Chapter II A Glimpse of Chin See

THE Hermit Yang left the world while the
mother and son remained and lived together.
Already before So-yoo (Song-jin) was in his
teens he manifested extraordinary attractiveness and
ability. The governor of his county called him the Mar-
vellous Lad, and recommended him to the Court. But
So-yoo on account of his mother declined all favours.
When he was fifteen or thereabouts, with his frank and
handsome face, he was said to resemble Panak [8]
of ancient China. His physical strength, too, was
unrivalled, and his skill in the classics and com-
position was excellent. In astronomy and geomancy
he was well trained, while in military knowledge,
such as tossing the spear and fencing with the short
sword, he was indeed a great wonder. Nothing
could stand before him. In his former existence he
had been a man of refined tastes, so his mind was
clear and his heart kindly disposed and liberal. He
deftly solved the mysteries of life as one would split
the bamboo. Different altogether was he from the
common run of men.

Said he one day to his mother : " When my father
went up to heaven he entrusted the reputation and
honour of his home to me, and yet here we are so
poor that you are compelled to toil and struggle. To
live here like a mere watch-dog or a turtle that drags
its tail and makes no effort to rise in the world means
that we shall be blotted out as a family. I shall never

21

The Cloud Dream of the Nine

comfort your heart, and shall fail of the trust that
my father has imposed in me. I hear just now that
Government Examinations are to be held and that
they are open to any candidate of the empire. May
I not leave you for a little and try my skill ? "

While Yoo See, his mother, had no desire to re-
strain this good purpose on the part of her son, she
feared for the long journey that he would have to
take. However, since his spirit was awake and anxious
to go she gave her consent. Selling what few treasures
she had she provided means for the journey.

He then bade her good-bye, and with a limping
donkey and a little serving-boy to accompany him,
he set out on the way. The views of mountain and
stream by which he passed were specially fine, and
since the opening of the examination was still some-
what distant, he lingered as he went along looking
at points of interest and seeking out old landmarks
and records.

At a certain place as he went by he saw a neat and
tidy house surrounded by a beautiful grove of shady
willow trees. A blue line of smoke, like silken rolls
unwinding, rose skyward. In a retired part of the
enclosure he saw a picturesque pavilion with a beau-
tifully kept approach. He slowed up his beast and
went near to enjoy the prospect. The encircling
boughs and leaves barely permitted him to make out
through their shade a wonderful fairy world.

So-yoo pushed aside the intervening greenery
and lingered for a time, unwilling to go. He sighed
and said : " In our world of Cho there are many
pretty groves, but none that I ever saw so lovely as
this."

22

A Glimpse of Chin See

He rapidly composed and wrote a poem, which
ran :

" Willows [9] hung like woven green,
Veiling all the view between,
Planted by some fairy free,
Sheltering her and calling me.

Willows, greenest of the green.
Brushing by her silken screen.
Speak by every waving wand,
Of an unseen fairy hand."

When he had jotted this down he sang it out with
a rich, clear voice, the notes of which resounded like
the clink of silver or the echoing tones of crystal. It
was heard in the top storey of the pavilion, where a
beautiful maiden was having a midday siesta. She
awoke with a start, pushed aside the arm-rest on
which she leaned, and sat up. She then opened the
embroidered shade and looked out through the painted
railing here and there. Whence came this singing?
Suddenly her eyes met those of So-yoo, while her
hair, like a tumbled cloud, rested soft and warm
upon her temples. The long jade pin that held the
plaits together had been pushed aside till it showed
slantwise through her tresses. Her sleepy eyelids
were still somewhat weighted, and her expression
was as though she had just emerged from dream-
land. Rouge and cosmetics had vanished under the
unceremonious hand of sleep, and her natural beauty
was unveiled, a beauty impossible to picture and
such as no painting has ever portrayed.

