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The Sense of Working on Oneself.
Two groups of artists, one Chinese, the other Greek, were constantly arguing because each considered themselves to be better than the others. “We can paint better than you,” the Chinese would say. “We are the best,” the Greeks would reply. The dispute did not end there. The Sultan of Baghdad wanted to commission some work to a group of artists. Naturally, he would choose the best. But how could he be sure which group to choose? The Sultan ordered both groups to do a job. The Greeks and Chinese would have to take this test to demonstrate their respective qualities. The job was to paint a house. The group that did the best job would get the other commissions. The stakes were high, and the artists would have to give of their best. “We’ll show the sultan what we can do,” exclaimed the Chinese. “And we’ll beat you,” answered the Greeks. The artists set to work eagerly. There was no time to lose. They were all anxious to show how good they were. “Friends, we must get the best colours on the market, and spread them expertly on these walls,” said one of the Chinese artists, encouraging his friends. “We will do it a different way,” came the reply of one of the Greeks. “After a few days’ vigorous work, the Chinese had painted the building inside and out. The house had been in a terrible state when it was assigned to them, and now it was splendid. Satisfied, the Chinese set out to call the Sultan to come and admire the fruit of their labours. Meanwhile, the Greek artists had not been idle. However, their method was completely different. They did not use paints. Firstly, they took note of the sad conditions of the building they had been allocated. It was a filthy house, and its walls were covered with mud and dust. The Greeks decided to clean them thoroughly until they shone like mirrors. They did the same to the inside of the house. In the end, the house was spotlessly clean, without so much as touching a paintbrush. This group, too, worked tirelessly. When the day came to compare the houses, the two groups had completed their tasks. The sultan didn’t keep them waiting; he was eager to examine their work. He had heard that the Greeks and the Chinese used two different methods, and he wanted to see how much that influenced the final results. When he saw the house that the Chinese had painted, the Sultan couldn’t help feeling a sense of admiration. “It’s beautiful. You’ve really done a good job. The colours are wonderful. The pink looks like pure velvet. The green brings to mind a morning forest. And what a yellow! Such brightness would even make the sun jealous!” Hearing such praise, the Chinese felt certain that they had won. Then the Sultan set off towards the house assigned to the Greeks. Here his amazement was even greater! Indeed, he could see that this house, polished up like a mirror, reflected all the colours of the surrounding houses! Like a great kaleidoscope, every tone and hue was present in a multicoloured dance. Light and shade interwove in a game of matches and contrasts. From then on, all the court’s work was given to the Greeks, thanks to their great ability.
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