The Coachman Who Could Paint

John, even though he was in the service of the king himself, was only a coachman, but he loved to paint and had a great talent for art. His paintings seemed so alive that the people in them seemed almost to move. The one John liked most of all, however, was his portrait of Mary, his sister, of whom he was very fond. He kept this painting in his room in the palace stables, and when he felt sad he talked to the picture and sometimes he felt that his sister really did reply.

All this talking made the other servants so curious that they spied on him through the keyhole. The only thing they could see was the face on the painting, which they mistook for the face of a real young woman.

Very soon, people were talking about the indescribable beauty of the mysterious guest whom the young coachman kept hidden in his room, Finally, even the king learnt of this, and he too went to peer through the keyhole. When his eyes fell on Mary’s enchanting face, he feel in love at once. When he learnt that his beautiful girl really did exist, John was asked to bring his sister to court, whereupon the king married her at once.

Thus his beloved sister became queen, and John was able to spend all his time painting instead of being a royal coachman.