A Single Shard: Chapter 2 Summary & Analysis

A few days later, Tree-ear creeps up to Min’s house, expecting to see the potter throwing. When he finds no one at Min’s outdoor workshop, he approaches it and sees some unglazed, unfired pottery up against the wall and on shelves. He begins examining the pottery, including a large box with five smaller boxes fitted inside. He is holding one of the boxes, wondering how Min constructed them, when he hears a shout. Startled, he drops the box—and shields his face as Min begins to hit him and yell “Thief!”

Quickly, Tree-ear bows and explains that he was not stealing Min’s pottery, only admiring it. When Min asks whether Tree-ear has come to Min’s house before, Tree-ear admits he has—and when Min asks whether Tree-ear hasn’t been spying so that he can steal Min’s most valuable pieces, Tree-ear asserts that stealing takes away a person’s dignity. Min, seeming to believe Tree-ear, tells him to leave: Tree-ear has ruined the box by dropping it, but Min knows that Tree-ear can’t pay for breaking it. Embarrassed, Tree-ear suggests that he could pay Min back with work.

Min scoffs that an “untrained child” couldn’t help him. Tree-ear insists that he wouldn’t need much training: he’s watched Min a lot. Though Min scoffs again, he tells Tree-ear to come back at dawn the next day: he’ll work nine days for Min to make up for the three days Min spent on the ruined box. Tree-ear bows, walks away—and then sprints excitedly to tell Crane-Man.

All the potters in Ch’ulp’o use one kiln. They take turns providing the wood needed to heat it. At dawn the following day, when Tree-ear presents himself to Min, Min gives him an ax and cart and tells him to fill the cart with dry wood. Though Tree-ear’s hopes are dashed—he pictured himself making pots—he travels up into the mountainous forest to cut wood. By the time he has filled the cart and pushed it back down the mountain, he’s ravenous and there’s a torn, bleeding blister on his right hand. He jury-rigs a bandage for his hand, leaves the full cart at Min’s, and trudges home to the bridge.

Under the bridge, Tree-ear is so exhausted he doesn’t even want to eat. Crane-man ends up hand-feeding him rice like an infant. The next morning when Tree-ear wakes up, Crane-man is returning from gathering herbs. He cleans Tree-ear’s torn hand, puts an herbal paste on the wound, and rebandages his hand. Then he tells Tree-ear that his hand will heal with rest, though they both know Tree-ear is going back to work for Min that day.