and battles

without　ever　having　seen　a　battle；　went　to　war　for　the　first　time。　But　before　he

could　even　see　the　thunderous　and　violent　clash　of　sweating　horses；　he　lost　his

hands　and　his　eyesight　to　enemy　cannon…fire。　The　old　master；　like　all　genuine

virtuosos； had in any case been awaiting blindness as though it were Allah’s

blessing；　and　neither　did　he　treat　the　loss　of　his　hands　as　a　great　deficiency。　He

maintained　that　the　memory　of　a　miniaturist　was　located　not　in　the　hand；　as

some　insisted；　but　in　the　intellect　and　the　heart；　and　furthermore；　now　that　he

was　blind；　he　declared　that　he　could　see　the　true　pictures；　scenery　and　essential

and flawless horses that Allah manded be seen。 To share these wonders

with lovers of art； he hired a tall； pale…skinned； pink…plected； green…eyed

calligrapher’s apprentice to whom he dictated exactly how to draw the

marvelous horses that appeared to him in God’s divine darkness—as he

would’ve　drawn　them　had　he　been　able　to　hold　a　brush　in　his　hands。　After　the

master’s　death；　his　account　of　how　to　draw　303　horses　beginning　from　the　left

foreleg was collected by the handsome calligrapher’s apprentice into three

volumes　respectively　entitled　The　Depiction　of　Horses；　The　Flow　of　Horses　and　The

Love　of　Horses；　which　were　quite　widely　liked　and　sought　after　for　a　time　in　the

regions　where　the　Whitesheep　ruled。　Though　they　appeared　in　a　variety　of　new

editions and copies； were memorized by illustrators； apprentices and their

students and were used as practice books； after Tall Hasan’s Whitesheep

nation　was　obliter