Knowledge Fruit: A Selection of Traditional Chinese Fairy Tales 1

Author: Guanbin Comics
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: In The Magic Brush, the cowherd Ma Liang loves reading and drawing but has no money to go to school. He is very envious of wealthy children learning from a teacher and secretly listens to the lessons outside. As a result, he is driven away. Not discouraged, Ma Liang uses a branch as a brush and writes and draws on the ground with great focus. One night, Ma Liang dreams of a white-bearded immortal who gives him a brush. Upon waking, he finds a real brush beside him. Strangely, whatever he draws with this brush comes to life—it is indeed a magic brush. Poor farmers lack oxen for plowing, so Ma Liang draws an ox for them. They also lack a water wheel, so he draws one, and the villagers are deeply grateful. This news reaches the local official, who arrests Ma Liang and seizes his magic brush. The official orders the brush to draw a money tree, but it fails. Then he forces Ma Liang to draw a gold mountain on the wall. Ma Liang draws a dazzling golden mountain and surrounds it with the sea. The official panics, asking, "How will I get to the gold mountain?" Ma Liang then draws a sailboat. The official, along with his family, frantically boards the boat. Ma Liang swiftly wields the magic brush, summoning fierce winds and waves, and the sailboat quickly sinks. This book also includes stories such as The Ginseng Doll, The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, and The Treasure Pot.