[Kim Yu was the son of a country magistrate who graduated with literary
honours in 1596. In 1623 he was one of the faithful courtiers who
joined forces to dethrone the wicked Prince Kwang-hai, and place In-jo
on the throne. He was raised to the rank of Prince and became, later,
Prime Minister. In the year 1624, when Yi Kwal raised an insurrection,
he was the means of putting it down and of bringing many of his
followers to justice. In 1648, he died at the age of seventy-seven.
In the last year of Son-jo the King called his grandchildren together
and had them write Chinese for him and draw pictures. At that time
In-jo was a little boy, and he drew a picture of a horse. King Son-jo
gave the picture to Yi Hang-bok, but when the latter some years later
went into exile he gave the picture to Kim Yu. Kim Yu took it, and
hung it up in his house and there it remained.
Prince In-jo was one day making a journey out of the Palace when he was
overtaken by rain, and took refuge in a neighbouring gate-quarters. A
servant-maid came out and invited him in, asking him not to stand
in the wet, but Prince In-jo declined. The invitation, however, was
insisted on, and he went into the guest-room, where he saw the picture
of a horse on the wall. On examining it carefully he recognized it as
the picture he had drawn when a lad, and he wondered how it could have
come here. Kim Yu then came in and they met for the first time. Prince
In-jo told him how he had been overtaken by rain and invited in. He
asked concerning the picture of the horse that hung on the wall, and
Kim Yu in reply asked why he inquired. Prince In-jo said, "I drew that
picture myself when I was a boy." Just as they spoke together a rich
table of food was brought in from the inner quarters. Kim Yu, not
knowing yet who his guest was, looked with wonder at this surprise,
and after Prince In-jo had gone, he inquired of his wife why she
had sent such delicious fare in to a stranger. The wife replied,
"In a dream last night, I saw the King come and stand in front of our
house. I was just thinking it over when the servant came in and said
that some one was standing before the door. I looked out, and lo,
it was the man I had seen in my dream! so I have treated him to the
best of hospitality that I was able." Kim Yu soon learned who his
caller had been, and became from that time the faithful supporter of
Prince In-jo, and later helped to put him on the throne.
After In-jo became king he asked privately of Kim Yu where he had
got the picture. Kim Yu said, "I got it from Prince Yi Hang-bok."
Kim Yu then called Yi's son and inquired of him as to how his
father had got it. The son said, "In the last year of King Son-jo
he called my father along with all his grandchildren, and showed him
the writings and drawings of the young princes. My father looked at
them with interest, but the King gave him only one as a keepsake,
namely, the drawing of the horse." In the picture there was a willow
tree and a horse tied to it. Kim Yu then recognized the thought that
underlay the gift of the picture, namely, that Prince Yi Hang-bok
should support In-jo in the succession to the throne.]