The Cloud Dream of the Nine

Chapter I
The Transmigration of Song-jin
THERE are five noted mountains in East Asia.
The peak near the Yellow Sea is called Tai-
san, Great Mountain ; the peak to the west,
Wha-san, Flowery Mountain ; the peak to the south,
Hyong-san, Mountain of the Scales ; the peak to the
north, Hang-san, Eternal Mountain ; while the peak
in the centre is called Soong-san, Exalted Mountain.
The Mountain of the Scales, the loftiest of the five
peaks, lies to the south of the Tong-jong River, and
on the other three sides is circled by the Sang-gang,
so that it stands high, uplifted as if receiving adoration
from the surrounding summits. There are in all
seventy-two peaks that shoot up and point their spear-
tops to the sky. Some are sheer cut and precipitous
and block the clouds in their course, startling the world
with the wonder of their formation. Stores of good
luck and fortune abide under their shadows.
The highest peaks among the seventy-two are
called Spirit of the South, Red Canopy, Pillars of
Heaven, Rock Treasure-house and Lotus Peak, five
in all. They are sky-tipped and majestic in appear-
ance, with clouds on their faces and mists around
their feet, and are charged with divine influences [i].
When the day is other than clear they are shrouded
completely from human view.
In ancient days, when Ha-oo restrained the deluge
that came upon the earth [2], he placed a memorial
stone on one of these mountain tops, on which was
The Cloud Dream of the Nine
recorded his many wonderful deeds. The stone was
divinely inscribed in cloud characters, and, while
many ages have passed, these characters are clear
cut as ever.
In the days of Chin See-wang [3], a woman of the
genii, named Queen Wee, who became a Taoist by
divine command, came with a company of angelic
boys and fairy girls and settled in these mountains, so
that she was called Queen Wee of the Southern Peak,
It is impossible to relate all the strange and won-
derful things that have been associated with these
mountain fastnesses.
In the days of the Tang dynasty a noted priest
came hither from India, and being captivated by the
beauty of the hills built a monastery on Lotus Peak.
There he preached the doctrines of the Buddha,
taught his disciples, and put an end to fearsome
demons and foul spirits, so that the name of Gautama
grew great in influence, and people bowed before it
and believed, saying that God had again visited the
earth. The rich and honourable shared of their abund-
ance, the poor gave their labour, and so they built a
wide and spacious temple. It was deeply secluded
and quiet, with a thousand and one beautiful views
encircling it, and a majesty and impressiveness of
mountain scenery for background that was unsur-
passed.
This preacher of the Buddha had brought with
him a volume of the Diamond Sutra, which he ex-
pounded so clearly that they called him Master of
the Six Temptations and the Great Teacher of the
Yook-kwan. Among the five or six hundred dis-
ciples that followed him there were some thirty well
4
The Transmigration of Song-jin
versed in the teaching, and far advanced. One, the
youngest of them, was called Song-jin, Without
Guile. His face was fair and beautiful to see and the
light of his expression was like running water. He was
barely twenty, and yet he had mastered the three
Sacred Books. In wisdom and quickness of percep-
tion he surpassed all the others, so that the Master
greatly loved him and intended later to make him his
successor.
As the Teacher expounded the doctrine to his
disciples, the Dragon King himself, from the Tong-
jong Sea, used to come in the person of an old man
dressed in white clothes to listen and learn. On a
certain day the Teacher assembled his pupils and
said to them : "I am now an old man and frail in
body, and it is thirteen years and more since I have
been outside the mountain gates. Who among you
will go for me to the Palace of the Waters and pay
my respects to the Dragon King ? " At once Song-
jin volunteered. The Teacher, greatly pleased at
this, had him fitted out in a new cassock, gave him
his ringed staff of the gods, and he set off briskly
towards the world of Tong-jong.
Just at this moment the priest who guarded the
main entrance to the monastery came to say that the
noble Lady of the Southern Peak had sent eight
fairy messengers to call, and that they were now
waiting before the gate. The Master gave command
that they be admitted, and they tripped across the
threshold in modest order, circling about three times
and then bowing and scattering the blossoms of the
genii. They knelt reverently and gave their message
from the Lady, saying : " The noble Teacher lives
5
The Cloud Dream of the Nine
on the west side of the mountain and I on the east.
