Sample Translations
Eun-soon Heo Glass Seeds E ng l i s h
Book Information
Glass Seeds (유리씨앗) Hyeonamsa Publishing corp. / 2013 / 4 p. / ISBN 9788932373478 77810 For further information, please visit: http://library.klti.or.kr/node/772
This sample translation was produced with support from LTI Korea. Please contact the LTI Korea Library for further information. library@klti.or.kr
Glass Seeds Written by Heo, Eun-soon, Illustrated by Park, Jeong-wan
One day in the spring, after the first pussy willows arrived, Boram’s Granny planted some seeds in the garden.
“Grow, little seeds, and make beautiful flowers.” Granny hummed as she watered them.
“Granny, what are you doing?” “I’m waking up the seeds. They’re asleep, you see.” “Seeds go to sleep?” “Yes, they’ll put out little sprouts when they wake up and after a while we’ll have beautiful flowers.”
Boram waited every day for the seeds to wake up.
But a day passed,
And another,
And another, But there were still no sprouts to be seen.
1
‘I wonder if the seeds fell asleep again?’ Boram fell asleep, too.
Boram saw something out the window when she woke up. ‘Oh, what’s that?’ Boram ran out to the garden. There were tiny sprouts, smaller than the nails on Boram’s pinky fingers. “Granny, Granny. They woke up. The seeds are awake now.”
“Granny, will something come out if I plant some seeds?” “Of course.” “Any kind of seed?” “Any kind!” ‘Any kind?’ To Boram, the earth was like a giant magic box. Boram thought for a long time what she wanted to plant. ‘Oh!’ Boram had the most wonderful idea.
“Grow, little seeds, and make beautiful flowers.” Boram hummed happily.
2
“Hello, Boram. Why are you carrying a flowerpot?” “Shh! The glass seeds are sleeping. When they wake up, something wonderful is going to happen.” Boram hugged her flowerpot close and scurried away.
“Hello, how are you?” “I’m fine, thank you. Why are you carrying around an empty flowerpot?” “It’s not empty. There are glass seeds sleeping inside. When they wake up, something wonderful is going to happen.”
“Hello!” “Hello, Boram. That’s a nice flowerpot you have there. Are you looking for something to plant in it?” “It’s not empty. There are glass seeds sleeping inside. When they wake up, something wonderful is going to happen.”
“Hello.” “Why are you carrying around that flowerpot if it’s empty?” “The glass seeds are sleeping inside. When they wake up, something wonderful is going to happen.”
Boram waited for days and days. But nothing came out of the flowerpot.
Not after one day,
3
Not after two days,
Not after three days. Nothing came out. 4 ‘Maybe the glass seeds are asleep, too…’
“Granny, Granny. They woke up. The glass seeds are awake.” Granny’s face shone upon hearing Boram’s good news. Granny’s eyes sparkled like Boram’s glass seeds.