LIVE MASTERPIECES

The stories in this e-book are written by the students of Live Masterpieces eTwinning Project.

This e-book is designed as  joint product of our project.

1st CHAPTER

Mona Lisa

The Nurse and The Patience

I have to go to the hospital because I don’t feel good.While I am waiting in the waiting room, I meet a man. He looks very nervous. He tells me that he is afraid of “needle” but he is very ill and he have to get injection. His friends advices him this hospital. Because there is a nurse here. She is very kind and successful. Her name is Mona Lisa. She is medium weight and not very tall. She has got hazel eyes and long , straight, dark hair. She alwalys smiles but she sometimes looks sad.

When she enters the waiting room, everybody starts to look at her. Because she is like a wonderful portrait. She calls the man’s name and she looks after him. Everybody looks happy.

 Su B. & Sena Ç.

AGARKAL / 9th grade

A LIVING MASTERPIECE

(inspired by Mona Lisa)

The bursts of gunshots were all we could hear as if we were on the battlefield. The eternal noise of the machine guns, cannons, and the roar of detonations, echoed in his head forever. Leonard was suddenly awakened by this roar of horror, but around him, there was complete silence. A heavy silence. It had been a while since the atmosphere had been so quiet, at least without any gunshots disrupting the world. He poked his head out of the tent: the sun had not yet risen in the moonless sky. He went out quietly, holding his sketchbook, and walked through the woods for a while, until he found a quiet spot where the sun could be admired rising over the mountains. Leonard sat down on the grass, glistening with the morning dew, and waited for the sun to come up. He took his pencil out of his pocket and started to make some sketches of the landscape that stretched out around him, between valleys and mountains, vegetation and animals, and above all the soft sunrise, reflected in the lake. It had been a long time since he had drawn anything other than ruins, the horror.

When he returned, there was already some agitation at the campsite. The troops were getting ready to go on recognition to a little town nearby, half destroyed by enemy bombs. Leonard packed his things and followed the company. While the soldiers were looking for the survivors, Leonard drew charcoal drawings of the rubble and ruins of the village buildings, illustrating the devastation of the War. As a war artist, it had been a routine to draw these miserable and gloomy scenes. In the middle of this nightmarish landscape, the church stood almost undamaged. He approached to get a closer look at the church bell. A young girl was sitting on the floor in the corner.

“Hello? Are you alright?” he asked. Leonard gently lent his hand towards her. She stepped back, frightened by his gesture, yet reassuring and helpful.

“Everything is fine now, I’m here to help you”, he said, seeing the fear on her face. “My name is Leonard, what’s your name?

“My…name? I…I don’t know…” she said hesitating.

“Leonard !” a voice cried out in the distance. “We are going back to the camp with the survivors, and take care of the ones injured.”

**

Now that the war was coming to an end, Leonard could devote more time to more personal work. But it was not the time that was the rarest. He was in deep need of

inspiration. He picked some brushes, some tubes of paint, and a couple of paper sheets and left the tent.

“Hey! Leonard where are you going?” a soldier asked him, as he saw him outside.

“I’m going in the surroundings to draw a little, and clear my head,” he answered.

“Oh, I see. We’re planning to go on an expedition to the north. I brought you some company.” A brown long-haired head appeared from behind the soldier. The girl from the destroyed village. “Could you take care of her? She’s not very talkative but she mentioned your name, perhaps you’ll have better opportunities to get along with her.”

Leonard nodded to the soldier and addressed a smile to the young girl. No emotion was shown on her face, but still, it captured Leonard’s attention. She had long brown hair and a round face. She had beautiful deep brown eyes, but yet, they seemed unemotional. They greeted the soldier before they both ventured down the path. After a calm and inspiring walk through the majestic trees in this amazing nature, where the colorful flowers were in full bloom, they stopped at the top of a hill. It was a place to admire the most stunning landscapes and the most breathtaking views.

“So, since you don’t have a first name, we should find you a surname!”

Leonard took a look around him. The hills with bright green and fresh grass were overrun with flowerbeds of daisies.

