There was once a boy called MaLiang. His family was very poor, so poor that he couldn't afford a writing brush. One day on his way home after herding¹ the cattle, he passed by a private school. He saw a painter was painting for an officer. MaLiang lost himself and he walked quickly. He said to the officer, "Could you give me one writing brush to draw pictures?" The officer and the painter laughed at him and drove him out. 

 

MaLiang didn't admit defeat. After that he began to learn to draw by heart. When he went to cut wood fire on the mountain, he would draw with a branch on land. When he went to cut grass by the river, he would draw the fish with the gram root. He drew whatever he saw. 

 

Time passed by quickly and his drawing was better and better. But still he had no writing brush. How he wished he had a writing brush! 

 

Then one night in his dreams an old man gave him a writing brush. The old man told him to draw for the poor. MaLiang took the brush quickly and drew a cock² on the wall, the cock was then alive, it jumped down from the wall. Cock-a-doole-doo. It was a magical writing brush, he began to draw for the poor with it every day. What he drew all came true. He drew farm cattle for a farmer and it could plough for him. The officer heard of that and had some soldiers seized him to the officer. He told MaLiang to draw gold for him. MaLiang refused to draw for him, so he was put into prison. At midnight, the guard was fast asleep. Maliang took his brush, drew a door on the wall. When he pulled it the door opened. Then he began to run off with the other prisoners. Then the guards ran after him. Then he drew a horse and rode on it, the guards could not catch up with him at all.

 

Then one day Maliang was drawing a water cart in a dry place, suddenly several official guards appeared and seized him away. This time the officer told him to draw a gold mountain. MaLiang drew a sea and a gold mountain in the sea. It was full of gold on the mountain. The officer was pleased and cried, "Be quick, draw a big ship. I want to ship gold from the mountain."

 

Then MaLiang drew a big ship. The officer together with his guards got on the ship and said, "Set off. Be quick." MaLiang then drew some wind. The sail was full and the ship was sailing to the mountain at sea. The officer wanted to be faster. So MaLiang added some more strong winds. The officer became afraid and said, "That's enough. That's enough. No more wind." But MaLiang didn't listen to him ,he went on drawing wind. Now it was blowing more violently. And the waves were as high as mountains. Then the ship was turned over and the officer and his guards were drowned in the sea.

 

MaLiang came back to the village and drew for the poor again.

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