Long ago, a couple lived in the remote part of Japan with their only daughter. She was beautiful and they loved her tenderly. One day, the father had to go to Kyoto for business. Before leaving, the father told his daughter that if she behaved properly and listened to her mother, he would get a gift for her. He, then, departed for his journey. The mother and the daughter watched as he went away. The father returned after a month. His wife and daughter welcomed him. He took off his hat and sandals and sat on the floor. Then, he opened his bamboo basket. The daughter eagerly watched him. He took out a wonderful doll and a lacquer box of cakes from the basket. He gave them to his daughter. Now, he took out from his basket, the magnificent metal mirror. The man gave the mirror to his wife.
A Mother’s Gift
The wife was amazed to see such a mirror. Its convex surface shone brightly, while upon its back there was a design of pine trees and storks. He said, “Look and tell me what you see inside.” When she gazed into the mirror, she was filled with wonder. She saw looking at her a smiling face of another woman. The man explained the mysterious mirror and she carefully kept it among her treasure. After a few years, the loving mother felt sick. Just before she died she had called her daughter and said, “Dear child, I am very sick and will soon die. After my death, take care of your father. Take this mirror which your father gave me long ago, and when you feel lonely look into it and you will always see me smiling at you.” She passed away and in due time the man married again.
The Stepmother
The stepmother was not kind to her stepdaughter. But the little one, remembering her mother’s words, would sit in a corner and eagerly look into the mirror. One day, the stepmother saw the girl stooping in the corner of the room. She was staring at an object and talking to herself. The stepmother rushed to her husband and told him that the girl was trying to kill her through witchcraft. The father was furious to hear this and quickly went to his daughter’s room. The girl was surprised and quickly hid the mirror under her sleeve. The father got angry at this suspicious behaviour and started to believe what his wife had said. “What have you hidden in your sleeve?” asked her father. She replied, “The mirror you gave my mother, and which she on her deathbed gave to me. Every day, I look into the mirror to see my mother and speak to her. It gives me peace, and helps me to bear hard words.”
A New Beginning
All misunderstandings were cleared. The father understood and loved his daughter even more. The stepmother overheard their conversation and felt ashamed. She apologised for her behaviour and asked for forgiveness. The girl, who believed she had seen her mother’s face in the mirror, willingly forgave her stepmother and never bore any malice towards her. They all lived happily together. The idea that a mirror can steal one’s soul is a common belief in many cultures. In Japan, there is a strong tradition of respecting and honouring one’s parents. This story is an example of what it is to be a good daughter. She endured the ill-treatment of her stepmother without wishing ill. The daughter still cherished the memory of her real mother. Both the father and the stepmother were touched by the daughter’s love for her mother.
