"No written homework?" Mi Soon could hardly believe her ears. She looked around her third grade classroom. The boys were shouting, "Hooray!" The girls were smiling and whispering to each other. The teacher was quietly letting them enjoy the moment.

Every night, the children spent hours at home writing Korean words. They also worked many math problems. After they were done with all their homework, they were eager to tumble into bed. It was hard for Mi Soon to stay awake long enough to hear a story from the book her mother and father loved to read to her.

But tonight, they would have nothing to write! "How kind this teacher is!" thought Mi Soon. After the communists took over North Korea, many classrooms got new teachers. Mother and Father were worried about what this might mean. Mi Soon couldn't wait to tell them about the teacher's kindness! Maybe that would stop them from worrying.

"Children, children!" The teacher was rapping on her desk with a ruler. "Tonight, instead of writing your homework, I want you to play a game!" the teacher said. "It will be like a secret treasure hunt!"

The children got quiet and listened. They liked games.

"When you go home tonight," the teacher began, "I want you to look for a black book. Some of your mothers and fathers read this book to you before you go to sleep."

Mi Soon's eyes got wide. She was so surprised! How did the teacher know about the bedtime storybook? The teacher must be very smart as well as kind.

"Sometimes this book is hidden," the teacher was saying. "You may have to search for it. But don't tell your parents what you are looking for! It's a secret!"

Mi Soon had never kept secrets from her mother and father. For a minute, she wondered if it was a good idea to start now. But she was sure this nice teacher knew what was best. And besides - it was just a game.

"When you find the book, " the teacher went on, "bring it to school tomorrow. Whoever does a good job on this homework will get a wonderful prize!"

"A prize!" Mi Soon thought. "I've never gotten a prize for homework before!" Sometimes some of the other children got prizes for very neat handwriting or perfect math work. Mi Soon's work was always good, but never the best. She couldn't wait to get home and start on the homework game....

The Book

Mi Soon ran all the way home after school. Then she wished she hadn't gone so fast. There was nothing to do but wait until her parents went to bed so she could look for the book.

At supper, Mi Soon told her mother and father how much she liked the new teacher. "She is very wise!" Mi Soon told them. But she didn't tell them about the homework game.

Mi Soon got ready for bed early. Her parents were surprised. "We thought you wouldn't be tired tonight since you had no homework," said her mother. As Mother tucked Mi Soon warmly in her bed, Father went to the kitchen to get the book. Mi Soon listened carefully. She heard a strange scraping. It didn't sound like a drawer opening. It wasn't a cabinet door. Where could Father be keeping the book?

Father came back with the book and sat beside Mi Soon's bed. "Would you like to choose a story tonight?" he asked Mi Soon. Mi Soon thought and thought. She liked the story about the man in the big boat with the pairs of animals. The one about the man in the den with the hungry lions was exciting, too. What would she choose?

"I know!" she said. "Read me the one about the people who were in a little boat when a big storm came. They were scared, but the man called Jesus told the storm to be still!"

Mother smiled. "That's a good story, Mi Soon. I'd like to hear that one, too." Father read the story, then Mi Soon's parents kissed her and told her good night. She listened as Father put the book away. Again she heard the strange scraping sound. "If I can figure out what that sound is, " she thought, "it will help me find the book."

It seemed like such a long time until her mother and father went to bed! But Mi Soon had no trouble staying awake. She was too excited to sleep. She thought about how happy her parents would be when she brought her prize home.

At last her parents went to bed. Mi Soon waited a few more minutes. Then slowly she crawled out of bed and tiptoed to the kitchen. This would be the hard part of the game. Where would the book be hidden?

Suddenly, a stone in the kitchen wall caught her eye. It was not in line with the other stones. It stuck out too far. Mi Soon pushed the stone gently. It moved - with a scraping sound! Ever so slowly and quietly, Mi Soon pulled the stone out of the wall. As she had guessed by this time, the book was hidden behind the stone in the wall.

Mi Soon took the book out of the hole in the wall and carefully replaced the stone. She sneaked back to her room, trying very hard not to make any noise. Safely in her room, she put the book in her school bag. Happily, she snuggled under her covers and went to sleep. Tomorrow would be a wonderful day!

The prize

The next day, school was even better than Mi Soon had thought it would be. Only 14 of the 60 students in the third grade class had done a good job with the homework. At a big meeting in the school gym, each of the 14 was called up to the stage to be honored. All day, they were treated like princes and princesses. Best of all, they each received a big bright red flag and a red scarf to keep.

