A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

Overview

The old wine-seller’s dog and cat search for the lost amber charm that supplied his business. The cat, called Thomas by the narrator, detects it inside a soapstone box across the river. The dog devises an agreement with rats to gnaw through the stone and later suggests sending a mouse inside to retrieve the charm. Months pass during the work. When the river is open again, the dog swims with the cat and charm on his back, but the laughing cat drops it into the water. Their desperate struggle and mutual anger end their friendship.

The dog continues searching through another winter, recognizes the charm’s smell in a fisherman’s catch and carries the fish to the impoverished master. The object is recovered from its belly, and prosperity returns. The dog respects his promise not to harm rats but continues attacking cats; Thomas avoids him. Allen presents this episode as an explanation of animal enmity, not proof that all cats and dogs behave alike. His detailed physical dog portrait and the cat’s English name belong to this version, rather than establishing a named historical pet.

Speaking household companions whose search ends in a lasting quarrelHistorical folklore notice
01

Origins & earliest records

Korea; accounts presented by Allen

02

Records & interpretation

Complete wine-jug tale, note and collection preface directly read.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

  1. 01

    Korean Tales

    Horace Newton Allen, translator and narrator · 1889

    IV, The Enchanted Wine-Jug, pp. 40–55

Family & connections

A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.

Primary records and illustrations

Direct primary record

H. N. Allen, Korean Tales (New York and London: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1889)

IV, The Enchanted Wine-Jug. pp. 40–55

Entire chapter and preface read; brief notice kept proportionate. Narrator’s uncertainty and limits preserved. No individual teller or original Korean edition identified by the passage.

Inspect the digitized plate · Source collection manifest

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

  1. Historical English translation and narrative noticesAllen, Korean Tales (New York and London: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1889), IVResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

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