The Magic Mirror

Once upon a time, there was a great and noble king who ruled over his lands justly and wisely. Now this king had a daughter and he decided that it was time for her to marry. But he didn’t want her to marry just any prince. No sir! The prince who married her would need to prove his worth by presenting her a great and worthy gift. Who so ever brought forth the most wondrous treasure would claim the princess’ hand in marriage.

Upon hearing this, young princes from all over came with their treasures to present to the princess. “Look at this great treasure! A vial full of water that never empties!”

The princess watched the water spill out but never empty, and she yawned.

“Princess, Princess, look at my great treasure! A goose that lays golden eggs!”

Before the princess could give her opinion of the gift, the goose leapt from the prince’s arms and started pecking at her legs. When they recaptured the bird, the prince was escorted out of the castle, and the goose taken down to the kitchens.

Days passed and turned into weeks. Weeks passed and became months. Soon, all the princes from the neighboring kingdoms had brought forth their great and wondrous treasures, and the princess had turned them all away. The king lost all hope of finding a husband for his daughter.

What he didn’t know, was that another prince was on his way to court the princess. This prince came from a far off and distant land. He heard of the princess’ great beauty and decided to make her his wife. So packing up his things, he set off. He traveled across the vast ocean, over the tall mountains, through the dark forests, until he reached the princess’ castle.

He knocked on the gate and waited to be let in. But as he waited, he realized he had left his great treasure sitting back home on his bed! Well, he couldn’t go to the princess empty handed, so the prince rummaged through his belongings in search of a suitable gift. The more he looked the less he found, and the more time was running out.

Just as one of the servants opened the gates for him, the prince found a small hand mirror in his back pocket.

“Pardon me sir, but do you have a reason for coming to our fair castle?”

“Why yes! I have come to see the princess and give her this.” He showed off his hand mirror, thinking very quickly as to how he was going to get out of this mess.

“Right this way, sir.”

The servant led the prince through the castle. When they reached the great hall, the prince greeted the princess and the king. “Your Majesties, I have come from far and wide to make the princess my wife. To present to her, I have this....magic mirror. This is a truly wondrous treasure, for if you close your eyes and ask it a question. When you open your eyes, it will show you what you want to see.”

The princes’ gift intrigued the princess. She had a servant hand her the mirror, where she closed her eyes and asked, “Magic mirror, who is the most beautiful woman in the world?” She opened her eyes and looked into the mirror. “It’s true! It really does work!”

The king took the mirror from her hands. “Now dear, we must test it again and see if this thing really works.” He closed his eyes. “Magic mirror, who is the wisest and most just king in all the land?” The king then opened his eyes and looked into the mirror. He gasped at what he saw. “This mirror shows the truth! Darling, you must marry this prince at once!”

Listening in on the whole interaction was the king’s chief advisor. He had a secret crush on the beautiful princess, but had no gift to offer her. Seeing the prince come in and sweep his love from off her feet made him want to finally take action. He crossed the room to stand between the prince and the king.

“My lord, this boy is making a fool of you! That mirror is not magical. It is just an ordinary looking glass. I’ll prove it to you.”

Snatching the mirror from the king’s hands, the advisor closed his eyes and held up the mirror. “Oh magic mirror, who is the man the princess will marry?”

The king’s advisor opened his eyes and looked into the mirror, but it just so happened that the advisor hadn’t held the mirror just right. Instead of seeing his own reflection looking back at him, as he knew he would, the mirror was slightly tilted enough to reveal the prince staring blankly at him from behind.

“Guards, seize him!”

The king’s advisor was speechless as two guards grabbed each of his arms and forced him to his knees. The king stepped down from his throne and moved to tower over him. “I do not know who speaks the truth before me, my advisor or this prince, but I know of a way to find out.” The king took back the magic mirror from his advisor and closed his eyes. “Magic mirror, who is the man who is lying to me?”

Instead of looking at the mirror himself, the king turned it over to his trusty advisor. “ Who is it you see?”

The advisor looked at the mirror then gulped. “Me, sire.”

“Very well,” The king said with a nod. “Guards, take him away to the dungeon!”

The two guards lifted the king’s advisor to his feet and proceeded to drag him away. They almost made it to the door before the princess called out, “Who was it you saw? Who is the man who will be my husband?”

The guards stopped and the advisor looked back. “My lady, there stands your prince. I saw him in the mirror. He will be your husband.”

Before the advisor could be dragged fully away, the prince started to feel guilty for the trick he had played on the king and his daughter. “Your majesty,” the prince spoke up. “I would gladly marry your daughter, but please, do not condemn this man to a life of imprisonment. All he did was tell the truth. Such a thing must be praised, not punished.”

After a long pause of thought the king agreed, and for a wedding present released the advisor and reinstated him as royal advisor and keeper of the magic mirror.

The prince and princess were joyfully married in a wondrous celebration. After the ceremony, the princess approached the advisor. “May I please see the mirror?” The advisor granted her request and she then took the mirror over to her new husband. “Go on, Hubby, ask it something. Anything!”

The prince pulled his wife closer so they would both fit in the mirror. “Any question, you say? I think I have one! close your eyes dear...magic mirror, who are the happiest newly weds in the world?”

And when the princess opened her eyes the mirror spoke the truth.