Once upon a time, there lived a boy by the name of Tony who was always bored.
“Mom, I am bored. Can you tell me what to do?” he would often ask his mom.
“Why don’t you read or draw?” his mom suggested.
“Oh no, I don’t want to do that,” Tony would reply through a yawn.
“Maybe you want to help me sweep the driveway?”
“Nope, no fun either.”
“Do you want to go out and play?”
“Nope, none of my friends are out.”
Whatever his mother suggested, Tony wasn’t interested.
“What do you want to do then?” asked his mother one day.
“Can I look into the mirror?” he asked hesitantly.
“No,” said his mother firmly. “You should never ever look into that mirror.”
“Why not? You allow me to look into it sometimes – to brush my hair.”
But his mom remained unyielding.
“What is it about that mirror?” Tony wondered silently.
So, one day, when his mom was busy in the kitchen, cooking tons of food for his birthday party, he decided to peep in. The mirror stood in the corner of his parents’ bedroom, covered with a white cloth. Tony sneaked into the bedroom, pulled off one corner of the cloth, and started looking.
For a while, he saw nothing except his own face, but then it seemed to him that his features grew sturdier, more fearless, more manly.
“Wow,” he thought. “Do I really look so brave? I am a hero!”
He pulled off the rest of the cloth and peered in. The room behind him slowly transformed into a large hall with hunting trophies hanging on the walls. And then he saw himself as a brave huntsman dressed in a shining leather suit with a long bow over his shoulder.
“Is it me? I AM a hero!”
Tony squealed in delight and covered his mouth with his hand not to let his mom know he was there. But then he heard someone’s approaching steps. Picking up the cloth from the floor, he quickly threw it back on the mirror and rushed out of the room.
“Don’t forget to pick up your toys before your guests come,” his dad said as he entered the room. “Have you forgotten it’s your birthday?”
But the boy didn’t seem to hear. In fact, he had almost forgotten that it was his birthday and that his friends would come over.
All he could think of was: “If only I could take another look into that mirror. It would be the best birthday gift ever!”
“What’s going on with you?” asked his dad, looking at him intently.
“Nothing,” blurted Tony in a somewhat dreamy voice.
“Tony,” said his dad and looked him straight in the eye. “Have you been looking into the mirror?”
“No,” said Tony quickly and turned away.
Dad shook his head and kept looking at him intently. Tony bent down and started picking his toys.
The next moment, Mom called Dad from the kitchen and asked him to go and buy a dozen eggs while she was elbow-deep in dough. So, as soon as his dad was out, Tony sneaked into the bedroom and pulled off the cloth.
Continue reading “The Magic Mirror and the Wall”