An the out-of-work artist is commissioned to make a painting of the Buddha surrounded by various creatures of creation around him. It was a dream come true, as he had exhausted all his money and was actually getting prepared to die along with his beloved pet. 

However, as, the monks believed that the cat was an animal that The Holy One despised, he was specifically warned against including an image of one in the painting.  As he painted the creatures of the world around the Buddha, his cat watched silently. Realizing that she was not going to find a place with all the other animals, she was heartbroken. At the risk of the painting being rejected, the painter, who could not bear to see his cat suffer, took courage to include a tiny picture of the cat in a corner.

When the day came for unveiling the painting everyone was in for a great surprise. The story imparts a subtle message of love and caring for all of God’s creatures and reinforces the fact that animals have feelings, too.

Pulsating colours and brilliant execution with paper cuts-outs, against a background of soft water colours, the illustrations lend to the vibrancy of the story.

A truly heart-warming story! Indi