■ Outline of this story
Long ago, there lived a little girl with her parents in Matsuyama, in the province of Echigo. One day her father made a journey to the capital on business, and he bought a mirror there as a souvenir for his wife, who tucked it carefully away. Several years later, their daughter grew up to be as beautiful as her mother, who made sure the daughter never saw her own face in the mirror so that she would not become selfconceited. The mother subsequently fell seriously ill. On her deathbed, she finally handed the girl the mirror, telling her to see her mother in it and remember that she was always watching over her even after death. After her mother died, the daughter dutifully took the mirror in hand every day and comforted herself by talking with her mother, who looked so young and vibrant in it. The father was puzzled by the daughter's behavior, and was touched to learn of her faithful obedience to her mother's instructions. He did not have the heart to tell her that the face in the mirror was her own.
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Note
This is a folk story dating from the time before the spread of mirrors among villagers in the provinces. In the version published by Yachizo Matsumuro, the father remarries after the mother's death, and the daughter is abused by her stepmother. In the translation by Mrs. T.H. James, however, the tale is a simpler one of filial devotion. The illustrations of the editions published by Hasegawa are all by Eitaku Kobayashi. (Description of illustrator bases on German ed.) |
