Which Treats of a Mirror and of the Splinters

           Nowthen,letusbegin. Whenweareattheendofthestory, weshallknowmorethanweknownow:buttobegin. 

           Onceuponatimetherewasawickedsprite, indeedhewasthemostmischievousofallsprites. Onedayhewasinaverygoodhumor, forhehadmadeamirrorwiththepowerofcausingall thatwasgoodandbeautifulwhenitwasreflectedtherein, tolookpoorandmean; butthatwhichwasgood-for-nothingandlookeduglywasshownmagnifiedandincreasedinugliness. Inthismirrorthemostbeautifullandscapeslookedlikeboiledspinach, andthebestpersonswereturnedintofrights, orappearedtostandontheirheads, theirfacesweresodistortedthattheywerenottoberecognised; andifanyonehadamole, youmightbesure thatitwouldbemagnifiedandspreadoverbothnoseandmouth. 

           "That’sgloriousfun!"saidthesprite. Ifagoodthoughtpassedthroughaman’smind, thenagrinwasseeninthemirror, andthespritelaughedheartilyathiscleverdiscovery. Allthelittlespriteswhowenttohisschool —forhekeptaspriteschool —toldeachotherthatamiraclehadhappened; 

           Аndthatnowonly,astheythought, itwouldbepossibletoseehowtheworldreallylooked. Theyranaboutwiththemirror; andatlasttherewasnotalandoraperson whowasnotrepresenteddistortedinthemirror. Sothentheythoughttheywouldflyuptothesky, andhaveajokethere. Thehighertheyflewwiththemirror, themoreterriblyitgrinned: theycouldhardlyholditfast. Higherandhigherstilltheyflew, nearerandnearertothestars, whensuddenlythemirrorshooksoterriblywithgrinning, thatitflewoutoftheirhandsandfelltotheearth, whereitwasdashedinahundredmillionandmorepieces.