[Choi Kyungpil's Book Column] Into the Magical World Everyone Dreams Of

Meet the Witch Grandma at the Domestic Original Fairy Tale Intersection Stationery Store

Everyone dreams of a magical world at least once in their childhood. Wishing to cast spells with a magic wand at will, become the protagonist of Aladdin, and fly far away on a magic carpet?perhaps such dreams were futile, yet we had them nonetheless.

Immersing oneself in a fairy tale world where you could command the genie from the magic lamp to scold friends who teased you is also a wonderful memory for young children.

“The Witch Grandma at the Intersection Stationery Store,” published by Bombyeot Publishing, might just draw readers into a story that rekindles those childhood dreams. This creative fairy tale, recommended for 3rd to 4th graders in elementary school, allows them to experience magical moments.

The magical moments we long for could be countless: holding a test paper with terrible scores on the way home, missing the school bus when deciding whether to be late, or desperately wanting to see an idol or sports star we admire.

However, magic does not happen so easily. It is like a “miracle you wish would happen once,” something that rarely occurs.

But writer Han Jeong-gi says that magical moments are not entirely absent. “If you try your best with a sincere heart,” magic can happen, and “any healthy person can perform magic.” Is this really possible? Let’s listen to the magic story the author tells.

Haeseong lives alone with his mother. His mother, who works at a company, is always busy?meetings, business trips, or overtime. Haeseong misses his maternal grandmother, who lived with them until a few months ago. His mother comes home late every day, they are tired of delivery food, and Haeseong longs for the homemade meals his grandmother used to make.

That day, Haeseong was lying down holding his hungry stomach.

In his half-asleep state, he smelled delicious food from somewhere. When he woke up, he saw a strangely looking grandmother cooking in the kitchen. Looking closely, she looked exactly like the “Lucky Witch” doll he bought a few days ago at the intersection stationery store because the shop owner said, “This would be perfect for you.”

The witch doll had been hanging on the front door light, but the doll was nowhere to be found, and instead, a real grandmother was in the kitchen. The witch grandma said she would visit two more times to teach Haeseong how to cook.

Haeseong wanted to learn how to make homemade meals like his grandmother used to make. Now he wouldn’t have to eat delivery food anymore. So Haeseong learned various recipes from the witch grandma.

Then, his interest in other cooking grew significantly. He even participated in the school’s creativity contest and won an excellence award by making rice balls he could eat by himself. On a day when his mother suddenly said she would leave work early, Haeseong started cooking for her.

His mother, who came home expecting to order pizza with Haeseong, was surprised by the smell of doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew).

His mother exclaimed, “Wow! This is amazing! This is nothing short of magic!” Only then did Haeseong understand what the witch grandma had told him.

“In life, magical things happen frequently. Healthy food makes healthy people, and healthy people can all perform magic.”

Thus, magic helps you stand up again with love, starting with healthy food, and makes you a strong and capable child. May this be a good opportunity to experience such magic.

Book columnist, Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, guest reporter Choi Kyung-pil

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.