This is the story of a beautiful, motherless young girl whose father
married, for the second time, a haughty and proud widow who had two
daughters of her own, both vain and selfish. No sooner was the wedding
over than the wicked woman began to show herself in her true colors.
She could not bear the good qualities of her pretty stepdaughter,
and the more because they made her own daughters appear the less
attractive. She made her wash dishes, scrub floors and wait on her own
daughters. She gave her a straw bed in the garret to sleep upon, while
her own daughters slept in fine rooms and upon soft beds.
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The poor girl bore all this very patiently, and dared not tell her
father, who always sided with his wife. When she had done her work she
used to go into the chimney corner and sit down among the cinders. They
all called her “Cinderwench” except the youngest sister, who was less
unkind than the eldest. She called her “Cinderella.”
However, Cinderella, in spite of her shabby clothes, was a hundred
times more beautiful than her stepsisters, in spite of the fine gowns
which they always wore.
One day the king’s son gave a ball, and the three sisters were invited.
The two selfish sisters were delighted, and talked all day long about
what dresses they should wear. This made new trouble for poor little
Cinderella, for it was she who had to iron her sisters’ linen.
“For my part,” said the eldest, “I will wear my red velvet.”
“And I,” said the youngest, “shall wear my golden-flowered silk and
diamond belt.”
“Cinderella, would you like to go to the ball?” the youngest asked.
“Alas!” said she, “you’re only jeering at me.”
“You are right,” they both said; “it would only make the people laugh
to see a Cinderwench at a ball.”
At last the happy day came, and the two step-sisters went to court.
Cinderella followed them with her eyes as long as she could, and when
she had lost sight of them she began to cry.
“What is the matter?” asked her godmother, who saw her in tears.
“I wish I could--I wish I could”--but she could not speak for sobbing.
Now, Cinderella’s godmother was a fairy, and she said to her:
“Do you wish to go to the ball?”
“Yes,” cried Cinderella.
“Well,” said the godmother, “be a good girl, and you shall go. Run
into the garden and bring me a pumpkin.”
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Cinderella got the biggest she could find, though she could not see how
this would help her to go to the ball.
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The godmother struck the pumpkin with her wand, and it was instantly
turned into a fine coach, gilded all over with gold. Then she told
Cinderella to bring her the mouse trap, which had six live mice in
it. Cinderella did as she was told, and her godmother lifted up the
trapdoor a little, and as the mice came out she tapped them with her
wand, and each mouse was at once turned into a fine horse. So now there
were six beautiful mouse-colored, dapple-gray horses and a magnificent
coach.
“And now for a coachman,” said the fairy. “Bring me the rat trap.”
Cinderella brought the trap, with the three large rats in it. The
biggest rat became a fat, jolly old coachman at the fairy’s bidding.
“Go again into the garden and you will find six lizards behind the
watering pot. Bring them to me,” she said.
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Cinderella had no sooner done so than her godmother turned them into
six footmen, who jumped up behind the coach with their liveries of gold
and silver. The fairy then touched Cinderella with her wand, and in
an instant she was dressed in cloth of gold and silver, all set with
jewels, and on her feet were a pair of glass slippers. Then Cinderella
got up into her coach, and the fairy commanded her not to stay one
moment after midnight, for if she did the coach would become a pumpkin
again, her horses mice, her coachman a rat, her footmen lizards, and
her clothes just as they were.
She promised to do as she was told, and away she drove to the ball.
The king’s son was told that a great princess whom nobody knew was
driving up to the palace, and he ran out to meet her. Everybody was
astonished when they saw her great beauty. The prince fell in love with
her at first sight, and he would dance with no one else.
When Cinderella was taking refreshments she sat down by her sisters and
spoke to them, but they did not recognize her. In fact, they felt very
proud to be noticed by such a princess.
Cinderella remembered what her godmother had said, and came home before
12 o’clock.
When the sisters came back from the ball later they could talk of
nothing but the beautiful lady.
The next night they went again to the ball at the palace. Cinderella
waited until they had gone, and then she went, too, and she looked
still more beautiful than the night before.
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She was having such a fine time that she forgot what time it was until
she saw the hands of the clock point to five minutes of 12. She hurried
off, but as she reached the door it struck twelve. The guard wondered
how such a shabby little girl could have gotten in, for she was back
in her rags again. In her haste, however, she dropped one of her glass
slippers on the stairs, and the prince, who ran after her, picked it
up.
The prince next day sent out a herald with a trumpet, and a little page
boy with the glass slipper on a velvet cushion, to proclaim that any
lady whom the glass slipper should fit should become his wife. All the
ladies begged to try it on, but their feet were all too large.
When Cinderella’s sisters heard of this they tried to force their feet
into the tiny slipper, but it was all in vain. As they were angrily
giving it up, Cinderella said:
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“Let me try, please.”
“Stupid girl!” said the sisters; “fancy you trying. Go and wash dishes.”
But the herald said, “Let her try.”
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Cinderella sat down, and without any trouble put her foot into the
slipper. Then she took its mate out of her pocket and put it on. Just
at that moment her godmother came, and with a touch of her wand changed
her rags into the most beautiful white satin gown that had ever been
seen. She was the beautiful lady at the ball once more. Her wicked
sisters were frightened, and begged her on their knees to forgive
them, for they knew she was soon to be queen.
Cinderella forgave them gladly, and asked them always to love her. She
was then taken to the young prince, and he thought her more charming
than ever, and a few days after married her.
Cinderella, who was no less good than beautiful, gave her sisters rooms
in the palace, and married them to two great lords, and they all lived
happy ever after.
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