The Tale of the Calligraphy Stone
Long ago, in the ancient province of Schezuan, there dwelled the humblest man named Li Wei. Li was a calligrapher, a practitioner of shūfǎ, the Chinese art of writing. He lived a life devoted to the seamless connection of the hand, ink, and paper. But his tale is not about his ability to make the characters dance and sing on the paper, it was a tale of a stone.
One afternoon, while Li was in the bustling market buying inks and brushes, he came upon a stone as black as the night sky, glistening in the golden sunlight. It seemed as if the universe itself had been captured within. The stone was smooth, yet it held a strange and compelling aura. Li's artist's instinct instantly drew him to it.
'How much for the stone?' Li asked, cupping the dark stone gently in his hands.
'Oh, that one,' the old merchant, named Bingwen, responded. 'That is not an ordinary stone. They call it the Calligraphy Stone. It comes with a tale and a curse.' Bingwen warned.
Intrigued, Li prodded further, inviting Bingwen to reveal the tale of the stone. Bingwen narrated:
'Decades ago, it was a possession of the Emperor himself. Rumours spoke of the stone's mysterious ability to absorb any ink that touched it and forge calligraphy more beautiful than any mortal hand. However, the stone was believed to be cursed, with the power to render its owner unable to make a living through any means other than calligraphy.'
Stirred by the legend, but undeterred by the curse, Li purchased the stone. He returned home, eager to put the stone's tale to the test. As soon as his brush, dipped in the darkest of inks, touched the stone, magic began. The celestial stone drank the ink, and in return, etched the characters in a style more sublime than Li's finest work.
Days turned into months, and Li's life centred around the Calligraphy Stone. His works fetched high prices at the market, and the stone afforded him a life of affluence he never dreamt of. However, as with every blessing, the stone's curse was imminent. Try as he might, Li failed to grow his fortune outside of his calligraphy. He lost money in trade, agriculture, all ventures he embarked on, crashed before they could take flight.
Eventually, Li accepted his fate, and the stone, his only source of survival. The stone changed him profoundly. He regarded fortune and fame as fleeting and devoted his life to refining his art. He is remembered throughout Schezuan, not as a wealthy man but as the best calligrapher of the province.
On his deathbed, he donated the Calligraphy Stone back to the village, with a message etched onto its polished surface, 'Treasure lies not in what you have but how well you do what you love.' It became a symbol of the village, serving as a vivid reminder of Li's words.
The legend of the Calligraphy Stone and Li's dedication to his art continues inspiring budding artists in Schezuan. His legend reminds us of the beauty of passion and the curse and blessing of solely depending on it— a timeless tale during the rise of modern diversification trends.