While the distance is not great, and we are com-
paratively near as neighbours, still I am of humble
birth and am so busily occupied that I have never
come even once to the sacred temple to hear the
doctrine. I have no wisdom of my own to keep me
in touch with the good, but now I am sending my
serving maidens to pay my respects, and at the same
time to offer to your Excellency flowers of Paradise
and fairy fruits, along with some other gifts of silk,
which I sincerely trust you will accept as a token of
my earnest heart."
Each then made her presentation of flowers and
treasures to the Master. These he received and
passed on to his disciples, who had them placed as
offerings before the Buddha. With much bowing
and folding of the hands, according to the required
ceremony, he replied : " What merit has an old
man like me, I pray, to have such gifts as these pre-
sented to him ? "
He gave liberally to the eight maidens in return
and they set off lightly on their way.
They passed out through the mountain gate hand
in hand, talking as they went. Said they : " These
divine mountains of the south, being of one range
and having the same streams encircling them, once
upon a time were all within our own boundaries,
but since the setting up of the temple of the Great
Teacher certain limitations have shut us off from
freedom so that we have not seen the beautiful places
that were once our own. Now by the good fortune
of our Lady's commands we are here in this valley
at this lovely season of the year. It is early in the day.
6
The Transmigration of Song-jin
Let us take the occasion to go up to the heights and
have a breath of the sweet air of Lotus Peak, dip
our kerchiefs in the Hmpid water, sing a verse or
two and awaken our souls to the joy of Hfe. On re-
turning home we shall be the praise and envy of all
our sisters. Let us do this."
They set off, on their way looking down with
wonder at the rushing water, walking skilfully along
the giddy ridges and following the streams. At last,
on this happy day of the third moon they found
themselves on the stone bridge that spanned the
torrent.
All the flowers were in bloom ; the streams beneath
them sparkled with silvery brightness. There hung
a tent-work of flowers and leaves like a silken canopy.
The birds vied with each other in the beautiful notes
of their singing. The soft breezes awakened glad
and happy memories, while the beauty of the scene
held them spellbound.
Thus were the eight fairy messengers charmed as
they sat in delight on the bridge looking down at
the wonderful mirror of the streams that met and
sparkled in a crystal pool below. Their delicate
eyebrows and glowing bright faces shone forth,
reflected in the water as if seen in a famous picture
from a master's hand. They were so entranced that
they had no thought of going till the sun began to
descend toward the western hills and the day to
darken.
At this moment Song-jin crossed the Tong-jong
River and entered the Water Palace of the Dragon
King. His Majesty was greatly delighted at his
coming, stepped outside the gates to meet him, took
7
The Cloud Dream of the Nine
him by the hand, led him in and bid him share his
throne.
Song-jin made his obeisance and gave his message
from the Master.
The King in response bowed low and ordered a
feast of welcome to be prepared, at which were fruits
and dainties of the fairies in abundance, and of such
flavour as the dwellers in the hills alone know. The
Dragon King himself passed the glass and urged
him to drink. Song-jin several times refused, saying :
" Wine is a drink that upsets and maddens the soul,
and is therefore strictly forbidden by the Buddha,
so your humble servant must not partake."
But the Dragon King replied : " I am aware that
among the five things forbidden by Gautama wine
is one, but the wine that I offer is different altogether
from the maddening kind that men drink. It represses
the passions and quiets the soul. You will not mis-
trust my sincerity in offering it I am sure."
Song-jin, moved by this kindness, could not any
longer refuse, and he drank three glasses. He then
spoke his greeting and came forth from the Water
Palace, riding on the wind and sailing directly for
Lotus Peak.
When he had landed at the base of the hill the
influence of the wine was already manifest in his
face and a feeling of dizziness possessed him, so that
he reprimanded himself, saying : " If my honoured
Master sees me with this inflamed expression
how startled he will be and how soundly he will
chide me."
