The Hat Ceremony Begins

Yoo Sang held his response, looked at Master So, and when the stone mason gave a small nod, the Sah Boo gave his answer. "None of you will be cleaning the Do Jang. Not this time. I have special tasks in mind for you. When Ji Ho and his fellow travelers arrived this morning, they brought work orders from the Emperor. Master So and Master Jung have been commissioned to prepare special materials for the royal court."

The three friends brought there heads up and looked at the three masters. None of the children could hide their joy at learning they would not be cleaning the Do Jang, and the news of the village masters being commissioned by the Emperor filled them with excitement. What kind of special projects would they be doing?

"And you mean we get to work on these materials?" Ah Won asked.

Again, Yoo Sang held his response until Master Jung smiled and gave an easy laugh. He nodded at Yoo Sang too and then returned to drinking his tea.

"It would appear so, Ah Won. But don't forget, this is a punishment for you three. I expect you will be working quite hard.” He leveled a stern look at the three friends before he continued. "Che Ju, you will be sent to work in the quarry. Ah Won, you will assist Master Jung in his practice, and you, grandson, will remain here."

"But grandfather, you said we wouldn't be cleaning the Do Jang!" Yong Tae knew as soon as he had spoken that he should have kept quiet, but it wasn't fair! His friends would be helping on special projects for the Emperor and he would be scrubbing floors.

"And you won't Yong Tae, unless you continue to press me. Now, you three are dismissed, I have much to discuss with the masters. You will begin your work with them at dawn tomorrow." Yoo Sang said. Then he added with a smile. "Today, you have a celebration to attend."

For Yong Tae, the celebration could not come soon enough. He left Che Ju and Ah Won as soon as they had left the Do Jang and ran as fast as he could back to his mother’s house. Shi Woo waited for him there and met him at the front door.

“Here, Yong Tae.” She passed him a box, wrapped in neatly patterned paper. “This is the hat I prepared for you. I hope you will like it.”

“Thanks Mom! But shouldn’t I wait until the ceremony?”

“Of course, the ceremony…” Shi Woo pulled the box back quickly. “I suppose we should wait for that. I will take this over to the Do Jang. You wash up and change into your good clothes.”

Yong Tae ran inside and quickly prepared for the ceremony. He had been so busy all day, that the significance of the event had kind of slipped to the back of his mind. Now, it was happening and he would receive his first hat.

In Kachisan Village, boys were not allowed to wear hats until their 3000th day, and after that, they were no longer considered just children. Today, Yong Tae would take the first step in the eyes of his fellow villagers towards being a man.

Fully dressed and washed, Yong Tae stepped out of his house and gasped. The villagers, including his grandfather, who now held the package from Shi Woo, were all gathered outside of Yong Tae’s house!