This is The Magic Paintbrush Story. Everyday Ho, a poor boy looked after a rich farmer’s cattle. He took hay to the field. The farmer did not pay him much. Ho had only dry bread to eat. One day, a very thin, old man came up the lane. He looked hungry. Ho gave his bread to the man. He said, “Sir, take this!”
“Thank You!” said the old man. He was very happy with the poor boy’s behavior. So, he gave him a gift. It was a golden paintbrush. Ho made paints from plants, berries, and mud. “What shall I paint?” thought Ho. He began to paint some hay. The hay became real. “This is a magic paintbrush,” Ho wondered. Also, read The Wise Little Girl.
Image Source–> www.marshallcavendish.com. The next day while he was at work, the sun was too hot. The stream was dry. So, Ho painted a blue stream. The stream became real! Now the people and the animals had water to drink. The rich farmer had lots of food to eat. But the children and workers were hungry. Ho painted lots of food and it became real once again. Ho painted lots of things for the people. All of them became real. He painted a wheel, a bucket, and some clothes.
The rich farmer wanted the magic paintbrush. He took Ho to the jail and took the magic paintbrush from him. The farmer was greedy. He painted gold, but the gold did not become real. “Oi, you! The paintbrush does not work for me. Paint me a mountain of gold,” ordered the farmer.
Ho painted the mountain of gold. He painted a blue sea all around it. The gold mountain and the sea became real. The farmer was angry. “I cannot swim! Why did you paint the sea?” he shouted. “I’ll paint a ship for you!” said Ho. The ship became real. The farmer set off in the ship.
“When I get back, you will paint everything I want. The world will be mine!” he laughed. But Ho painted a gale. The gale became real. It took the farmer far, far away. As Ho returned to the farm, he painted things for those people who were kind and good to others. The rich farmer has never seen again. You may also like to read, The Old Woman In A Vinegar Bottle.
Here is a visual depiction of, “The Magic Paintbrush“. See the video story below,