He sat down by the bank of the stream, put off
his outer garments, placed them on the clean sand
8
The Transmigration of Song-jin
and dipped his hands in the limpid water. Thus he
sat bathing his hot face, when suddenly a strange
and mysterious fragrance was borne toward him,
not the perfume of orchid or musk nor that of any
special flower, but something wholly new and not
experienced before. The soul of passion and un-
cleanness seemed dissipated by its presence, and a
purity indescribable seemed to remain. He said to
himself : " What wonderful flowers are these by
the side of this brook that such sweet perfume should
come floating on its wavelets ? I will go and see from
whence it comes,"
He dressed carefully, followed the course of the
stream upwards, and found the eight fairies seated
on the stone bridge so that they met suddenly face
to face, he and they.
Song-jin laid aside his pilgrim's staff and made a
deep, low bow, saying : " Ladies of the Fairies'
Paradise, hear what a poor priest has to say. I am a
disciple of the Master Yook-kwan and live on Lotus
Peak. Just now I am returning from a mission be-
yond the mountains on which he sent me. This stone
bridge is very narrow, and you goddesses being
seated upon it block the way ; will you not kindly
take your lotus footsteps hence and let me pass ? "
The fairies bowed in return and said : " We
attendants who wait on Queen Wee are on our return
from carrying a message of goodwill to the Master
of the Temple, and have stopped here for a little to
rest. We have heard that it is written in the Book of
Ceremony concerning the law of the road that man
goes to the left and woman to the right. Now as this
bridge is a very narrow one, and we are already seated
The Cloud Dream of the Nine
here, it would seem more fitting that you should
avoid it altogether, and cross by some other way."
Song-jin said in reply : " But the water of the
stream is deep, and there is no other way. Where do
you suggest that your humble servant should go ? "
The fairies repUed : "It is said that the great
Talma [4] came across the ocean on a leaf. Now if
you are a disciple of the Teacher Yook-kwan and have
learned the doctrine from him, naturally you will
have learned to do some such wonderful thing. There
surely will be no difficulty for you to cross this narrow
stream instead of standing here and disputing with
us girls about the way."
Song-jin laughed and said : " I see by your lady-
ships' behaviour that you ask that I pay some price
or other for the right to cross, but I have no money,
for I am only a poor priest. I have, however, eight
jewels which I will present to you if you will kindly
permit me to pass by."
At this he threw the peach blossom that he carried
in his hand before them and it became four couplets
of red flowers, and these again were transformed
into eight jewels that filled the place with sparkling
light, shooting up to heaven.
The fairies each picked up one ; then they looked
toward Song-jin, laughed in a delighted way, arose,
mounted the winds and sailed off through the air.
Song-jin stood at the head of the bridge and
watched them for a long time till they were lost in
the clouds and the sweet fragrance had melted away.
In loneliness, as though he had failed of his highest
hopes, he came back to the temple and gave his
message from the Dragon King to the Master.
10
The Transmigration of Song-jin
The Master reprimanded him for his late return,
and Song-jin said : " The Dragon King treated me
so liberally, sir, and his urgent request to stay was
so impossible to refuse, that I have been delayed
beyond the time."
The Master gave no direct reply, but simply said :
" Go away and rest."
Song-jin went back to his little hut of meditation
while the evening shadows closed down upon the
day. Since meeting with the eight fairies his ears had
been ringing with sweet voices, and though he tried
to forget their beautiful faces and graceful forms he
could not succeed. However much he endeavoured to
rein in his thoughts he found it impossible. His mind
was as that of a person half insane or half intoxicated.
He pulled himself together, however, and knelt
reverently, saying : " If a man study diligently the
Confucian Classics and then grow up to meet a king
like Yo or Soon, he can either become a general to
go abroad, or be a minister of state at home. He can
dress in silk and carry a seal of office at his belt ; can
bow before the king ; can dispense favours among
the people ; can look on beautiful things with the
eyes and hear delightful sounds with the ears. He
can have his fill of glory in this life, and can
leave a reputation for generations to come ; but we
Buddhists have only our little dish of rice and flask
of water. Many dry books are there for us to learn,
and our beads to say over till we are old and grey.
