Cinderella
Once upon a time there lived a noble gentleman who had one dear little daughter. Poor child!
Her own kind mother had died, and her father, who loved her very dearly, was afraid that his
little girl was sometimes lonely.
So he married a grand lady who had two daughters of her own, and who, he thought, would be
kind and good to his little girl. But no sooner did the stepmother enter her new home than she
began to show her true character. Her stepdaughter, Cinderella, was so much prettier and
sweeter than her own children, and she was very jealous of her, the stepmother gave
Cinderella all the hard work of the house to do, while the two proud sisters spent their time at
pleasant parties and entertainments.
The only pleasure the poor child had was to spend her evenings siting in the chimney-corner,
resting her weary limbs, and for this reason her sisters mockingly nicknamed her "Cinderella."
The sisters' fine clothes made Cinderella feel very shabby; but, in her little torn frock and
ragged shoes, she was a thousand times more lovely than they.
The King's son was going to have grand ball dance, to which he invited all the lords and ladies
in the country. Cinderella's two sisters were asked. How pleased and excited they were when
the invitation arrived! For days they could talk of nothing but the clothes they should wear and
the grand princes they shall meet.
When at last the grand day arrived, Cinderella was kept running about from early till late,
decking the sisters, and dressing their hair.
"Don't you wish you were going to the ball?" said one of them.
"Indeed I do," sighed Cinderella. The sisters burst out laughing. "A pretty spectacle you would
be," they said rudely. "Go back to your cinders - they are fit company for rags." Then, stepping
carefully into their carriage so that they might not crush their fine clothes, they drove away to
the ball.
Cinderella went back to her chimney-corner, and tried not to feel heartbroken, but the tears
would gather in her eyes, and trickle down her pretty little face.
"What are you crying for, child?" cried a silvery voice.
Cinderella was startled, and raised her eyes. Who could it be? Then in a moment she knew - it
was her fairy godmother!
"I do so want --" began Cinderella; then her sobs stopped her.
"To go to the ball," finished the godmother. Cinderella nodded. "Well, leave off crying - be a
good girl, and you shall go. Run quickly into the garden, and bring the largest pumpkin you can
find."
Cinderella could not imagine how a pumpkin could help her go to the ball, but her only thought
was to obey her godmother. In a few moments she was back again, with a splendid pumpkin.
Her godmother scooped out the inside - one touch of the wand, and the pumpkin was a golden
coach, lined with white satin.
"Now, godchild, quick - the mouse-trap from the pantry!"
"Here it is, godmother," said Cinderella breathlessly.
One by one six fat sleek mice passed through the trap door. As each appeared, a touch of the
wand transformed it into a cream-colored horse, fit for a queen.
"Now, Cinderella, can you find a coachman?"
"There is a large gray rat in the rat-trap - would he do, godmother?"
"Run and fetch him, child, and then I can judge." So Cinderella ran to fetch the rat, and her
godmother said he was just perfect to be the coachman; and I think you would have agreed
with her had you seen him a moment later, with his powdered wig and silk stockings.
Six lizards from behind the pumpkin-frame became six footmen in splendid liveries - you would
have thought they had been footmen all their lives. Cinderella was so excited that she could
scarcely speak.
"Oh! godmother," she cried, "it is all so lovely!" Then suddenly she thought of her shabby frock.
But before Cinderella could realize what was happening, her godmother's wand tapped her
lightly on the shoulder, and in place of the shabby frock, there was a gleam of satin, pink, and
pearls.
Ah! The dress made by the mice was absolutely Beautiful, no words could describe it.
It was dazzling; round the hem hung a fringe of ribbon, the color of roses. Surely it was a
dream! Cinderella put her daintily-gloved hand to her throat, and softly touched the pearls that
were on her neck.
"Come, child," said the godmother, "or you will be late."
As Cinderella moved, the firelight shone upon her dainty shoes. "They are of diamonds," she
said.
"No," answered her godmother, smiling; "they are better than that - they are of glass. And now,
child, go, and enjoy yourself to your hearts content. Only remember, if you stay at the palace
one instant after midnight your coach and servants will vanish, and you will be the gray
Cinderella once more!"
A few moments later, the coach dashed into the royal courtyard, the door was flung open, and
Cinderella stepped out. As she walked slowly up the richly-carpeted staircase, there was a
murmur of admiration, and the King's son just had to meet her. "Never," he said to himself,
"have I seen anyone so lovely!" He led her into the ball-room, where the King was and he
introduced her to his father, who was much taken with her sweet face and pretty, modest
manner, the King whispered to the Queen that she must surely be a foreign Princess.
The evening passed away like it was all a dream, Cinderella was dancing with no one but the
handsome young Prince, and being waited on by his own hands at the supper table. The two
sisters did not recognize their ragged little sister that was so beautiful and graceful and whom
the Prince paid so much attention.
Then the clock chimed the three quarters past eleven, and, remembering her godmother's
warning,
Cinderella at once took leave of the Prince, and, jumping into her coach, was driven rapidly
home. Here she found her godmother waiting to hear all about the ball. "It was lovely," said
Cinderella; "and "Oh! Godmother, there is to be another to-morrow night, and I should so much
like to go to it!"
"Then you shall," replied the godmother and kissing her lovely godchild tenderly, she vanished.
When the sisters returned from the ball, they found a sleepy little maiden sitting in the
chimney-corner, waiting for them.
