One morning, the paintbrush woke up to the shouting of the colors sitting in the box. The sounds were mixed and loud, so she didn’t understand the reason for the quarrel. She moved her head and her soft black hair fluttered, then said in a low voice: Shhhh, why all this noise? What’s the story?
The Red Color: The red color answered, sparks flying from his eyes, Answer me, O paintbrush, am I not the one who represents the blood of martyrs, red roses, and tongues of fire? Then I am the king of colors!
The Blue Color: The blue color laughed and said coolly, Shut up, or else I’ll extinguish your fire with my water. I am the sea and the ocean, I am the sky and space. I am the king of kings.
The Yellow Color: The yellow color interrupted him saying: You should all know that I symbolize the two most precious things in existence, namely gold and the sun. I alone am the king.
The Green Color: The green color mocked his companions and said: What is the benefit of life if there is no greenery in it? Come, give me the crown and appoint me king over you.
The Paintbrush Teaches the Colors a Lesson: The paintbrush shook her head and said: You are deceiving yourselves. Haven’t you heard that one hand cannot clap alone? Then she walked toward the glass of water, wet her hair and sneezed, but she approached the yellow color and gently wiped his head, so her hair became yellow. The paintbrush approached a white page and drew a yellow circle, then asked: What is this shape, O colors? The colors looked at the circle but remained silent, and the paintbrush said: It is a yellow circle, but when we draw a blue sky it turns into a sun.
The Completed Painting: The colors felt ashamed of themselves and asked the paintbrush to unite them on one sheet. The paintbrush gently wiped the green color’s head and drew trees, then she went to wipe the heads of the colors and draw chirping birds and playing butterflies, and children laughing and dancing. After she finished drawing the painting, the colors understood the secret of life, so they clapped for the paintbrush and shouted with one voice: Long live the queen, long live the queen, long live the queen…