And it happened that on the eighth day that Princes Allilee was christened, and all the notables of the land, including the five fairies, came to the christening and brought gifts for the infant. Now the gifts of the fairies were these: the first fairy gave Allilee truthfulness, the second fairy gave Allilee trustworthiness, the third fairy gave Allilee endless confidence, the fourth fairy gave Allilee a sense of whimsy, the fifth fairy gave Allilee beauty that could never be equaled.
Seventeen years passed and Princes Allilee was the joy of the land. Suitors came from near and far, but only princes were permitted to see the princess, for the king reckoned only royal suitors suitable. Now there was a man named Faff who was a worker in metals, and he conceived a high passion for the princess and went to the castle to woo her. With him he brought a tiara he had made her out of silver, the materials had cost him all he had saved for his old age. It was the most intricate and beautiful that had ever been made. But because Faff was not a prince, he was not allowed to see the princess. Desperate in his passion, he gave the tiara, which he had brought as a gift for the princess, to the doorkeeper of the princess's rooms as a bribe. The doorkeeper announced him and let him in.
"What do you want of me?" Princess Allilee asked.
Faff had never seen the princess up close, and she was even more beautiful than he had realized. He determined in his heart he must marry her. Knowing he may never be allowed to see her again, he stated his case bluntly, "I want to marry you."
The princess laughed outright. "You? You smell of sweat, you are swarthy, your skin is rough, you have bad breath, you have bad teeth, and you are certainly no prince. Go away. I never want to see you again. How could you even imagine marrying beauty that can never be equaled."
Being so spurned, Faff cried in his outrage, "No great loss! I know a hundred girls as beautiful as you."
"Show me one!" Princess Allilee exclaimed. Knowing her beauty could never be equaled, she added, "show me even one girl as beautiful as me, and I will marry you. Now leave before I call the guards.
Faff went home crushed. None of his familiar things could comfort him. He concentrated on his work, for only this could give him a little ease. And so day passed on to day. Then one day, while burnishing some brass bowls he was making for a local merchant, he noticed his reflection in one of them; and he noticed the more they were burnished, the clearer the reflection grew. The words of the princess came back to him, "Show me even one girl as beautiful as me . . ." He knew what to do. He took a sheet of brass and burnished it as brass had never been burnished before. When at last it gave a perfect reflection, he went once more to see the princess.
At first the doorkeeper (a different one than before) would not admit him, but Faff so dazzled him with the sheet of brass that he announced him as a wizard and let him in. The princess looked at him. "Oh, it's you again," she said. "You're not really a wizard, are you?"
"I am not," Faff answered. "I have come to claim your hand in marriage."
"Get out," the princess ordered.
"One moment, your majesty," Faff said. "It is said you always keep your word."
"That is true," the princess answered.
"If you recall, you told me you would marry me if I should show you a girl as beautiful as yourself."
"That is true," the princess answered, "but it is well known that at my christening I was given beauty that could never be equaled."
"And yet, see this . . ." Faff said, disrobing the mirror.
The princess gasped. "I have never seen such beauty!" she exclaimed. (She had, of course, never seen herself.) She gathered her wits. "And yet, the Fairy's gift . . . I must be more beautiful."
"How can you be more beautiful than yourself?" Faff said, "For it is yourself you see. But you are as beautiful as yourself, and I have shown you yourself, so keep your word and marry me."
Princess Allilee, true to her word, married Faff. After the king's death, they became co-rulers of the realm, as Queen and King. As for Queen Allilee, she was truthful and trustworthy, but no fairy had given her the gift of wisdom or compassion or charity or goodness—and she was greatly lacking in these traits. As for King Faff, he was a clever ruler, but not a wise one; he was quick to anger, eager to boast, and hasty in his judgments; he despised laborers because they reminded him of his origins; he was admired for nothing but his wit. Theoretically, as co-rulers, Queen Allilee and King Faff had equal authority; yet they seldom agreed, which caused continual conflict in the realm, as some followed one and some the other. Queen Allilee and King Faff died the same day, slaughtered by bandits who plundered their carriage. There was much rejoicing at their deaths.
And that's how the mirror was invented.
