Long ago, in Korea's mountainous interior, perhaps in what is now Gangwon Province, a village stood nestled among mountains and trees. This was long before you or even your great-granny were born, when the mountains stood tall, and the forests stretched farther than the eye could see. In those days, the land still held secrets, and the trees whispered in the night breeze. Just east of the village stood a great mountain, and a mighty tiger lived on its slopes. Whenever he descended from his mountain throne, his growl rolled through the valley like thunder. Doors slammed shut. Mothers gathered their children close, and farmers abandoned their fields. Even the bravest hunters hurried inside and barred their doors. This tiger had ruled the mountains for centuries, older than the oldest pine trees and more stubborn than the very stones beneath his paws. And yet, no matter how much he took, he was never satisfied. On this particular afternoon, the sun hung unusually low in the sky, and the air smelled of damp earth. The villagers went about their day, shopping, farming, and playing in the streets. A sudden chill in the wind stopped everyone. No one moved, not yet. They were waiting for something. Just then, a thunderous echo rolled down the mountains, sending the whole village into a hushed panic. They gathered the children and frantically ran to the nearest building. The deep grumble spread across the village. No one saw him, but they knew he was lurking by the way the shadows danced. The village fell so silent that even their breath seemed to echo off the walls, and the surrounding trees rustled eerily in the wind. A whimper sounded from a nearby hay pile. The wind shifted, blowing the hay and exposing a child who hadn't made it inside. The girl screamed, too terrified to move. A large shadow fell over her, the claws just at her toes. For a moment, everything seemed to go still, waiting for the tiger's pounce. BANG! BANG! BANG! A man walked out, beating a pot with a spoon to steal the tiger's attention. He stood in the middle of the street, staring down the beast. His face seemed to show fear, but he stood rooted to the ground. In the blink of an eye, the shadow swallowed him up. When the villagers emerged, he was gone, and the mother clutched her child, sobbing uncontrollably. Thanks to the brave cook, the child was alive. Later, the village held a funeral, though they had no remains to bury. He was beloved and remembered as a savior for generations after. The village lived on edge for a couple of weeks, the cook's sacrifice doing little to ease the fear of another attack. Every shadow seemed to have dagger claws and a twitching striped tail. In the heart of the village lived a young farmhand named Haneul. He stuck to his work and did his job very well. The tiger had taken Haneul's parents when he was little. Like many villagers, Haneul knew the beast's cruelty firsthand. He had lived with his grandpa ever since. Haneul had never known his parents as people, only as the heroes other villagers described. One day, Haneul's grandpa called him inside to tell him a story. He told Haneul how courageously his parents had defended the village from the tiger. Knowing this made Haneul angry. His parents had been brave enough to stand against the beast, yet he could barely imagine doing the same. But there was work to be done, and the fields would not tend themselves. Haneul wanted to stop the tiger from taking his friends and family, but he was just a boy. There was no way. Soon the days grew shorter, the nights grew colder, and the shadows stretched farther across the valley. The sun was just starting to dip down in the sky. The evening light cast an amber glow across the village. Working in the field, Haneul turned toward home, ready to turn in for the day. Then he stopped, sensing something lurking behind him. Murderous yellow eyes and a long tail emerged from the shadows, and that familiar growl shook the ground beneath his feet. People began taking cover and running indoors to escape the terrible beast. Haneul backed against the door to his home. He stared into the tiger's eyes. He wanted to run but couldn't move from beneath its menacing gaze. The air shifted. The tiger's shadow crept forward, its claws reaching for Haneul. Haneul's body quaked with fear, but he remained frozen. A dim light glowed at his toes. Not knowing why, Haneul stepped forward. The light rose to his knees. He stepped again, and it traced up his leg into his stomach. Haneul focused on the beast, not dropping his gaze. The tiger's shadow shrank as Haneul's grew; it started to take the shape of a mighty tiger. He drew in a deep breath as the light leapt from his stomach to his throat, blazing brighter. He exhaled, and the light burst from Haneul's throat in a thunderous yell. His voice rolled through the valley and echoed off the mountains, bouncing right back to the tiger. The tiger roared, but its cry was weaker than before. Haneul stepped forward again, and his own shadow fell over the tiger. The tiger cowered and peered up at the young boy. Haneul let out another yell, this time lighting up the sky in one great flash. The great tiger who'd tortured their people for centuries suddenly burst into glittering dust. The villagers emerged to find Haneul standing amid swirling, glittering dust. And his shadow stretched across the ground, but this was no shadow of a young farm boy. This shadow had a long, twitching tail and round, fluffy ears. The terrifying tiger that haunted them was no more, and in its place stood Haneul. The village cheered for their brave savior, who had defeated the beast and saved them all. Haneul vowed to protect the village and keep the peace. The tiger's shadow followed Haneul for the rest of his days, his tail always twitching even when Haneul himself wasn't moving. The new tiger would play with the children and blow hats off the villagers' heads. And the strangest thing? The shadow appeared even when the sun was nowhere overhead. They say that even now Haneul's tiger still roams the mountains, protecting his homeland.