The Path to Grinlor
Once upon a time, in the land of Raspartia, there lived a little girl named Carly. Carly was the apple of everyone's eye in her family.
She was treated like a princess, and everyone always told her how beautiful she was.
— Oh my, how beautiful you are! Like a painting!
Indeed, little Carly was beautiful, but people didn't realize that by spoiling her so much, they made her obsessed with her appearance and beauty.
Carly spent most of her time in front of the mirror, admiring herself. She did nothing else. She didn't study, nor did she play with friends. As she grew older, her narcissistic behavior began to worry her mother.
— All day long, she does nothing but look in the mirror and talk to herself. It's as if she's losing her mind. Even poor Stuart, that boy, keeps waiting for her. — Carly, dear, come help your mother in the kitchen, won't you? — How beautiful you are! I could look at you all day. — Carly? — Oh! What is it, Mother?
— I need help in the kitchen. In time, Carly came to think only of her appearance, nothing else.
— I'm busy, Mother. — I swear, this girl is obsessed. Doesn't she care about anyone else?
— No, she doesn't. — Huh? Who said that? — My name is Iris. I am the angel of enlightenment. Your little girl is very beautiful, but she doesn't think of anyone else, not even her mother. — I know, I know, but what can I do? She never listens to me. — I will help you. Do as I say, and soon Carly will no longer be so selfish and narcissistic.
— Aha. Mmm. Perfect. So be it. — Now she's talking to herself. It's as if she's losing her mind.
The Missing Mirror
The next day, Carly woke up, and the sun shone brightly through her window. Birds sang, and the sweet murmur of the flowing river could be heard from afar. Carly went straight to her dressing table and discovered that her mirror was gone.
— Huh? Where's my mirror gone? Mother? — Mother? Where's my mirror? — I took it. All you did was stand in front of it all day. — What? No! That's not fair! — It's for your own good, my child. — Now what will I do? How will I ever see this beautiful face of mine again?
— Uh, Carly! — What? Who's there? — Come to me, Carly. — The mirror!
Seeing the mirror in the forest, Carly rushed out of the house and ran to get her mirror. She looked at herself and smiled. It was as if she was hypnotized and enchanted by her reflection.
— Hello! Oh! Ah! Ah! — Come with me.
And Carly went through the mirror. She arrived in a place surrounded by butterflies and birds that floated past her.
— Wow! How beautiful! — Hello, Carly! — Oh! Hello! Who are you? — I'm Iris. Let me show you around. I want to show you something special.
Iris led Carly through the forest to a wonderful castle.
— Grinlor Castle. — In that castle, there's something you'd really like, Carly. — Hey!
The Mirror of Reality
They entered the castle rooms, and inside was a magnificent mirror.
— A mirror! — Not just any mirror. This is the mirror of admiration. — It looks like a normal mirror. — Look closely. You will see what you admire most in the world. Some see money, others see much, much power. What do you see?
— I see myself. And you know, I look wonderful in that red dress. — Ah! So you see beauty. — What do you mean? I see myself, as gorgeous as I am. — You're wearing a pink dress, dear. — Huh? — Come! I have more! — Wait! I'm coming too!
Carly entered the next room, a huge room, filled with all sorts of mirrors, of all sizes and shapes.
— Ah! Ah! Look, I'm short! — And, oh, very tall! Ah! Look, I'm round! — How fun this is! I love this room!
Walking along the corridor and laughing at each funny reflection of herself, she reached the end of the room, where an old mirror stood.
— And what does this one do? — This is the mirror of reality. Look very carefully, and you will see the reality of the world around you, Carly. — Oh! No! Mother! Why does she look so sad and tired? It's as if she's sick. — Haven't you noticed that until now? — No!
And then, Carly realized how little attention she had given to the world around her.
— I must help Mother more and take care of her. — I have one more room to show you. This way! — Where are we going now? — I'm taking you to the Tower of Resonance. Stay close. It's a long way up.
And so they began to climb the never-ending spiral stairs until they reached the Tower of Resonance. In the center of this empty tower, there was nothing but a log lying on the floor.
— What? What is this? Is this why you brought me all the way up here? To show me a piece of wood? — Oh, no, Carly. Wait. — Incando Sărmador, Resaliso, Diana Cadorastia!
As soon as she said that, the spirit of an angel emerged from the log.
— Hello, Carly! I'm Diana! — Hello! — Tell me, what do you see in this mirror? — Myself, and I look happy. — And now what do you see?
— That's the boy next door. Uh, what's his name? Ah! Stuart! Yes! But, but he looks sad and lonely. — And now? — No! It's my mother! She looks sad and sick! What's happening to her? What can I do? — These people would be well if you took the time to appreciate them. Your mother works hard to make sure you have food and clothes. But every time she asks for your help, you ignore her and are obsessed with how you look. — And, and Stuart? Why is he sad? — Stuart has no one to play with. He wants to spend time and play with you. But he never gets to. — Now I understand. I shouldn't care so much about my appearance. Now I know how much I've missed and that it's important to be kind and helpful to others. — Very good! It seems you've understood the importance of family and friends.
As she said that, the tower filled with storm clouds, and suddenly, Carly woke up in her bed.
— Oh dear! Where am I? Oh! I'm home!
The sun shone brightly through her window. Birds sang, and the sweet murmur of the flowing river could be heard from afar.
— Ah! What a beautiful day! Perfect for going out and playing.
Just then, she remembered she had to help her mother.
— Oh! Mother! — Tell me, Mother, how can I help you today? — Huh? It worked! It really worked! — Um, could you wash the dishes, please? — Of course, Mother. Also, I was thinking of going out later to play with our neighbor, Stuart. — Ah! Of course! Go and have fun, my dear!
And so, Carly grew up and became a good and helpful girl. She helped her mother with daily chores and took care of the little birds and animals in the garden. She even started studying at school and soon became first in her class in all subjects.
The moral of the story is that outer beauty is not as important as inner kindness and caring for those around you.
