story for mitsima
Oct. 8th, 2004 10:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
incandescensmitsima, here's a story in deliberate imitation of Kwaidan. Do let me know if you can use it. General comments/criticism welcome. I'm afraid I have no title for it as yet.
A woman came to an antique shop, and she asked the proprietor, "Please show me what you have by way of mirrors. My husband's mother is visiting, and the old fool of a woman has left behind her looking glass, and insists that nothing else will do, and that she cannot be comfortable without it. I hope that you can find me something adequate. If I present her with a mirror that I have brought for her, she will have no more reason to complain."
So the proprietor brought out mirrors of bronze, and silver, and ebony, and jade, but each time the woman shook her head at them. They were too expensive, or too cheap; too ornate, or too plain. Finally she pointed at a mirror at the back of the shop, and asked, "Why have you not shown me that one?"
The shopkeeper shook his head. "That is an unlucky mirror, and I would not want to disturb madam with the story."
"As long as it is not too expensive, it will do," the woman said. "I am not concerned by such foolishness as bad luck. But what is the story?"
"Ah," the shopkeeper said. "Madam, there was a woman once who owned that mirror, and she would comb her hair in front of it every day. But her husband was away from home on a long trip, and during that time she took a lover. When she did this, she turned the mirror to the wall and hung a robe over it. But one day when she was alone in her bedroom, her husband arrived home unexpectedly, and he came in and embraced her. Then he said, "Why is your mirror covered and turned to face the wall?" For he knew that his wife was proud of her beauty. And the woman was afraid, for it is said that just as a sword is the soul of a man, so her mirror is the soul of a woman. She said, "My husband, I did not think of my hair or my face while you were away, but I wept constantly, and I could not bear to look at myself in the mirror." Her husband grew suspicious, and he said, "Well, you shall look at yourself now." And he drew back the robe and turned the mirror so that the woman looked directly at her reflection. She gave a great cry and fell down dead."
"That is nonsense," said the woman. "I am not one to be moved by such stories. I demand tht you show me that mirror."
"As madam wishes," the shopkeeper said, and he brought the mirror across, setting it on the table.
The woman looked at herself in it, and she gave a scream of horror, and never spoke again, for . . .
-- but no. I really cannot tell you what she saw.
A woman came to an antique shop, and she asked the proprietor, "Please show me what you have by way of mirrors. My husband's mother is visiting, and the old fool of a woman has left behind her looking glass, and insists that nothing else will do, and that she cannot be comfortable without it. I hope that you can find me something adequate. If I present her with a mirror that I have brought for her, she will have no more reason to complain."
So the proprietor brought out mirrors of bronze, and silver, and ebony, and jade, but each time the woman shook her head at them. They were too expensive, or too cheap; too ornate, or too plain. Finally she pointed at a mirror at the back of the shop, and asked, "Why have you not shown me that one?"
The shopkeeper shook his head. "That is an unlucky mirror, and I would not want to disturb madam with the story."
"As long as it is not too expensive, it will do," the woman said. "I am not concerned by such foolishness as bad luck. But what is the story?"
"Ah," the shopkeeper said. "Madam, there was a woman once who owned that mirror, and she would comb her hair in front of it every day. But her husband was away from home on a long trip, and during that time she took a lover. When she did this, she turned the mirror to the wall and hung a robe over it. But one day when she was alone in her bedroom, her husband arrived home unexpectedly, and he came in and embraced her. Then he said, "Why is your mirror covered and turned to face the wall?" For he knew that his wife was proud of her beauty. And the woman was afraid, for it is said that just as a sword is the soul of a man, so her mirror is the soul of a woman. She said, "My husband, I did not think of my hair or my face while you were away, but I wept constantly, and I could not bear to look at myself in the mirror." Her husband grew suspicious, and he said, "Well, you shall look at yourself now." And he drew back the robe and turned the mirror so that the woman looked directly at her reflection. She gave a great cry and fell down dead."
"That is nonsense," said the woman. "I am not one to be moved by such stories. I demand tht you show me that mirror."
"As madam wishes," the shopkeeper said, and he brought the mirror across, setting it on the table.
The woman looked at herself in it, and she gave a scream of horror, and never spoke again, for . . .
-- but no. I really cannot tell you what she saw.
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no subject
Date: 2004-10-09 12:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-09 08:56 pm (UTC)(Please mention somewhere that mine's a homage to Kwaidan, though; I'd feel a bit guilty otherwise.)
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Date: 2004-10-09 09:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-09 11:27 pm (UTC)How about Kwaidan Renditions: The Story Of A Mirror?
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Date: 2004-10-10 12:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-09 10:41 pm (UTC)This story fascinates me; I love it. But that may be because I've never seen anything like the source material it's based on; what is Kwaidan?
no subject
Date: 2004-10-09 11:12 pm (UTC)Kwaidan is a set of Japanese ghost stories (and a few other writings) translated by Lafcadio Hearn. There was also a film produced by that name, which consisted of four short stories, two of which were from that story connection (_Yuki-Onna_ and _Hoichi the Earless_.) A very good film, if you get the chance to see it.
There's an online transcription of at least part of Kwaidan at http://emotional-literacy-education.com/classic-books-online-a/kwidn10.htm , if you can ignore all the hypertext links. I think it may be missing some of the stories, though, such as _Hoichi the Earless_. As mitsima comments, my main inspiration was the story _Of A Mirror And A Bell_.