Translator's Note for the Revised Edition
Translator's Note for the First Edition

1.
My brother, Jonathan
2.
pure white dove
3.
Wonderland, Nangiyeolra
4.
Cherry Valley People
5.
Secrets of the Tulip Farm
6.
To the Valley of Wild Roses
7.
Ah, the golden rooster
8.
A name that cannot be spoken
9.
Fly high, Bianca
10.
Tengil, Crossing the River of the Past
11.
Hello, Grandpa Matthias
12.
Ah, Katla
13.
Orbar has disappeared
14.
No way! Following a traitor!
15.
The War Trumpet of Tengil
16.
The real lion king

To the Boys of Summer_Han River

A fantasy that has become a classic,
Lindgren's masterpiece, read across generations

『The Adventures of the Lion King Brothers』 Special Limited First Edition Released!
★A timeless, timeless emotion, a special gift to cherish for a lifetime★

"The Adventures of the Lion King Brothers" is a fantasy adventure fairy tale by Astrid Lindgren, the Swedish author who captured the hearts of children around the world with the "Pippi Longstocking" series.
This is a story of two brothers with pure and kind hearts, Carl, a fragile boy, and Jonathan, a lion king who fights against evil to protect freedom, as they embark on an adventure in the afterlife. The adventure of the brothers as they travel through the mysterious afterlife and confront the forces that suppress freedom unfolds beautifully and poignantly.
It has been continuously loved for over 40 years since it was first translated and published in Korean by Changbi in 1983.
Because it was a rare world-famous work available in single volume form in the 1980s, when complete works were the main source of reading, it is not uncommon for adult readers, including musician Lee Juck and broadcaster Jang Do-yeon, to cite this book as the most memorable fairy tale from their childhood.


For them, "The Adventures of the Lion King Brothers" is not only a cherished memory, but also a book they will gladly recommend to the next generation of young readers.
Novelist Han Kang also explained in a lecture at the literary event “Norwegian House of Literature” held in Oslo, Norway in February 2017 that this book was one of her favorites from childhood and that it was connected to the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement within her.
The full text of this lecture is included as an appendix at the end of the book, leaving a deep impression on readers.

(…) After thirty years, I came across the last page of this book again and was shocked, as if my palm had been burned by flames.
The meaning of the questions I asked myself at twelve, leaning against the wall of a darkening room, holding this book, not even knowing clearly what was burning my eyes and throat.
The fact that those questions still live vividly inside me, shaking me to my core.
How can they love so much? Why is the world around them so beautiful and yet so violent?

To my twelve-year-old self, I think I can finally speak, though only with some hesitation.
It is precisely because we love that we despair.
It is because we believe in dignity that we feel pain.
So, our suffering is the key and the strong seed.
(Norwegian Literature House lecture manuscript, "To the Boys of Summer," The Adventures of the Lion King Brothers, pp. 339-40)

A fantasy classic depicting a captivating death

Carl, a sickly boy, is afraid of his imminent death due to his illness.
His brave and handsome brother Jonathan tells Karl that after he dies, he will go to a place called 'Nangiyeolra' and live a very exciting life.
But Jonathan goes to Nangiyeolla first.
When a fire broke out in the second floor of the house, Jonathan jumped down carrying a sword and died first.
Some time later, Carl follows them to Nangiyeolra, where the brothers are swept up in a great adventure.

This work, which unfolds into a fantasy world after death, is considered a typical example of fantasy literature that distinguishes between the real world and the fantasy world, but its structure is very unique.
Rather than a circular structure where you go from reality to a fantasy world and then back to reality, it adopts an open structure where you enter the first fantasy world from reality and then go on a new adventure in the second fantasy world.
Carl and Jonathan fight against the dictator Tengil, who oppresses freedom in Nangiyeola, and achieve victory, but are killed again.


The brothers brave their suffocating fears and bravely stand on a dark cliff to face life after death.
The story finally concludes with the sunlight from another afterlife, Nangilima, shining down on the brothers.
The unique structure of this work, which is infinitely open to other worlds, leads directly to innovative insights into life and death.
The story structure tells us that death is a fascinating life that leads to another world.

In this work, Lindgren speaks about the eternal themes of life and literature: fear and courage, oppression and freedom, wounds and healing.
Whenever Carl is afraid of death and fights against a dictator, he displays a courage he never knew he had.
At the same time, he heals the deep wounds he received in the real world about his ugly and sick self.
The journey of a wounded young soul healing itself through a powerful adventure inspires courage and strength in both young and adult readers.
As readers read "The Adventures of the Lion King Brothers," they face a constant barrage of fear.
Eventually, we will realize the truth that in order to regain our freedom from the forces and systems that oppress both people and nature, we must never lose hope and dream of a better world.