The Mirror of Matsuyama
Summary in English
Matsuyama used to live with his wife and daughter in the remote village of Japan in the ancient time. One day, he went to Kyoto, the capital city of Japan for business purpose. Before he left the house, he promised his daughter that he would bring a gift to her. Accordingly, he brought a doll and cake for his daughter and one metal mirror for his wife. Unfortunately, his wife became sick and left the world. Before her death, she called her daughter and gave a mirror. She told her to see the mirror so that she could easily see her mother. Thus, daughter frequently used to see her mother in the mirror.
After the death of his wife, Matsuyama got maimed with another lady. This lady so- called step-mother always used to mistreat the daughter. The daughter was also blamed of witchcraft so that she was going to kill her step-mother. However, when her father asked, she replied that she used to see the mirror where she could see her mother. This incident made the step-mother feeling of guilty and asked for forgiveness on her mistake. At the end, the daughter forgave her and left the home forever.
Possible Questions of this chapter
1)Are all the step-mothers of the same cruel nature? Write your opinions.
Ans: In my opinion, there are not all the step-mothers who do have the same cruel nature. I argue that some of the step-mothers are those who always love, take care and become happy with the children. They treat them as they are real mothers for them. They try to be in practice. Even children do not feel anything different than real mother. However, there are some step-mothers who mistreat and do not care of the children. Thus, children are grown up with many sufferings and problems form the early ages.
OR
Ans: Nowadays, we see less number of step-mothers in the community in comparison to the bygone time. So, the belief that people have made about the cruelty of step mother is less observable. Anyway, all the step-mothers can't be of the same cruel nature.Some of the step-mothers are found to be equally loveable nature to the children as mother. They take step-children as their own. In this contemporary era, women are literated, so they don't show such cruelty. They behave considering humanity and spirituality of humankind. However, I totally accord that some of the step-mothers manifests cruelty nature like mistreating the children and do not care of the children. To sum up not all the step mothers are of the same cruel nature.
2)Describe any incident in your village or vicinity dealing with kind or cruel treatment of the step-mother with the wards.
Ans: In my village, Dipesh lived with his wife and son. Thus, he had a happy family since there was lovable environment in the house. One day, he went to Kathmandu for his official work. Before he left the house, he promised with his son that he would bring the special gift that his son liked most. Accordingly, he brought a 'football' and 'jacket' as the gift for son and 'watch' for his wife. After getting such gifts, both wife and son became happy.
Unfortunately, his wife became sick and finally left the world. Defore her death, she called her son and gave a watch. After her death, Dipesh got married with another lady. From the very beginning, she started mistreating son. Even she was so cruel in nature that she became jealous on every words and activities of the son. Rather than providing love and affection, she wanted him to go out from house and never ruturn back. She didn't like to call him by his name but by putting him a different name. When the son felt hungry and asked for something to eat, she used to punish him rather than giving him food. Thus, the nature of the ste-mother was cruel.
3)Who was Matsuyama ? Where did he live?
Ans. Matsuyama was a man who lived in a remote part of Japan. He was a business man.
4) Why did he go to Kyoto ?
Ans. He went to Kyoto because he was called on business there.
5) What did he promise to his daughter before his departure ?
Ans. He promised to bring a present to his daughter before his departure.
6) What present did Matsuyama bring for his daughter?
Ans. Matsuyama brought a wonderful doll and a lacquer box of cakes for his daughter.
7) What did the mother give to her daughter before her death ?
Ans. The mother gave a mirror that her husband gave her to her daughter before her death.
8) Describe the nature of the step-mother of the child.
Ans. The step-mother was not familiar with the function of mirror. She was ignorant. She detested the child and believed that her step-daughter detested her in return. She was suspicious so she fancied that the little girl was performing some strange magical art to kill her. She believed in witchcraft.
9) Why was the step-mother ashamed ? What did she do then?
Ans. The step-mother was ashamed because she fancied that the little girl was performing some strange magical art and told her husband that the little girl was doing her best to kill her by witchcraft but that was false. Then she asked for her forgiveness.
10)What is the lesson of the story ?
Ans. From the story, we understand that people who have no clear understanding about something clearly suspect more and more things which are irrelevant. Lack of education makes human being suffer more and more. Little knowledge becomes dangerous thing. Lack of the proper understanding about the mirror compelled the step-mother think negatively about the daughter. Incomplete knowledge creates illusion and destroys human relation.
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