The Enchanted Mirror

A long time ago, when there were still enchanted forests and magical creatures, there lived a very unhappy king. His name was King Abelard and he ruled the kingdom of Umbrage. After his beloved wife died he lost the joy in his life and became bitter, selfish and unfeeling. There was only one small, warm place left in his cold, dark heart. That was the place he held his love for his only daughter, Elysia.


King Abelard tried to fill the emptiness he felt inside with great wealth. He set about accumulating large amounts of gold and surrounding himself with all the comforts it could buy. But no matter how much he accumulated, he remained empty inside.

The king's subjects were not happy either. In trying to gather vast amounts of material things for his own happiness, King Abelard had put impossible tax burdens on his subjects. Desperate, the people sent three emissaries to plead with the king to lessen the heavy burden he had put upon them.


Reluctantly the king agreed to see them. What ungrateful whiners and complainers these people are, he thought as he looked down upon them from his great throne.


Trembling the three approached the king in their worn and tattered clothing. "King Abelard, please take pity on us. We work very hard but the land is barren. Our crops do not grow, the sun does not shine and a gloom has settled over the entire kingdom. It's as if there's a curse on the land." Feeling the king's scowl, they fearfully continued. "We cannot pay the taxes you demand. We cannot even feed our families. We come to you today to beg your help."


Without pity King Abelard spoke. "It is not my fault the sun does not shine, your crops won't grow and you cannot feed your families. I have done my part by giving you land to work. It's up to you to work harder. If you do not give me what I require, you will be severely punished." With those cold, unfeeling words he dismissed them.

Not long after, a strange woman came hobbling into the kingdom. She was leading an old horse pulling a rickety, wooden cart filled with trinkets she had to sell. As she walked she repeated over and over in a cracked voice, "Treasures, toys and trinkets. Who will buy my wares?"


As the old woman approached the castle, the king's young daughter, Elysia, heard her strange crackly voice. She hurried to the castle gate and peered through the slats to see what all the commotion was about. Filled with wonder at all the wonderful treasures on the old woman's cart, she ran back toward the castle to find her father. King Abelard was also hurrying out to see who was causing such a disturbance. Seeing her father Elysia ran to him jumping up and down with excitement. "Oh Father, may I see, may I see!"


The king wanted to send the ugly, old woman away but he could not deny his precious daughter anything. "Just for a minute, and then she has to go away. I don't want strangers coming into my kingdom uninvited," he grumbled. "Guards! Open the gate and let the old woman in."

The little Princess ran up to the cart and eagerly scanned the vast array of treasures from which to choose. A mysterious looking hand mirror caught her eye and she was strangely drawn to it. She picked it up and examined the delicate, golden flowers beautifully etched all around its edges and back. As she peered into the glass everything reflected in the mirror took on an indescribable radiance and beauty. "Father, I must have it! It's the most beautiful mirror I've ever seen."


"How much to you want for the mirror?" the king growled at the old woman.


Pleased with the little Princess's choice, she smiled and said, "It is a gift.  It's name is Beauty." The happy Princess thanked the old woman with a hug and ran back to the castle with her precious treasure. As the king followed her he looked back and found the old woman gone. Very strange, he thought.

Elysia never tired of looking into the mirror. Even ordinary things, when held before it, became special and wonderful. They always seemed so much more beautiful. King Abelard puzzled over this because Elysia's reflection was the only one he could see in the mirror. When she stood before it he saw her delicate frame, her large brown eyes fringed with soft, black lashes and her bright, sunny smile. In her little face he saw her goodness, her passion for life and her love for all things. He thought this curious indeed.

The king summoned others in the castle to look into the mirror. No two people ever saw the same things. The royal gardener saw flowers and plants in endless variety; the royal painter saw colors, sunsets and landscapes--and so it went. The secret of the mirror became an obsession with the king. Not a day went by that he did not think of the mirror. He had to know why others could see more than he could see.


King Abelard sent a proclamation throughout the land promising up to half his kingdom to the one who could tell him the mirror's secret. Though many tried, on one could unlock the secret of the mirror.


One day the king was brooding over the mystery of the mirror and decided to go riding in the forest to think. As he approached a clearing, he saw a young doe eating grass in the meadow. He took out his bow thinking, What luck! It's been a long time since we've had venison at the castle. Dinner will be good tonight. As he was about to release the arrow from his bow, a small fawn bounded out of the thicket and joined his mother in the meadow. When the king saw the little fawn so happy and carefree, he thought of Elysia. Then he remembered how lost and lonely she'd been when her mother had died. He put his bow down. There would be no venison tonight. As he watched the doe with her fawn, to his amazement, he saw the doe change into the old woman with the magic mirror.


She approached him saying, "King Abelard, since you showed mercy to the mother and her fawn, I see there is still some good left in your heart. I will tell you the secret of the mirror."

Hardly believing his eyes and ears, the king listened intently as the old woman spoke.
 "The mirror's name is 'Beauty'. As you know, she will not reflect everything that appears before her. She only mirrors that which the person looking into her loves. You love your daughter. Therefore, the mirror returned the love you have for her by reflecting her image before you. The love that came from within you was materialized in her figure. By seeing her in the mirror you saw your love in physical form. You see nothing else in the mirror because you love nothing else. Your daughter loves life and all that is good. She sees many things in the mirror for she loves much."


As the old woman spoke, the scales of bitterness began falling from the king's eyes and once again he began to see things as they really were. He felt ashamed for his selfishness and all the harm he had caused his people.


"If you would be happy, King Abelard," the old woman went on, "you must learn to love. You see only ugliness because you do not love. Your subjects are poor and suffering because you think only of yourself. If you learn to love them, the mirror will show you how beautiful, how valuable, they really are. Then your kingdom will no longer be called Umbrage, the kingdom of Shadow, but will be called Luminosity, the kingdom of Enlightenment." The old woman's words reached the king's joyless heart and he began to weep.


The next day the king sent out an edict ordering all his subjects to come to the castle in two days. There was to be a great banquet and, at that time, he would tell them the secret of the magic mirror and rename the kingdom.


When the day arrived there was much excitement and speculation about the secret of the mirror and the king's great change of heart. Did it have to do with the mirror's secret? Finally, at noon, when the sun was at its brightest, the king stood before the people and announced, "My loyal subjects, I have not been a good king. I have ignored your needs and have caused great sorrow and pain. But from today, until I am laid to rest, I pledge to you that I will no longer neglect your needs. I will be a king who loves and cares for his people."


The people listened in wonder as King Abelard told them of the old woman and the secret of the mirror. Then he announced, "From this day forward, our kingdom will no longer be called Umbrage, for it has been under the shadow of my selfishness and neglect for too long. From today it will be know as the kingdom of Luminosity, of enlightenment, for its king has learned about the power of love." The king continued, "My dear people, let us learn to love one another and all that is good. Then there will be no limit to the joy and beauty that will fill our lives."


The curse had been lifted from the land and there was great joy in the kingdom. Loud cheers went up as all the people agreed as one. For all knew once again the sun would shine and the crops flourish. And from that day forward, as long as King Abelard lived, he kept his promise to his people. The kingdom of Luminosity became the most beautiful kingdom that ever was.

Insight into the story

You can learn much about others by observing what they find beautiful. Seeing beauty is not a result of merely seeing with one's eyes, it is seeing with one's heart. Beauty is a mirror which allows us to see the beauty within ourselves as it is reflected back to us in what we see as beautiful. We are what we love. A person who loves much finds beauty everywhere.

BEAUTY

Love finds Beauty
Stands before it
And sees itself