Many of the children at the school wore red scarves. They got the scarves when they joined the communist children's club that met after school. But Mi Soon didn't have one. Her parents had said they wanted her to come home after school. Mi Soon liked to please her mother and father, so she didn't join the club. But now she had a red scarf and a red flag!

Mi Soon ran home from school even faster than she had the day before. Her new scarf was around her neck and she carried her flag. "Mother, Mother!" she called when she reached her house. "LOOK WHAT I GOT!" But mother wasn't in the kitchen. "That's funny," thought Mi Soon. "Mother is always in the kitchen fixing supper when I get home."

Mi Soon ran from room to room in the small house calling for her mother, but the house was empty. "Of course, " thought Mi Soon. "Mother is in the barn doing the evening chores early." Mi Soon ran across the yard to the barn. "Mother!" she called as she burst into the barn. "Come and see my wonderful prizes!"

But Mother wasn't in the barn, either. "How strange," Mi Soon said out loud to no one. She walked back to the house, planning how she would hang up her flag to surprise Mother and Father when they got home.

Mi Soon changed into after-school clothes and hung the flag on the wall by the front door. She washed her face and hands for supper. She even worked some of her math problems for school the next day. But still Mother and Father didn't come home. "I'm so hungry!" cried Mi Soon.

She lay on her bed. Tears fell on her pillow. Soon she was asleep. Staying up late the night before to find the book and all the excitement of the day had made her very tired.

A Sad Time

When Mi Soon woke up, the sun was coming up. "What a dream I had!" she said. "I dreamed I was all alone in the house." Sleepily, Mi Soon went to the kitchen to eat breakfast. No one was there! It wasn't a dream! She was all alone!Mi Soon ran fearfully to the front door. Three policemen were walking to the house. The policemen packed all of Mi Soon's clothes and books, and even her new flag. They took her to a government home to live.

When Mi Soon woke up, the sun was coming up. "What a dream I had!" she said. "I dreamed I was all alone in the house." Sleepily, Mi Soon went to the kitchen to eat breakfast. No one was there! It wasn't a dream! She was all alone!Mi Soon ran fearfully to the front door. Three policemen were walking to the house. The policemen packed all of Mi Soon's clothes and books, and even her new flag. They took her to a government home to live.Mi Soon cried and cried for many days. She missed Mother and Father. No one would tell her where they were. Worry and fear raced through her mind like a raging storm. Sometimes she dreamed that the man named Jesus came and told the storm to be quiet. In her dream, she felt very peaceful. Then she woke up and cried again. Jesus was just a man in a storybook. Even if He had really lived, He was surely dead by now.

Many Years Later

"I wish I had never done that homework!" Mi Soon said sadly. Mi Soon was visiting a house church with friends in China. It was 40 years since she had seen her mother and father. She was still very sad.

The Christians were kind to Mi Soon. She felt safe with them. She told them the whole story of her sad life. She even told them about the book, and about her dreams of the man named Jesus. The people in the house church explained to Mi Soon that her parents' black book was a Bible. They told her that her parents had probably gone to prison, because owning a Bible in North Korea was against the law there.

Then one of the Christians said, "Mi Soon, I am very sorry for all the sadness you have been through. But I think I have some good news for you." "Good news?" said Mi Soon. "Yes," said the Christian. "It's about Jesus. He isn't just a story in a storybook. He really lived on earth!"

"That's nice," said Mi Soon. "He must have been a very nice man." Mi Soon still didn't sound too happy. "But Mi Soon," said one of the house church leaders. "There's more good news. Jesus is alive!"

"He is? He must be very old!"

"Jesus died, but He rose from the dead," explained one of the Christians. "We can't see Him now. But we can pray, and our sins will be forgiven, and Jesus will fill our hearts with His love." "You mean Jesus is like God?" asked Mi Soon. "Yes!" said another Christian.

"But I don't believe in any God," said Mi Soon. "Because if there was a God, He wouldn't have let me do my homework." "God loves you very much," said the house church leader. "He loves the whole world. That's why He sent His Son Jesus to save us. He didn't cause the bad people to take you away from your mother and father. But, Mi Soon, there's one more bit of good news. Your mother and father believed in Jesus. So they are with Him now in heaven. You can see them again someday if you go to heaven!"

Mi Soon's mouth fell open. "I can see my mother and father again?" she exclaimed. For the first time in 40 years, Mi Soon felt hopeful.