It may be high and praiseworthy from the point of
view of religion, but the vacant longings that it never
satisfies are too deep to mention. Even though one
gets to understand all the laws of the Mahayana

II
The Cloud Dream of the Nine
revelation, though one proclaims the same and finds
oneself exalted to the place of sage and teacher, when
once the spirit and soul dissipate into smoke and
nothingness, who will ever know that a person called
Song-jin once lived upon this earth ? "
So his thoughts wandered. He tried to sleep but
sleep refused to come. The hours grew late. Some-
times he closed his eyes for a little, but the eight
fairies persistently appeared before him in a row and
drove sleep far away. 'Then he suddenly realised
that the great purpose of Buddhism was to correct
the thoughts and the heart. *' I have been a Bud-
dhist for ten years," said he, " and I had well-nigh
succeeded in getting done with the world till this
deceitful mind of mine got itself tangled up to the
damage of my soul."
He burned incense, knelt, called in all his thoughts,
counted his beads, recalled to his consciousness the
thousand Buddhas that could help him, when sud-
denly one of the temple boys came to his window
and spoke, saying : " Elder brother, are you asleep ?
The Master is calling you."
Song-jin, in alarm, said to himself : " His calling
me in this unusual way in the middle of the night
can only mean something serious."
He went along with the boy to the Audience Hall
of the Buddha, where the chief had assembled all
the priests of the temple and was sitting in solemn
silence. His appearance was one to inspire fear and
question. The light of the candles shone brilliantly.
He spoke with great care, but with severe intonation.
" Song-jin, do you know how you have sinned ? "
Song-jin, who was bowed low, kneeling before the
12
The Transmigration of Song-jin
dais, replied : " I have now been a disciple of the
Master for ten years and more, and have never dis-
obeyed any command or any order concerning acts
of worship in which I have had a part. I am dark
and ignorant I know, and so am not aware of how I
have offended."
The Master said : " There are three things that
must be exercised in the ordering of one's acts,
namely, the body, the mind, and the soul. You went
to the Dragon King and drank wine, did you not ?
Again, on your way back by the stone bridge you had
a long and frivolous conversation with the messengers
of Queen Wee. You gave them each a flower and
made jokes and light talk. Since coming back, too,
you have not put these recollections from your mind
and heart, but instead have allowed yourself to be
entangled with worldly delights ; you have been
thinking of riches and honour with all the other
temptations of the earth, and have turned with loath-
ing from the doctrine of the Buddha. Thus your
three degrees of attainment have all fallen from you
in a single hour. You can remain here no longer."
Song-jin, overcome to tears, prayed for forgive-
ness. He said : " Great Master, I am indeed a sinner.
Still my breaking the rule regarding drink was be-
cause the king so forced and compelled me ; and
my talking with the fairies was only because I asked
of them the way. I had had no such intention in my
heart. Why am I thus condemned ? I will go back to
my cell, and though evil thoughts assail me I will
keep my spirit awake against them and overcome
their madness, so that a true mind will assuredly
return. I will bite my hands and I will repent of the
13
The Cloud Dream of the Nine
wrong I have done, and my heart will be restored.
It tells in Confucianism how one can thus return to
the right way. As I have sinned will my revered
Father not give me a flogging and set me right ?
This is what I understand to be the teaching of the
Buddha. Why should you drive me away from all
possibility of reformation ? I came to you when
I was only twelve years of age, gave up my parents
and relatives, cut my hair and took the vows of a
priest, and ever since have lived dependent on you.
It is just as though you had begotten me and brought
me up, and our love is as between an only son and a
father. My cell is the special meeting place of the
monastery, and my hopes are all here. Where shall
I go ? "
The Master said : " You desire to go and that is
what makes me send you off. If you did not desire
to go who would ever think of sending you ? You
ask ' Where shall I go ? ' I answer ' To the place
where you desire to go.' "
He then shouted : " Hither, Yellow Turban
Guards ! " Suddenly the commander of the guard
dropped from mid-air, bowed low and received his
orders.
