In the morning calm of Korea， when its peace andtranquillity truly merited its ancient name， “Cho-sen，”
there lived a politician by name Yi Chin Ho. He was a manof parts， and—who shall say？ —perhaps in no wise worsethan politicians the world over. But， unlike his brethrenin other lands， Yi Chin Ho was in jail. Not that he hadinadvertently diverted to himself public moneys， but thathe had inadvertently diverted too much. Excess is to bedeplored in all things， even in grafting， and Yi Chin Ho’sexcess had brought him to most deplorable straits.
Ten thousand strings of cash he owed the Government，and he lay in prison under sentence of death. There wasone advantage to the situation—he had plenty of time inwhich to think. And he thought well. Then called he thejailer to him.
“Most worthy man， you see before you one mostwretched，” he began. “Yet all will be well with me if youwill but let me go free for one short hour this night.
And all will be well with you， for I shall see to youradvancement through the years， and you shall come atlength to the directorship of all the prisons of Cho-sen.”
“How now？” demanded the jailer. “What foolishness isthis？ One short hour， and you but waiting for your headto be chopped off！ And I， with an aged and much-to-berespectedmother， not to say anything of a wife and severalchildren of tender years！ Out upon you for the scoundrelthat you are！”
“From the Sacred City to the ends of all the EightCoasts there is no place for me to hide，” Yi Chin Homade reply. “I am a man of wisdom， but of what worth mywisdom here in prison？ Were I free， well I know I couldseek out and obtain the money wherewith to repay theGovernment. I know of a nose that will save me from allmy difficulties.”
“A nose！” cried the jailer.
“A nose，” said Yi Chin Ho. “A remarkable nose， if I maysay so， a most remarkable nose.”
The jailer threw up his hands despairingly. “Ah， whata wag you are， what a wag，” he laughed. “To think thatthat very admirable wit of yours must go the way of thechopping-block！”
And so saying， he turned and went away. But in the end，being a man soft of head and heart， when the night waswell along he permitted Yi Chin Ho to go.
Straight he went to the Governor， catching him aloneand arousing him from his sleep.
“Yi Chin Ho， or I’m no Governor！” cried the Governor.
“What do you here who should be in prison waiting onthe chopping-block？”
“I pray Your Excellency to listen to me，” said Yi ChinHo， squatting on his hams by the bedside and lighting hispipe from the fire-box. “A dead man is without value. It istrue， I am as a dead man， without value to the Government，to Your Excellency， or to myself. But if， so to say， YourExcellency were to give me my freedom—”
“Impossible！” cried the Governor. “Beside， you arecondemned to death.”
“Your Excellency well knows that if I can repay the tenthousand strings of cash， the Government will pardonme，” Yi Chin Ho went on. “So， as I say， if Your Excellencywere to give me my freedom for a few days， being a manof understanding， I should then repay the Governmentand be in position to be of service to Your Excellency. Ishould be in position to be of very great service to YourExcellency.”
“Have you a plan whereby you hope to obtain thismoney？” asked the Governor.
“I have，” said Yi Chin Ho.
“Then come with it to me to-morrow night； I wouldnow sleep，” said the Governor， taking up his snore whereit had been interrupted.
On the following night， having again obtained leave ofabsence from the jailer， Yi Chin Ho presented himself atthe Governor’s bedside.
“Is it you， Yi Chin Ho？” asked the Governor. “And haveyou the plan？”
“It is I， Your Excellency，” answered Yi Chin Ho， “and theplan is here.”
“Speak，” commanded the Governor.
“The plan is here，” repeated Yi Chin Ho， “here in myhand.”
The Governor sat up and opened his eyes. Yi Chin Hoproffered in his hand a sheet of paper. The Governor heldit to the light.
“Nothing but a nose，” said he.
“A bit pinched， so， and so， Your Excellency，” said Yi ChinHo.
“Yes， a bit pinched here and there， as you say，” said theGovernor.
“Withal it is an exceeding corpulent nose， thus， and so，all in one place， at the end，” proceeded Yi Chin Ho. “YourExcellency would seek far and wide and many a day forthat nose and find it not！”
“An unusual nose，” admitted the Governor.
“There is a wart upon it，” said Yi Chin Ho.
“A most unusual nose，” said the Governor. “Never haveI seen the like. But what do you with this nose， Yi ChinHo？”
“I seek it whereby to repay the money to the Government，”
said Yi Chin Ho. “I seek it to be of service to Your Excellency，and I seek it to save my own worthless head. Further， I seekYour Excellency’s seal upon this picture of the nose.”
And the Governor laughed and affixed the seal of State，and Yi Chin Ho departed. For a month and a day hetravelled the King’s Road which leads to the shore of theEastern Sea； and there， one night， at the gate of the largestmansion of a wealthy city he knocked loudly for admittance.