Name: Cameo Hand Held Mirror
Author: The Philosopher's Stone
URL: The Philosopher's Stone
"Mighty Shogun, I would be pleased to
tell you the story of the Mirror of Matsuyama," the young geisha said.
In a small town in the province of Echigo there lived a family by the name of Matsuyama. They were good people. The husband was named Oyama and the wife was named Odama. In their second year of marriage the couple had a young daughter whom was their pride and joy. This young girl they named Odami. Odami was a child who any parent would be envious to have. As she grew older, she grew in beauty and calm temperament. One day, when Odami was ten years old, her father was called to Kyoto. While the father was away Odami was well-behaved and helped her mother.
When the father returned, he brought presents for both Odama and Odami. To Odami, he gave a box of chocolates and a doll. Young Odami was so excited to to receive her presents that she thanked her father and ran outside to show her friends what she had been given.
To Odama, he gave a small hand-held mirror. When Odama looked in the mirror she gave out a small shout. "Dear husband, who is this in the gift you have given me?"
"My dear, that beautiful woman you see is you. The gift I have given you is called a mirror. It is used by all the women in Kyoto. I brought it so that you could see how beautiful you are. There is a saying in Kyoto, 'As the sword is the soul of the samurai so the mirror is the soul of a woman.' Odama was pleased to learn about this strange but beautiful object.
Time passed and Odama and Oyama watched young Odami grow into a beautiful young woman of sixteen years. In this year a great sadness struck their home. Dear Odama, who was the great love of Oyama and beloved mother of Odami, fell gravely ill.
One night before she passed away, Odama called her daughter to her side and gave her the mirror. "My dearest daughter, I am dying. No, do not cry, for this is something special your father bought me long ago. If you get lonely and miss me all you have to do is look into this mirror and you will see my face. I will not be able to speak to you but you will be able to tell me everything."
Odama sadly passed away and a few years later Oyama married another woman. Like all step-mothers, Oyama's new wife Kutsenagi was jealous of her new step-daughter. She tried in all ways to make Oyama's life miserable. Oyama, though, was ever the repsectful daughter and she tried in all ways to please Kutsenagi.
One day Kutsenagi ran to Oyama and claimed that Odami was attempting to place a curse upon her.
"I walked by Odami's room and saw her holding something up and talking to it. She is trying to curse me because she is jealous of me," Kutsenagi cried to her husband.
Now Oyama found it hard to believe his new wife, however to calm her down he went to go find out what Odami was doing. As he approached her room, he heard her speaking to someone. When he opened her door, he saw her talking into something and grew angry.
"I never would have thought you Odami, my faithful daughter, would ever curse your step-mother," Oyama yelled.
Odami cried, "Father, I would never dishonor you nor Kutsenagi in such a manner; please, believe me."
"Than what is it you are doing in her talking to yourself." the angry father demanded.
"I was speaking with mother. Before she died she gave this to me and told me that if ever I missed her and needed her I could simply look into and she would be there," Odami explained to her father and handed him the mirror.
Upon seeing the mirror Oyama's anger melted away. "Oh, my faithful daughter. You are most honorable and respectful and I should have never doubted you. Your mother was a woman of intellect. She told you that you would see her in this mirror because she knew that it would help you when you missed her. The person who you are seeing is yourself. Though it is easy to see how you would think it was my dear Odama. You look so much like her."
Kutsenagi, who had been listening at the door, came into the room and burst into tears begging for forgiveness from Odami. "I have been a most terrible step-mother, dearest girl please forgive me."
Odami who was pure of heart and mind of course forgave her step-mother. The family lived in peace and prosperity for all of there days."
"That is the story of the Mirror of Matsuyama, my dear Shogun. It is important for us to remember to be honorable to our mother and our father and never to desecrate their memories," the young geisha.
Nobunaga looked at the young geisha and smiled."That is the correct lesson from this story. I am glad that you have not forgotten the lesson of this story, young Akechi. Yes, I know of your clan and am surprised that you have been able to keep from attacking me. Now I will take my turn to tale a story so that you might see that I am not as evil as you might think. I will tell the tale of The Old Man Who Made Withered Trees To Flower."
Author's Notes: I chose this story specifically because it allowed me to allow Nobunaga tell a story. This story was chosen as this device because the moral of the story fits into what Nobunaga will have to say to the young geisha. Also I like this story because it has a very interesting messages such as, respect for parents but also that we should not expect the worst in people. I didn't change the story very much. I just retold the story in my own words.
