“The Mirror of Vanity ” – In this play, children discover how a simple mirror confuses a group of curious animals, each convinced that what they see is the ultimate truth. With humor, imagination, and a clever Cat at the center of the tale, this story teaches valuable lessons about vanity, perspective, and the importance of looking beyond ourselves.
CHARACTERS:
NARRATOR
ARTIST
CAT
FOX
SQUIRREL
BEAR
COW
DONKEY
ELEPHANT
TIGER
LION
LEOPARD
CAMEL
SCRIPT:
NARRATOR: Once upon a time, an artist who had painted a small and beautiful picture placed it in front of a mirror so that he could admire it every day.
ARTIST: The reflection in the mirror softens the image and makes it twice as lovely as before.
NARRATOR: The artist had a very clever cat who overheard him.
CAT: (To himself) Oh, I must tell my friends about this fascinating thing I’ve heard.
NARRATOR: The animals, who admired the Cat for being clever and well-educated, were very excited. They gathered around him and asked:
FOX: What is a picture, Cat?
CAT: (Proudly) It is a flat thing, wonderfully flat, marvelously flat, enchantingly flat. And, oh, it’s so beautiful!
SQUIRREL: (Eagerly) We want to see it!
BEAR: But what makes it so beautiful?
CAT: It’s how it looks. So elegant and delicate!
FOX, SQUIRREL, BEAR: Oh!
COW: And what’s a mirror, then?
CAT: (Dramatically) It is a hole in the wall. You look in it, and there you see the picture—dainty, charming, ethereal, and so inspiring in its unimaginable beauty that your head spins!
DONKEY: (Skeptical) I have my doubts. Nothing has ever been as beautiful as that. It sounds unbelievable.
FOX: (Whispering to Squirrel) Maybe he’s right.
SQUIRREL: Yeah, maybe.
CAT: (Annoyed) If you don’t believe me, fine! I’m leaving. See you all!
NARRATOR: The animals forgot about it for a while, but curiosity eventually got the better of them.
BEAR: (Thoughtfully) Maybe the Donkey wasn’t right after all.
FOX: (Pondering) What if the Cat was telling the truth? We have no proof either way.
DONKEY: There’s one way to settle this. I’ll go look into that “hole” and tell you what I find.
COW: (Encouraging) Yes, go and see!
SQUIRREL: (Excited) Go now!
DONKEY: (Heading off) Alright, goodbye, my friends.
NARRATOR: The Donkey went to look. Not knowing where to stand, he stood between the picture and the mirror. Seeing only his own reflection, he returned home.
DONKEY: (Disappointed) The Cat lied. There was nothing in that hole but a donkey. A rather handsome donkey, mind you, but no flat thing.
ELEPHANT: (Curious) Did you see it clearly? Were you close?
DONKEY: (Firmly) Yes, I was so close I could touch it.
ELEPHANT: (Puzzled) Extraordinary. Bear, it’s your turn. Look into the hole.
NARRATOR: The Bear went and came back.
BEAR: (Annoyed) Both the Cat and the Donkey have lied! I saw nothing but a bear.
NARRATOR: One by one, each animal took its turn, and each came back saying the same.
COW: (Confused) I found nothing but a cow.
TIGER: (Grumbling) I found only a tiger.
LION: (Roaring) I saw a lion and nothing else.
LEOPARD: (Skeptically) Just a leopard for me.
CAMEL: (Shrugging) A camel, and nothing more.
ELEPHANT: (Determined) It’s my turn. I must know the truth!
NARRATOR: The Elephant went to look. When he returned, he was fuming.
ELEPHANT: (Angry) You’re all a bunch of liars! How could that Cat be so blind? There was nothing in that hole but a magnificent elephant!
NARRATOR: And so, the animals realized that each had only seen themselves in the mirror. The clever Cat chuckled in the distance.
CAT: (Smirking, to himself) A picture, a mirror… and a lesson in vanity.
A Fable Play Script” reminds us that sometimes what we believe to be the truth is just a reflection of our own perspective. This story teaches children to look beyond themselves to understand the world better.
The End
Author: Mark Twain
Adapted by: K I D S I N C O
Moral: Sometimes, what we see is only a reflection of ourselves.
Moral Values:
- Self-Reflection – What we see in others often reflects who we are.
- Humility – We should not assume our perspective is the only truth.
- Curiosity with Caution – Asking questions is good, but we must seek answers wisely.
- Critical Thinking – Don’t accept everything you hear without checking the facts.
- Vanity Awareness – Being overly focused on ourselves blinds us from seeing reality.
- Wisdom in Observation – True understanding comes from looking beyond appearances.
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👉 External Resources:
Mark Twain Biography – Britannica
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