In the heart of a serene valley, where a crystal-clear river hummed a perpetual lullaby against its pebbled banks, lived an honest woodsman and his devoted wife. Their home was a humble cottage, a structure of weathered timber and thatched straw that stood as a testament to a life defined by simplicity and labor. God had blessed this couple with three daughters, each blooming into womanhood like wildflowers in the meadow, yet each possessed a spirit as distinct as the seasons.
The woodsman’s life followed a rigorous rhythm. Every dawn, before the sun dared to peek over the jagged mountain peaks, he would head into the dense, emerald forest. There, the rhythmic thud of his axe echoed through the trees as he gathered dry wood. By midday, he would journey to the bustling town nearby to sell his bundles. On days when the market was kind and his pockets felt a little heavier, he would not buy luxuries for himself but would instead bring home colorful fabrics or sweet treats for his daughters. They lived on the edge of poverty, yet the hearth was always warm.
However, the atmosphere within the cottage was often stirred by the differing temperaments of the three sisters. Sabreen, the eldest, was a creature of vanity. She possessed a beauty that was undeniable, but it was overshadowed by a heart that constantly yearned for more. She spent hours preening before a small, cracked looking glass, complaining about the coarseness of her garments and dreaming of a life where a wealthy merchant would sweep her away to a palace of marble and gold.
Abeer, the middle daughter, was governed by a different kind of hunger. Her mind was perpetually occupied with the scent of roasting meats and the sweetness of honeyed cakes. She was gluttonous by nature, showing little interest in the struggles of her parents as long as her own plate was full.
Then there was Tabarak, the youngest. She was the quiet pulse of the home. While her sisters dreamed or indulged, Tabarak was at her mother’s side, kneading dough, sweeping the hearth, and offering prayers of gratitude for the meager broth they shared. Her beauty was not loud like Sabreen’s; it was a soft glow, born of a contented and selfless soul.
The only task the three sisters shared was fetching water from the nearby spring. For Sabreen and Abeer, this was not a chore but a stage. They would linger by the water’s edge, adjusting their veils and casting glances at passing travelers, hoping to catch the eye of a nobleman. Tabarak, meanwhile, would simply fill her jars and return, her mind focused on the cooling water her tired father would need upon his return.
The Encounter in the Emerald Deep
One fateful morning, the woodsman ventured deeper into the woods than usual. As he gathered fallen branches, a frantic chirping caught his attention. High in a gnarled oak tree, a serpent was slithering toward a nest of defenseless chicks. Without a second thought, the woodsman swung his axe with the precision of a man who had spent a lifetime in the trees. The blade struck true, ending the serpent’s threat instantly.
As the mother bird returned to find her brood safe, a miracle occurred. The bird turned to the woodsman and spoke in a voice like chiming bells: "Follow me, oh kind soul, for your mercy shall not go unrewarded."
Dazed, the woodsman followed the bird through thickets and hidden paths until they reached a secluded limestone cliff hidden behind a wall of dense shrubbery. "Behind these leaves lies a cave," the bird chirped before vanishing into the canopy. "Enter, and find what destiny has kept for you."
The woodsman lit a dry branch and stepped into the cool, damp darkness of the cavern—a place he had never seen in all his years. In the center of the cave, resting upon a natural stone pedestal, sat an ancient mirror. Its frame was carved from a wood that seemed to pulse with a faint, inner light.
Curious, the woodsman sat on a nearby rock. "I wonder what my Sabreen would think of such a fine mirror," he whispered.
The moment her name left his lips, the silver surface of the mirror shimmered like disturbed water. Suddenly, an image appeared: there was Sabreen, sitting in their humble cottage, obsessively brushing her hair and scowling at her reflection. The woodsman gasped. He called out his wife’s name, and instantly the scene shifted to show his wife tirelessly scrubbing the floors. He realized then that he held a window into the truth—a magical mirror that showed the hearts and actions of those he loved, regardless of distance.
WWW.JANATNA.COM
However, as he watched through the mirror over the following days, his heart grew heavy. He saw the laziness of Sabreen and Abeer, who did nothing but wait for him to return with food, while Tabarak exhausted herself to help their mother. He decided to keep the mirror a secret, leaving it in the cave as a silent guardian of his family's truth. He used the knowledge to guide them, often surprising them by describing exactly what they had done while he was away. The girls grew uneasy, wondering how their father possessed such "all-seeing" eyes.
The Passing of the Woodcutter
Time, the relentless thief, eventually caught up with the woodsman. He fell into a deep, terminal fever. While Sabreen and Abeer continued to frequent the spring, hoping their father’s illness wouldn't interfere with their social prospects, Tabarak took up her father’s axe. Her hands, once soft, grew calloused as she hauled wood to the market to sustain the family.