“ How about Daisy?” he suggested while picking up one of them at his feet.

“I like it…” she said monotonously. “I like these flowers…”

“They are pretty don’t you think ?”

“Yes..” she whispered timidly.

The landscape was so different from what he used to see these past few months. Leonard laid down in the grass, putting his hands behind his head.

“Huh,” he sighed. “I wish I could paint again, but I have no inspiration, I want to make an exceptional work”

“Why…don’t you paint this landscape? It can inspire you, there is a beginning to everything.”

“You are probably right Daisy” he agreed, surprised by her wise advice.

It was true that the landscape was gorgeous. A landscape coming straight out of a painting. He could spend several hours without ever getting tired of these landscapes. The surroundings were of incredible beauty, full of surprises and secrets.

**

The days passed, Leonard returned regularly to the hill to paint the landscape, from different views, the mountains, the streams. Daisy often accompanied him, and Leonard noticed that she was showing more and more of her emotions, her expressions were in a way more pleased.

“I have an idea, Leonard!” Daisy declared. “I can be your inspiration. You could make my portrait, what do you think? ”

“Ohh! With pleasure!” he gladly responded. Leonard was pleasantly surprised by her request and could not hide his delight. Now that she had suggested it, it seemed obvious, crystal clear. She was an immense source of inspiration, both for her beauty and her mysterious expression. She sat in front of him, in a position so that we could see behind her wonderful mountains. His drawing was incredibly faithful to reality, from every strand of her hair to the features of her hands. The landscape behind her was perfectly reproduced, in every detail. We could see each fold of her black dress, which contrasted with the natural whiteness of her skin. And above all, on her face was drawn… a smile. A wonderful smile.

It was like a living masterpiece…

by Flora CHI & Exaucée M. MAKETA

Late at night on a simple day in
the 1980’s, George, a security
guard at the Louvre was
assigned an important task.
That night, he was supposed to
keep one of the masterpieces
of Leonardo Da Vinci, The Mona
Lisa. He wasn’t stressed at all
because he managed to be a
good security guard in the
museum and it wasn’t his first
night alone. He was standing in
a large room with the painting
of a woman with a charming eye
contact, and nearby was a huge
dark corridor. He already saw
the painting but tonight it was
totally different. Tonight he
was the only one in front of
her. No sounds, dimmed lights
and only the echoes of his voice
and the shadow of his body
followed him through the darkness. He thought The Mona Lisa was trying to talk
to him even if nothing was moving, but her face looked so real. For the first time
in his life, he wasn’t able to explain what feeling overpowered him until one
specific moment. Her hands started to move. She held out her hand through the
frame and she told him to come closer. This moment was total craziness in the
brain of George the security guard. A Feeling of calm and excitement, took hold
of him. The only thing George was able to clearly understand was the fact that
her voice was so real. When he started to take her hand, it was ice cold just like
the air, as if his hand was touching nothing, no sensation except the forces
which started to drag his body into the frame and before realizing what was
happening he was in the painting with her.
Nothing changed in the room. The Mona Lisa was sitting there, in front of
nothing because George had disappeared. Nothing could prove his existence, as
if he had never existed. Every memory of everyone who knew George
disappeared in one eye blink of the masterpiece. The only question that was
raised by the employees of the museum was why nobody had been assigned the important mission of guarding  the Mona Lisa.

by Yann Daligault/ France

2nd CHAPTER

THE GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING

GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING AND VAN GOGH

In Netherlands, there was a boy named Van Gogh. This boy was in depression but only one girl made him happy, his best friend. They had been friends since their childhood. They were neighbourhoods. He said that she was the reason that he was alive.

One day when they were in their fifteens, he realised that he was deeply in love with her. He made a painting of her and said her the truth. But his best friend rejected him. She said that they are best friends. They should have continiued as friends.

When Van Gogh was 30 years old, he got very sick and went to hospital. Doctors said that he was cancer. Depressed Van Gogh was going to dead then. While he was going home, he thought that he should have told her again that he is in love with her so maybe he could spend his last days happilly.

