Illustrated by Jian Jiang Chen.
Once upon a time Tian, Lord of the Cranes, decides to leave his home high up in the mountains: he wants to put his people to the test. Dressing in rags he goes begging for alms, but only one man, the innkeeper Wang, offers him hospitality. Tian rewards Wang with a miraculous gift, which brings fame and fortune to the innkeeper. In return, Wang vows to help the Lord of the Cranes with his special mission.
The painter, Jian Jiang Chen, knows this folktale from his childhood in China. Retold here by his wife, Kerstin, it is a haunting tale of virtue rewarded.