The two looked at each other with a fixed and

23

The Cloud Dream of the Nine

startled expression, but said not a word. So-yoo had
sent his boy ahead to order his affairs at the inn, and
now he suddenly returned to announce that it had
been so done. The maiden looked straight at So-
yoo for a moment, and then suddenly recollected
herself, closed the blind and disappeared from view.
A suggestion of sweet fragrance was borne to him
on the breeze.

So-yoo regretted at first that the boy had disturbed
him by his announcement. And now that the blind
had closed it was as though a thousand miles of the
Yang-tze had cut him off from all his expectations.
So he went on his way, looking back at times to see,
but the silken window was made fast and did not
again open. He reached the inn with a sense of loss
and home-sickness upon him, and with his mind
mixed and confused.

The family name of the maiden was Chin, and her
given name Cha-bong. She was the daughter of a
Government Commissioner, and had lost her mother
early in life. No brothers or sisters had she ever had,
and now she had attained to the age when girls do
up their hair, but she was still unmarried.

The Commissioner had gone up to the capital on
official business, and so the daughter was alone when
she thus unexpectedly met the eyes of So-yoo. His
handsome face and manly bearing attracted her
wonderfully. Hearing, too, the verses that he sang
she was carried away with admiration for his skill as
a scholar, and thus she thought to herself :

'* The woman's lot in life is to follow her husband.
Her glory or her shame, her experiences for the span
of life are wrapped up in her lord and master. For

24

A Glimpse of Chin See

this reason Princess Tak-moon, although a widow,
followed General Sa-ma. I am yet an unmarried girl
and dislike dreadfully to become my own go-be-
tween and propose marriage, but it is said that in
ancient times courtiers chose their own king, so I
shall make inquiry concerning this gentleman and
^find his name and place of residence. I must do so
at once and not wait till my father's return, for who
knows whither he may have gone in the meantime,
or where I may search for him in the four quarters
of the earth."

She unclasped a roll of satin paper, wrote a verse
or two and gave it to her nurse, saying : " Take this
letter to the city guest-hall and give it to the gentle-
man who rode past here on the little donkey and
sang the Willow Song as he went by. Let him know
that my purpose is to find the one that is destined
for me, and on whom I may depend. Know forsooth
that this is a very important matter and one that
forbids your acting in a light or frivolous way. The
gentleman is handsome as the gods ; his eyebrows
are like the loftiest touches of a picture, and his
form among common men is like the phoenix among
feathered fowls. See him now for yourself and give
him this letter."

The nurse replied : " I shall be careful to do just
as you have commanded, but what shall I say if your
father should inquire later ? "

" I shall see to that myself," said Chin See, " so
do not be anxious."

The nurse then left, but returned again in a little
to ask : " What shall I do if the gentleman is already
married or engaged ? "

25

The Cloud Dream of the Nine

On hearing this the maiden thought for a moment
and then repUed : "If that unfortunately be so I
shall not object to become his secondary wife. He is
young, but whether he is married or not, who can
tell ? "

The nurse then went to the guest-hall and asked
for the gentleman who had sung the Willow Song.
Just at that moment So-yoo stepped out of the ^-
trance into the court, and there he met the old dame
who came bearing the message. He responded at
once and said : " Your humble servant, madam, is
responsible for the Willow Song. Why do you ask
me?"

When the nurse saw his handsome face she no
longer doubted his being the one in question, and
softly said : " We cannot speak here."

So-yoo, wondering, led her into the guest-house,
and when they were seated quietly he asked why she
had come.

" Will your Excellency," said she in answer,
" please tell me where you sang the Willow Song ? "

So-yoo replied : " I am from a far distant part of
the country and have come for the first time into the
neighbourhood of the capital. The beauty of it de-
lights my soul. To-day at noon as I was passing along
the main highway I saw to the north of the road a
little pavilion with a grove of green willows, ex-
quisitely beautiful. I could not restrain my joy, and
so wrote a verse or two which I sang, but why does
your excellent ladyship ask concerning that ? "

The nurse replied : " Did your Excellency meet
anyone at that time, or come face to face with any
stranger ? "

26

A Glimpse of Chin See

So-yoo made answer: " Your servant came face
to face with a beautiful fairy, who looked down upon
him from the pavilion by the way. Her lovely features
I see still and the fragrance of her presence has filled
the world."

