The Two Sisters

To this day, ugly worms live underground and beautiful butterflys fly beautifully in the sky.

There once were two sisters, Parvati and Ana. Parvati was extremely beautiful and always got asked to go to festivals by men. Parvati was vain and thought highly of herself. Ana, on the other hand was extremely ugly. Ana was always shunned from festivals; men never wanted her. Yet, Ana was never unkind to anyone. One day, Ana went to the festivals by herself just to have a little fun. There, she saw her sister with her friends. Parvati noticed Ana and began laughing.

"Look, here comes ugly Ana," Parvati said tauntingly, "shield your eyes."

"Hello sister," Ana said cheerfully as she approached.

"What are you doing here?" Parvati asked annoyed, "go back to the darkness where you came from."

"This festival is for everyone in the village," Ana stated calmly, "I have a right to be here like everyone else. Why do you try to antagonize me, Parvati?"

"Ha! Antagonize you? You should be angry. Have you looked at yourself in the lake? I am the most beautiful woman in the village, yet I have a sister like you. Ugly, and way to kind for her own good. Can you not tell that people don't want you here? Get out of here; you don't belong."

Just then, people from the village began chanting "you don't belong, you don't belong" and cast stones at Ana. Ana felt dejected and fled before she could get hit by stones. Ana didn't understand why the people of the village and even her own sister disliked her because of her deformity. Thus, Ana decided to go to the lake and look at her reflection. On her way there, Ana met an old blind woman.

"Where are you going, young miss?" asked the old woman.

"I'm on my way to the lake," Ana chided.

"What for?" asked the woman confused.

"My sister hates me; the whole village hates me because I am ugly. Thus, I'm on my way to the lake to look at my reflection and see for myself."

"Well I don't see any ugliness. Your kindness makes you beautiful. Your spirit makes you beautiful."

"How do you know? You're an old blind woman. That's not what my sister says. She taunts me and the other village people follow along. They cast stones at me."

"Your sister sounds incredibly vain. She thinks highly of herself and doesn't care who she hurts. She has an ugly spirit which makes her extremely ugly."

"Oh, no. My sister is way more prettier than me. She is the most beautiful woman in the village."

"Go to the lake and look at your reflection. There, you shall see your inner beauty."

With that, the old woman continued on her way. Meanwhile, Parvati was still at the festivals chatting with her friends about her good looks and making invidious criticism toward others. Just then, the old blind woman appeared. Parvati noticed her.

"Look at that old woman," she snided, "isn't she too old to be at the festivals?"

The old woman walked up to her. No one knew that the old blind woman paid no attention to the outside beauty of people, but the inner beauty is what mattered.

"You must be Parvati," she said.

"You see," Parvati exclaimed, "everyone knows who I am because of my good looks."

Parvati was exceedingly content as she said this.

"Hm, I see no beauty," the old woman stated.

"You see no...why you truly are a foolish old blind woman. I am the most beautiful woman in the village."

"I pay no attention to the outside beauty of people, but it is the inner beauty that I do see. Your inner beauty is incredibly ugly. You are mean and vain. You think way too highly  of yourself. You insult good people and you taunt and cast stones at your only sister. Her spirit has incredible beauty. She is kind and never complains or cries. Yet, you and the village people are mean to her. If you are rude and if you insult anyone else three more times, something terrible will happen to you and the village people. Heed my warning."

Parvati laughed haughtily.

"My sister? Incredible beauty? Ha! Why, my sister is no prettier than mud, except mud is prettier. You speak nonsense, old blind woman. You are foolish and don't belong at festivals. You are nothing more than scatter-brained. Be gone!"

Just then, the crowd of village people began chanting "be gone, be gone" and cast stones at the old woman. Parvati didn't realize she had insulted the old woman three times. Suddenly, a thick cloud of smoke began to form. Parvati became circumspect. The thick cloud moved toward Parvati and the village people. The thick cloud of smoke engulfed Parvati and the village people, transforming them into ugly worms. Meanwhile, Ana arrived at the lake. She took a deep breath and moved over the edge to see her reflection. What she saw took her breath away. What she saw was her inner beauty and it was the most beautiful thing she ever laid  eyes upon. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, Ana saw a thick cloud begin to form. Ana became circumspect. The thick cloud moved toward Ana. The thick cloud of smoke engulfed Ana, transforming her into a tiny hollow cocoon for 14 days. On the 14th day, Ana broke out of the cocoon and was transformed into a beautiful butterfly. To this day, ugly worms live underground and butterflys fly beautifully in the sky.

Never judge a book by its cover; its the inner beauty that out shines the outer beauty; you will receive greater rewards for just being yourself.