So realistic they leaped off the page.

December 10, 2006 7:10 AM

Half-remembered fairy tale: a kid could only draw one eye on an animal, or else it would come to life. His secret is revealed when he's forced to draw both eyes on an animal, which then.. leaps off the page. What was this story? Where did it come from?
posted by cmyk to Media & Arts (4 answers total)

Molly Bang tells a version of this story in Tye May and the Magic Brush, a children's picture book. Probably not what you're looking for but it might help you track it down. As I recall, there's a blurb about "this story is based on..." somewhere in the Bang book.
posted by not that girl at 7:33 AM on December 10, 2006

Best answer: Liang and the Magic Paintbrush has this storyline, and was featured on Reading Rainbow.
posted by nonane at 8:52 AM on December 10, 2006

Response by poster: nonane, that's probably it -- I did watch Reading Rainbow when I was young. Thank you!
posted by cmyk at 9:27 AM on December 10, 2006

There is a folk Chinese tale that includes this basic plot line from the 6th century, here is a retelling of the story, based on the Chinese myth.
posted by scodger at 1:12 PM on December 10, 2006