Daily Times

This book is written by one of the finest short story writers Enid Blyton.

It contains fifteen stories and each story has a remarkable suggestion and a worthy message for the readers: its stories are very interesting which mostly motivate the readers to wholly get into them. Almost each story in the book is unique, but “The Magic Mirror” is the only story which compelled me to read time and again. I feel whenever someone feels upset then he or she must go for reading this story and book.

This story is based on a young school-going boy who does not smile at all. Even his mother had forced him to smile since she was ready to provide him whatever he wished for, but just had a wish to see a smile on her child’s face. Sadly, the boy did not show that only smile.

He used to go to school silently and returned home the same way. He did not make any friends and neither had anyone to talk to.

Once his mother invited him to come and have the lunch, with no smile and saddened look he reached at the table where his mother advised him and said “My son, please smile and talk with everyone because smiling describes the individuals in a far better way. It speaks.” The boy did not smile and went to bedroom.

Everything was going likely until once when the boy was coming back home from school, an old man stopped him and asked him why he was sad. The boy maintained his state of being same rude and silent.

However, the old man was very ugly and never quitting to go before listening to the causes of his sadness. John, the boy, tried a lot to skip him but couldn’t. Lastly, the old man asked him to join him for some few minutes and then he would never face him. In case of negative response, John had to meet him on his way each day. John had no other option than to accepting what he wanted.

They went in a small and dark house. Looking at John, the old man said, “Look at the wall!” John looked at the wall and found nothing else but the empty wall. He got annoyed and said “There is nothing!” The old man smiled…

He used to go to school silently and returned home the same way. He did not make any friends and neither had anyone to talk to

John got even annoyed. He felt like a lose-minded person unless the old man asked him to look at the wall again. He looked but found a mirror and his own reflection inside. He became angry and angrily told the old man of it were the only reason he was brought here, the old man smiled. He asked him to look at the mirror again. And he found a young man standing inside. The third time John found an old man but very angry which was predicted as his future look with the same attitude he owned at that early age. John cried and asked the old man respectively if he could do something to overcome that. The old man asked him for a smile and social life as the best solution to overcome it and his all other tensions.

This point of the story made me get the best out of me. It even brought a huge change in my life once I began to smile with no reason.

Shockingly, the old man soon disappeared and flew away quoting list last words as “Keep smiling my child. I was sent by God just to teach you how to smile. Never forget it again.”

John ran fast towards home and shared that complete story to his mother. His mother knew that was a message from the God to spend the life happily.

At the evening time, with a great smile, John went to ground for playing. All of the other children were shocked that how is he playing with us. There he got too much happiness. He acknowledged his mistake of not smiling and he was pleased to forget his each and every happening in past and starter his life with a new beginning.

After reading this story as well as the others, I came to know about the value of smiling. Ever since I read it, I felt a strong change in my life. I feel like possessing a smiling is the best quality one can have. It is the only language which even a baby understands. As once a great person said, “I smile for no reason.” And because of his smiling we all know him. So, I suggest to all of the readers to have a smile on your face each time. Because it is a smile which makes a difference in our lives. Keep smiling, God bless.

The writer is a student at Government Boys High School. He can be reached at muneebmaqsood112@gmail.com