Summary
OR, answer the following questions (a-g)
Long ago in a part of remote Japan, a couple had little girl. The girl was like a pet and idol for her parents. Father (Matsuyama) had to go to Kyoto on business and he departed telling his daughter to bring her present if she is dutiful to her mother (a, b, c). When he returned home, he brought a doll, lacquer box of cakes for his daughter (d) a metal mirror and the design of pine trees and storks for his wife and in a bamboo basket and put in their hands. His wife had not seen mirror before and she was highly impressed with the mirror image. He told her to care the mirror. But his wife became ill. Before dying, she told her daughter to care her father and to care the mirror where she can see her mother’s image (e). Then she died. But he married again, but his second wife was not kind to his daughter. The daughter secretly would see her mother in the mirror in the corner; young, beautiful, kind. But the step-mother found the girl’s secrecy of the corner and thought that the girl would hate her and she is performing some magical art there sticking image there. The evil step-mother went to her husband and complained that the wicked child was trying to her using ‘witchcraft’ (f). Then her husband went to the daughter’s room. Daughter surprised seeing father there and slipped the mirror in her sleeve. This made him believe his wife’s words and got raged. But the girl amazed from her father’s accusation; rather she said that she loves her father much and cannot imagine killing his wife. The girl explained why she put the mirror in her sleeve and why she always looked in the mirror. She sees her mother’s smiling, sweet, beautiful, kind face and it brings her peace in mind and helps to tolerate pains. Then father understood his daughter’s sacred feelings, loved his daughter and even the step-mother felt ashamed for her false impression. He asked forgiveness, she forgave and departed from the house forever (g)
