Ghazal Mhanna, 15 — Trainers’ Academy, Tulkarm
He sat on his bench in the garden sipping his coffee quietly, enjoying the warm sunshine and the gentle spring breeze. Usaid glanced towards the wall to find that its shadow had disappeared…
The Magic Mirror
Jinan Anwar al-Sheikh, 14 — Marah Rabah
Like every ordinary morning, I stood before my mirror to tidy my clothes and brush my hair before going to school. It took me ages to change my hairstyle, and when I looked at my watch, it was already half past seven.
“Oh no, I’m going to be late,” I said to myself.
But a voice from somewhere nearby called out:
“No, you won’t be late. Just leave your hair as it is — it’s very beautiful, and I like it.”
I looked fearfully towards the voice.
“Who…?”
“It’s me, the mirror… your mirror.”
“What? A talking mirror?!”
“Yes, Jinan, I speak. But I’m always silent because I love to watch you as you stand before me, putting on your beautiful clothes, laughing and humming. I’m so happy that you’re a tidy and lovely girl.”
“Really? And why haven’t you spoken to me before today?”
“I told you, I don’t like to talk much. It’s enough for me just to see your reflection in me.”
“And will you speak to me all the time from now on?”
“Of course, my dear, but we must keep this a secret between us.”
Their conversation was interrupted by Jinan’s mother calling her to hurry so she wouldn’t be late for school.
“All right, I have to go now. We’ll talk when I get back.”
“All right, see you later.”
That day, while Jinan was at school, her mother went to the market and bought a new mirror for Jinan. She wanted to surprise her for her birthday, which would be tomorrow. And so she brought the new mirror home and replaced the magic mirror with it. Then she put the magic mirror outside the house for anyone who needed it to take. When the street cleaner came by, he saw the mirror and took it.
When Jinan came home from school, she was eager to talk with her mirror. She rushed straight to her room, and what a shock it was when she didn’t find the mirror — and in its place was a new one. “Where’s my mirror?” Jinan cried. “Why? Don’t you like your new mirror?” her mother replied. “Oh no, where did it go? Who took it?” “The street cleaner took it. Why?”
Jinan rushed out of her house looking for the street cleaner. She ran through the street of her neighbourhood and the streets of other neighbourhoods… then she spotted him. He was far away, sweeping the street. She ran towards him, and when she reached him she cried:
“Uncle, uncle, where’s the mirror you took from in front of our house this morning?”
“Oh, the mirror — thank you, thank you. I sold it for a decent price, enough to buy my children bread and some fruit.”
“Oh no! Who did you sell it to?”
“To that antique shop over there. Why?”
“Nothing, thank you.”
Jinan headed for the antique shop, and there she saw the mirror in one of the corners.
“Uncle, uncle, this is my magic mirror. Will you let me take it?”
“What? Your mirror? Magic?” the shopkeeper replied, laughing.
“Yes, yes, magic — it talks to me and I talk to it. Let me show you.”
Jinan spoke to the mirror, but the mirror didn’t answer. She tried again, but without success. Jinan sat down on the floor, crying and begging the man to give her the mirror. Suddenly, at last, the mirror spoke. “Uncle, I really do talk.”
The man nearly fell to the floor from the shock of it, and after he’d pulled himself together he said:
“Take it, take it! I’m afraid of strange, magical things. I’m afraid I’ll be cursed because of it.”
Jinan thanked the shopkeeper for his kindness and generosity, picked up her mirror and set off home. And from that day on, she never parted from her mirror, and her mirror never parted from her.
The End
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