The magic paintbrush

Rose loved drawing. She was very poor and didn’t have pens or pencils.

She drew pictures in the sand with sticks.

One day, an old woman saw Rose and said, ‘Hello! Here’s a paintbrush and some paper for you.’

‘Thank you!’ smiled Rose.

She was so happy.

‘Hmmm, what can I paint?’ she thought.

She looked around and saw a duck on the pond.

‘I know! I’ll paint a duck!’

So she did. Suddenly, the duck flew off the paper and onto the pond.

‘Wow!’ she said. ‘A magic paintbrush!’

Rose was a very kind girl and she painted pictures for everyone in her village.

She painted a cow for the farmer, pencils for the teacher and toys for all the children.

The king heard about the magic paintbrush and sent a soldier to find Rose.

‘Come with me,’ said the soldier. ‘The king wants you to paint some money for him.’

‘But he’s already rich,’ said Rose.

‘I only paint to help poor people.’

But the nasty soldier took Rose to the king.

‘Paint me a tree with lots of money on it,’ he shouted.

Rose was brave and said, ‘No!’

So the king sent her to prison.

But Rose painted a key for the door and a horse to help her escape.

The king chased after her.

So she painted a big hole, and splat!

The king fell in.

Today, Rose only uses her magic paintbrush to help people who really, really need help.