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Authors: Linda Sue Park
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held the coated piece of line and pulled it taut. Facing him, Young-sup held a plain piece of line. They crossed the two pieces and rubbed them against each other.
Young-sup's line began to fray almost immediately. After just a few sawing motions, his piece was cut through.
***
It was a triumphant pair that walked back from the hillside the next afternoon. Together they had coated an arm's length of Young-sup's line nearest the kite with the pottery-and-glue mixture and had let it dry overnight. They found that the cutting edge worked just as well in the air as it had in their room; Young-sup cut the lines of three kites in a row with no trouble.
As they were busy congratulating each other, Young-sup had a sudden, sobering thought.
"Brother. What if it's against the rules?"
"Against the rules?" Kee-sup stopped in his tracks. "I never thought of that. You mean, maybe someone has thought of this before and it's not allowed."
"We could ask."
"But if we ask another flier, and no one
has
thought of it before, maybe he'll steal our idea."
They stared at each other, their faces reflections of worry.
All at once Young-sup thrust his kite at his brother. "Hereâtake my kite. I'll see you at home in a little while."
He turned and ran off down the road.
"Where are you going?" Kee-sup called.
Young-sup turned back for a moment. "I've thought of someone I can ask."
***
"Honorable sir!"
Kite Seller Chung lifted his head. He was just leaving the marketplace after a busy day.
Young-sup rushed up to him, panting from his run, and bowed politely if hurriedly. The old kite seller smiled at his eagerness.
"What demon chases you, young flier?" he teased.
"No demon, sirâjust a question."
"A question for me, I take it."
Young-sup looked around them. The market was closing for the day, with many people brushing past them in their hurry to make last-minute purchases. He bowed again to the old man.
"I do not wish to delay you, sir. Perhaps we could talk as I walk beside you."
The old man cocked his head curiously and gestured his assent. They set out on the road away from the market and walked in silence until the crowds around them had thinned somewhat.
"Now, young flier. What is this question, the answer to which you believe I hold?"
"It's about the kite festival, sir. About the competition."
"Ahâthe kite fights." The old man's eyes lit up with keen interest.
"Yes, sir. It is said that there is little you do not know about them."
The kite seller nodded. "True enough. I have been watching them every year now for more than half a hundred years."
"Then you would know, sir, about the rules." Young-sup paused, his voice low and urgent. "My
brother has a new ... invention. We wish to use it at the fights, but we need to know if using it would be honorableâwithin the rules."
His companion frowned. "That is not one question, young flier, but two. Tell me about this invention."
Young-sup described what his brother had done and how it worked. The old man stroked his chin thoughtfully as he listened, but when Young-sup described how easily the pottery-coated line had cut the lines of three kites in a row, he let out a single shout of laughter.
"Ha! He is a clever boy, your brother. I remember him now. He used to come by my stall often enough last year, to ask questions about kite making. But I have not seen him for many months."
They walked on in silence, Young-sup fidgeting anxiously at the man's side. At last the kite seller asked a question.
"Could anyoneâa flier without skill, for instanceâcut down a kite with this special line?"
Young-sup shook his head. "No, sir. The kite must be controlled correctly, and the motions to cut the line must be precise. It's just quicker, that's all."
The man stopped walking and faced the boy.
"Then here are my answers. Is this invention within the rules? Yes. There is nothing that forbids it."
Young-sup drew a quick breath. The kite seller raised his
Young-sup's line began to fray almost immediately. After just a few sawing motions, his piece was cut through.
***
It was a triumphant pair that walked back from the hillside the next afternoon. Together they had coated an arm's length of Young-sup's line nearest the kite with the pottery-and-glue mixture and had let it dry overnight. They found that the cutting edge worked just as well in the air as it had in their room; Young-sup cut the lines of three kites in a row with no trouble.
As they were busy congratulating each other, Young-sup had a sudden, sobering thought.
"Brother. What if it's against the rules?"
"Against the rules?" Kee-sup stopped in his tracks. "I never thought of that. You mean, maybe someone has thought of this before and it's not allowed."
"We could ask."
"But if we ask another flier, and no one
has
thought of it before, maybe he'll steal our idea."
They stared at each other, their faces reflections of worry.
All at once Young-sup thrust his kite at his brother. "Hereâtake my kite. I'll see you at home in a little while."
He turned and ran off down the road.
"Where are you going?" Kee-sup called.
Young-sup turned back for a moment. "I've thought of someone I can ask."
***
"Honorable sir!"
Kite Seller Chung lifted his head. He was just leaving the marketplace after a busy day.
Young-sup rushed up to him, panting from his run, and bowed politely if hurriedly. The old kite seller smiled at his eagerness.
"What demon chases you, young flier?" he teased.
"No demon, sirâjust a question."
"A question for me, I take it."
Young-sup looked around them. The market was closing for the day, with many people brushing past them in their hurry to make last-minute purchases. He bowed again to the old man.
"I do not wish to delay you, sir. Perhaps we could talk as I walk beside you."
The old man cocked his head curiously and gestured his assent. They set out on the road away from the market and walked in silence until the crowds around them had thinned somewhat.
"Now, young flier. What is this question, the answer to which you believe I hold?"
"It's about the kite festival, sir. About the competition."
"Ahâthe kite fights." The old man's eyes lit up with keen interest.
"Yes, sir. It is said that there is little you do not know about them."
The kite seller nodded. "True enough. I have been watching them every year now for more than half a hundred years."
"Then you would know, sir, about the rules." Young-sup paused, his voice low and urgent. "My
brother has a new ... invention. We wish to use it at the fights, but we need to know if using it would be honorableâwithin the rules."
His companion frowned. "That is not one question, young flier, but two. Tell me about this invention."
Young-sup described what his brother had done and how it worked. The old man stroked his chin thoughtfully as he listened, but when Young-sup described how easily the pottery-coated line had cut the lines of three kites in a row, he let out a single shout of laughter.
"Ha! He is a clever boy, your brother. I remember him now. He used to come by my stall often enough last year, to ask questions about kite making. But I have not seen him for many months."
They walked on in silence, Young-sup fidgeting anxiously at the man's side. At last the kite seller asked a question.
"Could anyoneâa flier without skill, for instanceâcut down a kite with this special line?"
Young-sup shook his head. "No, sir. The kite must be controlled correctly, and the motions to cut the line must be precise. It's just quicker, that's all."
The man stopped walking and faced the boy.
"Then here are my answers. Is this invention within the rules? Yes. There is nothing that forbids it."
Young-sup drew a quick breath. The kite seller raised his
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