“A HAPPY MIRROR” A JAPANESE FOLKTALE
Many years ago in Japan, there lived a father, a mother, and their dear little girl.
There was not a happier family in all of Japan. She was their little girl, fast growing
up. By the time she was seven, she was helping her parents in many ways. She could
talk and dance and sing, and oh! Her parents loved her dearly. One day, a messenger
brought exciting news. The emperor had sent for the father. He had to leave for
Tokyo at once. Tokyo was a long way off and the roads were rough. The father would
have to walk every step of the way, for he had no horse. There were no railways nor
even rickshaws to travel on. The little girl was glad her father was going to Tokyo.
She knew that when he came back, he would tell her many interesting stories. And
she knew that he would bring her presents. The mother was happy because the
father had been sent for by the emperor, a great honor.
At last, all was ready. The father looked very fine as he started out on his long trip.
The little family stood on the porch of the little house to bid him goodbye. “Do not
worry. I will come back soon,” said the father. “While I’m away, take care of
everything. Keep our little daughter safe.” “Yes, we shall be alright. But you must
take care of yourself. Come back to as soon as you can,” said the mother. The little
girl ran to his side. She caught hold of his sleeve to keep him a moment. “Father,”
she said, “I will be very good while waiting for you to come back.”
The days seemed very long for the mother and the little girl. Many times each day,
they would pray for the good father, for his journey to be safe. One morning, the
little girl saw someone coming over the mountains. She ran to tell her mother. They
both went to the garden gate to watch. As he came nearer, they knew that he was
the father. They were all happy again.
Inside the house, the little girl ran to untie her father’s straw sandals. The mother
lovingly took off his large straw hat. They all sat down on the white mat, for he had
bought presents. There in a bamboo basket was a beautiful doll and a box full of
cakes. “Here,” he said to the little girl, “is a present for you. It is a prize for taking
care of Mother and the house while I was away.” “Thank you, Father dear,” said the
little girl. Then she bowed her head to the ground. In a second, she had picked up
her lovely new doll and gone to play with it. Again, the husband looked into the
basket. This time, he brought out a square wooden box tied with grey-colored
ribbon. He handed it to his wife saying, “And this is for you, my dear.”
The wife took the box and opened it carefully. One side had beautifully carved pine
trees and storks on it. The other side was bright and shining as smooth as a pool of
water. Inside, there was something made of silver. She had never seen so lovely
present. Then she looked closer at the shining side. Suddenly she cried: “I see
someone looking at me in this round thing! She is very lovely.” Her husband laughed
but said nothing. Then the mother’s eyes grew big with wonder. “Why, the lady I see
has a dress just like mine! She seems to be talking to me!” “My dear,” her husband
answered, “that is your own face that you see. What I have given you is a mirror. All
the ladies in Tokyo have them. If you bring a smiling face to the mirror, you will see a
smiling face. If you are angry, you will see a angry face.”
The wife thanked her husband for the lovely gift. She promised to always bring a
happy face to the mirror. Then she shut the box and put it away. Often, the mother
would take out the box and look inside. Each time, she was surprised. She liked to
see her eyes shine. She liked to see how red her lips were. She always brought a
happy smiling face to the mirror, that she might see a smiling face reflected. But
eventually, she grew tired of looking in that mirror, and she put it away. In time,
opening that box and gazing upon that happy mirror became no more than a yearly
ritual.
Then the mother decided to save that lovely gift for her lovely daughter when she
grew up. The years went by. The girl grew to be a young lady and no longer played
with dolls. Instead each day, she helped her mother about the house. Her hair was
the same; her eyes were the same; her mouth was the same. She was the very image
of her mother.
One day, the mother called her daughter and said, “My daughter, I have something
to give you. Once each year, you are to gaze into it.” She took the square wooden
box from the drawer. Carefully, the daughter untied the ribbon. Wondering, she
lifted the cover and looked into the mirror. “Why, Mother!” she cried. “It’s you! You
look just as you used to look when I was a little girl.” “Yes, dear, that is the way I
looked when I was young. Be sure to smile when you look at me and I will smile back
to you.”
From that day forth, the young woman kept the mirror near her. Once every year,
she would open it up. Her mother’s words always proved true and within that mirror
she saw her mother’s face. It was her mother, more beautiful each time that she
looked. She seemed to smile at her daughter and the daughter smiled back at her. As
long as she kept a smile on her face, that happy mirror reflected her mother’s smile
back at her.