The Best Artist in the World

Once, long ago, a young girl lived. When she was a baby, she cried just as loudly as the other babies. When she was a child, she played with her simple toys just like the other children she knew. When she grew a little older, she had races and games just like the other children. But there was one difference which separated her from others.

She was the best artist in the entire world.

This was a great gift which was given to her. She could draw stunning pictures, sculpt amazing figures, and make and use paints in colors nobody had seen before. Her friends were not so good at being artistic. But this girl never laughed at them, or called them names, or showed off her talent. She did, however, feel increasingly uncomfortable as her talent weighed her down. She felt terrible that she could do so much and amaze so many, while her friends, and the rest of the world, could not paint as well as she did, could not draw as fine as she did, and could not make statues as she did so easily.

The girl, being as sensitive and well-meaning as anybody, felt greatly troubled. She went to her mother for advice.

“Why don’t you give some of your talent away?” asked her mother, who was sensible and kind.

“I couldn’t do that. Who would I give it away to?” asked the girl as she walked away from her mother. “It wouldn’t be fair to give all my talent to my friends and family, and leave the rest of the world empty-handed!” Then the girl got an idea, and hurried to carry it out.

So she went to her dwelling and gathered her best sculpture, her best drawing, and her best painting. She brought these to the beach with her. She waded out into the water and took out her sculpture. “Ocean,” said the girl, “I give you the ability to sculpt the sand to make your own shapes.” Then she let the little statue drop into the water and watched it as it swept away atop the waves.

Then she went to the sand dunes and held her best drawing up to the wind. “Wind,” said the girl, “I give you the ability to make the best pictures in the world by moving anything you want.” Then she let go of the paper, and it flew up into the sky, lifted by the wind.

Finally, the girl went to a little place where there was a campfire going, and she held her best painting to the fire. “Fire,” said the girl, “I give you the ability to change the color of the things you touch and the ability to change it however you like.” Then she dropped the painting into the flames. It burned and disappeared.

The girl felt much better after she dealt out her talent. It felt like the right thing to do. But then, after a while, she felt lonely. She missed seeing and using the things which she had given away. Hoping to find some consolation, she walked again to the ocean. She saw that the ocean had made a lovely shape in the sand, full of swirls and ridges. Then she saw that the wind threw grain after grain of sand into the air, making a picture only it understood. And she saw the fire, crackling happily above blackened wood, glowing blue and yellow and orange and red. The girl was happy, then, because she knew that whenever she wanted to see her gift again, all she had to do is go to the ones she had given it to.