They landed on a secluded, grass lawn surrounded by a high wall. Far away, they could hear the sounds of a city; people and animals going about their daily business. But here, it was a green oasis, quiet and peaceful.

Young men, some in topknots and others with single braids, sat on their knees and wrote furiously at low tables. One young man stared blankly at the high, stone wall facing him and rocked silently back and forth, digging the toes of his black shoes into the ground. His eyes lit up. Abruptly, he stopped rocking. He removed a fine brush the size of a pencil from a jade-green porcelain holder. He briskly dripped water from the parrot shaped dropper into the powder on the yellow-green porcelain ink stone.

He stroked his brush across the stone to mix the ink. He rapidly painted Chinese characters on the rice paper lying on the short legged table in front of him.

"What happened? Did I step on the ribbon?" Charlotte asked.

"No. The ribbon decided it was time to move on," Sabumnim said. "We're in the Koryo dynasty. They've developed celedon ware. That's the porcelain pieces you see. It's often praised as the finest ceramic in the world. The colors, especially the jade green pieces, are incredible."One by one, the young men finished and handed their rice papers to one of several scribes kneeling near the wall. The scribes copied each paper, marked it with a fake name, made sure the ink was dry, rolled it and tossed it over the high stone wall.

"What in the world are they doing?" Jeffrey hooked his hands to the top of the wall, pulled himself up and watched.

Servants on the other side picked up the scrolls and handed them to a man sitting cross-legged on a thick mat under a maple tree. He wore a long, blue overcoat over his white, long-sleeved jacket and flowing trousers. The wings of the civil service hat fluttered gently in the breeze. He was surrounded by scrolls and a short, jade-green container holding brushes, the feathery bristle tips up.

He accepted the newest scroll and eagerly scanned the writing. He heard Jeffrey and looked up. The man glowered, and the tips of his long mustache wiggled. He crunched the scroll in his fist, leapt up and crossed the space between his mat and the wall with just a few quick strides. "Show more self-control!" He bopped Jeffrey on the head with the scroll.

"Whoops!" Jeffrey dropped to the ground.

"This method of tossing the test over the wall is supposed to prevent cheating," Sabumnim said.

"These are rich, young aristocrats who were born to the class. They are forerunners of the yangban of the Yi dynasty. These men have studied for years at the government's National University, learning how to write poetry and studying Confucian classics in Chinese. You saw the Chinese symbols on the warehouse windows. The Koreans don't have their own written language yet. These men have to take the civil service exam for government jobs because there aren't enough jobs to go around."

"Can we look around?" Charlotte said.

Sabumnim agreed.

The three toured the city. Buddhist temples and pagodas abounded. The stone pagodas bore a softer look than the sleek, straight-lined ones built during the Shilla dynasty.

"They're impressive," Jeffrey said, "but they aren't carved as finely as the ones built during the Shilla dynasty."

"Many artisans are being attracted to Confucianism, and they aren't building pagodas as much. However, Buddhism is still strong during the Koryo dynasty," Sabumnim said. "In fact, because monasteries were tax exempt, the Buddhists became very wealthy. They raised livestock, sold products, established granaries and made wine."

Armed Buddhist monks marched by the travelers. Swords hung prominently at their sides. Jeffrey excitedly tapped Sabumnim on the shoulder. "Did you see that? They're all armed and marching just like an army!"

"The monks have become so wealthy they need to protect their property, so they've trained monks as soldiers. They practice empty-hand fighting, too. And they've entered politics. The government sometimes uses Buddhist forces to put down trouble."

Men, women and children moved purposefully through the streets. A woman, balancing a straw basket on her head, walked gracefully by the travelers. Charlotte noticed a rounded bag made of knotted cord hanging around the woman's neck.

"It's a chumoni, a personal bag," Sabumnim said. "Since only men's vests had pockets, men and women wore these bags to carry things."

With a whoosh, the ribbon corralled Sabumnim and the children, cutting off their view. Its brilliant blue fabric grew in height with each new circle. Every fiber radiated strength and purpose as the ribbon whirled around and around.

Charlotte gaped at the ribbon imprisoning them. Its rapid movement encased them in their own little world. A section swirled close to her, inviting her to touch it. Hesitantly, she reached out, feeling the rich material slide under her fingers.

"Charlotte!" Jeffrey yelped. "Your hand!"

Charlotte stared. Her fingers had misted, turning into a shimmering shadow of flesh. She yanked her hand away from the ribbon; her fingers short stubs sticking out of her palm. Holding her breath, she watched the air above each finger waver and thicken, taking form. At last, her fingers reformed, and she heaved a sigh of relief. She felt them with her other hand.

"Not bad," Jeffrey said. "I'm going to try that." He leaned his head toward the ribbon.

Sabumnim laid a restraining hand on Jeffrey's shoulders and motioned him to sit down.

"The Koryo dynasty lasted from 918 to 1392 A.D." Sabumnim sat in the center and admired the ribbon's magnificence. "Under the leadership of Wang Kon, Taek Kyun grew and became an important part of military training. That is why the ribbon is so strong and beautiful now."

As suddenly as the ribbon rose and whirled, it slowed. Its upper edges wobbled and swayed wildly. The ribbon lost momentum and collapsed on top of them. For a brief second, disconnected arms and legs waved crazily in the air, then disappeared.

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