered to the second boy:
“You have to go! Your father’s planning something terrible. You’re next!”
Frightened and confused, the boy packed a small bag and ran away too.
Now the poor cook was alone with just the youngest son—and the duck.
The youngest son wanted to do everything right. He led the duck to the edge of the forest where the ground was full of clover, soft moss, and crawling bugs. The duck waddled, pecked, and ate until her belly was round.
“Did you eat enough?” the boy asked kindly.
The duck gave her usual cheerful answer:
“I ate so much, I can’t fit one more crumb! Quack, quack!”
But again, later, when the cook asked her, she shook her head sadly:
“I didn’t eat anything. I walked and walked, but found no food. Quack, quack…”
The cook sighed, more confused than ever.
That night, the duck gave her most serious warning yet:
“Run, quickly. I saw your father sharpening his knives. He said you were plump enough now…”
The youngest son didn’t even stop to pack. He ran into the night, heart pounding.
And by morning, the old cook was completely alone.
He sat at the table, holding his head in his hands.
“All my sons… gone. No goodbye, no reason. What did I do wrong?”
He didn’t know it yet—but it wasn’t his fault.
It was the duck.
Let’s follow the sons now.
The oldest son became a skilled woodworker. He built homes, furniture, and even toys with his strong hands and smart planning. He was proud of his work.
When he finished training, his teacher gave him a gift: a plain wooden table. It looked boring—but it held a secret.
Whenever he said, “Little table, set the food,” it magically filled with warm bread, tasty stew, sweet pies, and cool drinks.
The young man was amazed. He could eat like a king, anywhere he went.
On his way home, he stopped at a busy inn for the night. When the innkeeper offered him a simple meal, he smiled and said, “Let me take care of dinner tonight.”
He placed the table in the middle of the room and said the magic words.
Boom! Food appeared. Hot, fresh, and delicious.
The other guests cheered.
But the innkeeper was greedy. That night, while the boy slept, he swapped the magic table for a regular one.
When the son got home and showed the table to his father, he proudly said, “Watch this!”
But when he said, “Little table, set the food,”—nothing happened.
His face dropped. The table just sat there, silent and plain.
The second son had become a smart merchant. He learned how to buy goods for cheap and sell them for more. He could turn one coin into ten with his clever deals.
When he finished training, his teacher gave him a special gift: a donkey.
“Not just any donkey,” the teacher smiled. “This one gives you gold.”
All the merchant had to do was place a cloth under the donkey and say, “Gold drop!” And gold coins would fall out like rain.
He traveled far, always having money to buy and trade.
On his way home, he stayed at the same inn. The innkeeper saw the gold and got greedy again.
That night, he swapped the donkey for a normal one.
When the merchant got home and showed the family, he laid out a cloth and said, “Gold drop!”
But the donkey just blinked. Nothing happened. The father and the family laughed, and the second son got embarrassed.
The youngest son had trained in martial arts. He learned how to protect himself and others, with speed, strength, and smarts.
His teacher gave him a sack with a stick inside.
“This stick is special,” he said. “If anyone cheats you, just say, ‘Stick, come out!’ and it’ll give them a lesson they won’t forget.”
The boy thanked him and went straight to the inn.
That night, he pretended to sleep.
When the innkeeper crept into the room, the boy shouted, “Stick, come out!”
The stick flew from the sack and chased the innkeeper around the room, tapping and whacking him with quick little thuds.
“Stop! I’ll give it all back!” the innkeeper cried.
He returned the table—and opened the gate to bring back the donkey…
But the moment the donkey saw the stick, it panicked and ran into the hills.
And the table? The magic was gone. It had been broken during the switch.
The three brothers stood outside their childhood home.
“No table. No donkey,” said the merchant.
“Just us,” said the builder.
“That’s all we need,” said the youngest.
So they made a plan.
“We’ll open a restaurant,” said the cook. “We’ll use what we do have—our skills.”
The builder made a beautiful restaurant with strong walls, big windows, and hand-carved signs.
The merchant found the best deals for wood, food, and kitchen tools.
The youngest son served meals, smiled at customers, and kept the place safe when trouble showed up.
And the cook? He did what he loved best—he cooked.
The food was so good, people told their friends. Then their neighbors. Then people in other towns. Soon, the restaurant was full every night.
They didn’t need magic.
They had each other.
And the duck?
Well, after her big lie and bald head (thanks to one very annoyed cook and his shaving knife), she waddled away and disappeared into the woods.
She found an empty fox den and settled in.
But that’s not the last we’ll see of her.
Let’s just say… she’s not quite done causing trouble.
The end—for now. A father, three smart sons, and a tricky duck who might just return in the next chapter.
