The Enchanted

The Enchanted Mirror

D i d you ever hear about the enchanted
mirror? W e l l , it was a most extraordinary thing, brought one day by the
school inspector! He set it up i n the
classroom and smiled round at the
children.
'I wonder i f you a l l know what you
are like?' he said. T expect you each
t h i n k yourselves very fine and hardworking, perhaps very clever, goodtempered and lovable? W e l l , you may
be, for a l l I know! Perhaps you'd like to
see y o u r s e l v e s i n m y e n c h a n t e d
mirror?'
'Oh, yes, please, sir!' shouted the
children eagerly. The inspector set the
mirror up against Miss Brown's desk.
34

Mirror

It was a big one. The children jiggled

about excitedly. The inspector beckoned to fat little Johnny. Out he came,
his plump face red w i t h excitement. He
looked into the mirror.
Do you know what he saw there? He
saw a nice little fat piggy-wig, dressed
i n coat and knickerbockers! What a
shock he got! T m afraid you must be a
bit greedy, little piggy!' whispered the
inspector i n his ear. He beckoned to
Lucy, a timid, shy little girl. She came
out and looked into the mirror, too.
Goodness! She saw a little rabbit
there, dressed i n her blue frock, w i t h
big, startled eyes and a woffly nose. T
t h i n k you must be too afraid of things!'
said the inspector kindly. ' Y o u must
stand up for yourself, you know!'

35

The Enchanted

Mirror

Jack came out next - a nice little boy

who never tried to use his brains, but
was quite content to be at the bottom of
everything, although he needn't have
been. O h dear! What did he see i n that
mirror? A little grey donkey w i t h big
ears, its head sticking out of Jack's red
jersey! 'You needn't be such a little
donkey, you know!' whispered the
i n s p e c t o r . ' Y o u ' v e got p l e n t y of
brains, really!'
Betty came out - spiteful little Betty,
always ready to say a mean thing, or
give a sly pinch. She didn't like what
she saw i n the mirror! She saw a
snarling, spitting little kitten, w i t h
claws outstretched. She went red.

36

The Enchanted

Mirror

'Keep your claws i n , Betty!' said the

inspector. 'Don't be catty!'
Then came Rita, always dependable,
honest and trustworthy. She looked
shyly into the strange mirror. She saw
her own self there, more beautiful than
she had ever imagined, for she was not
a pretty child. The inspector nodded his
head, pleased. 'Stay as you are,' he
said. 'Do not change yourself, Rita.'
Poor Benny came next - a mean little
37

The Enchanted

Mirror

The Enchanted

boy, cowardly, and yet always on the

watch to hit someone smaller than
himself. The inspector was sad to see a
mean little rat looking out at h i m from
the mirror. 'Dreadful, isn't it, Benny?'
he said. A n d Benny nodded, shocked
and horrified. Was he really like that?
He would hurry up and change his
ways, then!
M o l l y saw a nice fluffy goose. A n d
how often had Miss Brown told her
that? How often had she said, 'Molly,
you really are a goose? Y o u ' l l grow
feathers one day!' A n d now, sure
enough, there she was i n the mirror,
feathers and all!
There isn't time to tell you of sturdy,
fearless H a r r y , who saw a lion i n the
mirror! Nor of chatterbox Jenny w i t h
the screeching laugh, who saw a parrot,
or fussy Tracey, who saw a hen, or
trustworthy David, who saw a big
faithful dog. A n d , of course, what you
really want to know is what would
you see i f you looked into the school
inspector's enchanted mirror!
38

39

Mirror

The Enchanted

Mirror

Jack came out next - a nice little boy

who never tried to use his brains, but
was quite content to be at the bottom of
everything, although he needn't have
been. Oh dear! What did he see i n that
mirror? A little grey donkey w i t h big
ears, its head sticking out of Jack's red
jersey! 'You needn't be such a little
donkey, you know!' whispered the
i n s p e c t o r . ' Y o u ' v e got p l e n t y of
brains, really!'
Betty came out - spiteful little Betty,
always ready to say a mean thing, or
give a sly pinch. She didn't like what
she saw i n the mirror! She saw a
snarling, spitting little kitten, w i t h
claws outstretched. She went red.

36

The Enchanted

Mirror

'Keep your claws i n , Betty!' said the

inspector. 'Don't be catty!'
Then came R i t a , always dependable,
honest and trustworthy. She looked
shyly into the strange mirror. She saw
her own self there, more beautiful t h a n
she had ever imagined, for she was not
a pretty child. The inspector nodded his
head, pleased. 'Stay as you are,' he
said. 'Do not change yourself, Rita.'
Poor Benny came next - a mean little
37