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Bibliograhpy: "The Mirror of Matsuyama." Japanese Fairy Tales. Yei Theodora Ozaki. Published in 1908.
In a small town in the province of Echigo there lived a family by the name of Matsuyama. They were good people. The husband was named Oyama and the wife was named Odama. In their second year of marriage the couple had a young daughter whom was their pride and joy. This young girl they named Odami. Odami was a child who any parent would be envious to have. As she grew older, she grew in beauty and calm temperament. One day, when Odami was ten years old, her father was called to Kyoto. While the father was away Odami was well-behaved and helped her mother.
When the father returned, he brought presents for both Odama and Odami. To Odami, he gave a box of chocolates and a doll. Young Odami was so excited to to receive her presents that she thanked her father and ran outside to show her friends what she had been given.
To Odama, he gave a small hand-held mirror. When Odama looked in the mirror she gave out a small shout. "Dear husband, who is this in the gift you have given me?"
"My dear, that beautiful woman you see is you. The gift I have given you is called a mirror. It is used by all the women in Kyoto. I brought it so that you could see how beautiful you are. There is a saying in Kyoto, 'As the sword is the soul of the samurai so the mirror is the soul of a woman.' Odama was pleased to learn about this strange but beautiful object.
Time passed and Odama and Oyama watched young Odami grow into a beautiful young woman of sixteen years. In this year a great sadness struck their home. Dear Odama, who was the great love of Oyama and beloved mother of Odami, fell gravely ill.
One night before she passed away, Odama called her daughter to her side and gave her the mirror. "My dearest daughter, I am dying. No, do not cry, for this is something special your father bought me long ago. If you get lonely and miss me all you have to do is look into this mirror and you will see my face. I will not be able to speak to you but you will be able to tell me everything."
Odama sadly passed away and a few years later Oyama married another woman. Like all step-mothers, Oyama's new wife Kutsenagi was jealous of her new step-daughter. She tried in all ways to make Oyama's life miserable. Oyama, though, was ever the repsectful daughter and she tried in all ways to please Kutsenagi.
One day Kutsenagi ran to Oyama and claimed that Odami was attempting to place a curse upon her.
"I walked by Odami's room and saw her holding something up and talking to it. She is trying to curse me because she is jealous of me," Kutsenagi cried to her husband.
Now Oyama found it hard to believe his new wife, however to calm her down he went to go find out what Odami was doing. As he approached her room, he heard her speaking to someone. When he opened her door, he saw her talking into something and grew angry.
"I never would have thought you Odami, my faithful daughter, would ever curse your step-mother," Oyama yelled.
Odami cried, "Father, I would never dishonor you nor Kutsenagi in such a manner; please, believe me."
"Than what is it you are doing in her talking to yourself." the angry father demanded.
"I was speaking with mother. Before she died she gave this to me and told me that if ever I missed her and needed her I could simply look into and she would be there," Odami explained to her father and handed him the mirror.
Upon seeing the mirror Oyama's anger melted away. "Oh, my faithful daughter. You are most honorable and respectful and I should have never doubted you. Your mother was a woman of intellect. She told you that you would see her in this mirror because she knew that it would help you when you missed her. The person who you are seeing is yourself. Though it is easy to see how you would think it was my dear Odama. You look so much like her."
Kutsenagi, who had been listening at the door, came into the room and burst into tears begging for forgiveness from Odami. "I have been a most terrible step-mother, dearest girl please forgive me."
Odami who was pure of heart and mind of course forgave her step-mother. The family lived in peace and prosperity for all of there days."
"That is the story of the Mirror of Matsuyama, my dear Shogun. It is important for us to remember to be honorable to our mother and our father and never to desecrate their memories," the young geisha.
Nobunaga looked at the young geisha and smiled."That is the correct lesson from this story. I am glad that you have not forgotten the lesson of this story, young Akechi. Yes, I know of your clan and am surprised that you have been able to keep from attacking me. Now I will take my turn to tale a story so that you might see that I am not as evil as you might think. I will tell the tale of The Old Man Who Made Withered Trees To Flower."
Author's Notes: I chose this story specifically because it allowed me to allow Nobunaga tell a story. This story was chosen as this device because the moral of the story fits into what Nobunaga will have to say to the young geisha. Also I like this story because it has a very interesting messages such as, respect for parents but also that we should not expect the worst in people. I didn't change the story very much. I just retold the story in my own words.
Return To Main Page
Return To Cover Page
Bibliograhpy: "The Mirror of Matsuyama." Japanese Fairy Tales. Yei Theodora Ozaki. Published in 1908.