Just imagine how exciting it would be for a person to discover an object out of which one could see his or her face. You keep the object, which was not known as a mirror, before your face and see another face. This then is a tale that revolves around such an experience. It is said that several thousands of years ago there lived a man called Kane in the country now known as Korea. He had a form of his own and gradually became rich. He would go once in a way to the marketplace to sell his grains and thereby fetch a good lot of money. With Kane, there lived his old father, mother, wife and three daughters. They also had some products like mats and cloths made at home. Whenever Kane goes to the marketplace he would give their products to sell. Then Kane found that the marketplace is changing gradually with new products which he had not known since his childhood.
Kane always liked to fetch new products from the marketplace. He would buy them and bring home to share the bliss of owning new products. In the village Kane had seen only a few types of people, places and had a few experiences. But in the city marketplace he came to know of certain additional new things which the people denoted as new products from other places.
To bring home these new products, Kane had a big wicker basket. He would bring home a smoking pipe for his father. A headdress for his old mother. A new blouse for his wife. For his three daughters, he would bring sweetmeats like chocolates. Then he would take about the various types of people whom he had seen in the marketplace. They include entertainers like youngsters and magicians.
He also saw a certain type of new musical instruments. The whole family - father, mother, wife and daughters - were well advised to look after themselves until his arrival. They would bless Kane to return soon. But sometimes it so happened that he would leave home during the early hours of the morning and return past midnight.
He had a horse driven cart which he loved and looked after like a God given product. He loved his horse and fed him when he was starving. He was not afraid of leopards and tigers on his way. He would just tell them: “Go away from my way you cruel ones.”
When he reached the marketplace he would find a fine place to spend the day selling his goods. So his friends in the city would come near Kane and ask various questions. Sometimes they talk about new products in the market. There were new shopkeeper faces as well.
One day Kane came to know of some new shops run by some foreigners. He wanted to know what type of commodities they sell there. So he entered the area of the new shops. To his grave surprise he saw at a corner shop a round piece of metal, shining and polished. He wanted to know what it is.
“Take this to your hand see what’s inside.” Kane was surprised to see what’s inside: “This is my father.”
“Yes it’s true. You have the same face as your father’s.”
“Villagers say I look like my father. What is it called?”
“There are several names given to it. We call it mirror.”
Kane tried to pronounce it: “mir-r-ror.”
“That’s right. It’s a mirror.”
Then Kane scratched his forehead to see that the man inside the mirror too scratching the forehead.
“This is fantastic. When I scratch my forehead my father too scratches his forehead.’
“It will go on like that. Please buy it.”
Kane tried to do several other things. He grinned, smiled and giggled. The man inside it did the same. Then he decided once and for all to buy it. The wife and daughters will be delighted to see who is inside it. The shopkeeper knew that Kane had come from a remote village. He did not want to talk much. He only wanted to make Kane realize the magical effect of the round metal. Then he remembered.
“Make sure you won’t break this surface.”
“Is it so fragile?”
“Yes, it may break and that will be a great loss to you as well as your family members.”
Without much hesitation he took it home, having paid the money. Kane kept the object securely tucked under his armpit. Then he came home and announced the members about the magic object he had brought home. They all flocked to see the image inside the metal object. Firstly the wife said: “Oh look. I see my mother.”
Then the daughter came to see their grandmother “Look our aunties are seen.”
Then came the father of Kane. He took it to his hand and held it before his face.
“I see only my father’s face.”
They all protected the magic object. But they wanted to know what it is really. They knew that truly there ought to be someone inside. They summoned some of the learned people in the village. At a particular moment the wife of Kane misunderstood him when she peeped into the metal to see another woman inside. She frowned too at the woman. The woman too frowned at Kane’s wife. She was angry and wanted to hit her.
The woman inside the magic metal too wanted to hit Kane’s wife. Then she secretly told her daughters with a weeping mood. The woman inside too wept. A group of villagers and an elderly teacher tried to settle the matter. The teacher too acted sometimes like the village judge. He tried to settle matters.
When the problem of the seeing the image reached a climax, the village teacher cum judge exclaimed.
“You all are ignorant about certain new discoveries. Humans have reached a stage where things beyond one’s imagination take place. These new discoveries may sometimes bring trouble to us. But try your best to understand them. This little piece of round metal is a new discovery called ‘mirror’. So don’t be panicky seeing your own image in it. Very soon most of these houses will have various types of mirrors.”
Daily News
