唐伯虎是明朝著名的畫家和文學家，小的時候在畫畫方面顯示了超人的才華。唐伯虎拜師，拜在大畫家沈周門下，學習自然更加刻苦勤奮，掌握繪畫技藝很快，深受沈周的稱讚。不料，由於沈周的稱讚，這次使一向謙虛的唐伯虎也漸漸地產生了自滿的情緒，沈周看在眼中，記在心裡，一次吃飯，沈周讓唐伯虎去開窗戶，唐伯虎發現自己手下的窗戶竟是老師沈周的一幅畫，唐伯虎非常慚愧，從此潛心學畫。
Once there was a famous artist named Tang Bo Hu. He created the best paintings, and he was a calligraphy artist as well. But he didn’t study so hard in his childhood. He has some very interesting stories on him.
When he was little, he was always bragging about how good he drew. He even went to the liquor store to sell his paintings.
” Ooh! Can you draw me a painting?” people asked.
” Paitience, get in line.” he would reply.
” What would you like me to draw? ” he asked the man first in line.
” Can you draw me holding eggs?” he asked.
” Of course. Easy.”
Just then, another man came in.
” I heard you’re good at drawing. How about drawing me one?”
” Okay, what?”
The man didn’t say anything, but opened his arms in a way that said, ” Draw ME.”
So Tang Bo Hu drew him.
” Hm. That doesn’t look like me. Since it doesn’t, I can only give you this.” he pressed a coin on the table.
“Since it doesn’t look good, then, I’m not selling it.”
” Fine.” then the man stormed out of the store.
” Everyone come here to see the ugliest man alive!” the boy yelled. Looks like he added his own finishing touches! There were pimples on the drawing!
The man was horrified, so he gave money to the boy.
” Not enough..”
The man took out a handful, dumped it on the table, grabbed the drawing, and went away.
Everybody was laughing until Tang Bo Hu’s teacher came.
” Bad child! You never told me you were coming to a liquor store to SELL your drawings! You’re coming back with me, and you’re getting a punishment!”
” Hey look, it’s the famous artist Shen Zhou!” a man yelled , pointing at the teacher.
” Oh, um. Everybody, sorry for my disciple’s outrageous behavior.” he said.” We shall be going now.”
When they got home, Shen Zhou made Tang Bo Hu draw 200 drawings of peonies for punishment.
” I’m sick of drawing stupid peonies!! I have an idea!!” he said to his classmate.
” What big brother, what is it?”
” I’m going to copy his drawings.”
” what???”
Copy his drawings he did, and it looked exactly the same. One day, Shen Zhou was inviting a friend over. His friend stroked his beard, and said, ” Your student has great talent. But, what about these?” he asked.
” Those, ” Shen Zhou began, ” are my unfinished drawings, and looks like he copied them.”
Outside, Tang Bo Hu was satisfied, so he told the teacher he was quitting.
” I’ve been here for 3 years , master, and I miss my parents, so please allow me to go.”
” How can you go back when your drawings aren’t proffessional yet?”
” Well, I don’t think I’ve improved at ALL while I was here. Besides,I think that I draw much better than you, teacher. ”
” Hmm.. It’s getting hot in here. Why don’t you open the window?”
Tang Bo Hu went to the window and pushed, but no matter how hard they pushed, him and his classmate couldn’t open it.
” Big Brother! It’s a painting!”
” What?”
The window was indeed a painting, but it looked so real.
” Child, come here. Look at this drawing. You copied it, correct?”
” Yes, teacher.”
The teacher put some finishing touches.
” The drawings you copied weren’t finished yet. If you copy, it’s not enough. You have to know that you won’t improve if you don’t practice hard.”
” I.. I.. I’m sorry teacher, I was bragging and thought my drawings were great. I’m willing to stay longer.”
Years passed, and he painted everyday, making bigger and bigger piles. One winter, as Shen Zhou went outside, he saw a flower, which was weird, because flowers aren’t supposed to be out when there’s snow. He reached out and touched it, and laughed.
Why did he laugh? Because the flower was painted on.
