Fae was a very beautiful little girl, but she didn’t always see how beautiful she was. She looked different from other little girls. Her right hand looked like a pappy’s paw.

When she walked down the hallway at school the other kids would stare at Fae. Some of the kids would point and laugh. George, the little boy who sat next to her class, called her mean names.

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“Fae you’re such a freak,” George would say. “You look like Captain Hook.”

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Everyday Fae would come home crying. One day Fae’s Dad picked her up and sat her on his knee.

“How’s my beautiful little princess doing today?” he asked

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With tears in her eyes Fae said, “Not so good, Dad. All the kids at school stare at me and call me mean names. It makes me feel so sad. I wish I was beautiful like other little girls.”

Fae’s Dad wiped away her tears and kissed her on the forehead. Then he reached in his pocket and pulled out a mirror.

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“This is a magic mirror,” he said. “When you look at yourself in this mirror and say ‘I am beautiful’ you will magically become beautiful. The more you say it, the more beautiful you will become.”

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Fae smiled and took the mirror from her Dad. That night she looked at herself in the mirror and said “I am beautiful” as many times as she could.

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The next day Fae was so excited to go to school because all the kids would see how beautiful she was. But, when she walked down the hallway the kids still stared at her. When she got to class, George stared at her too.

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“You look like a one-handed bandit,” George said.

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After school was over Fae went home crying.

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“Why are you so sad, my beautiful princess?” Fae’s Dad asked.

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“The mirror didn’t work, Dad,” Fae said. “The kids still stared at me, and George called me mean name.”

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“Sweetie, the kids were staring at you because you were so beautiful,” Fae’s Dad said. “As for George, some people can’t see your beauty. You need to show them.”

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Fae wiped away her tears and smiled at her Dad. She took the mirror out of her pocket.

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That night she looked at herself in the mirror and said “I am beautiful” as many times as she could.

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The next day at school when it was time for recess, Fae walked by the jungle gym and saw George talking to two boys.

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“George, you’re so stupid,” said one of the boys.

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“You get all ‘Fs’,” said the other boy. “You’re a dummy.”

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“Leave him alone,” Fae said to the boys.

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“Shut up, freak,” said one of the boys.

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“Yeah, she only has one hand,” said the other boy. “She’s so ugly.”

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“I am beautiful and if you can’t see that I don’t want to be your friend. Why don’t you just go away?”

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“You two are both freaks,” said the boys.

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They shoved George down on the ground and walked away laughing.

“Are you ok?” Fae asked George.

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She offered him her right hand to help him off the ground. He stared at her for a while and then took her hand.

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“You know, your hand looks like a puppy’s paw,” George said. “It’s really cool. I love dogs.”

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Fae smiled and reached for her pocket. She took out the mirror and handed it to George.

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“This is a magic mirror,” she said. “When you look at yourself in this mirror and say ‘I am smart’ you will magically become smart. The more you say it, the smarter you will become.”

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George smiled and put the mirror in his pocket.

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“Thanks Fae. Want to play on the jungle gym?”

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George grabbed Fae’s puppy’s paw, and the raced to the jungle gym.

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After school was over Fae couldn’t wait to tell her Dad what happened at school.

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“Dad, everyone at school saw how beautiful I was, even George,” Fae said. “I gave him the magic mirror.”

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“That’s great, sweetie,” her Dad said. “But wont you miss the mirror?”

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“No, Dad,” Fae said, “Because now the magic is in me.”