rase una vez un rey que gobernaba sobre vastos territorios. Todos lo respetaban y lo teman, pero nadie lo quera.

Su rostro denotaba la amargura que albergaba en su alma. Unos desagradables surcos que tena en torno a la boca daban a sta un aspecto cruel. El ceo permanentemente fruncido le haba marcado profundas huellas en la frente. Resulta que en una de las ciudades de su imperio viva una hermosa doncella, a la que todos queran. El rey se propuso tomarla por esposa y decidi ir a su encuentro con el fin de declararle su amor. Luego de ataviarse en sus tnicas ms finas, se mir en el espejo para ver qu imagen transmitira a la bella muchacha. Sin embargo, la expresin de su rostro se vea dura y cruel, aun cuando sonrea.

There was once a king of a vast domain. He was shrewd and powerful and feared by all, but no one loved him. Each year, as he became more severe, he became lonelier. His face reflected the bitterness in his soul. There were deep, ugly lines around his mouth, and deep, permanent furrows on his forehead. But it so happened that in his realm there lived a beautiful girl whom everyone seemed to love. The king wanted to make her his wife, and finally he decided to speak to her of his love. He dressed in his finest robes, but when he looked in the mirror, he saw a cruel, hard face, even when he tried to smile.

Se le ocurri entonces una idea esperanzadora. Enseguida hizo llamar a un mago. Emplea tus artes para pintar sobre mi rostro una mscara que me d un aspecto bueno, amable y apuesto dijo. Te pagar el precio que me pidas. Lo que pides es posible respondi el mago . Eso s, con una condicin: debes mantener la expresin de tu rostro idntica a la que yo pinte en la mscara. Bastar una sola expresin de aspereza para que la mscara quede arruinada. En ese caso, no podr sustituirla. Debers pensar en hacer el bien y ser gentil y corts para con todos los hombres. Then a thought came to him. He sent for his magician. Use your greatest skill to paint a mask that looks kind and pleasant and handsome. I will pay any price you ask, said the king. This I can do, said the magician, on one condition. You must keep your own face in the same lines that I paint. One angry frown, and the mask will be ruined forever and I cannot replace it. You must think only kindly thoughts and do kindly deeds. You must be gracious to all men.

As pues, se fabric la prodigiosa mscara, tan verosmil que nadie hubiera adivinado que no era el propio rostro del rey. Pasaron los meses, y el monarca luch consigo mismo para que la mscara no se arruinara. La hermosa doncella se convirti en su desposada, y sus sbditos se maravillaban de la milagrosa transformacin operada en l.

So the magic mask was made, and it looked so natural that no one guessed it was not the true face of the king. Months passed, the beautiful lady became his bride, and the king fought hard to keep the mask from breaking. His subjects marveled at the miraculous change in him.
As gentleness and thoughtfulness entered the life of this man, he regretted having deceived his beautiful wife with the magic mask. At last he could bear it no longer and he summoned the magician. Remove this false face of mine! he cried. Take it away! This deceiving mask is not my true self!

A medida que la gentileza y la consideracin tomaron arraigo en la vida de aquel hombre, se arrepinti de haber engaado a su hermosa mujer con la mscara mgica.
Qutame este falso rostro! le dijo al mago. Llvatelo! Esta mscara de hipocresa no refleja mi verdadera naturaleza!

Si as hago respondi el artista, jams podr hacerte otra. Tendrs que lucir tu propio rostro por lo que queda de tus das. Es preferible eso dijo el rey a embaucar a alguien cuyo amor y confianza me he ganado deshonrosamente. Qutamela, te digo! Qutamela! Procedi el mago a retirarle la mscara, y el soberano, con temor y angustia, observ su imagen en el espejo. Los ojos se le iluminaron y los labios dibujaron una sonrisa radiante, pues las feas lneas de su boca y las profundas huellas de su ceo haban desaparecido. La expresin de su rostro era idntica a la de la mscara que durante tanto tiempo haba usado. Al volver a la presencia de su amada esposa, lo nico que sta vio fueron los mismos rasgos de siempre, los del hombre que amaba.

If I do, said the magician, I can never make another, and you must wear your own face as long as you live. Better so, said the king, than to deceive one whose love and trust I have won dishonourably. Take it off, I say, take it off! After the magician did as he was commanded, the king turned to see his reflection in his mirror. Suddenly his eyes brightened and his lips curved into a radiant smile. The ugly lines were gone. His face was the exact likeness of the mask he had worn so long. When he returned to his beloved wife, she saw only the familiar features of the man she loved.

Yes, this is only a legend, but it teaches a truth: A mans face portrays what is inside, what he thinks and feels. As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.

La moraleja de esta leyenda no tiene nada de nuevo: el rostro del hombre no tarda en revelar la naturaleza de su alma, lo que piensa y lo que siente, las intenciones de su corazn. Cual es su pensamiento en su corazn, tal es l

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The Family International