The Painter of Cats - Part Five

After Kihachi made this startling discovery, the headman of the village along with the others came inside the temple.

The headman was shocked to see the young Kihachi in the temple. “Did you spend the night in the temple?” The headman asked in a stunned voice. “Do you not know that this temple was haunted by a rat goblin? The rat goblin has haunted this temple for a few months now and no one came to the temple after that.”

Kihachi pointed at the wall where he had drawn the cats and the blood smeared on the wall. “I drew these cats and they destroyed the rat goblin.”

The headman looked around the temple and realized that it was indeed the case.

The headman turned to Kihachi. “Your cats are life-like and I believe that you will become a great artist.” The headman waved to the little Kihachi. “Go and find my brother and tell him what you have done. He will help you with your art.”

Kihachi was surprised. He was even more surprised as the headman gave him twenty yen. “You have helped the village with your work and this is a present for you.”

Kihachi took the money and went his way. From then Kihachi learnt to draw and he became a great artist. 

He taught others and he told them about his first art for which he was paid twenty yen.

When his students heard him, the students always called him the ‘Painter of Cats’.

Adapted from the Japanese Folktales