She was waiting him at the door and when she saw him she ran towards him and hugged him; asked that what happened, what the doctors said. Van Gogh said that he was cancer. She started to cry so badly. They hugged thightly and cried together. Van Gogh wiped her tears and smiled. “Don’t worry I’m not going to leave you alone.” He thought “Not now…”

After one month Van Gogh got worse. He was resting at home all day and his best friend was coming over to see him. Van Gogh was in a lot of pain. She didn’t want to see him that way. Therefore she only came for 15 minutes. That day Van Gogh decided to tell her. But she opened her mouth before Van Gogh. “I’m going to marry with someone. My mom told to me. I’m going to meet him today. I wanted you to know, and come to my wedding before you…” She started to cry. So did Van Gogh. “Fix your eyes and get up.”* Van Gogh said. She left and he continued to cry. “Don’t ever think I’ll make you try to stay.” **

After all the things he was in lots of pain. He couldn’t stand it anymore. He started to make a painting of her, with her favourite earing. The pearl one…

That night he saw a dream with an interesting sky. He did the background of that sky. And after one week, the painting was done. She didn’t even come over after the last conversation between them. The pain that he own was increased. He wrote “I loved you.” behind the painting and took out his gun. He couldn’t stand it anymore. She was the only reason that he was alive and she is gone too. He shot himself on the heart.

In the morning she came to tell him that she is not going to marry. But found him in blood. She fell to the ground and saw the painting, read the text. She screamed and cried so badly. Hugged him one last time and said “I’m so sorry. I loved you too.”

* and ** :The writer is referring a song. I Don’t Love You by My Chemical Romance. This sentences are the lyrics of the song.

by Yağmur Ç.- Trabzon/Turkey

Lisa with a Pearl Earring

Long long years ago, there was a beutiful and charming girl called Lisa. She was also the wife of the king. She was so beautiful that all painters wanted to paint her. But there was a price to paint her. You would die if the king didn’t like your painting. Every day, at least five painters came to castle everyday, but at most two of them could survive. The princess, Lisa, couldn’t stand people dying everyday for her and decided to run away from the castle. She dressed like somebody else and set out. Finally, she arrived at the town centre. She slept at a tavern that night. Tomorrow, Lisa came across with a well-dressed girl while she was having her breakfast. The stranger girl was looking beautiful and she had a giant pearl earring. Lisa understood that the stranger was rich. Lisa got closer to the stranger and asked if she needs help. The stranger replied “Yes, please. I ran away from the kingdom and I don’t know what to do. I was a queen but I couldn’t resist my husband’s preasure anymore.” Lisa was rigt about her predictions. She was from a royal family and rich. Lisa said “What’s your name ma’am? I can help you if you want.” The stranger’s name was Lua and they became frinds. Lisa told about her story and they realized that they are in the same situation. By the time they were hanging in the town centre, their husbands, the kings, gave the order to catch them. It means that they had to move tohether and help each other.

Days gone like that. They were living an ordinary life together. One day, a painter saw them and asked them if he could paint them together. The painter’s name was Leo Vermeer and he was so famous all around the country. Normally he was painting for money and his paintings was so expensive. But they were so beautiful together that Leo wanted to paint them. He was a genius and his paintings gave secret messages. He decided to mix their face and paint someone who made of the mix of their face. The person in the painting looked mostly like Lisa but she had a pearl earring. Leo asked them if he could keep that masterpiece with him and the girls let him. The girls knew that they have to leave town because their husbands were after them. The big day came, the girls were leaving the town. After the day that they leave the town, the soldiers and the kings arrived to town. The two king knew each other and came to town together because they had posted an announcement that their wifes were missing and decided to meet by envoys.

