SIR WHONG AND THE GOLDEN PIG

Known for his wisdom as well as his wealth and generosity, Sir Whong would not normally loan such a large sum as 1,000 nyung to a stranger, but ``Mr. Oh'' cons him with a sad story and what looks like good security: a golden ``family treasure.'' Months later, when Whong notices that his ``gold'' pig is beginning to tarnish, he raises a hullabaloo: the precious pig is missing, he cries, and when Mr. Oh arrives, hoping to extract still more money in recompense, Whong gives him the pig in return for the original sum. There are some awkward transitions in the retelling of this Korean tale, and the marriage ceremony at which Whong makes his outcry seems to have been inserted mostly for local color; Oki's watercolors, too, in soft, harmonious colors, incorporate interesting cultural and decorative details, but some spreads seem awkwardly crowded. A mixed effort, but the story itself, with its trickster appropriately tricked himself, is appealing. (Folklore/Picture book. 4-8)