The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly (20th Anniversary Edition) 마당을 나온 암탉

This is a novel that beautifully captures the life of a hen named Sprout who realizes her wish, freedom, and love following a poignant journey, during which she escapes from the barn hoping to hatch an egg and have her chick, but instead raises a mallard baby that looks different from her, but with deep-hearted mother-love, sacrifices herself to a weasel so her baby can live. The hen who named herself Sprout because she wanted to do something like an acacia leaf that embraces wind and sunshine, becomes compost when fallen down and rotten, and blossoms a fragrant flower; the hen who came out from the barn and yard where she could eat her fill to make her wish come true; the hen who is plucked around the neck and humbly thin but boldly fights with the weasel to protect her life and her offspring (the mallard baby); the hen who is considerate but also having humor and eccentricity. Along with such a hen Sprout, this book displays an array of animal characters with rich individuality and diverse types of lives. The mindless egg-laying hen locked up in the barn who eats to fill her stomach and lays the eggs she will never be able to hatch, the ornamental hen who leads a satisfying life with a cock and chicks but is anxious lest someone interrupts her life and ruin it, the mallard called Straggler who has a broken wing but does his best to live a life without losing his true character, the rooster that symbolizes authoritarianism, the flock of barnyard ducks who settle for the comfortable life and forget about their true selves, the gatekeeper dog who is a typical opportunist...

This book throws the fundamental questions and reflections about ‘Who I am and how should I live’ to today’s children by featuring the protagonist Sprout who firmly sticks to her wish and becomes the owner of her life and through diverse lives of unique and colorful characters. It deals with quite a difficult and weighty subject, but its realistic and solid plot, expressive symbolism, creative and distinctive characters, bright and sensitive prose lead to the literary configuration that allows readers to enjoy the depth of the work as well as to appreciate poignancy and a true taste of literature.

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