Summary:
"The Mirror of Matsuyama" is a touching Japanese tale about a young girl's devotion to her deceased mother. In ancient Japan, a man gifted his wife a mirror, a novelty to her. She treasured it and before her death, she gave it to her daughter, claiming her face would appear in it when her daughter felt lonely. After her mother's death, the girl would often look into the mirror, where she believed she saw her mother's face.
Her stepmother noticed the girl's strange behavior and grew suspicious, not knowing about the mirror. Upon discovering the girl whispering to the mirror, her stepmother informed the father, who was initially confused. The girl explained that she saw her mother's image in the mirror, which comforted her when she missed her. The father, touched by his daughter's enduring affection for her mother, loved her even more. The stepmother, realizing her error, asked for forgiveness. The girl forgave her, and peace was restored in their home."
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In ancient days there lived in a remote part of Japan a man and his wife, and they were blessed with a little girl, who was the pet and idol of her parents. On one occasion the man was called away on business in distant Kyoto. Before he went he told his daughter that if she were good and dutiful to her mother he would bring her back a present she would prize very highly. Then the good man took his departure, mother and daughter watching him go.
At last he returned to his home, and after his wife and child had taken off his large hat and sandals he sat down upon the white mats and opened a bamboo basket, watching the eager gaze of his little child. He took out a wonderful doll and a lacquer box of cakes and put them into her outstretched hands. Once more he dived into his basket, and presented his wife with a metal mirror. Its convex surface shone brightly, while upon its back there was a design of pine trees and storks.
The good man's wife had never seen a mirror before, and on gazing into it she was under the impression that another woman looked out upon her as she gazed with growing wonder. Her husband explained the mystery and bade her take great care of the mirror.
Not long after this happy homecoming and distribution of presents the woman became very ill. Just before she died she called to her little daughter, and said: "Dear child, when I am dead take every care of your father. You will miss me when I have left you. But take this mirror, and when you feel most lonely look into it and you will always see me." Having said these words she passed away.
In due time the man married again, and his wife took good care of her stepdaughter. But the little one, remembering her mother's words, would retire to a corner and eagerly look into the mirror, where it seemed to her that she saw her dear mother's face, not drawn in pain as she had seen it on her deathbed, but young and beautiful.
One day this child's stepmother chanced to see her crouching in a corner over an object she could not quite see, murmuring to herself. She went near her. The girl suddenly hid the mirror in her sleeve. At that moment, the father entered the house and seeing the puzzled look on his wife’s face asked her what happened. She narrated the whole story. The father looked at his daughter and said "What have you hidden in your sleeve?" still much puzzled.
"The mirror you gave my mother, and which she on her deathbed gave to me. Every time I look into its shining surface I see the face of my dear mother, young and beautiful. When my heart aches and I miss her -- I take out the mirror, and mother's face, with sweet, kind smile, brings me peace, and I am happy."
Then the man understood and loved his child the more for her filial piety. Even the girl's stepmother, who had become suspicious for a moment, was ashamed and asked forgiveness. And this child, who believed she had seen her mother's face in the mirror, forgave, and trouble forever departed from the home.
This story was sourced from public domain sources. Parts of this story have been edited for brevity and context by Amar Vyas for gaathastory.