Flowers and Ferns

Once upon a time there was a river. On one side of the river lived a town of cats. On the other side of the river lived a town of dogs. Across the river, there was an old stone bridge that no one dared to use.

Cats and dogs did not like each other. Dogs did not understand how cats could be so free and so heartless, and cats did not understand how dogs can live such restricted and passionless lives.

The cats lived freely among the treetops in the forest, while the dogs lived in brick homes in rows of brick homes, lined with shops. Dogs were appalled at their indecency, for cats never wore clothing. Cats were appalled by their systems, their paperwork and their endless rules--how did dogs ever get anything done?

They were simply too different. They could never understand each other. Over the years, they stopped seeing each other, stopped trading.

“Cats will cheat you! They'll rob you blind!”

“Dogs will suffocate you in rules! They'll take all your freedom!”

Now, no one went near the bridge.

At the end of one row, there lived a friendly Jindo dog by the name of Wheein. She was a doctor, and she was kind to everyone. Every dog knew of her, and loved her dearly. She never refused anyone in need, and never judged. Sometimes, she liked to gather herbs for medicine, and she was the only dog to go near the bridge. Many people warned her. You might meet a bad cat, they said. They’ll rob you, they said.

Wheein never listened. She had been listening to these warnings since she was a pup, and so far the cats have never been bad to her. Besides, she rarely saw them anyway.

One particular morning, Wheein went out with her basket. She greeted her neighbours and smiled at the other dogs as she passed through the streets. It was a sunny day, and she was so happy that she felt like singing. As she skipped along the cobblestone paths, she sang a happy song.

She passed through the streets, the rows of brick houses, and eventually arrived at the river. She walked along the river, picking flowers and ferns along the way. Then she came across the bridge, and she looked past it to the other side. She had never been on the other side before.

The grass looked greener over there, and she wondered what kind of herbs there might be on the other side. There was no one there, no cats for as far as the eye could see. Surely, nobody would mind if she simply picked a few flowers. A few pretty ones were growing just by the bridge.

She looked around. She looked over her shoulder. Then, one paw forward, she stepped onto the bridge. The first step made her feel very brave, and the rest of the steps came easily after that.

She bent down and picked the pretty flower. Ah, but, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a bush of beautiful purple flowers, like little puppies’ tails hiding in the bushes. She had only ever seen them before in books, and they were supposed to be good for nausea. They were just a little further into the forest. Perhaps no one will notice if she just took a few.

Suddenly, she heard a voice calling from a bush nearby.

“Is there anybody there?” it said. “Can somebody help me?”

“Where are you?” Wheein called back. She dropped her basket, and searched through the foliage.

“I’m over here! Near the nettles! Help me, please, I can’t get up.”

Wheein pulled her sleeves over her paws, and pushed the leaves back. She gasped, when she saw a beautiful cat lying injured on the forest floor. The cat stared up at her, shocked. She didn’t expect her rescuer was a dog!

But Wheein did not hesitate. She lifted the cat up and carried her to a safe, open area by the river. She went back to retrieve her basket, where she kept the lady fern she found earlier. The cat did not say anything while Wheein applied the fern to the rash on her arms and legs, but only watched as her tail flicked back and forth.

“What are you doing here?” The cat asked in a haughty voice. “I thought dogs only knew how to follow rules. Didn’t you know that this side belongs to us?”

Wheein huffed. Though she did not want to believe that cats were heartless creatures, she was surprised that this cat did not even thank her. Perhaps she is just grumpy and did not mean to be rude, Wheein thought. Maybe they could be friends. She had always wanted to be friends with a cat.

“I came to pick flowers,” she told the cat. “What is your name?”

The cat eyed her suspiciously. “Hwasa. What's yours?"

"My name is Wheein," said Wheein.

"Are you going to take my freedom away?” Hwasa asked.

Wheein shook her head. Cats had such absurd ideas! “Of course not! How would I do that?”

Hwasa shrugged. “The elders tell us dogs don’t like freedom.”

“My teachers tell me that cats will rob me because there are no rules. Will you rob me, Hwasa?”

Hwasa tilted her head, and looked at her with twinkling gold eyes. “Cats don’t rob people.”

“And dogs don’t steal freedom,” Wheein said with a smile.

Hwasa smiled and offered a paw. “Thank you, Wheein,” she said.

Wheein took her paw in one of her own and held it shyly. “Will you be my friend, Hwasa?” she asked.

Hwasa agreed and they spent the rest of the afternoon picking flowers and ferns along the river.

Wheein and Hwasa met every day for a long time. They picked flowers, read books, and laid in the sun. They became the best of friends, maybe even more, and wished that they could spend the rest of their lives together like this.

But the peace did not last.

One day, a passing merchant dog saw Wheein laughing by the river with Hwasa. Hwasa had laid her head in Wheein’s lap, and was passing flowers to her from a bundle on her chest as Wheein weaved them into flower crowns.

The merchant, appalled by the sight, ran back to the town and told everyone what he had seen. When Wheein got home that night, the whole town was waiting for her in front of her house. They yelled at her and threatened her.

“I can’t trust a doctor like you!”

“How dare you betray your own kind!”

The mayor stepped forward with a grim look on his face. “We will forgive you if you stop seeing her,” he said, “or I will not hesitate to lock you up. You are setting a bad example for our children.”

Wheein didn’t want to go to jail, but she could not stand the thought of never seeing Hwasa again. “Cats are not evil!” she cried.

