The Magic Mirror [Tales From The Lands Of Nuts And Grapes (Spanish And Portuguese Folklore)]
It was proclaimed throughout the kingdom of Granada that the king had decided on marrying. The news was first told to the court barber, then to the night watchmen, and, in the third place, to the oldest woman in the city of Granada.
The
barber told all his customers, who again told all their friends. The night
watchmen in crying the hour proclaimed the news in a loud voice, so that all
the maidens were kept awake by thinking of the news, and by day they were being
constantly reminded by all the old dueñas that the king had resolved to marry.
After
the news had become somewhat stale, the question was asked, “Who is the king
going to marry?” To which the barber made reply, that probably “he would marry
a woman.”
“A
woman!” exclaimed his hearers. “Why, what else could he marry?”
“Not
all women are worthy the name,” answered the barber. “Some more resemble the
unbaptized, of whom I say, abernuncio .”
“But
what mean you, good friend?” demanded his customers. “Is not the king to find a
woman for wife in our land of Spain?”
“He
would,” replied the barber, “with greater ease find the reverse; but to find a
woman worthy to be his wife I shall have great trouble.”
“What,
you? ” exclaimed all of them. “What have you got to do
with providing the king with a wife?”
“I
am under royal licence, remember,” said he of the razor; “for I am the only man
in the kingdom permitted to rub the royal features. I am the possessor of the magic mirror also, into which
if any woman not being thoroughly good shall look, the blemishes on her
character will appear as so many spots on its surface.”
“Is
this one of the conditions?” asked all.
“This
is the sole condition,” replied the barber, placing his thumbs in the armholes
of his waistcoat and looking very wise.
“But
is there no limit as to age?” they again inquired.
“Any
woman from eighteen years upwards is eligible,” said the possessor of the
mirror.
“Then
you will have every woman in Granada claiming the right to be queen!” all exclaimed.
“But,
first of all, they will have to justify their claim, for I will not take any
woman at her word. No; she will have to gaze into the mirror with me by her
side,” continued the barber.
The
sole condition imposed on those who desired to become Queen of Granada was made
known, and was much ridiculed, as may naturally be supposed; but, strange to
say, no woman applied to the barber to have a look into the mirror.
Days
and weeks went by, but the king was no nearer getting a wife. Some generous
ladies would try and prevail on their lady friends to make the trial, but none
seemed ambitious of the honour.
The
king, be it known, was a very handsome man, and was beloved by all his subjects
for his many virtues; therefore it was surprising that none of the lovely
ladies who attended court should try to become his wife.
Many
excuses and explanations were given. Some were already engaged to be married,
others professed themselves too proud to enter the barber’s shop, while others
assured their friends that they had resolved on remaining single.
The
latter seem to have been cleverer in their excuses, for it was soon observable
that no man in Granada would marry, assigning as a reason for this that until
the king was suited they would not think of marrying; though the real cause may
have been due to the objection of the ladies to look into the mirror.
The
fathers of families were much annoyed at the apparent want of female ambition
in their daughters, while the mothers were strangely silent on the matter.
Every
morning the king would ask the barber if any young lady had ventured on looking
into the mirror; but the answer was always the same—that many watched his shop
to see if others went there, but none had ventured in.
“Ah,
Granada, Granada!” exclaimed the king; “hast thou no daughter to offer thy
king? In this Alhambra did my predecessors enjoy the company of their wives;
and am I to be denied this natural comfort?”
“Royal
master,” said the barber, “in those days the magic mirror was unknown and not
so much required. Men then only studied the arts, but now is science added to
their studies.”
“You
mean, then,” asked the king, “that an increase in knowledge has done no good?”
“I
mean more than that,” continued the barber; “I mean that people are worse than
they used to be.”
“‘God
is great!’ is what these walls proclaim; to know is to be wise,” urged the
king.
“Not
always, sir,” said the barber; “for the majority of men and women in the
present know too much and are not too wise, although some deem them wise for
being cunning. There is as great a distance between wisdom and cunning as there
is between the heavens and the earth.”
“Barber,”
shouted the king, “thou shalt get me a wife bright as the day, pure as dew, and
good as gold—one who shall not be afraid to look into thy magic mirror!”
“Sir,”
replied the barber, “the only magic about my mirror is that which the evil
consciences of the ladies of Granada conjure up. The simple shepherdess on the
mountain side would brave the magic power of any mirror, strong in the consciousness
of innocence; but would you marry such a lowly one?”
“Such
a woman is worthy to be a queen, for she is a pearl without price,” answered
the king. “Go, bid her come here; and, in the presence of my assembled court,
let the gentle shepherdess look into the mirror, after thou hast told her of
the danger of so doing.”
The
barber was not long in bringing the shepherdess to court with him; and it
having been proclaimed throughout the city that the trial was going to be made, the principal hall was soon
filled with all the grand ladies and knights of the king’s household.
When
the shepherdess entered the royal presence she felt very shy at being
surrounded by so much grandeur; but she knew enough about her own sex to
understand that they inwardly considered her not quite so ugly as they audibly
expressed her to be.
The
king was very much pleased with her appearance, and received her very kindly,
telling her that if she desired to be his wife she would have to gaze into the
magic mirror, and if she had done aught which was not consistent with her
maidenly character, the mirror would show as many stains on its surface as
there might be blemishes on her heart.
“Sir,”
replied the maiden, “we are all sinners in the sight of God, they say; but I am
a poor shepherdess, and surrounded by my flock. I have known what it is to be
loved, for, when the sheep have perceived danger, they have come to me for
protection. The wild flowers have been my only ornament, the sky almost my only
roof, and God my truest and best friend. Therefore, I fear not to look into
that magic mirror; for although I have no ambition to become queen, yet am I
not lacking in that pride which is born of the desire to be good.”
Saying
which, she walked up to the mirror and gazed into it, blushing slightly,
perhaps at the sight of her own beauty, which before she had only seen
portrayed in the still brook.
The
court ladies surrounded her; and when they saw that the magic mirror showed no
stains on its surface, they snatched it from her, and exclaimed—
“There
is no magic in it—a cheat has been put on us!”
But
the king said—
“No, ladies; you have only yourselves to thank. Had you been as innocent as this shepherdess, who is going to be my queen, you would not have dreaded looking into the mirror.”
After the marriage the barber was heard to say, that as the magic mirror had now lost its virtue, who could tell but what this charm might be restored to Granada ?
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