THE MASTER CRAFTSMEN
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every occasion to say to her: "You see how kind I am! I, the
king and mighty conqueror of the winds, offer you my love and
invite you to become a courtier. See, they all turn away from
you, you are so ugly. But I have a kind heart, I remember your
father's services to me and I'm not squeamish. Consent and per–
haps I may make you my queen."
But Melchiora stubbornly continued to reject the king.
"Am I really so ugly?" she used to ask Amalgam in dismay.
"How is it you love me?" "Believe me, you are the most beautiful
girl
in the world," Amalgam would answer. "And I am ready to
say it anywhere, even if the winds tear me to pieces for those
words. Alas, if I had but one mirror, I could let you look at
yourself and you would never be able to take the mirror away."
But Melchiora was never able to see her face. Whenever she
went into the streets, the king ordered her face to be covered so
that the people should not be frightened at her ugliness.
"Look into my eyes," Amalgam said to her. "Can you not
see how beautiful you are?" "No," answered Melchiora, "in your
eyes I can only see the love which overpowers everything and
dazzles me, and probably you too, and I see nothing else."
"Then go to the lake and look at yourself-the water will
tell you the truth!" exclaimed Amalgam.
So the beautiful Melchiora ran to the lake. She leaned over
its mirror-like surface and began to gaze at her reflection. But
one of the winds hastened after her and began blowing on the
water. The mirror rippled and Melchiora's beautiful features
were hideously distorted. She shrank back in horror, covering her
eyes with her hands. "The king is right," she said. " I am really
extremely ugly. Amalgam must surely have loved me out of
pity."
Yet, she still wanted to find out
once
and for all whether or
not she was ugly.
"If
I am so ugly, Your Majesty," she said to
the king, "why do you not help me to be certain? Allow Master
Craftsman Amalgam to make one mirror, no matter how small."
The king did not know what to say. He was not very clever
