The Avaricious Artist

Calvin was an artist. Before he would ever start a drawing or painting he always insisted upon being paid first, and on top of that, his fees were very high. He was known as the “Avaricious Artist”.

A woman once visited him and wanted to get a painting done from him. “How much are you willing to pay?” inquired Calvin.

“Whatever you charge,” the woman said, “but I want you to do the work in front of me.”

So, on a pre-decided day, the woman came to him with a lavish feast. Calvin with his fine brush and smooth touches did the painting. When it got completed he asked her for the highest sum of his time.

He received the payment as promised. The woman went back happily but when she returned home she complained about him saying, “All this artist wants is money. His paintings are fine but his mind is so dirty; he has given himself totally to the greed of gold coins. I wish he learns some lesson about this otherwise he’ll end up nowhere. All the people in the town know that, though his paintings are spectacular, still due to his being avaricious, his value in this society is nothing.”

But again she wanted another painting for her living room so again went back to the “Avaricious Artist” and said, “I liked the last one. I want to get another painted. How much and when?”

“How much can you pay me for this one?” asked Calvin.

“Oh, don’t worry about that, just name it, any amount.” Answered the woman.

Calvin again named a fancy price, a price that he never thought she could pay, a price that none of his fellow painters would demand. Nevertheless, he painted the work, took the consideration and went away.

It was learned later that Calvin had these reasons for demanding such huge amounts:

A ravaging famine was a frequent visitor to his province. The rich wouldn’t help poor, so Calvin had a secret warehouse where he kept the drums filled with grain for the poor.

From his village to the highway the road was broken and the streetlights were damaged so abductions and theft were consistently occurring. He wanted to build that road and provide for good streetlights there.

His last wish was to feed as many people as he can on the day his master; his teacher who taught him this art died.

After completing all of his wishes, he left for the search of God, became a saint and never touched his brushes again. 

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