Page:The passing of Korea.djvu/514

 There are also what the Koreans call the mountain spirits. They are most like our angels of any of the Korean supernatural beings, but they are almost always represented as venerable men with long white beards. They live among the inaccessible peaks of the mountains and always in a state of bliss. Happy is the man who chances to catch sight of one of them. If a man lives an exemplary life, he may become a sin-sun and join this happy band among the hills, and many are the tales Koreans tell of the wonderful adventures of good boys among the haunts of these immortals. One of these is so like the story of Rip Van Winkle that we must give it space.

Paksuni was a wood-gatherer by profession, and his wife was a termagant. So long as he earned a day's wages he did not worry, but the woman was always scolding because he did not earn more, and raising a great disturbance whenever he happened to miss a day. One morning he took his jiggy on his back and started up the mountain-side to gather fagots as usual. It was very warm, and he sat down in the shade of a tree to cool off. What more natural than that he should doze off, and presently see through sleepy lids two venerable men approach, one carrying a chess-board and the other the bag of chess-pieces. They sat down beneath the shade and began the game, never deigning a glance in his direction. He watched the game as it proceeded with absorbing interest. It was the very best game of chess he had ever seen played. Finally one of the old men made a move and exclaimed, "Chang" (check). It was the first word that had been spoken, and it brought him to his feet. The old gentlemen disappeared like a flash, and left him looking about in vain for his axe and jiggy. The latter was gone, and nothing of the former remained but a rusty shred of iron. His clothes were in rags, and his beard had grown to his waist. He tottered down the mountain-side and entered the village. It all seemed changed. The faces looked unfamiliar. He stopped a man and asked if he could tell where a fellow named Paksuni lived. The man stared and answered that Paksuni had been