The nurse went on : "I shall speak directly to
the point. The house you mention is the home of my
master, Commissioner Chin, and the lady you refer
to is his daughter. From childhood she has been
pure of heart and gifted in mind and soul, with a
wonderful talent for knowing people. She saw your
Excellency but once and for a moment, yet her desire
is to entrust herself to you for ever ; but the Com-
missioner is away from home in the capital and he
must needs return before any decision can be arrived
at. Most important is the matter, however, and in
the meantime your Excellency may be far enough
away like the floating seaweed on the drift, or the
autumn leaves in the wind that blows. Fearing she
might never again find you, she has sent me to say
that the destiny of life is the all important subject,
while the diffidence of the moment and the fear to
speak of it are but a passing unpleasantness. Thus
has she, contrary to good form and her bringing up,
written this letter and ordered me, her old servant,
to ask your excellent name and place of residence."

When So-yoo heard this he was greatly interested,
as his countenance showed. He thanked her, and
said : " My name is Yang So-yoo, and my home is in
the land of Cho. I am young and not yet married.
Only my aged mother is alive, and while the mar-
riage question is one that will need inquiry on the
part of both our clans, still consent to the contract

27

The Cloud Dream of the Nine

may be given even here and now, and so for my part
I consent at once, and swear it by the long green
hills of Wha-san and the endless reaches of the Wee-
soo River."

The nurse, delighted at her success, took a letter
from her sleeve, gave it to So-yoo, who tore it open
and found a poem which read :

" Willows waving by the way.
Bade my lord his course to stay.
He, alas, has failed to ken,
Draws his whip and rides again."

When So-yoo had read the verse and noted its
brightness and freshness, he praised it, saying : " No
ancient sage ever wrote more sweetly." Then he
unrolled a sheet of watered paper and wrote his
reply thus :

" Willow catkins soft and dear,
Bid thy soul to never fear.
Ever may they bind us true,
You to me, and me to you."

The nurse received it, placed it in her bosom, and
went out through the main gateway of the guest-
hall, but So-yoo called her again, saying: "The
young lady is a native of Chin, while I belong to
Cho. Once we separate, a thousand miles come be-
tween us. With hills and streams and the windings
of the way, it will be difficult indeed to get messages
back and forth. We have no go-between to make
proof of our contract, so I would like to go by moon-
light and see my lady's beautiful face. What think

28

A Glimpse of Chin See

you ? In her letter there is some such suggestion, is
there not ? Please ask her."

The nurse consented, and on her return gave the
message to the maiden. " Master Yang has sworn by
the Lotus Hills and the long stretches of the river
that he will be your companion. He praised your
composition most highly, and wrote a reply which
I have brought you." She then handed it to the lady.

The maiden received the letter, read it, and her
face lighted up with joy.

Again the nurse went on to say : " Master Yang
has asked if it would be agreeable to you to have him
come quietly by moonlight and write another message
which you could enjoy together."

Her answer was : " It is not good form for a young
man and a young woman to meet before marriage.
I am promised to him, it is true, and that makes a
difference. If we meet at night, however, it might
cause unseemly rumour, and also my father would
reprimand me for it. Let us wait till noon to-morrow
and meet in the great hall and there seal our happy
contract. Go and tell him, will you ? "

The nurse went once again to the inn and told the
young master what had been said.

He expressed his regret and made reply : " The
lady's pure heart and right ordered words put me
to shame." Several times he urged upon the nurse
that there should be no failure in their plans, and so
she left.

