A tale that explains why quail tails are short. The quail promised to feed the fox if it wanted to eat it. The quail enticed the woman who was bringing her rice to leave the basket and chase after her. In the meantime, the fox ate all the rice in the basket. In addition, the quail sat on the earthenware of the potter's brother, saying that he would show the fox a funny look. The fox laughed when he saw the younger brother breaking the older brother's pottery to catch quail. This time, the quail told the fox to dig into the ground and stick out its nose, saying that it would show a sad and painful appearance. The quail was sitting on the bridge of the fox's nose, so the woodcutter hit it hard with a stick to catch it. The fox was very sick and angry and said he would kill the quail. Then the quail begged the fox to call its mother just once before dying, and when the fox opened its mouth, it ran away and was bitten by its tail, causing its fur to fall out.
When a rabbit or a tiger bites a quail and is about to eat it, the quail asks to call its mother one last time. The moment a rabbit or a tiger hears the quail's request and calls 'mom', the quail falls from its mouth and runs away. At that time, the tail of the quail fell out because it was bitten by a rabbit or a tiger. Another variation is the story that when pheasant and quail ran out of food in a cold winter and went to ask for food from the mouse, the pheasant was polite to the mouse and received food, but the quail angered the mouse and was bitten and lost all its tail hair. The quail is only a smaller bird than a fox. However, just as a rabbit in a situation where it is about to be eaten by a tiger defeats the tiger with its wits, the quail also lures the fox into giving it more food and eventually escapes from danger. This story corresponds to a narrative in which an animal in a weaker position than a strong one defeats a strong animal with wisdom, not strength.
Area
Jeonju
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Material
Japanese snowbell
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Size
35 x 45 / 60 x 60
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Producer / Design
Auroi
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Making
No. 45 Jeollabuk-do Intangible Cultural Property Jiusan (Hanji Umbrella)
