B1. The Magic Paintbrush

The Magic Paintbrush

Li was a poor boy who lived in a small village in China. He loved to draw more than anything in the world.

Every day, he used sticks to draw pictures in the dirt. His drawings were beautiful, but they always disappeared when it rained.

One night, Li had a dream. An old man with a long white beard visited him in his dream.

"Li," the old man said in a kind voice, "You have a good heart and a special talent. Here is a magic paintbrush. But, you must only paint for those who really need help."

When Li woke up the next morning, he found a beautiful new paintbrush next to his bed. Li couldn't wait to try it.

🐉🐉

First, Li painted a bowl of steaming rice for his hungry neighbor, Mrs. Chen. Amazingly, the bowl became real! It smelled delicious. Mrs. Chen was very happy and thanked Li.

Next, he painted a well for the village, which had no clean water. Suddenly, a real well appeared with fresh, cool water. The villagers cheered and danced around the well, filling their buckets.

News of Li's magic paintbrush spread quickly across the country. People came from very far to see the boy who could make his paintings come to life. Soon, the greedy Emperor heard about it.

"Bring me that boy and his paintbrush!" the Emperor shouted to his men. He was excited, thinking about all the gold he could create.

The Emperor's soldiers left for Li's village.

🐉🐉

The next day, the soldiers arrived. "Come with us," they ordered. "The Emperor wants to see you."

Li was scared, but he had no choice.

At the palace, the Emperor sat on his golden throne, smiling wickedly. "Paint me a mountain of gold!" he ordered.

Li remembered the old man's words from his dream. Li knew the Emperor didn't need help. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I cannot do that," Li said bravely.

The Emperor's face turned red with anger. "Paint it now, or I'll throw you in the darkest prison!"

Li had an idea. He started to paint an ocean between himself and the Emperor.

"What are you doing, you stupid boy?" the Emperor yelled.

🐉🐉

Real water poured in from the painting, filling the room.

The Emperor stood up on his throne, "Help! I cannot swim!"

The water rose higher and higher. Li quickly painted a small boat for himself and escaped. The Emperor and his men were washed away by the water.

Li returned to his village. From that day on, he only used his magic paintbrush to help people in need. He painted houses for the homeless, food for the hungry, and warm clothes for children in winter.

Everyone in Li's village lived happily.

Li never saw the Emperor again, but he always remembered the lesson: the greatest magic comes from helping others, not from greed.