Gopi was an imaginative village girl who liked drawing pictures in the sand with a twig.
A mysterious man sitting on a stone gave Gopi a special magic paintbrush.
The man instructed Gopi to keep the magic brush secret and paint only for the poor.
The special paintbrush possessed the magical power to turn paintings into real physical objects.
Gopi first painted a bowl of khichdi, which became real and amazed her village.
Gopi used the brush selflessly to paint useful everyday items for the needy village folk.
News of the magical creations quickly spread far and wide until the powerful Zamindar heard it.
The greedy Zamindar commanded Gopi to paint a grand fortress, precious jewels, and rare riches.
Gopi bravely refused the Zamindar because she had sworn to use the brush only for the needy.
The angry Zamindar snatched the brush and threw Gopi into a cold prison cell.
Gopi painted a winding road and a bold horse at night to escape from the prison.
Gopi rode the painted horse swiftly through the fields to return to her village.
When the Zamindar chased her, Gopi painted a wide and deep river to stop his men.
Gopi threatened to paint a dangerous beast that would attack the Zamindar and his men.
Frightened by Gopi's warning, the cowardly Zamindar and his followers fled the scene immediately.
Gopi celebrated her victory by painting a grand feast of sweets and tea for the villagers.
This poem is an adapted folk tale belonging to the narrative poetry or ballad genre.
The poem largely uses an ABCB rhyme scheme and moves from a playful tone to a triumphant celebration.
The central moral of the story is that power and kindness should be used to help others.
The chapter also introduces P.L. Sundarka from Nayagarh, Odisha, who was known as Jadusamrat.