Jason Weiser

Hangul came from heaven itself, from the brush of the Jade Emperor.

You see, I knew that if our way of writing remained as it was, with the Hanja characters that come from China and its poor fit with our language here, the average person would never understand it.

So I brought it up with the ministers and the nobles.

And you know what they said?

No, it wouldn't change.

It worked well enough for them, so it worked well enough.

It would take a sign from heaven for Korea to have a new alphabet.

The Jade Emperor must have heard because the next day when they walked out in the garden, the worms and the flies and other insects on 24 different leaves formed my new alphabet.

Nature itself was showing us the way.

Couldn't ask for a better sign than that.

King Sejong looked at the young man and laughed at the obvious incredulity on the student's face.

No one saw me, a king, painting honey on leaves to attract the worms, King Sejong laughed.

Now, though, we have a writing system that a wise man can learn in a morning and even the worst of students can learn in a week.

The king stood and the young man rose with him.

Everyone needs a little help.

I read your verses in your house.

You deserve to be here.

And it's a travesty that it took so long because you couldn't afford paper and brushes, even more so because you were caring for your father.

The king gestured to the door.

Those men write the rules and then call them fair.