The Renowned Maing

One day the Minister of State Maing Sa-song set off on a long journey south, dressed in plain clothes. On the way he was caught in the rain and turned aside into a roadside pavilion for shelter. A young scholar named Whang Eui-hon was in the pavilion, with his hands clasped behind his back, reading the poems written on the pavilion’s inscription board. He read for a long time and gazed about as if no one else were there. At last he turned to the old man and said, “Well, grandpa, do you understand the taste of verses like these?”

The famous Minister pretended to know nothing. He rose and said, “An old countryman like me? How could you expect me to know? Please tell me what they mean.”

“These verses were written by the great men of the past,” said Whang. “They wrote down what they saw and felt to inspire the people who would come after them. They are like pictures of the sea and the land, for there are living pictures in poetry, you know.”

“Indeed, how wonderful,” said the Minister. “But if it weren’t for men like you, how would I ever learn such things?”

A little later a long procession arrived: packhorses loaded with all kinds of goods, a great crowd of servants and attendants, tent poles, canvas bundles and other equipment. Surprised, Whang asked who all this belonged to, and to his amazement he learned that the old man was none other than Maing Sa-song himself. Without thinking, he dropped to his knees in a long, deep bow.

The Minister laughed. “That will do. There is no difference in the worth of mere men. They are high or low according to the thoughts that move them, but sadly, all of us are born with a proud heart. You are no ordinary scholar, so why be so proud to begin with and so humble now?” Then he took the young man by the hand, led him to his mat, sat him down, put him at ease and sent him on his way.

About this story

“The Renowned Maing” comes from Korean Folk Tales: Imps, Ghosts and Fairies, translated by James Scarth Gale in 1913. It is one of the short pieces in the book by the fifteenth-century writer Yi Ryuk, and its hero, Maing Sa-song, was a real and much-admired minister of the early Joseon court.

The anecdote is a gentle lesson about pride and humility. A young scholar shows off to a plain old traveler, and the traveler, who is far greater than he looks, answers with kindness instead of anger.

Read the original: Korean Folk Tales: Imps, Ghosts and Fairies (Project Gutenberg)

Best for ages 6–8 — a proud young scholar learns who the plain old traveler really is.

Would his lesson matter without the procession?

Whang changes his behaviour when he learns the traveller’s rank, but Maing questions both his earlier pride and his sudden humility. The lesson is therefore more demanding than “be careful, a stranger might be important”. The old man deserves courtesy before his servants arrive. Maing’s choice to put Whang at ease models the same courtesy toward someone who has embarrassed himself.

Rewrite the first greeting

Give Whang an opening question about the poems that would be respectful whether the traveller were a minister or a farmer. Read it beside his original greeting and identify what changed.

Talk about it

• Why did the Minister pretend not to understand the poems?
• How did Whang feel when he found out who the old man was?
• What did the Minister mean when he said people are high or low according to their thoughts?

Related stories

• The Fortunes of Yoo — a king who meets a scholar without giving his name
• The Propitious Magpie — another short piece by Yi Ryuk
• Whom the King Honours — another Korean tale of rank and respect