The kings and soldiers didn’t find anyone in the town and they were so tired because they were on the road for 3 days without stopping. They found a place to stay and rest for a few days. The kings also knew about Leo Vermeer and they wanted him to paint them. When the kings entered Leo’s studio, they came across with the girls’ painting and they said “MY WIFE!!!” at the same time. Lisa’s husband said “How dare you say ‘my wife’ to my wife!” and Lua’s husband replied “It’s my wife, Lua. How can you say ‘my wife’?”. They got into a fight and there were a war between two countries. In the end, none of the kings won the war. It was just an economic and politic shock for both of them. If the had listened each other, they could realize that it’s a mixed painting and they could rejoin to their wifes but, they succumbed to their egos and got into a fight. On the other side, Lisa and Lua bought a garden that saw The Starry Night every time the sun went down and opened a flower garden. They lived friendly and in peace without their husbands’ preassure forever.

Akif Sayhan Yılmaz/Trabzon Kanuni Anatolian High

P.S from the writer :

The kings were going to reach their purpose if they have listened each other. I think it’s the biggest problem in today’s world. People don’t want to know about each other and they just want to do what they think. Please try to be understanding and listen eacht other. Not everything you think is right. Just be openminded.

Akif S. Y. -Trabzon/Turkey

(Super) Girl with a Pearl Earing;

Once upon a time there was a girl, a very mysterious girl, nobody knew who she was, but she knew everybody.

She was like a superhero, but that sounds a bit childish. Every time a good deed was done somewhere, she left behind a pearl, a pearl earring. Nobody knew for sure who it was, but investigators made the connection with an old painting that had been found. The painting was found in an old house that had burned down, which was strange because everything (really everything) had burned down and the painting had not even been damaged. Investigators call the painting and the girl “The Girl with a Pearl Earring” from now on. When the house burnt down, nobody was hurt, which was a bit strange because the people who were in the house had to jump out of the window from the burning house and they were not hurt at all, not even a scratch, just like the painting. The residents of the burnt down house (and the house where the painting was found) had never seen the painting before. And they found another pearl. There were many more good deeds, in which no one was hurt, such as a car accident, a nuclear power plant that exploded, and many more. In which a pearl was found every time.

To this day, no one knows who she is or whether she is real. But more and more pearls are found in good deeds

Juultje V./ The Netherland

3rd CHAPTER

THE KISS

The Story of the Golden Kiss

Eden was a young man madly in love with a young woman, Rose. He has never dared to tell her. He comes from an upper middle-class family and has been promised to a woman named Jade without ever having met her. They exchanged a few letters, which were of no real importance, at least to him.

Rose is a young woman with little time left to live (But she didn’t know that). Rose comes from a modest family. She is desperately looking for true love. She knows that she will never be able to live it.

They are both people of incomparable beauty. Rose is not aware of her beauty.

They have a simple view of love, don’t they? Let’s not stop there. Will they be able to live it?

The story begins in the city of London, England. Rose is on her way to a ball, hoping to find a man who would be willing to marry her. Rose is barely 17 years old. She is dressed in a very charming light pink dress, her brown hair tied back with beautiful red roses. She is a quite shy, but she has a lot of personality. This is Rose’s first ball; She is nervous just like the other young women here.

Eden’s family has organised this ball to find a wife for his brothers. But Eden, despite the promise of getting married to Jade, he wants to meet his true love. His clothes are so elegant that one would have to be blind not to notice. Her hair is silky. Rose as well as the other young women have noticed him, but Eden did not attract her attention more than that. The ball started with a waltz. This was the perfect opportunity for Eden to ask Rose to dance. Despite the difficulty he had to reach her, because of the other women who are also very interested in him, he finally succeeded and invites hed.

Rose accepted politely. The waltz, started on the right foot, Eden was happy to have been able to invite Rose. They were the only one left; everyone was looking at the couple. Rose was so impressed that immediately after the dance she went to hide from the others. Eden was confused. He joined her discreetly.

-May I ask… didn’t you like the dance?

-Yes, it was wonderful… I do apologize for the familiar language.

– Do not worry about it. But why did you leave?

Rose’s feelings were mixed between confusion and her attraction to Eden.

During the following weeks they met in secret. Eden was deeply in love with Rose while Rose was not so sure how to define her feelings for him because she knew he was engaged to be married. One could say that Rose considers him as her best friend. The dreadful day arrived,

the day of Eden and Jade wedding. The wedding was discreet and so was the honeymoon. When the couple returned from their nuptial Rose had fallen seriously sick. Eden was not told. Since his marriage, he did not find the time to meet Rose at the top of the hill as usual.

