Kongji and Patzzi - Features

Features

The legend of Kongji and Patzzi was passed down orally for many generations before it was first recorded, producing numerous regional variations. For example, some versions of the story cast a frog in place of the turtle as Kongji's helper, while others have been reduced to the Cinderella-esque first portion. Although the first part of the story shares elements with the Western fairy tale Cinderella, the traditional Korean belief of kwon seon jing ak (권선징악, the importance of encouraging virtue and punishing vice) pervades the traditional tale, coming to fruition with the deserved deaths of Kongji's stepmother and stepsister in the second part of the story.

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