The Master said : " Arrest this guilty man, take
him to Hades, hand him over to the King of Youma
and then come back to me."
When Song-jin heard this his spirit seemed to
depart from him, his eyes streamed over with tears,
he fell forward and cried out : " Father, father,
please hear me, listen to what I have to say. In olden
days the great teacher Aron entered the house of a
harlot and had intercourse with her, and so broke
14
The Transmigration of Song-jin
all the laws of the Buddha. Still the divine Sokka did
not condemn him, but took him in hand and showed
him more clearly the way. I am guilty of a lack of
care, but still as compared with Aron I am surely
less at fault. Why do you send me thus to Hell ? "
The Teacher replied : " Even though Aron fell
into sin, still his mind was repentant ; you, on the
other hand, have had but one sight of these seduc-
tive things and have lost all your heart to them. Your
thoughts are now turned to a life of pleasure and
your mouth waters for the riches and honours of
the world. If we compare you with Aron you are
worse by far. You cannot escape the sorrow and
distresses that lie before you."
Still Song-jin cried for mercy, and had no thought
of going, so that the stern Teacher comforted him
finally, saying : " While your mind remains un-
purified even though you are here in the mountains,
you cannot attain to the truth ; but if you never
forget it and hold fast you may mix with the dust
and impurities of the way, and your return is safe
and sure. If you ever desire to come back here I will
go and bring you. Depart now without doubt or
question."
There being no help for it, Song-jin made a low
bow before the Master, said good-bye to his priest
companions, and went along vsrith the constables of
Hell past the Look-out Pavilion till he came to the
outer walls, where the guards at the gate asked the
cause of his coming.
The constables repUed : "At the order of the
Teacher Yook-kwan we have arrested this guilty man
and brought him."
15
The Cloud Dream of the Nine
The soldier guards then opened the gates for
them. The constables reached the inner enclosure
and announced why Song-jin had been arrested.
The King of Hades had him brought in and then
spoke to him in the following way : " Honoured
Master, although you live in the Nam-ak Hills under
Lotus Peak, your name is, already on the incense
table before the great King Chee-jang [5] . I have said
to myself that hereafter when you are exalted to the
throne of the lotus all living creatures of the earth
will be greatly blessed thereby. For what possible
cause are you arrested and brought here thus in dis-
grace ? "
Song-jin, in confusion and shame of face, did not
reply for a long time. At last he said : " I met the
fairy maidens of Queen Wee on the stone bridge of
Nam-ak and failed to restrain my thoughts about
them. Thus I sinned against my Master and now I
await the commands of your Majesty."
The King of Hades sent a message by those who
waited on him to King Chee-jang that ran thus :
" The Teacher Yook-kwan of Nam-ak has sent me
one of his disciples under arrest by his Yellow Turban
constables in order that we may decide here in Hell
as to his guilt. As he is different from ordinary
offenders I am asking counsel of your High Majesty."
King Chee-jang replied : "A man who would
be perfect has his journey to make, and his return,
in order to accomplish all things in accord with his
own will and purpose. He cannot escape it, so there
is no use to discuss the matter."
Just as the King of Hades was about to decide,
two devil soldiers announced that the Yellow Turban
16
The Transmigration of Song-jin
guards, by command of Master Yook-kwan, had
brought eight more offenders, who were outside the
gate waiting. When Song-jin heard this he was
greatly alarmed.
The King then ordered them in, when, behold,
all the eight fairies of Nam-ak came haltingly over
the threshold, and knelt down in the court. The
King spoke, saying : " You fairy maidens of Nam-ak,
listen to me. Fairy folk live in the most beautiful
worlds that are known, and have joys and delights
beyond measure. How is it that you have come to
such a place as this ? "
The eight in great shame and confusion made
reply : " We were ordered by Queen Wee to go
and make inquiry of the Teacher Yook-kwan as to
his health and welfare. On our way back we met
with his disciple Song-jin, and because we talked
with him the Teacher said that we had defiled the
sacred precincts of the hills, and he wrote and asked
that we be sent to the place of the dead. All our hopes
and prayers are with your Majesty. Pray have mercy
upon us and let us go once again into the world of
the living."