A few weeks later Eden learned of Rose’s illness. He was incredibly affected. Rose was heartbroken as she had not seen Eden for some time. Rose heard the rumours about Eden and Jade’s future baby.

Eden quickly wrote a letter to Rose to meet her at their hill. The appointment was at sunset. Rose was on time as usual. As beautiful as always, all dressed in gold, her skin was bright.

Eden arrived also dressed in gold. Without any restraint he took her in his arms and whispered to her:

– Rose, I love you

She looked him straight in the eyes and smiled.

– What took you so long to tell me, Eden. Why did you wait to be married to someone else to tell me?

– I am truly sorry.

– You don’t have to be, I don’t have long to live Eden, I have been seriously ill, I only have a few days or hours left to live.

They talked for more than 3 hours while looking to the horizon. It was time to say goodbye. Eden got up and helped Rose. Rose, in need of energy, fell into Eden’s arms. She was hardly breathing. Their two bodies pressed against each other, and their lips came together. At the end of this sweet embrace Rose had left this world. Eden kissed her cheek.

Before leaving Rose had allowed herself to kiss Eden despite being married. She loved him with all her heart in secret. He always loved her.

Eden was terribly affected by this loss; he could never be consoled.

He would join her years later. One day, the lovers will meet again.

That is, indeed, what is called true love!

by Lisa Tsoi and Elise Pélissier/France

4th CHAPTER

The Starry Night

Dearest Night
I was waiting infront of my tv in excitement, it was finally time. Our prime minister came up to the
stage and said ‘Bars are allowed to open tommorow at 6pm.’ I immediately called up all my friends
which all responded happily to my offer. The morning after, i woke up with this extraordinary feeling
of happiness. Only to know how special this day was gunna be.
At 10pm i went to the bar to see my friends. ‘Finally! After a long time of sitting inside we can finnaly
go out again!’ said my friend. I was so relieved to see my friend. We haven’t seen each other in so
long! We grabbed a few drinks and heard a loud bang and a cry for help outside. ‘We should check
outside.’ I said. But my friends denied.
I had a feeling of guilt and went outside to see a car crashed into another car with lots of people
circled around, not caring about social distancing, I also saw a deer hobbling away. Since the drivers
were already getting a hand i decided to follow the deer. After seeing the deer struggle for ages it
tripped and fell down on the ground. I called a forester just to notice i was off the grid. So i tried to
help, but he didn’t approve and started to kick around, i got slapped in the face with mud. And he
almost hit me in my face, but i decided i would be stupid and try to do everything in my power to get
this animal on 4 legs again. The deer calmed down i helped him and it tried to walk again. After a
few minutes it was finally able to walk. I was about to turn around but he kept making noises. ‘He’s
trying to show me something.’ I thought to myself. So there i was with my dirty clothes walking
behind an animal to probally get lost in the forest. But instead i got lead into this amazing space
without trees. I got a beautiful view of the town. I could even see my own house! I love this animal! I saw all the stars and thought to myself : “What a wonderful accident.”

by Sven /The Netherland

‘A trip to the cornfields’

LUCY AND HER PAINTINGS

5th CHAPTER

GUERNICA

Picasso is a clever Spanish boy. He is good at all lessons but Art. He always gets high marks from Maths, Science , Language lessons but he never draws pictures very well. His Art teacher always gets angry with him. His teacher wants him to draw a tree but he draws something and his teacher never understand what it is. One day in the History lesson his teacher explains the Spanish Civil War.

He is very influenced by history lesson and draws a picture after this lesson.

When his Art teacher sees the picture, he can’t understand and asks him.

He explains the meaning of these figures on the Picture. After that his teacher respects him and she understands he is very special boy. She organizes an exhibition and his picture is displayed there.

Can Mete Ö. & Boradeniz S.

AGARKAL / 9th grade

A short story about a guy called Picasso.

‘The woman in the picture’