Fizazunera was the daughter of a rich goldsmith. She lived in a big house which had many rooms, a wide curved staircase, and a fine, large garden. Her father gave her as many gold rings and bracelets as she wanted and she had many beautiful dresses of silk and bright satin. But F was not happy. ‘I am so plain’, she thought, and I am sure everyone think so.’ And so she would wander in the house all day or pick flowers in the garden. She never went into the street until it was quite dark.
One day the housekeeper fell ill. Fizazunera had to go the market in the day to buy meat and vegetables. She pulled her bonnet frill over her forehead to cover her face. But the women in the market place recognized her and whispered to each other, “Look, there goes the goldsmith’s daughter. How plain she is”.
Fizazunera walked quickly between the tall. She hated to hear people make fun of her. She wished she had not come out.
Then suddenly she heard an old woman calling her, where are you going in such a hurry, Fizazunera? Come and see the things I am selling’’.
It was a kind voice and Fizazunera paused and looked around.
“That’s better,” aid the old woman. “Come here my child. I have something to show you”.
She looked in an old hamper, took out a sunshade and opened it. It was made of delicate, pale-blue silk and was embroidered with tiny white pearls.
“Do you like it?” the old woman asked.
“Oh yes, “said Fizazunera.” But I spend most of the time indoor. It won’t be of any use to me.”
The old woman smiled. “One moment,” he said. “Hold the sunshade over your head and take a look at yourself! She held a gleaming mirror in her wrinkled hand. Fizazunera saw the beautiful face of a stranger reflected in the mirror.
“That is you,” said the old woman. As long as you hold the Sunshade over your head, only the beauty of your kind heart will be seen and no one will ever laugh at your beautiful face.”
If only it were mine,” Sighed Fizazunera, stroking the blue silk.
“It is yours”, said the old woman, I have given it to you. Go now. And be happy.”
Fizazunera could see that the old woman was poor, and could not give away things freely. So she took out the gold bracelet which her father had given her. She handed it to the old woman and said, “I want to give you something too, to make you happy.”
Fizazunera went on her way. As she passed shyly through the market-place, she felt the admiring glances of people around her. She smiled happily under the blue dome of the sunshade.
When she got home, Fizazunera closed the sunshade and once again she saw her plain face in the hall mirror. ‘I will not tell father anything about what happened, she thought, ‘how sad he would be to see me beautiful one moment and plain the next.’ So she hid the old woman’ gift in her cupboard and carried on with her work as though nothing had happened.
But that evening, before dusk fell, Fizazunera put on a pretty silk dress and felt the house. She had the new sunshade open above her head. She did not care whether people thought it was strange to carry a sunshade when the sun had already set. He wanted to be beautiful! Nobody noticed the sunshade as she walked on the street. They only admired her loveliness. They continued to talk about this beautiful stranger even after she had passed by.
There was a big park in the city where a band played every evening under bright-colored light and people danced to the music. Fizazunera had always wanted to join the dancing at the park. But she had never had the courage. Now she felt no fear, and danced, spinning the blue Sunshade above her head.
The people who had earlier avoided Fizazunera now crowded around her to talk to her. They were eager to know whether she had come to the city on a short visit or she was going to live here. Fizazunera listened to these questions. She wandered happily pat the fountains and through the rose-gardens with her admirers. She talked, joked and laughed with sparkling eyes, until she heard a sudden burst of coarse, cruel laughter.
She stopped in dismay. Had her sunshade lot its magic power? Was she her plain elf again, and were people laughing at her? Surely not-all her companions were still looking at her admiringly. She went closer and found that were gathered round a man whose body was crooked and bent. “Go away, you do not belong here,” they said. “You can’t dance with a body like that.”
“Leave the poor man alone”, aid Fizazunera suddenly. “Don’t you care for other people’s feelings?”
“But I can’t bear to look at him,” shrieked a girl.
Fizazunera stood silent for a moment, and then she gave the man her magic sunshade. When he took it, hi face and looks became youthful and bright at once and his back was now had laughed at him stepped back in amazement. Fizazunera thought sadly, now they will look at me. But no one seemed to notice her. They were stunned by the miraculous change in the man with the bent back. He himself held the sunshade over his head, Unable to understand what had happened to him.
Fizazunera held out her hand to take it back, but suddenly felt that he did not want it anymore. She turned and walked away quietly. The bright light in the park went out one by one, but there was a full moon. The surface of the pond glittered in the moonlight. Fizazunera stood near it for a while, and then she bent down to wash her face with the cool water. But—was this her reflection?
A beautiful face, filled with goodness, looked up at her from the mirror of the pond. It was even more beautiful than it had been under the sunshade. The stars twinkled in the water like a thousand little diamonds. And the breeze carried tars on the waves to where Fizazunera knelt on the bank.
nice very nice
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