Bright and Precious
A Winter Court 5 Story (by Kakita Kyoumi)
"Once there was a man who took a piece of tree bark, and painted on it a beautiful picture of a little bird. The picture was exquisite. Admirers came from far and wide to look at it, and the man was heralded throughout the land.
"Desiring more, he took a piece of fine paper. He painted the same picture on it., with finer paints and brighter colors. Again the picture was exquisite. More acclaim came to him."
"Soon enough, he found himself finding a piece of silk, and creating the same bird picture on it. And the silk was the blue of the summer sky and the paints were finest, and the man received more acclaim for its beauty.
"And so on. Finer materials. More fancy paints. Slightly more beautiful birds.
"And this man had a son who also painted birds on fine silk.
"And he had a son who painted the bird on finer silk.
"And he had a son who painted the bird on gold tile for the Emperor."
"And then the man's family lost the favor of heaven and lost everything. They were forced to be ronin, eeking out a living where they could and the world had no use for their beautiful pictures of the bird on fine silk.
She looks up at the Moshi. "And then, one day, when the original story of the family had been long forgotten, a young, talented daughter of the family picked up a brush and a piece of treebark. She looked at a bird with her own eyes. And she painted what she saw."
A Winter Court 5 Story (by Kakita Kyoumi)
"Once there was a man who took a piece of tree bark, and painted on it a beautiful picture of a little bird. The picture was exquisite. Admirers came from far and wide to look at it, and the man was heralded throughout the land.
"Desiring more, he took a piece of fine paper. He painted the same picture on it., with finer paints and brighter colors. Again the picture was exquisite. More acclaim came to him."
"Soon enough, he found himself finding a piece of silk, and creating the same bird picture on it. And the silk was the blue of the summer sky and the paints were finest, and the man received more acclaim for its beauty.
"And so on. Finer materials. More fancy paints. Slightly more beautiful birds.
"And this man had a son who also painted birds on fine silk.
"And he had a son who painted the bird on finer silk.
"And he had a son who painted the bird on gold tile for the Emperor."
"And then the man's family lost the favor of heaven and lost everything. They were forced to be ronin, eeking out a living where they could and the world had no use for their beautiful pictures of the bird on fine silk.
She looks up at the Moshi. "And then, one day, when the original story of the family had been long forgotten, a young, talented daughter of the family picked up a brush and a piece of treebark. She looked at a bird with her own eyes. And she painted what she saw."