A story
Ma Liang and the Magic Paintbrush
This much-loved tale comes from China, where children have heard about the boy Ma Liang and his magic brush for many, many years.
Long ago, in a village of green rice fields and misty hills, there lived a poor boy named Ma Liang. He had no mother or father, so he looked after himself. He gathered firewood, cut grass for the farmers' buffaloes, and helped anyone who needed a hand.
More than anything, Ma Liang loved to draw. But he had no brush and no paper. So he drew with a stick in the sand by the river. He drew with charcoal on flat stones. He drew with his finger in the dust. He drew birds, fish, flowers and clouds, and every day his drawings grew better.
One night, Ma Liang dreamed of a kind old man with a long white beard. The old man smiled and held out a paintbrush that glowed softly like moonlight.
"Ma Liang," said the old man, "you work hard and you have a good heart. This is a magic paintbrush. Use it well, and use it to help others."
When Ma Liang woke up, there was the brush, lying right beside his pillow!
He picked it up with trembling hands. On the wall of his hut, he painted a little blue bird. As soon as he finished the last feather, the bird blinked, fluttered its wings and flew out of the window, singing.
Ma Liang gasped. "Everything I paint becomes real!"
He did not use the brush to make himself rich. Instead, he walked around the village and looked for people who needed help.
He saw an old farmer pulling a heavy plough by himself. Ma Liang painted a strong, gentle buffalo. Moo! The buffalo stepped out of the painting and helped the farmer plough his field.
He saw women walking far to carry water. Ma Liang painted a well in the middle of the village. Splash! Fresh, cool water filled the well, and nobody had to walk far again.
He saw children with no toys. He painted kites in red and yellow, balls, and little wooden carts. The children laughed and played all afternoon.
He saw a family whose roof had a hole. He painted new tiles, and the roof was whole again.
Everyone in the village loved Ma Liang. But news of the magic brush travelled fast, and soon it reached the ears of the Emperor.
The Emperor was very rich, but he was also very greedy. He always wanted more. "Bring me this boy!" he ordered.
So Ma Liang was taken to the palace. The Emperor sat on a huge golden throne. "Boy," he said, "paint me a mountain of gold!"
Ma Liang did not want to help a greedy person become greedier. He thought carefully. Then he dipped his brush and painted... a big wide sea, blue and sparkling.
"What is this?" shouted the Emperor. "I asked for gold!"
"Be patient, Your Majesty," said Ma Liang. In the middle of the sea he painted a little island, and on the island, a shining mountain of gold.
The Emperor's eyes grew wide. "A ship! Paint me a ship so I can sail there quickly!"
So Ma Liang painted a fine wooden ship with tall sails. The Emperor and his proud ministers climbed aboard. "Faster!" cried the Emperor. "I need wind!"
Ma Liang painted a gentle breeze. Whoosh. The ship began to sail.
"More wind! More!" shouted the Emperor. "I want to get there first and take it all!"
So Ma Liang painted more wind, and more, and the waves grew bouncy, and the ship rocked up and down like a cradle. The Emperor held on tight to the mast. His crown slipped over one eye. His ministers turned a little green.
"Stop, stop!" cried the Emperor. "I do not want the gold anymore! I just want to go home!"
Ma Liang painted the wind calm again. The ship drifted softly to the island and bumped gently onto the sand. The Emperor climbed out, dizzy and wet. He looked at the golden mountain, and then at his soggy clothes, and then at his frightened ministers.
For the first time in his life, he felt very silly.
"Ma Liang," said the Emperor, "I asked for gold, and the sea showed me that wanting more and more only makes a person dizzy. What should I do?"
Ma Liang smiled. "Your Majesty, the gold cannot sail you home. But kindness can make you truly rich. Please share it with the poor villages, build wells and schools, and help the farmers. Then I will paint you a calm sea and a straight road home."
The Emperor thought for a long time. Then he nodded slowly. "Yes," he said. "I promise."
So Ma Liang painted a calm sea, and a little bridge from the island to the shore, and a road all the way to the palace. The Emperor walked home quietly, carrying only a small bag of gold, and he kept his promise. He built wells, schools and bridges, and for the first time, people smiled when they heard his name.
As for Ma Liang, he went back to his village. He lived in his little hut, and every day he painted for others. He painted seeds for farmers, boats for fishermen and warm blankets for the old people in winter. And whenever a child wanted to learn, he sat with them by the river and taught them to draw in the sand, just as he had once done.
"Do I need a magic brush to help people?" a little girl once asked him.
Ma Liang laughed. "No, little one. My brush is magic, but my heart is what tells it what to paint. You have a heart too. Use your hands and your heart to help, and that is a magic of your own."
And the little girl ran off to help her grandmother carry the rice, feeling as if she held a magic paintbrush of her very own.