While Master Yang slept in the guest-house his
thoughts were agitated and on the wing, so that he
did not rest well. He got up and waited for the crow-
ing of the cock, impatient at the length of the long

29

The Cloud Dream of the Nine

spring night. Suddenly the morning star began to
dawn and the awakening drums to beat. He called
his boy and ordered him to feed the donkey. At
this point an unexpected inrush of mounted troops
greeted the city with all the clamour that goes with
an army rabble. Like a great river they went thunder-
ing by, hurrying in from the west. In fear he hastily
gathered up his effects and looked out into the street,
where the whole place seemed filled with armed
men and fleeing people. The confusion was in-
describable, and the earth rang with the thunders of
it, while the wailing of the citizens shook the very
sky.

He asked someone standing by what it meant, and
was told that it was the rebel Koo Sa-ryong [lo] who
had risen against the Government and proclaimed
himself Emperor. His Majesty was away on a visit
of inspection in Yang-joo, and so the whole capital
was in a state of hopeless confusion, with the rebels
everywhere robbing the homes of the people. There
was word, too, that they had locked the gates of the
city so that no one could escape, and were enlisting
by force rich and poor, every man who could bear
arms.

Master Yang, in a state of fear and bewilderment,
got hold of his boy and hastened away with the
donkey toward the south mountain, that stood just
in front, hoping to hide himself among the rocks or
in some cave. He looked up and saw on the highest
peak a little thatched house that seemed to hang in
the shadows of the clouds, with the voices of cranes
echoing about it. Thinking it the home of some
dweller in the city, he went to it, picking his way,

30

A Glimpse of Chin See

when suddenly he was confronted by a Taoist genius
who, seated on his mat, saw the young man coming
toward him. He got up, greeted him, and asked :
" Are you making your escape from the confusion
of the city, and are you indeed the son of the hermit
Yang who Uved in Hoiram county ? "

So-yoo gave a sudden start of surprise, bowed
low, broke out into expressions of wonder, and said
in reply : " I am indeed the son of the hermit Yang.
Since the departure of my father I have lived with
my old mother, I am dull and slow of intellect and
have learned next to nothing, and yet presumptuously
thinking that I might have some chance to pass the
examination, I came as far as Wha-eum when this
rebellion blocked my way. In trying to make my
escape I entered these mountain recesses and have
been so fortunate as to meet your Excellency. God
has helped me to such a meeting I know. I have not
heard of my father for so long, and as time has gone
by my soul waits more impatiently than ever for
news from him. As I hear your words I am sure
you have definite knowledge of him. I pray you,
lord of the fairies, do not withhold anything, but give
a son the greatest comfort that can come to him. In
what height does my father dwell, please, and how is
he in health ? "

The fairy master smiled and said in reply : " Your
father and I have just had a game of draughts to-
gether on Cha-gak mountain peak, and only said
good-bye a little time ago ; but I cannot tell you
where he has gone. His face is not changed a whit,
nor has his hair grown grey, so you do not need
to be anxious about him,"

31

The Cloud Dream of the Nine

Yang replied in tears, saying : "I wish the noble
teacher would help me just once to meet my father.'-

But the master smilingly replied : " The love
between son and father is great, but still mortals
and the genii are of two different orders. I should
like to help you, but it is impossible. The hills
where the genii live are distant, and their ten pro-
vinces wide and far-reaching, so that it is impossible
to know just where your father dwells. Now that
you are here, stay for a time, and when the way opens
again it will be all right for you to go."

Though Yang heard that his father was well, still
the fact that the teacher had no intention of bring-
ing about a meeting beclouded his hopes ; tears
rained from his eyes and his goul was in deep dis-
tress. However, the holy man comforted him, saying:
" To meet and to part is one of life's common ex-
periences ; also to part and to meet again. Why do
you cry over the inevitable ? "

Then Yang brushed his tears away, thanked him
and sat down. The teacher pointed to a harp
hanging on the wall and asked : " Can you play
that instrument ? "

Yang replied : "I have some ear for music but
have never had a teacher, and so do not have a
practised hand."

