East Light and the Bridge of Fishes

Long ago in the north of Korea, a young man grew up in a king's palace, gifted with a bow beyond anyone else in the land.The people called him East Light, for his archery seemed to shine like the morning sun itself.But the more the crowds praised his skill, the more the king's heart filled with envy and fear.

Word reached East Light that the king now saw him as a rival, not a favorite, and might soon move against him.That very night, he gathered three trusted companions and rode south under cover of darkness.They rode hard for hours, until a wide, swift river rose suddenly in their path.

No bridge crossed the water, and no boat waited on either bank.Behind them, the pounding hooves of the king's horsemen grew louder with every passing minute.East Light reined in his horse at the water's edge, his three companions close behind him, trapped.

Raising his voice to the sky, he cried out, "I am the son of the sun — surely I was not born only to die on this riverbank!"Then he drew his bow and sent arrow after arrow flying into the river, until his quiver was nearly empty.For a long moment, nothing happened, and his companions feared the arrows had been wasted.

Then the water began to churn, and hundreds of fish rose to the surface, packed together side by side.Their broad backs formed a living bridge, strong enough to carry a man's weight from shore to shore."Quickly, follow me!" East Light shouted, and the four men ran across the bridge of fish just as the king's riders reached the bank.

The moment their feet touched dry land, the fish scattered and the bridge vanished beneath the current.The king's soldiers loosed their arrows across the water, but every shot fell short, and no horse could swim so wide a river.East Light and his companions walked on to the south, free at last, and in time he became a king in a new land of his own.