Cinderella Once upon a time ... there was a beautiful, sweet young girl who was very unhappy. Her mother had died and her father had married another woman. Unfortunately, her stepmother and her two stepsisters did not like her one bit. While her stepsisters had all the comforts of life, the poor girl was treated like a servant. She had to work hard all day, and only when evening came was she allowed to sit for a while by the fire, near the cinders. That is how she got her nickname, Cinderella. Cinderella used to spend long hours all alone talking to the cat. The cat would say "Meow," which really meant, "Cheer up! You! You have something neither of your stepsisters have: beauty." It was quite true. Cinderella, even dressed in rags and with a dusty gray face from the cinders, was lovely girl. While her stepsisters, no matter how splendid and elegant their clothes, were clumsy and ugly. One day, beautiful new dresses were delivered to the house. A ball was to be held at Court and the stepsisters were getting ready to go to it. Cinderella didn't dare ask, "What about me?" for she knew very well what the answer would be. "You're staying at home to wash the dishes and scrub the floors." - "Oh dear, I'm so unhappy!" Cinderella sighed to the cat. Suddenly something amazing happened. There was a burst of lights and a fairy appeared!
"Don't be alarmed, Cinderella," said the fairy. "The wind blew me your sighs. I know you would live to go to the ball. And you shall!" - "How can I, dressed in rags!" Cinderella replied. The fairy smiled. With a flick of her magic wand ... ... Cinderella found herself wearing a beautiful ball gown. "Now," said the fairy, "We'll need to get you a coach. A real lady would never go to a ball on foot! Quick! Get me a pumpkin!" she ordered. "Oh, of course," said Cinderella, rushing away. Then the fairy turned to the cat. "You, bring me seven mice!" Cinderella soon returned with a fine pumpkin and the cat with seven mice. "Good!" exclaimed the fairy. With a flick of her magic wand, the pumpkin turned into a sparkling coach and the mice became six white horses, while the seventh mouse turned into a coachman. Cinderella could hardly believe her eyes. "You are now ready to go to the ball. The Prince will be enchanted by your loveliness. But remember! You must leave at midnight. That is when the spell ends. Your coach will turn back into a pumpkin and the horses and coachman will become mice again ... and you will be dressed once again in rags and wearing clogs instead of these dainty slippers! Do you understand?" Cinderella smiled and said, "Yes, I understand!" When Cinderella entered the ballroom at the palace, a hush fell. Everyone stopped to admire her elegance, beauty and grace. "Who can that be?" people asked each other. Even the two stepsisters would never have guesses that the beautiful girl was really poor Cinderella. When the Prince set eyes in Cinderella, he walked over to her, bowed deeply and asked her to dance. In fact, he danced with Cinderella all evening. "Who are you, fair maiden?" the Prince kept asking her. But Cinderella only replied, "What does it matter who I am? You will never see me again anyway." - "Oh, but i shall. I'm quite certain!" he replied. Cinderella was having a wonderful time at the ball ...
...when all of a sudden, she heard the first stroke of midnight! Remembering what the fairy had said, Cinderella quickly said goodbye to the Prince. As she ran down the stairs, she lost one of her slippers! But she had no time to stop and pick it up. If the last stroke of midnight were to sound ... what a disaster that would be! She fled from the palace and vanished into the night. The Prince, who was now madly in love with her, picked up her slipper and said to his ministers, "Go and search everywhere for the girl whose foot fits this slipper. I will not be content until I find her." So the ministers tried the slipper on the foot of all the girls in the kingdom, but it didn't fit any of them. Finally, they came to Cinderella's house. The two stepsisters struggled in vain to fit their big feet into the little slipper. Then one of the ministers noticed Cinderella and asked her to try it on. The slipper fit perfectly! At that very moment, the fairy appeared and raised her magic wand. In a flash, Cinderella's rags were transformed into a splendid dress. Her stepmother and stepsisters gaped at her in amazement and the ministers said, "Come with us, fair maiden! The Prince awaits to present you with an engagement ring!" So, Cinderella joyfully went with them to the palace, and lived happily ever after with her Prince. And as for the cat, he just said, "Meow!" |