The genius then had the harp brought, gave it to
Yang and told him to try.

Yang took it, placed it on his knees and played a
tune called " The Wind in the Pines."

The teacher, delighted, said : " You have skill
and are really worth teaching." He then took the
harp himself and taught him in succession four

32

A Glimpse of Chin See

different selections. The music of it was entrancing,
and such as no mortal had ever listened to before.
Yang was by nature a skilful hand at the harp and
had a well-trained mind, so that when he once caught
the spirit of it he was master of the mystery.

The genius sage, seeing this, was delighted, brought
out also his jade flute, and after playing a tune taught
it to Yang, saying : " Even among the ancients it
was rare indeed that two should meet who are masters
of music. Now I present this harp to you and this
jade flute. You will find use for them later on. Guard
them safely and remember what I have told you."

Yang received them, bowed low and spoke his
thanks, " Your humble servant's good fortune in
thus meeting the lord of the genii is due to my ex-
cellent father. He has led the way for me, and you
are my father's friend. How could I serve you other
than as I serve him ? I long to devote my life to you
as your disciple."

The teacher smiled and said in reply : " The
glory and honour of the world lie before you and
are urging you on. There is no withstanding their
power. It would never do for you to spend your
time here in the hills with me. Your world differs
from mine, and you were not intended for my dis-
ciple. Still your earnest thought I shall remember,
and I here present you with the book ' Paing cho-
pang ' in order that you may not forget my love for
you. If you once master this law, though you may not
attain to earthly immortality, still old age will be long
deferred."

Yang again arose, bowed low and received it,,
saying : " The great teacher has said that I am tO'

33 *"

The Cloud Dream of the Nine

enjoy riches and honour. I would like to ask about
my other prospects. I have just decided to arrange
marriage with the daughter of a gentleman of Wha-
eum county, but have been caught by this rebellion
and compelled to fly for my life, without definitely
deciding. Will this wedding turn out propitious or
not ? "

The teacher laughed loudly, saying : " Marriage
is a matter hidden in mystery and one must not talk
lightly of God's plans. Still several beautiful women
are destined for you, and so you have no need
specially for this daughter of Wha-eum."

Yang knelt and received this word and then went
with the teacher to the guest-room, where they
spent the night. Before the day dawned the genius
awoke Yang and said : " The way is now clear for
you to go, and the examination is postponed till the
coming spring. Your mother will be anxiously wait-
ing. Hasten back to her and quiet her faithful heart."
He gave him also money for the way.

Yang, after saying a hundred thanks, set out on
his journey, his harp with him, his flute, and his
sacred book. As he left the place the sadness of
departure was borne in upon his heart, so that he
turned to look back just once more, but already the
house and the genius were gone and only the day
remained with the white clouds sailing by, fresh
and clean.

When Yang entered the hills the willows were in
bloom and the catkins not yet fallen ; and now in a
single night the chrysanthemums were all aglow.
He asked concerning this, and was told that it was
the eighth moon of autumn. He went to seek the

34

A Glimpse of Chin See

inn where he had stayed, but it had passed through
a war meanwhile and was not the same at all. The
whole world seemed changed, in fact. A great crowd
of candidates was gathered and he asked about the
rebellion. They said that soldiers had been enlisted
from all the provinces and that the rebels had
been put down, that the emperor had returned to
the capital, and that the examination had been post-
poned till the next spring.

