There were no mirrors in the land. And there never had been.

It was a distant village where nothing new ever came. Not even mirrors.

Once Chamisso, a man who was living in the village, went to town. Oh! How incredible! Streets, cars, people rushing about, houses that were amazingly tall...

At a loss, Chamisso only wished to go back to his village. He was passing by a shop when he saw a mirror in the shopwindow.

"That's my father!" He exclaimed.

Chamisso's father had died years ago. It was no wonder the son now looked like him.

He stepped in and bought it. Then, with the wrapped mirror under his arm, he went back to his village.

It was late in the evening when he arrived.

The following morning, when he woke up, he turned to his wife who was half-asleep and told her:

"Guess what I found in town! The spitting image of my father. Go and see for yourself. I've left the package in the kitchen."

The woman put on her shoes, and all in a mess with her hair in disorder, went to peep at it.

When she unwrapped the mirror, she was shocked:

What a big liar my husband is! How could he tell me that he had brought a picture of his father! This is the picture of some shabby woman with the looks of a pig!

She went to her mother and complained:

"You must see how coarse she is, all untidy and dishevelled. A shame of a woman!"

"You leave it to me, I'll check it and, if you are right, we'll give your husband a good scolding."

Her mother went to look at the mirror.

"God! What a spectry old woman!" She screamed.

With the fright, she dropped the little mirror, which cracked into a thousand pieces.

Yes, that's exactly how it happened. In that family they still don't know what a mirror is... So much the better for them...