Gildong found Mongdol one afternoon.
Mongdol had just finished his work.
"Want to play?" Gildong said.
"Sure," Mongdol said.
They went out with a wooden board.
Gildong stood on one end.
Mongdol was about to jump on the other.
Just then Inhyun stomped over.
"Out of my way," he growled, shoving Gildong away.
He looked at Mongdol on the other side of the board. "Jump, servant!"
"Tee-hee-hee. Yes, young master."
Mongdol leaped high into the air.
Then—bam! He slammed down on the board. bam!
Inhyun flew straight up into the tree branches. "Ahh!"
"Master Inhyun, please come down," Mongdol said. "Tee-hee-hee."
Inhyun kicked his legs wildly. Crack! Crack!
A branch broke, and Inhyun tumbled out of the tree.
"My leg!" he screamed in pain.
Lady Yoo rushed out.
"You're in big trouble!" she snapped at Gildong.
Later Gildong crept outside Inhyun's room.
He peered between the doors.
"Husband, look at our precious son's leg," Lady Yoo said.
"It's Gildong's fault," Inhyun said.
"He and that dumb servant tried to kill me."
Lord Hong frowned. "That doesn't sound like Gildong."
"Phew," Gildong thought. "Lord Hong trusts me at least."
He watched Lord Hong pace back and forth.
"But it's true, Father! It's true!" Inhyun said.
"Gildong and that servant are trouble.
You must punish them," Lady Yoo said.
Lord Hong sighed. "Fine. I'll send Mongdol away."
"My only friend," Gildong thought. His heart sank.
He hurried to the servants' quarters to warn Mongdol.
But Mongdol wasn't there.
Gildong looked everywhere.
"Tee-hee-hee." A laugh came from the gate.
"Mongdol!" Gildong ran over. "Did you hear the news?"
"I did not hear. Yet I already know."
"Huh?" Gildong was confused.
But Mongdol often said confusing things.
Gildong hung his head. "I guess this is good-bye."
Mongdol grinned. "No. We'll meet again soon. Tee-hee-hee."
He went through the gate and disappeared down the road.
"I'm all alone again," Gildong thought.
He looked down and kicked a stone.
A glimmer caught his eye. "What's this?"
Gildong saw a thin silver thread, like a spider's web.
The long thread led off in the direction that Mongdol went.
Gildong began to follow it.
The thread seemed to go on forever.
Gildong ran fast and far.
He leaped on tree branches and jumped over a stream.
Eventually he found himself high in the mountains.
Suddenly the thread disappeared.
"How strange," Gildong thought. "I wonder what that was."
