Ma Liang and the Magic Paint Brush

Ma Liang and the Magic Paint Brush This is a story from China about a boy and a magic paint brush that makes everything he draws come to life!

Once upon a time in China, there was a boy named Ma Liang. Ma Liang's parents had died early so the boy had to support himself by chopping wood and cutting grass. The boy loved painting but he was so poor he could not afford to buy a paint brush!

One day, Ma Liang walked past a school and saw a teacher painting with a brush. Without thinking, Ma Liang walked into the classroom and asked the teacher: “I want to learn painting. Can I borrow a paint brush from you?”

The teacher glared at the shabby boy and sneered: “What? A poor kid like you wants to learn to paint? You must be daydreaming! Get out of my sight!”

Quietly, Ma Liang walked away. He had just been snubbed by an adult but he remained composed and calm. In his mind he was thinking: “I just don't believe a poor child is not good enough to learn painting.”

The boy made up his mind to learn to paint by himself. A Boy Learns To Paint When he chopped wood in the forest he would draw a bird in the sand with a branch. When he was cut grass by the river, he would dip a grass reed in water and trace a fish on the rocks.

At night, when he returned to the cave which he called home, he would use a stick of charcoal to sketch on the wall everything he had drawn during the day.

Year after year Ma Liang practiced never missing a day. He drew everywhere he went using anything he could find. If he wasnot actually drawing something he was drawing it in his mind. Every inch of his cave wall was covered with paintings.

Even though he still didn’t have a paint brush Ma Liang had developed some amazing skills. When he drew a hen on the ground of his village entrance, eagles hovered above.

When he drew a black wolf at the back of the mountain, cows and sheep stayed away in fear.

“It would be great to have a paint brush.” Ma Liang said to himself everyday.

A Wish Come True One night, feeling very tired, Ma Liang fell asleep while painting. Suddenly, there appeared rays of colorful, brilliant light. An old man with a very long white beard walked out of the light and handed Ma Liang a paint brush. “This is a magic paint brush, use it well.” said the old man whose beard was so long it stretched to the floor.

Ma Liang was overcome with joy. The paint brush felt heavy in his hand and it shimmered with golden light. Before Ma Liang could thank the old man, he had disapperared just as suddenly as he had appeared.

A surprised Ma Liang awoke from his sleep. What a fantastic dream! But it could not have been a dream since he was still holding tightly to the paint brush.

Ma Liang drew a bird with the brush. The bird flapped its wings and flew into the sky.

He then painted a fish. The fish wiggled its tail, leapt into the air and into a river Ma Liang had drawn and swam away.

Ma Liang was ecstatic. The old man was right.This was indeed a magic paint brush!

Each day, with paint brush in hand, the kind-hearted Ma Liang helped the poor people in his village.

He painted a cow for the family that needed a cow, a stone mill for the family who wanted a stone mill, and a waterwheel for the family who didn’t have a waterwheel. Trouble Very soon, news about Ma Liang's magic paint brush spread to a wealthy local landlord. The greedy landlord sent two of his bodyguards to bring Ma Liang to him and made the boy draw gold coins and ingots. But Ma Liang was a tough kid and no matter how the landlord threatened or beguiled him, he refused to obey the landlord.

Angry but out of ideas, the landlord ordered Ma Liang to be locked in a stable and not given any food and water. It was thedead of winter and outside the stable the snow was several feet thick. The landlord thought it was just a matter of time before Ma Liang gave in to the cold and hunger.

But what a surprise awaited the landlord two days later when he approached the stable! Through the doorway he could see a bright red light and smell delicious food. Curious, he looked inside the stable. A cheerful Ma Liang was eating piping-hot Chinese pancakes and cooking a pot of stew over a fire!

The landlord knew Ma Liang had drawn the food and fire with