On his final night, the woodsman called his wife to his side. With a trembling hand, he whispered the secret of the cave and the magical mirror. "Let it be your guide," he gasped, "for the eyes can be deceived, but the mirror reveals the soul." With those final words, he passed into the eternal forest.
The grief was a heavy shroud over the cottage. After the burial, the mother gathered her daughters. "We must survive," she said. Tabarak stepped forward immediately, vowing to continue her father’s work. Sabreen and Abeer, however, merely agreed to "help at home," which in reality meant doing the bare minimum while spending their days at the spring, hunting for a way out of their poverty.
The Departure of the Elder Sisters
One afternoon, as Sabreen and Abeer stood by the spring, a handsome merchant on a fine Arabian horse approached, parched from travel. Sabreen, sensing her moment, offered him water with a practiced, modest grace. The merchant, blinded by her external beauty, fell instantly in love. He proposed marriage then and there, promising her a life of luxury in a distant city. Sabreen accepted without a thought for her grieving mother or struggling sister.
Months later, a similar event occurred for Abeer. A wealthy landowner, charmed by her jovial (though gluttonous) nature at the spring, took her as his bride. She too departed, leaving the cottage behind like a discarded husk.
Now, only the mother and Tabarak remained. The work doubled, and the mother watched as Tabarak grew thin and pale from the exertion of being both the provider and the caregiver. Yet, Tabarak never complained. Her only worry was for her mother’s loneliness.
The Arrival of Hakeem
One day in the forest, Tabarak tripped over a hidden root, badly injuring her leg. As she lay weeping in the dirt, a young man named Hakeem, who earned a meager living hauling reeds on his donkey, heard her cries. He was not a prince or a wealthy merchant, but he possessed a heart of pure gold. He carried Tabarak home and, seeing the family’s plight, stepped in to do the woodsman’s work for them.
In time, Hakeem and Tabarak fell in love—a love built on shared labor and mutual respect. When Tabarak healed, they were married. Though they remained poor, their home was filled with a warmth that Sabreen’s palace could never know. However, Hakeem had an elderly, sick father to tend to, meaning Tabarak had to move to his village. The parting between mother and daughter was tearful, leaving the old woman truly alone in the cottage.
The Mirror Reveals the Truth
Loneliness eventually drove the mother back to the cave. She needed to know if her daughters were happy. After a grueling trek, she reached the mirror.
"Show me Sabreen," she commanded. The mirror shimmered. She saw Sabreen in a room filled with gold, surrounded by servants. But when her husband asked if she missed her mother, Sabreen sneered, "Why remind me of that beggar's life? I never want to see that hovel again."
The mother’s heart shattered. She called for Abeer. The mirror showed Abeer feasting at a long table. When her husband suggested a visit to the cottage, Abeer replied, "I have worked too hard to escape that poverty to ever look back. Let her stay in her dirt."
Finally, with trembling lips, she whispered, "Show me my Tabarak." The mirror revealed a small, dim hut. Tabarak was sitting by a flickering lamp, weeping. She told Hakeem, "My heart aches for my mother. As soon as your father is well, we must bring her to live with us. I cannot bear her being alone."
The mother wept, but this time with joy. She also discovered a hidden chest behind the mirror’s pedestal, filled with ancient coins and jewels—a treasure the woodsman had never noticed because he only looked at the mirror's magic.
The Reversal of Fortune
The mother took the treasure and, after Hakeem’s father passed away, she brought the young couple back to the valley. They replaced the old cottage with a grand house—not out of vanity, but to create a sanctuary for the poor. Hakeem became a successful, generous merchant, and Tabarak remained the soul of the household.
Years passed. One stormy evening, two tattered, hollow-eyed women arrived at the gates of the manor. It was Sabreen and Abeer. Sabreen’s husband had lost his fortune in a gamble and abandoned her; Abeer’s home had been razed by bandits, leaving her husband mad with grief. They had come back to the "hovel" they once despised, only to find a palace.
They fell at their mother’s feet, begging for forgiveness. The mother, guided by the wisdom of the mirror and the mercy in her heart, took them in. But they were no longer the beauties of the spring; they were broken by their own greed. They lived the rest of their days as witnesses to the truth that Tabarak had known all along: that loyalty is the only currency that never devalues, and a mirror that reflects a kind soul is the greatest treasure of all.
Keywords: Magic Mirror, Three Sisters, Woodsman Story, Moral Tales, Greed vs Loyalty, Folk Story, Arabic Heritage, Wisdom, Family Sacrifice, Patience.
0 Comments