Years passed by. She kept weeping and weaving a beautiful brocade. At the end of the third year, the widow finished her brocade. It was beautiful and the widow was proud of it. Suddenly, a strong wind blew through the house and the brocade flew away. It flew further and further until it had completely vanished. The widow was heartbroken. She asked the eldest son to search for it and he set out immediately.
After a month, he met an old woman who was sitting beside a small stone house with a white stone horse. He told her the story of his mother’s lost brocade. She said, “The brocade has been carried away by fairies. You must pass through the Flame Mountain, and then cross an icy sea without complaint. Or you can take this box of gold and go back home.” The eldest son took the box of gold. But instead of going home, he went to live his life alone.