With his two little fingers gripping the pen and an iron will, nine-year-old Dat not only learned to write, but can also paint beautifully.

It is a pastoral scene common to Viet Nam’s painting, so what makes this one piece of artwork so unusual?

The image, which was made five years ago, is normal, but the boy who made it is not. He dreams of becoming a painter in the future, despite the fact he has only two little fingers on his hands.

Nine-year-old Nguyen Duy Dat was born into a poor family in Hoang Ly Village in northern Ha Nam Province. Dat was born with only two fingers, one on each hand, and two toes on each foot — a birth defect similar to his father’s.

But with only two fingers, he can paint quickly and more beautifully than many of his peers.

For his painting Paying New Year’s visit, Dat won top prize at the painting contest organised by Duy Tien District several months ago.

Dat said he chose this topic because when Tet (Lunar New Year) comes, it is time for him to get li xi – a present for new year’s day, to wear new clothes and to eat delicious dishes and sweets.

“I like going outside with my parents during the Tet holiday. I like toys at the street shops. Adults always give me li xi when they see me,” says Dat.

Nguyen Thi Thinh, Dat’s mother, says that God may have given Dat only two fingers, but he was also given the intelligence and perseverance to pursue his studies and help with the house work.

Thinh says that when her son was 5, he asked her: “Mum, why do my hands lack fingers? My friends always tease me because I have only two fingers.”

His mother replied: “When I gave birth to you, the goddess who is believed to protect babies was away from home, so you lack fingers. However, the most important thing is that you are very intelligent, you can do better than many others who have all their fingers.”

Two years later, he came home from working the paddy field and told his parents that he wanted to go to school.

“Nothing could have made me happier,” says Thinh.

Thinh and her husband brought him to a primary school near their house to apply.

“The teacher was very nice. She accepted our son and said she would give him special attention,” she says.

Nguyen Thi Huong, Dat’s teacher, says she is proud of Dat.

Huong says holding a pen was really difficult for Dat, at first. “Back then, his writing was just scrawl. I thought that he would not be able to keep up with the other students.”

However, Huong says that then something marvellous happened. With his two little fingers gripping the pen and an iron will, Dat not only learned to write, but to write beautifully.

Dat draws a peaceful country scene.

Dat says when he first started at school his classmates used to tease him and make him cry, “I was sad but I did not want to give up my studies. My father had to go talk with my classmates. They understood and did not tease me anymore.”

He says that now he is close with his classmates and they often fly kites and play football together.

“If someone teases me, my classmates are ready to protect me. I love them,” says Dat.

Dat, who is an only child, lives in a small house with his parents, which is only big enough for two beds and a table. The table is used as a tea-table when the family has guests, a dining table and also as a desk for Dat.

Besides painting, Dat’s favourite thing to do is play with his five little dogs, which he named Nhat, Nhi, Tam, Tu and Ngu (One, two, three, four and five). “I like to feed them every day. They are my siblings,” he says.

Nguyen Van Quang, an official from the Hoang Dong Commune People’s Committee, says that Dat and his father are good examples for local villagers. They are always thirsty for knowledge, he says.

“We know about Dat’s talent in painting but we can not afford to give him lessons. The school has already cut his school fees in half. That’s the best thing we can do for him,” says Quang.

Dat has many dreams. He wants to go to Ha Noi to visit President Ho Chi Minh’s mausolium and go to bookstores.

He likes painting cartoon characters like Superman and Mickey Mouse.

He also flies his kite on sultry summer afternoons. He made the kite himself and while it is not as beautiful as others in the city, it can fly very high, just like Dat himself.

VietNamNet/VNS