The King of Hades then called nine messengers
who appeared before him. He ordered them in a low
voice, saying : " Take these nine and get them back
as soon as possible into the world of the living."
Scarcely had he finished when a great wind arose
and whirled about, carried off the nine into space,
drove them asunder, and sent them into the four
corners of the earth. Song-jin, following his leader,
was borne along by the wind, tossed and whisked
through endless space till he seemed at last to land
17 B
The Cloud Dream of the Nine
on solid ground. Then the tempest calmed down.
Song-jin gathered his scattered senses, and found
himself shut in by a range of hills with the waters
of a clear, beautiful stream running by. He also
saw inside a bamboo paling and between the shady
branches of the trees glimpses of thatched roofs, a
dozen or more. Two or three people were standing
and talking together. They said in his hearing : " The
hermit Yang's wife, now over fifty years of age, is
to give birth to a child, a marvellous thing indeed !
We have expected it now for some time, but no
infant's voice is yet heard, a somewhat anxious
circumstance."
Song-jin said to himself : " I am to be born again
among men, for now that I behold myself I have no
body, but am a spirit only. My body I left on Lotus
Peak, where it has already been cremated, and be-
cause I was so young I had no disciples to take my
saree [6] and safeguard them."
Thinking thus over his past his mind was dis-
tressed, when a messenger appeared and waved his
hand to him to come, saying : " This is So-joo town-
ship of Hoi-nam county, of the Tang Kingdom, and
this is the home of the hermit Yang. He is your father,
and his wife Yoo See is your mother. You are
destined from a former existence to be a son in this
home. Go in quickly and do not lose the favourable
moment."
At once he went in, and there the hermit sat with
his reed hat on his head and a rough hempen coat
wrapped about him. He had before him a brazier
on which he was preparing some medicinal drink,
the fragrance of which filled the house. In the room,
i8
The Transmigration of Song-jin
indistinctly, there were heard accents of suffering.
The messenger urged him on, saying, " Go in quickly
now," but as Song-jin still hesitated and delayed,
the messenger pushed him from behind and Song-
jin fell to the ground, when suddenly he lost con-
sciousness, seeming to pass into some great con-
vulsion of nature. He called, saying, " Save me,
save me ! " but the sounds stuck fast in his throat
and failed to find expression, so that they became
the cries of a little child only. The attendants quickly
informed the hermit that his wife had borne him a
beautiful son. He took the medicinal drink that he
had prepared, went close up to her and they looked
at each other with happy faces.
When Song-jin was hungry milk was given him,
and when his wants were satisfied he ceased to cry.
When first born his little mind still recollected the
happenings on Lotus Peak, but when he grew older
and learned to know of the love of his parents the
things of his former existence faded away, so that he
forgot them altogether.
When the hermit saw how handsome he was and
well gifted he stroked his little brow, saying : " This
child has indeed come from heaven to sojourn among
us," so he called his name So-yoo, Little Visitor,
while the special name given him was ChoUee,
Thousands of Miles.
Time that goes like running water saw him grow
as in the space of a moment to ten years of age.
His face was like the jade-stone and his eyes like the
stars of the morning. His strength was firm and his
mind pure and bright, showing him to be indeed a
Superior Man. The hermit said to his wife : " I am
19
The Cloud Dream of the Nine
originally not a man of this world, but because I was
united to you I have remained long among the dust
of this mortal way. My friends of the genii who live
on Mount Pong-nai [7] have sent me many messages
asking that I come. On account of your labour and
sorrow, however, I have refused, but now that God
has blessed us and given us a gifted son superior to
others in his attainments, on whom you can rely and
by whom in your old age you will assuredly see riches
and honour, I shall delay no longer to go."
On a certain day a number of the genii came to
escort him on his way. They rode some on the white
deer, some on the blue heron, sailing off toward the
distant hills. Though one or two letters came at in-
tervals from the blue sky, no traces of the hermit were
ever seen on earth again.
20
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.