Yang went to see the home of Commissioner Chin,
but only the faded willows greeted him, as they
trembled in the wind and frost. Not a trace was
there left of its former beauty. The ornamented
pavilion and the whitened walls were but dust and
ashes. Stones, blackened with smoke, and broken
tiles lay heaped up in the vacated enclosure, while
the surrounding village was all in ruins. There were
no sounds of domestic life, no animals or birds.
Yang mourned over the transitory nature of life's
affairs, and how a happy agreement had ended
in desolation. He caught the willow branches in his
hands, and turning toward the evening sky sang
over the Willow Song that the maiden Chin See
had written. His tears fell and his heart was indescrib-
ably sad. There was no one from whom he could
inquire concerning the catastrophe, so he came back
to the inn and asked of the inn-master : " Can you
tell me what has become of the family of Commis-
sioner Chin ? "

The inn-master twisted a wry face, saying : " Has
not your Excellency heard what became of them }
The Commissioner, it seems, went up to the capital
on official business while his daughter and servants

35

The Cloud Dream of the Nine

remained at home. It turned out later, after peace
was restored, that Chin had been in league with the
rebels, and so he was arrested and beheaded. The
daughter was taken to the capital. Some say that
she too was condemned ; some that she had be-
come a yamen slave, and only this morning, seeing
a crowd of prisoners passing the door, I asked who
they were and where they were going, and was told
that they were slaves bound for Yong-nam, and
someone added that among them was Chin See, the
Commissioner's daughter."

Yang heard this, and was again cut deep with
sorrow. He remarked : " The master of the South
Hill said that marriage with Chin See would be like
groping blindly in the night. She is dead, I suppose,
and there will be no longer any possibility of in-
quiry." So he packed up his baggage and started for
his native province.

During this time, Yoo See, his mother, had heard
of the war and of the attack made on the capital,
and fearing lest her son should be in danger, she
called on God with all her heart, and prayed till her
face grew thin and her form poor and emaciated. It
seemed as though she could not physically long
endure it. Beholding her son return safe and sound,
she clasped him to her bosom, and wept as for one
who had been dead and come to life again, so trans-
ported was she with joy.

In their talks together the fading year departed.
Winter went its way and the spring came round,
and Yang once again made preparation for departure
to attend the examination.

Yoo See said : " Last year you experienced all

36

A Glimpse of Chin See

sorts of danger on your way, so that my soul still
trembles as I think of it. You are young yet, and
there is plenty of time for fame and fortune. Still I
must not forbid your going as your wish is mine
also. This Soojoo county is too narrow and isolated
for a scholar's world. No one here is socially your
equal, or with ability or bringing-up sufficient for
your companionship. You are now eighteen, and it
is high time that you decide lest you lose life's fairest
opportunity. In the Taoist Kwan (Temple) of the
capital I have a cousin, the priestess Too-ryon. She
has been a guide to the world of the fairy for many
a year, and yet she is still alive. Her appearance is
commanding and her wisdom very great, I am told.
She is acquainted with all the noted families, too,
and the nobility. If you give her a letter from me she
will treat you like a son, and will certainly assist you
in your selection of a helpmeet. Bear this in mind,"
said she, and wrote the letter.

So-yoo, hearing what his mother had said, told
of his meeting with Chin See of Wha-eum, and at
once his face clouded over with sorrow. Yoo See
sighed and said : " Even though Chin See was so
beautiful she was evidently not destined for you.
It is unlikely that a child of such confasion and
disaster could live. Even though she be not dead, it
would be very difficult to find her. Leave off vain
thoughts of her, I pray, and seek a wife elsewhere.
Comfort your mother and do as she desires."

The young man bade her farewell and started on
his way. He reached Nakyang[ii], and a sudden
storm of rain overtaking him, he made his escape
into a wine shop that stood outside the South Gate,

37

The Cloud Dream of the Nine

where he purchased a drink. He inquired of the
master, saying : " This is fairly good wine, but
have you no better ? "

The host said : "I have none other than this. If
you desire the best, however, you will find it sold at
the inn at the head of the Chon-jin Bridge. It
is called ' Nakyang Springtime.' One measure of
it costs a thousand cash. The flavour is very good
indeed, but the price is high."

Yang thought for a moment and said : " Nakyang
has been the home of the Emperor since ancient
time, a very busy and splendid city, such as the
world looks on as supreme. I went last year by another
road and so did not see its sights. I shall stop this
time to look through it."

38