Chinese Folktale
Once upon a time, there lived a handsome young man named Zhen Wu. He was a poor man, but very charitable despite this. He worked for a rich man along the yangtze river where he tended to his fields with other men. He also liked to draw, he would draw pictures whenever and wherever he could. Out of all his hobbies, he was fondest of painting. One night he had a dream about an old man in an eerie cave, the old man gave him a magical paintbrush and then asked Zhen to use it to help the poor, Zhen said yes.
The next morning Zhen woke up and he found the paintbrush from his dream on top of his desk. Surely it could not be! But it was, it had the same carved handle made of beautiful, milky, ivory and a brush that was made of silky strands that were black as midnight. It was magnificent! Zhen decided to put it to use right away! He couldn’t stop himself, he was so ecstatic at having such a fine artistry tool! He pulled out an unused scroll from underneath his desk and an pulled his inkpot, from the corner of the desk, closer to him. He began to draw a white rabbit. It was his favorite animal of all, it was fast, timid like himself, and just overall jubilant. When he was finished drawing he looked up and saw on his desk a plump white rabbit. He was knocked out of his chair with surprise. When he recovered, he realized that the brush really was magical, but he had to make sure. So he a drew a picture of a bowl full of congee and when he was finished drawing, he looked up and there was a steaming bowl of congee right on his desk. He ate his breakfast and then headed out for the fields to work with his paintbrush in hand.
When Zhen arrived he checked in with his boss and then set out for the fields, not saying a word to anyone about what he had discovered that morning. It was a hot day and soon the men Zhen was working with started to complain of thirst. One of the workers brought their complaint to the overseer who was sitting underneath the shade of a tree with his own skin of water. When the worker told him what was bothering them, the overseer hurled a bucket at the workers head and told him to get back to work, or lose his paycheck for the day. When Zhen saw this he decided to put his talents to work. He pulled out a dry piece of parchment from his rucksack and began to draw seven water skins for himself and the rest of the men there. The other men looked at Zhen as if he were a lunatic, what kind of man would draw right in the middle of a dirt field? Then they looked back up to see the other worker returning from the overseer, then they looked back down to see Zhen Wu surrounded by water skins. They looked at Zhen’s painting and the seven waterskins in amazement. Zhen told them they were welcome to the water if they wanted. The men crowded around Zhen and passed the water around and then after they all thanked him, they went back to work.
After this event Zhen continued to distribute his talent among the poor, until one day the rich man whom Zhen worked for heard of his magic paintbrush. He called for Zhen to be imprisoned (The rich man held sway in the royal court), and so it was. The rich man confiscated Zhen’s paint brush and then proceeded to paint a fountain of gold, but it did not appear. After about a week of trying to get the magical paint brush to work, the rich man called for Zhen to be led out of prison so that he could paint for him. The rich man ordered Zhen to paint a golden mountain. Instead of this however, ZHen painted a large lake. The rich man shouted at Zhen to stop and paint a golden mountain until Zhen started painting a golden mountain in the center of the lake. Once Zhen had finished painting the mountain he painted a boat.
The rich man left Zhen alone hurrying for the boat that had appeared on the new lake. The rich man took all his friends and family and then set off for the golden mountain. When the boat was half-way across Zhen started painting something new, he had been left on the shore. About a hundred meters before the boat reached the gold mountain an enormous wave rose up and sank the boat. Drowning everyone who had been on the boat. This had been what Zhen had painted, a tsunami.
After this Zhen was set free and continued to do charity for the poor like he had promised the old man in his dream. He lived happily with his parents and never grew greedy nor stingy and stayed a honorable, kind, and charitable man. He lived happily, ever, after.
Once upon a time, there lived a handsome young man named Zhen Wu. He was a poor man, but very charitable despite this. He worked for a rich man along the yangtze river where he tended to his fields with other men. He also liked to draw, he would draw pictures whenever and wherever he could. Out of all his hobbies, he was fondest of painting. One night he had a dream about an old man in an eerie cave, the old man gave him a magical paintbrush and then asked Zhen to use it to help the poor, Zhen said yes.
The next morning Zhen woke up and he found the paintbrush from his dream on top of his desk. Surely it could not be! But it was, it had the same carved handle made of beautiful, milky, ivory and a brush that was made of silky strands that were black as midnight. It was magnificent! Zhen decided to put it to use right away! He couldn’t stop himself, he was so ecstatic at having such a fine artistry tool! He pulled out an unused scroll from underneath his desk and an pulled his inkpot, from the corner of the desk, closer to him. He began to draw a white rabbit. It was his favorite animal of all, it was fast, timid like himself, and just overall jubilant. When he was finished drawing he looked up and saw on his desk a plump white rabbit. He was knocked out of his chair with surprise. When he recovered, he realized that the brush really was magical, but he had to make sure. So he a drew a picture of a bowl full of congee and when he was finished drawing, he looked up and there was a steaming bowl of congee right on his desk. He ate his breakfast and then headed out for the fields to work with his paintbrush in hand.
When Zhen arrived he checked in with his boss and then set out for the fields, not saying a word to anyone about what he had discovered that morning. It was a hot day and soon the men Zhen was working with started to complain of thirst. One of the workers brought their complaint to the overseer who was sitting underneath the shade of a tree with his own skin of water. When the worker told him what was bothering them, the overseer hurled a bucket at the workers head and told him to get back to work, or lose his paycheck for the day. When Zhen saw this he decided to put his talents to work. He pulled out a dry piece of parchment from his rucksack and began to draw seven water skins for himself and the rest of the men there. The other men looked at Zhen as if he were a lunatic, what kind of man would draw right in the middle of a dirt field? Then they looked back up to see the other worker returning from the overseer, then they looked back down to see Zhen Wu surrounded by water skins. They looked at Zhen’s painting and the seven waterskins in amazement. Zhen told them they were welcome to the water if they wanted. The men crowded around Zhen and passed the water around and then after they all thanked him, they went back to work.
After this event Zhen continued to distribute his talent among the poor, until one day the rich man whom Zhen worked for heard of his magic paintbrush. He called for Zhen to be imprisoned (The rich man held sway in the royal court), and so it was. The rich man confiscated Zhen’s paint brush and then proceeded to paint a fountain of gold, but it did not appear. After about a week of trying to get the magical paint brush to work, the rich man called for Zhen to be led out of prison so that he could paint for him. The rich man ordered Zhen to paint a golden mountain. Instead of this however, ZHen painted a large lake. The rich man shouted at Zhen to stop and paint a golden mountain until Zhen started painting a golden mountain in the center of the lake. Once Zhen had finished painting the mountain he painted a boat.
The rich man left Zhen alone hurrying for the boat that had appeared on the new lake. The rich man took all his friends and family and then set off for the golden mountain. When the boat was half-way across Zhen started painting something new, he had been left on the shore. About a hundred meters before the boat reached the gold mountain an enormous wave rose up and sank the boat. Drowning everyone who had been on the boat. This had been what Zhen had painted, a tsunami.
After this Zhen was set free and continued to do charity for the poor like he had promised the old man in his dream. He lived happily with his parents and never grew greedy nor stingy and stayed a honorable, kind, and charitable man. He lived happily, ever, after.