“The Magic Mirror”
By Rev. Nastasha Ostrom
Short story shared for the Time for All Ages
Sunday, June 25, 2017
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh
There once was a child who loved exploring the countryside. One day, wandering farther than normal, the child came upon a beautifullake with calm, crystal clear waters, and as the child gazed into the lake, something strange happened. The waterrippled, anda silver-handled mirror bobbed to the surface.
Shocked, the child lifted the mirror, dripping,from the water,and gazed into the smooth glass.The mirror reflected back the child’s own face, but not like the child had ever seen. This face shone with such bravery, such kindness, such knowledge!
Heart filled with wonder, the child carried the mirror home, and returnedjust as bells chimed through the village, summoning everyone to town hall.Sighing, for town meetings were boring, the child went to the meetinghouse and slouched ontoa bench between Mother and Father.
Soon, the meeting started and the adults began blathering about something called a coal mine and how it would bring prosperity to the village.The child yawned, fingertips tapping the mirror in boredom, and looked around for something more interesting. There was a window, framingadistant snow-capped mountain.
The child lifted the mirror, curious what it would show. And gasped. In the mirror, the top of the mountain was sawed off and blackened!
Horrified, the child lowered the mirror and stared at the adults as they discussed the coal mine. Would the mine do that horrible thing to the mountain?
“I must say something,” the child whispered. But the thought was scary. Adults sometimes got mad when children interrupted.
Then the child remembered looking in the mirror earlier, and seeing a face shining withbravery, kindness and knowledge.The child’s own face.Taking a deep breath, the child stood up on the bench.
“You cannot open this mine!”
People turned to stare. “Don’t be rude!” Mother hissed. Father just frowned sternly.
“You cannot open this mine!” the child said again, even louder this time. “Terrible things will happen if you do! Look!”The child held up the mirror.
The villagers looked and gasped as two futures flashed across the mirror’s surfce.First, they saw the coal mine being built, and shiny gold coins raining down on the village… along with thick black soot. The skies darkened with smog, and people coughed miserably as they breathed in the dirty air.
The villagers cried out at what they saw. Then the mirror showed another future.This time, no shiny gold coins fell down on the village, and no thick black soot. The skies were blue and free of smog and the rivers were crystal clear and sweet. In the village, people went on with their daily lives, happy and healthy even though they were not rich.
“The mirror shows the truth of what may come to be,” the child told the quiet villagers. “But you must choose to make it real. Please choose wisely.”
The villagers voted. Even the child with the mirror was given a chance to choose the future.
As the votes were counted, the child lifted the mirror and peeked within. The great snow-capped mountain filled the glass, clean and untouched.
The child smiled and lowered the mirror. The village had chosen wisely.