And it happened that on the eighth day that Princes Allilee was christened, and all the notables of the land, including the five fairies, came to the christening and brought gifts for the infant. Now the gifts of the fairies were these: the first fairy gave Allilee truthfulness, the second fairy gave Allilee trustworthiness, the third fairy gave Allilee endless confidence, the fourth fairy gave Allilee a sense of whimsy, the fifth fairy gave Allilee beauty that could never be equaled.
Seventeen years passed and Princes Allilee was the joy of the land. Suitors came from near and far, but only princes were permitted to see the princess, for the king reckoned only royal suitors suitable. Now there was a man named Faff who was a worker in metals, and he conceived a high passion for the princess and went to the castle to woo her. With him he brought a tiara he had made her out of silver, the materials had cost him all he had saved for his old age. It was the most intricate and beautiful that had ever been made. But because Faff was not a prince, he was not allowed to see the princess. Desperate in his passion, he gave the tiara, which he had brought as a gift for the princess, to the doorkeeper of the princess's rooms as a bribe. The doorkeeper announced him and let him in.
"What do you want of me?" Princess Allilee asked.
Faff had never seen the princess up close, and she was even more beautiful than he had realized. He determined in his heart he must marry her. Knowing he may never be allowed to see her again, he stated his case bluntly, "I want to marry you."
The princess laughed outright. "You? You smell of sweat, you are swarthy, your skin is rough, you have bad breath, you have bad teeth, and you are certainly no prince. Go away. I never want to see you again. How could you even imagine marrying beauty that can never be equaled."
Being so spurned, Faff cried in his outrage, "No great loss! I know a hundred girls as beautiful as you."
"Show me one!" Princess Allilee exclaimed. Knowing her beauty could never be equaled, she added, "show me even one girl as beautiful as me, and I will marry you. Now leave before I call the guards.
Faff went home crushed. None of his familiar things could comfort him. He concentrated on his work, for only this could give him a little ease. And so day passed on to day. Then one day, while burnishing some brass bowls he was making for a local merchant, he noticed his reflection in one of them; and he noticed the more they were burnished, the clearer the reflection grew. The words of the princess came back to him, "Show me even one girl as beautiful as me . . ." He knew what to do. He took a sheet of brass and burnished it as brass had never been burnished before. When at last it gave a perfect reflection, he went once more to see the princess.
At first the doorkeeper (a different one than before) would not admit him, but Faff so dazzled him with the sheet of brass that he announced him as a wizard and let him in. The princess looked at him. "Oh, it's you again," she said. "You're not really a wizard, are you?"
"I am not," Faff answered. "I have come to claim your hand in marriage."
"Get out," the princess ordered.
"One moment, your majesty," Faff said. "It is said you always keep your word."
"That is true," the princess answered.
"If you recall, you told me you would marry me if I should show you a girl as beautiful as yourself."
"That is true," the princess answered, "but it is well known that at my christening I was given beauty that could never be equaled."
"And yet, see this . . ." Faff said, disrobing the mirror.
The princess gasped. "I have never seen such beauty!" she exclaimed. (She had, of course, never seen herself.) She gathered her wits. "And yet, the Fairy's gift . . . I must be more beautiful."
"How can you be more beautiful than yourself?" Faff said, "For it is yourself you see. But you are as beautiful as yourself, and I have shown you yourself, so keep your word and marry me."
Princess Allilee, true to her word, married Faff. After the king's death, they became co-rulers of the realm, as Queen and King. As for Queen Allilee, she was truthful and trustworthy, but no fairy had given her the gift of wisdom or compassion or charity or goodness—and she was greatly lacking in these traits. As for King Faff, he was a clever ruler, but not a wise one; he was quick to anger, eager to boast, and hasty in his judgments; he despised laborers because they reminded him of his origins; he was admired for nothing but his wit. Theoretically, as co-rulers, Queen Allilee and King Faff had equal authority; yet they seldom agreed, which caused continual conflict in the realm, as some followed one and some the other. Queen Allilee and King Faff died the same day, slaughtered by bandits who plundered their carriage. There was much rejoicing at their deaths, and the chief of the bandits who killed them was made king.
And that's how the mirror was invented.
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