The Brother and the Sister

A father had one son and one daughter. The son was remarkable for his good looks, while the daughter was known for her extraordinary ugliness. One day, while they were playing as children, they happened to glance into a mirror that was placed on their mother's chair.

The boy congratulated himself on his handsome appearance, but the girl grew angry. She could not bear to hear her brother's self-praises, interpreting all he said—how could she do otherwise?—as a reflection on herself. In a fit of frustration, she ran off to their father to seek revenge on her brother. In her anger, she spitefully accused him of having, as a boy, made use of something that she believed belonged only to girls.

The father embraced them both, bestowing his kisses and affection impartially on each of them. He then said, "I wish you both would look into the mirror every day: you, my son, so that you do not spoil your beauty through evil conduct; and you, my daughter, so that you may make up for your lack of beauty with your virtues."