I just finished adding all the parts (and sound files) for Akutagawa’s short story Hana. If you are around the intermediate stage, please check it out! It’s about a monk named Naigu with a very, very long nose.

One line caught my eye and thought I’d share it with you. The story starts off with Naigu having a nose that hangs below his chin. But after a special treatment by a disciple, his nose now hangs just above Naigu’s upper lip.

 

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――鏡の中にある内供の顔は、鏡の外にある内供の顔を見て、満足そうに眼をしばたたいた。
Naigu’s face in the mirror saw Naigu’s face outside the mirror and twinkled its eyes in a satisfied way.

Breakdown:
鏡の中にある内供の顔 kagami no naka ni aru naigu no kao - Naigu’s face in the mirror
鏡の外にある内供の顔を見て kagami no soto ni aru naigu no kao o mite - Was looking at Naigu’s face outside the mirror
満足そうに manzoku sou ni - Looking satisfied
眼をしばたたいた me o shibatataita - Eyes twinkled

I thought this was a neat scene, the two faces: in and out of the mirror.

Grammar:
It is the face in the mirror (鏡の中に) that is doing the action since it has the overall topic particle は.  The face in the mirror sees the face outside the mirror and then twinkles in a satisfied way.