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+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 30020 ***
+
+Japanese Fairy Tale Series, No 10.
+
+#The Matsuyama Mirror.#
+
+TOLD IN ENGLISH BY MRS. T. H. JAMES.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Published by T. HASEGAWA, 17 Kami Negishi, TOKYO.
+
+
+
+
+ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+THE
+
+MATSUYAMA
+
+MIRROR.
+
+
+A long long time ago, there lived in a quiet spot, a young man and his
+wife. They had one child, a little daughter, whom they both loved with
+all their hearts. I cannot tell you their names, for they have been
+long since forgotten, but the name of the place where they lived was
+Matsuyama, in the province of Echigo.
+
+It happened once, while the little girl was still a baby, that the
+father was obliged to go to the great city, the capital of Japan, upon
+some business. It was too far for the mother and her little baby to go,
+so he set out alone, after bidding them good bye, and promising to bring
+them home some pretty present.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The mother had never been further from home than the next village, and
+she could not help being a little frightened at the thought of her
+husband taking such a long journey, and yet she was a little proud
+too, for he was the first man in all that country side who had been to
+the big town where the King and his great lords lived, and where there
+were so many beautiful and curious things to be seen.
+
+At last the time came when she might expect her husband back, so she
+dressed the baby in its best clothes, and herself put on a pretty blue
+dress which she knew her husband liked.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+You may fancy how glad this good wife was to see him come home safe
+and sound, and how the little girl clapped her hands, and laughed with
+delight, when she saw the pretty toys her father had brought for her.
+He had much to tell of all the wonderful things he had seen upon the
+journey, and in the town itself.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+"I have brought you a very pretty thing," said he to his wife: "it is
+called a mirror. Look and tell me what you see inside." He gave to her
+a plain, white wooden box, in which, when she had opened it, she found
+a round piece of metal. One side was white like frosted silver, and
+ornamented with raised figures of birds and flowers, the other was
+bright as the clearest crystal. Into it the young mother looked with
+delight and astonishment, for, from its depths was looking at her with
+parted lips and bright eyes, a smiling happy face.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+"What do you see?" again asked the husband, pleased at her
+astonishment, and glad to show that he had learned something while he
+had been away. "I see a pretty woman looking at me, and she moves her
+lips as if she was speaking, and--dear me, how odd, she has on a blue
+dress just like mine!" "Why, you silly woman, it is your own face that
+you see," said the husband, proud of knowing something that his wife
+didn't know. That round piece of metal is called a mirror, in the town
+every body has one, although we have not seen them in this country place
+before.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The wife was charmed with her present, and, for a few days could not
+look into the mirror often enough, for you must remember, that, as this
+was the first time she had seen a mirror, so, of course, it was the
+first time she had ever seen the reflection of her own pretty face. But
+she considered such a wonderful thing far too precious for every day
+use, and soon shut it up in its box again, and put it away carefully
+among her most valued treasures.
+
+Years past on, and the husband and wife still lived happily. The joy of
+their life was their little daughter, who grew up the very image of her
+mother, and who was so dutiful and affectionate that every body loved
+her. Mindful of her own little passing vanity on finding herself so
+lovely, the mother kept the mirror carefully hidden away, fearing that
+the use of it might breed a spirit of pride in her little girl.
+
+She never spoke of it, and as for the father, he had forgotten all about
+it. So it happened that the daughter grew up as simple as the mother had
+been, and knew nothing of her own good looks, or of the mirror which
+would have reflected them.
+
+But bye and bye a terrible misfortune happened to this happy little
+family. The good, kind mother fell sick; and, although her daughter
+waited upon her day and night, with loving care, she got worse and
+worse, until at last there was no hope but that she must die.
+
+When she found that she must so soon leave her husband and child, the
+poor woman felt very sorrowful, grieving for those she was going to
+leave behind, and most of all for her little daughter.
+
+She called the girl to her and said; "My darling child, you know that I
+am very sick: soon I must die, and leave your dear father and you alone.
+When I am gone, promise me that you will look into this mirror every
+night and every morning: there you will see me, and know that I am still
+watching over you." With these words she took the mirror from its hiding
+place and gave it to her daughter. The child promised, with many tears,
+and so the mother, seeming now calm and resigned, died a short time
+after.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Now this obedient and dutiful daughter, never forgot her mother's last
+request, but each morning and evening took the mirror from its hiding
+place, and looked in it long and earnestly. There she saw the bright and
+smiling vision of her lost mother. Not pale and sickly as in her last
+days, but the beautiful young mother of long ago. To her at night she
+told the story of the trials and difficulties of the day, to her in the
+morning she looked for sympathy and encouragement in whatever might be
+in store for her. So day by day she lived as in her mother's sight,
+striving still to please her as she had done in her life time, and
+careful always to avoid whatever might pain or grieve her. Her greatest
+joy was to be able to look in the mirror and say; "Mother, I have been
+today what you would have me to be."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Seeing her every night and morning, without fail, look into the mirror,
+and seem to hold converse with it, her father at length asked her the
+reason of her strange behaviour. "Father," she said, "I look in the
+mirror every day to see my dear mother and to talk with her." Then she
+told him of her mother's dying wish, and how she had never failed to
+fulfil it. Touched by so much simplicity, and such faithful, loving
+obedience, the father shed tears of pity and affection. Nor could he
+find it in his heart to tell the child, that the image she saw in the
+mirror, was but the reflection of her own sweet face, by constant
+sympathy and association, becoming more and more like her dead mother's
+day by day.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Matsuyama Mirror, by Anonymous
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 30020 ***