The lesson: Our gifts and talents are best used to help others, never for greed. A kind heart is the real treasure.
Long ago, in a village of green rice fields and misty hills, there lived a poor boy named Ma Liang. He had no mother or father, so he looked after himself. He gathered firewood, cut grass for the farmers' buffaloes, and helped anyone who needed a hand.
More than anything, Ma Liang loved to draw. But he had no brush and no paper. So he drew with a stick in the sand by the river. He drew with charcoal on flat stones. He drew with his finger in the dust. He drew birds, fish, flowers and clouds, and every day his drawings grew better.
One night, Ma Liang dreamed of a kind old man with a long white beard. The old man smiled and held out a paintbrush that glowed softly like moonlight.
"Ma Liang," said the old man, "you work hard and you have a good heart. This is a magic paintbrush. Use it well, and use it to help others."
When Ma Liang woke up, there was the brush, lying right beside his pillow!
He picked it up with trembling hands. On the wall of his hut, he painted a little blue bird. As soon as he finished the last feather, the bird blinked, fluttered its wings and flew out of the window, singing.
Ma Liang gasped. "Everything I paint becomes real!"
He did not use the brush to make himself rich. Instead, he walked around the village and looked for people who needed help.
He saw an old farmer pulling a heavy plough by himself. Ma Liang painted a strong, gentle buffalo. Moo! The buffalo stepped out of the painting and helped the farmer plough his field.
He saw women walking far to carry water. Ma Liang painted a well in the middle of the village. Splash! Fresh, cool water filled the well, and nobody had to walk far again.
He saw children with no toys. He painted kites in red and yellow, balls, and little wooden carts. The children laughed and played all afternoon.
He saw a family whose roof had a hole. He painted new tiles, and the roof was whole again.
Everyone in the village loved Ma Liang. But news of the magic brush travelled fast, and soon it reached the ears of the Emperor.
The Emperor was very rich, but he was also very greedy. He always wanted more. "Bring me this boy!" he ordered.
So Ma Liang was taken to the palace. The Emperor sat on a huge golden throne. "Boy," he said, "paint me a mountain of gold!"
Ma Liang did not want to help a greedy person become greedier. He thought carefully. Then he dipped his brush and painted... a big wide sea, blue and sparkling.
"What is this?" shouted the Emperor. "I asked for gold!"
"Be patient, Your Majesty," said Ma Liang. In the middle of the sea he painted a little island, and on the island, a shining mountain of gold.
The Emperor's eyes grew wide. "A ship! Paint me a ship so I can sail there quickly!"
So Ma Liang painted a fine wooden ship with tall sails. The Emperor and his proud ministers climbed aboard. "Faster!" cried the Emperor. "I need wind!"
Ma Liang painted a gentle breeze. Whoosh. The ship began to sail.
"More wind! More!" shouted the Emperor. "I want to get there first and take it all!"
So Ma Liang painted more wind, and more, and the waves grew bouncy, and the ship rocked up and down like a cradle. The Emperor held on tight to the mast. His crown slipped over one eye. His ministers turned a little green.
"Stop, stop!" cried the Emperor. "I do not want the gold anymore! I just want to go home!"
Ma Liang painted the wind calm again. The ship drifted softly to the island and bumped gently onto the sand. The Emperor climbed out, dizzy and wet. He looked at the golden mountain, and then at his soggy clothes, and then at his frightened ministers.
For the first time in his life, he felt very silly.
"Ma Liang," said the Emperor, "I asked for gold, and the sea showed me that wanting more and more only makes a person dizzy. What should I do?"
Ma Liang smiled. "Your Majesty, the gold cannot sail you home. But kindness can make you truly rich. Please share it with the poor villages, build wells and schools, and help the farmers. Then I will paint you a calm sea and a straight road home."
The Emperor thought for a long time. Then he nodded slowly. "Yes," he said. "I promise."
So Ma Liang painted a calm sea, and a little bridge from the island to the shore, and a road all the way to the palace. The Emperor walked home quietly, carrying only a small bag of gold, and he kept his promise. He built wells, schools and bridges, and for the first time, people smiled when they heard his name.
As for Ma Liang, he went back to his village. He lived in his little hut, and every day he painted for others. He painted seeds for farmers, boats for fishermen and warm blankets for the old people in winter. And whenever a child wanted to learn, he sat with them by the river and taught them to draw in the sand, just as he had once done.
"Do I need a magic brush to help people?" a little girl once asked him.
Ma Liang laughed. "No, little one. My brush is magic, but my heart is what tells it what to paint. You have a heart too. Use your hands and your heart to help, and that is a magic of your own."
And the little girl ran off to help her grandmother carry the rice, feeling as if she held a magic paintbrush of her very own.
The lesson: Our gifts and talents are best used to help others, never for greed. A kind heart is the real treasure.
