Modern Art

“Look at the photo,” the teacher said. “It's an old castle. The walls are ancient. The sky behind it is grey.”

The students looked at their blank paper.

“First, paint the sky. Make the background light. Don't press too hard.”

The students dipped their brushes and painted the sky.

“Now paint the castle. The castle is tall. The stones are grey and the windows are dark.”

The students painted the castle.

“Be careful with the water. Keep the brush clean.”

A boy looked down. There was paint on the carpet, on his shoes, and on his nose.

“Teacher,” he said, “my castle is on the floor.”

The teacher smiled. “That's modern art. Sign it.”