Her own kind mother had died, and her father, who loved her very dearly, was afraid that his
little girl was sometimes lonely.
So he married a grand lady who had two daughters of her own, and who, he thought, would be
kind and good to his little girl. But no sooner did the stepmother enter her new home than she
began to show her true character. Her stepdaughter, Cinderella, was so much prettier and
sweeter than her own children, and she was very jealous of her, the stepmother gave
Cinderella all the hard work of the house to do, while the two proud sisters spent their time at
pleasant parties and entertainments.
The only pleasure the poor child had was to spend her evenings siting in the chimney-corner,
resting her weary limbs, and for this reason her sisters mockingly nicknamed her "Cinderella."
The sisters' fine clothes made Cinderella feel very shabby; but, in her little torn frock and
ragged shoes, she was a thousand times more lovely than they.
The King's son was going to have grand ball dance, to which he invited all the lords and ladies
in the country. Cinderella's two sisters were asked. How pleased and excited they were when
the invitation arrived! For days they could talk of nothing but the clothes they should wear and
the grand princes they shall meet.
When at last the grand day arrived, Cinderella was kept running about from early till late,
decking the sisters, and dressing their hair.
"Don't you wish you were going to the ball?" said one of them.
"Indeed I do," sighed Cinderella. The sisters burst out laughing. "A pretty spectacle you would
be," they said rudely. "Go back to your cinders - they are fit company for rags." Then, stepping
carefully into their carriage so that they might not crush their fine clothes, they drove away to
the ball.
Cinderella went back to her chimney-corner, and tried not to feel heartbroken, but the tears
would gather in her eyes, and trickle down her pretty little face.
"What are you crying for, child?" cried a silvery voice.
Cinderella was startled, and raised her eyes. Who could it be? Then in a moment she knew - it
was her fairy godmother!
"I do so want --" began Cinderella; then her sobs stopped her.
"To go to the ball," finished the godmother. Cinderella nodded. "Well, leave off crying - be a
good girl, and you shall go. Run quickly into the garden, and bring the largest pumpkin you can
find."
Cinderella could not imagine how a pumpkin could help her go to the ball, but her only thought
was to obey her godmother. In a few moments she was back again, with a splendid pumpkin.
Her godmother scooped out the inside - one touch of the wand, and the pumpkin was a golden
coach, lined with white satin.
"Now, godchild, quick - the mouse-trap from the pantry!"
"Here it is, godmother," said Cinderella breathlessly.
One by one six fat sleek mice passed through the trap door. As each appeared, a touch of the
wand transformed it into a cream-colored horse, fit for a queen.
"Now, Cinderella, can you find a coachman?"
"There is a large gray rat in the rat-trap - would he do, godmother?"
"Run and fetch him, child, and then I can judge." So Cinderella ran to fetch the rat, and her
godmother said he was just perfect to be the coachman; and I think you would have agreed
with her had you seen him a moment later, with his powdered wig and silk stockings.
Six lizards from behind the pumpkin-frame became six footmen in splendid liveries - you would
have thought they had been footmen all their lives. Cinderella was so excited that she could
scarcely speak.
"Oh! godmother," she cried, "it is all so lovely!" Then suddenly she thought of her shabby frock.
But before Cinderella could realize what was happening, her godmother's wand tapped her
lightly on the shoulder, and in place of the shabby frock, there was a gleam of satin, pink, and
pearls.
Ah! The dress made by the mice was absolutely Beautiful, no words could describe it.
It was dazzling; round the hem hung a fringe of ribbon, the color of roses. Surely it was a
dream! Cinderella put her daintily-gloved hand to her throat, and softly touched the pearls that
were on her neck.
"Come, child," said the godmother, "or you will be late."
As Cinderella moved, the firelight shone upon her dainty shoes. "They are of diamonds," she
said.
"No," answered her godmother, smiling; "they are better than that - they are of glass. And now,
child, go, and enjoy yourself to your hearts content. Only remember, if you stay at the palace
one instant after midnight your coach and servants will vanish, and you will be the gray
Cinderella once more!"
A few moments later, the coach dashed into the royal courtyard, the door was flung open, and
Cinderella stepped out. As she walked slowly up the richly-carpeted staircase, there was a
murmur of admiration, and the King's son just had to meet her. "Never," he said to himself,
"have I seen anyone so lovely!" He led her into the ball-room, where the King was and he
introduced her to his father, who was much taken with her sweet face and pretty, modest
manner, the King whispered to the Queen that she must surely be a foreign Princess.
The evening passed away like it was all a dream, Cinderella was dancing with no one but the
handsome young Prince, and being waited on by his own hands at the supper table. The two
sisters did not recognize their ragged little sister that was so beautiful and graceful and whom
the Prince paid so much attention.
Then the clock chimed the three quarters past eleven, and, remembering her godmother's
warning,
Cinderella at once took leave of the Prince, and, jumping into her coach, was driven rapidly
home. Here she found her godmother waiting to hear all about the ball. "It was lovely," said
Cinderella; "and "Oh! Godmother, there is to be another to-morrow night, and I should so much
like to go to it!"
"Then you shall," replied the godmother and kissing her lovely godchild tenderly, she vanished.
When the sisters returned from the ball, they found a sleepy little maiden sitting in the
chimney-corner, waiting for them.
