Kwi-dong was a Corean boy born in the southern town of Nam-wiin in the "Garden of Corea." From infancy he was a Yang-ban of the Yangbans. He would rather sit with stick in hand and drone through the Thousand Character Classic any day than wear out sole-leather in the fascinating game of hop-scotch. He used to stay after school and polish off an extra score of characters nearly every day. There seemed no doubt that some time he would become a distinguished scholar.
On his tenth birthday an old friend of the family, who enjoyed the power of "seo ud sight," looked earnestly in the boy's face for a full ten minutes and then shook his head sadly.
"Bring me a piece of yellow paper," he cried.
Tt was brought, and on it he wrote the two characters #3) meaning "Three Dogs. He handed it to the boy and id When the great crisis in your life arrives and death seems unavoidable this red save you." Kwi-dong folded it carefully and put it away in the pouch whi hung at his belt. gone.
Tt was beginning to grow so dark that the characters blurred before his eyes. So he gathered up his books, backed out of the door so as to get his shoes on straight and stepped down to the ground. Just over the wall from the place where he stood was the house of a wealthy gentleman who was enjoying the height of Crean felicity—a quiet country life with nothing to disturb his studies.
The boy had not taken three steps Defore alittle white snow-fake of paper came drifting over this wall and fell at his feet. He stooped and picked it
addressed to him. He broke the seal up, 0, his amazement it was, " note and read the most astonishing missive that had eer fallen into his hands. It was from the young daughter of this neighbouring gentleman. Sve complained that she was kept all the time confined in the house while all the boys were allowed the freedom of the fields and forests. She had seen the studious boy over the wall and she felt xo lonesome that she had dured to brave her father's anger in suggesting that she and Kwi-dong become acquainted. If he was so minded she would hang a piece of cotton over the wall the following evening after school and he could grasp it and come over the wall.
Now this was highly improper, of course. It would have been so in any country, bue especially in Corea; but this little. girl meant no harm, She was simply so lone-nome that life seemed quite unbearable. Why should she be immured like a felon to spend her time in sewing and em: broidery without a single hour of congenial companionship. So she looked at it, and while we cannot commend her course we must sympathise a little with the causes which drove her to it.
But without moralizing on it unduly, we must notice that when the following evening came, Kwi-dong stayed after school as usual; but he was not as intent upon the classics as hitherto. A matter of more immediate interest claimed his attention. He was probably better aware than the girl of the difficulties into which compliance to her request might Jead them both, but Corean gallantry is of that quality which could not slight the invitation, however untoward might be the result. So finding the cotton cloth hanging over the wall, he grasped it with both hands and lightly sealed the barrier. He found himself in the presence beautiful and innocent child who greeted him shyly and led him into a pavilion where she regaled him with sweets and wine and played to him on her zither. So they passed an hour in harmless amusement. Each was deeply li essed by the other and when Kwi-dong went back over the wall he was determined that he would win this girl for his bride. Each evening he spent a happy hour with her, finding her intelligent and witty and she in turn finding in him her ideal of manly grace. But an hour was at hand. The boy had preserved the note he had received but one day he carelessly left it among some other papers in the school room, and it came under the eyes of the teacher, a young man of not the very highest reputation except for his scholarship, That afternoon the teacher dismissed the school promptly and sent the boys off hom though Kmi-dong was evidently anxious to stay and read.a few more pages. But the teacher's word was law and off he went.
'The next morning the air was rife with the rumour that a terrible crime had been committed. 'The young daughter of a leading citizen' had been stabbed to death in her own apartments. There was no clue to the perpetrator of this outrage. When Kwri-donyi heard of it he was heart-broken. From his happy dream of wedding th was rudely awakened. The cup had been dashed from his lips He was the most eager of them all in trying to find out who the criminal was. But to his horror his own teacher accused him of the crime and produced a shoe which he claimed to have found in the girl's spartment when the search patty were hunting for a clu Te was Koidongi's shoe. He was seized and thrown into jail. Deny it as he might, there was the damning evidence and when asked explain it he could only reply Whit can I say in the face of such evidence? Let me die, for I am evidently the man who killed her."
Influence was brought to bear upon the officials to mitigate the sentence, but no leniency could be shown.—Kwi-dong was Veyond doubt the man who did it and he must suffer the extreme penalty of the law. There could be no extenuation of the crime.
When the unfortunate boy was called Lefore the judge to receive his sentence he was told to speak out and say why he should not be executed. He replied "There is only one thing that puzzles me. When I was a child,' man who had the power of second sight' announced that when a crisis came in my life there was but one thing that could save me—namely this paper which I now deliver into the judge's hands, The judge took the sheet of yellow paper and, opening; read the curious words "Three Dogs." He turned it over but could find nothing more on it, He was greatly puzzled. He would gladly have found evidence which would' exculpate the boy but at last he shook his head. 1 do not see how this paper affects the case, but under the circumstances I do not wish to decide hastily, so I will take this paper and examine it more carefully and give judgment to-morrow."
As he sat, late that night, pondering deeply upon that seemingly senseless inscription, his favourite daughter happened to look over his shoulder at the two words, She asked her father what it was all about and when he was done she sai
This yellow paper stands for Huang "Why, the meaning is quite plain, which means yellow; the dog stands for Ka (4) and the three for sam (=), 50 all you have to do is to find a man named Huang Ku-sam and he will help you out of your difficulty."
This seemed far from probable, but the next morning when inquisition was made for one Huang Ku: sam it was found to be the name of the accused boy's teacher. This man was cited before the judge and, supposing that all was discovered, fell on his face and confessed that he was the murderer. He had entered the girl's apartments for evil purposes and when repulsed by het had stabbed her in a fit of passion.
Kwi-dong was thus cleared of all suspicion and the real criminal was brought to justice. The boy completed his studies and finally married the judge's daughter, whose cleverness had saved his life,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.