“They take, they steal, and they scoff at law and order, the very foundation of society! How dare you say that those heartless creatures, who do not even have the decency to wear clothing, are not evil?” The mayor bellowed.

“Cats do not steal! They have hearts! I see it every day,” Wheein cried. “Just because they are different from us does not mean they are evil. Just because they have different laws does not mean they do not care about society!”

But the dogs did not listen. They arrested Wheein and put her in jail.

The next day, Hwasa went to the river to meet Wheein, but she was not there. She waited until night fell, but still Wheein did not show up. And so, with a heavy heart, she went home.

On the second day, Wheein did not show up again. It was raining. As Hwasa waited for her friend in the treetops, she rubbed her eyes and told herself not to cry. There must be a reason Wheein did not show up.

On the third day, Hwasa felt her heart break when Wheein did not come. Did she get tired of her? She wondered. Little did Hwasa know how much Wheein was missing her in her tiny brick cell.

On the fourth day, Hwasa was tired of waiting. She had not slept all night because she refused to believe Wheein would abandon her without a word. She was full of hurt and confusion as she crossed the bridge. She was full of anger and frustration as she marched into the town.

The dogs could not believe it. Mothers covered their children’s eyes. Several shopkeepers dropped their blinds, while some openly gaped at the unexpected newcomer.

“Where is my Wheein?” she demanded, baring her fangs at a frightened passer-by.

He swallowed. “I won’t tell you!” he said.

Hwasa spread her paw and revealed five sharp claws. “Where is my Wheein?” she asked again. Seeing the claws, he quickly told her where she was, and directed her to the prison. Once Hwasa let him go, he ran straight to the mayor’s house.

Almost immediately, Wheein’s face appeared between the bars. Her eyes were red from crying, and her fluffy hair looked matted. “Hwasa!” she said with a sniffle. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to rescue you,” Hwasa replied.

“It’s too dangerous! You need to get out of here while you still can!” Wheein cried.

But it was too late. Every dog in town surrounded Hwasa, armed with sticks and bats and pitchforks. “Surrender, cat,” the mayor said.

Hwasa refused. “I would rather die than give up on Wheein."

"You cannot win, you monster. How dare you come into our town and threaten our people?" The mayor said.

"How dare you split us apart when we did no harm?" Hwasa challenged.

The mayor shook his fist, and yelled, "I'd rather keep you apart than have you spreading your lies and your indecent ways among our children!"

"You would rather imprison your own than acknowledge your mistakes, yet you call us the heartless monsters,” Hwasa said, standing her ground. “You would rather watch Wheein suffer than learn to face your own prejudices! She is your doctor, and without her your children will also suffer, but still you don’t care, do you?”

Several dogs lowered their weapons.

“All you care about is teaching your children to hate the things that are different,” Hwasa finished.

As she spoke, the mayor got angrier and angrier. Finally, he had enough. “Get her!” he cried, pointing a finger at Hwasa.

“No! Please!” Wheein wailed from above. “Don't hurt her!”

Several villagers raised their weapons, but some stood still. Those who stood looked at each other, then, as if in unison, dropped their weapons at their feet.

“Fools, what are you doing?” The mayor said angrily.

“Wheein saved my son,” a mother said. “I won’t watch her suffer.”

“She will pollute your son with her actions! Is that what you want?” Another woman cried.

“Wheein is good. She would not do things like this without good reason,” a man said. The crowd murmured amongst themselves. Several more dropped their weapons.

“What is it you want, cat?” someone finally asked. The mayor’s son stepped forward. He was a younger dog, not quite a puppy, not quite fully grown. “Why are you here?”

Hwasa smiled at him, and though her fangs glinted in the sunlight, they did not look menacing then. Her face was full of happiness as she looked up at Wheein. “My only wish is to be with Wheein,” she said. “That is all I want.”

“But you know that a dog and a cat cannot be together,” the mayor’s son said. “Why do you put yourself in danger?”

“We have been together every day for a long time” Hwasa said patiently. “These days have been the happiest day of my life. Yes, we are of two different worlds, but we love each other, and that is all that matters to me. I cannot speak on behalf of my people, but I am just a simple cat.”

“Will you take Wheein away from us?” a woman said.

Hwasa shook her head, and looked up to meet Wheein’s eyes, which were full of tears. “I wish that we may build a house on the river together and live in peace.”

“I beg you,” Wheein said, “open your hearts and let us free.”

The mayor stomped and yelled, and told everyone not to believe their lies, but the people looked at Wheein and Hwasa with sympathy. The kind doctor and the stranger made a strange pair, but they looked at each other with such love. Such love could not possibly be a bad thing, they thought.

In the days that followed, Hwasa tried to make peace with the dogs. She brought her friends to the edge of the river, and begged Wheein to do the same with her friends. They looked at each other, and saw that they were not so different. From these sparse encounters, friendships grew. They looked past what they were taught to  believe, and learned that the bridge was a blessing, not a curse.

Hwasa and Wheein built their cabin over the river, and a new bridge was formed between the two sides. Hwasa was a gifted assistant, and even the most wary of patients came to seek their aid. The dogs and cats came together under that roof, and it wasn’t long before it became a common occurrence.

On their leisurely days, Hwasa and Wheein continued to pick flowers and ferns, and stroll down the river hand-in-hand.

They lived in peace, and happily ever after.