THE MIRROR OF MATSUYANA


The following pretty little story comes from Japan, where it may be
found in a collection of tales for children. A long time ago a young
couple lived in the country with their only child, a beautiful little
girl whom they loved tenderly. The names of the parents cannot be told
now, for they have long been forgotten, but we know that the place where
they lived was Matsuyana, in the province of Echigo.

[Illustration: AWAITING THE RETURN OF THE FATHER]

Now it happened when the child was still very little that her father was
obliged to go to the capital of the kingdom. As it was so long a
journey, neither his wife nor his child could go with him and he
departed alone, promising to bring them many pretty gifts on his return.

The mother had never been away from the neighborhood and was not able to
get rid of some fear when she thought of the long journey her husband
must take. At the same time, however, she could not but feel pride and
satisfaction that it was her husband who was the first man in all that
region to go to the rich city where the king and the nobles lived, and
where there were so many beautiful and marvelous things to be seen.

At last, when the good wife knew that her husband would return, she
dressed her child gaily in the best clothes she had and herself in the
blue dress that she knew he liked very much.