to bed, she said, "Never you stop when you're out to talk to strange
creatures ever any more." And Red Riding Hood, who was only too glad to
have got safely out of the wolf's inside, promised faithfully that she
never would.
CINDERELLA;
OR,
THE LITTLE GLASS SLIPPER.
There was once a very rich gentleman who lost his wife; and having loved
her exceedingly, he was very sorry when she died. Finding himself quite
unhappy for her loss, he resolved to marry a second time, thinking by
this means he should be as happy as before. Unfortunately, however, the
lady he chanced to fix upon was the proudest and most haughty woman ever
known; she was always out of humour with every one; nobody could please
her, and she returned the civilities of those about her with the most
affronting disdain. She had two daughters by a former husband, whom she
brought up to be proud and idle: indeed, in temper and behaviour they
perfectly resembled their mother; they did not love their books, and
would not learn to work; in short, they were disliked by everybody. The
gentleman on his side, too, had a daughter, who, in sweetness of temper
and carriage, was the exact likeness of her own mother, whose death he
had so much lamented, and whose tender care of the little girl he was in
hopes to see replaced by that of his new bride.
But scarcely was the marriage ceremony over, before his wife began to
show her real temper; she could not bear the pretty little girl, because
her sweet obliging manners made those of her own daughters appear a
thousand times the more odious and disagreeable.
She therefore ordered her to live in the kitchen; and, if ever she
brought anything into the parlour, always scolded her till she was out
of sight. She made her work with the servants, in washing the dishes,
and rubbing the tables and chairs: it was her place to clean madam's
chamber, and that of the misses, her daughters, which was all inlaid,
had beds of the newest fashion, and looking-glasses so long and broad,
that they saw themselves from head to foot in them; while the little
creature herself was forced to sleep up in a sorry garret, upon a
wretched straw bed, without curtains, or anything to make her
comfortable.
The poor child bore all this with the greatest patience, not daring to
complain to her father, who, she feared, would only reprove her, for she
saw that his wife governed him entirely. When she had done all her work
she used to sit in the chimney corner among the cinders; so that in the
house she went by the name of Cinderbreech: the youngest of the two
sisters, however, being rather more civil than the eldest, called her
Cinderella. And Cinderella, dirty and ragged as she was, as often
happens in such cases, was a thousand times prettier than her sisters,
drest out in all their splendour. It happened that the king's son gave
a ball, to which he invited all the persons of fashion in the country:
our two misses were of the number; for the king's son did not know how
disagreeable they were; but supposed, as they were so much indulged,
that they were extremely amiable. He did not invite Cinderella, for he
had never seen or heard of her.
The two sisters began immediately to be very busy in preparing for the
happy day: nothing could exceed their joy; every moment of their time
was spent in fancying such gowns, shoes, and head-dresses as would set
them off to the greatest advantage. All this was new vexation to poor
Cinderella, for it was she who ironed and plaited her sisters' muslins.
They talked of nothing but how they should be dressed.
"I," said the eldest, "will wear my scarlet velvet with French
trimming."
"And I," said the youngest, "shall wear the same petticoat I had made
for the last ball; but then, to make amends for that, I shall put on my
gold muslin train, and wear my diamonds in my hair; with these I must
certainly look well."
They sent several miles for the best hairdresser that was to be had, and
all their ornaments were bought at the most fashionable shops.
On the morning of the ball they called up Cinderella to consult with her
about their dress, for they knew she had a great deal of taste.
Cinderella gave them the best advice she could, and even offered to
assist them in adjusting their head-dresses; which was exactly what they
wanted, and they accordingly accepted her proposals.
While Cinderella was busily engaged in dressing her sisters, they said
to her, "Should you not like, Cinderella, to go to the ball?" "Ah,"
replied Cinderella, "you are only laughing at me; it is not for such as
I am to think of going to balls."
"You are in the right," said they; "folks might laugh indeed to see a
Cinderbreech dancing in a ball-room."
Any other than Cinderella would have tried to make the haughty creatures
look as ugly as she could; but the sweet-tempered girl, on the contrary,
did every thing she could think of to make them look well.
The sisters had scarcely eaten anything for two days, so great was their
joy as the happy day drew near. More than a dozen laces were broken in
endeavouring to give them a fine slender shape, and they were always
before the looking-glass.
At length the much-wished-for moment arrived; the proud misses stepped
into a beautiful carriage, and, followed by servants in rich liveries,
drove towards the palace. Cinderella followed them with her eyes as far
as she could; and when they were out of sight, she sat down in a corner
and began to cry.
Her godmother, who saw her in tears, asked what ailed her.
"I wish--I w-i-s-h," sobbed poor Cinderella, without being able to say
another word.
The godmother, who was a fairy, said to her, "You wish to go to the
ball, Cinderella; is not this the truth?"
"Alas! yes," replied the poor child, sobbing still more than before.
"Well, well, be a good girl," said the godmother, "and you shall go."
She then led Cinderella to her bed-chamber, and said to her, "Run into
the garden and bring me a pumpion." Cinderella flew like lightning, and
brought the finest she could lay hold of. Her godmother scooped out the
inside, leaving nothing but the rind; she then struck it with her wand,
and the pumpion instantly became a fine coach gilded all over with gold.
She next looked into her mouse-trap, where she found six mice all alive
and brisk. She told Cinderella to lift up the door of the trap very
gently; and as the mice passed out, she touched them one by one with her
wand, and each immediately became a beautiful horse of a fine dapple
grey mouse-colour.
"Here, my child," said the godmother, "is a coach and horse, too, as
handsome as your sisters; but what shall we do for a postilion?"
"I will run," replied Cinderella, "and see if there be not a rat in the
rat-trap. If I find one, he will do very well for a postilion."
"Well thought of, my child!" said her godmother; "make what haste you
can."
Cinderella brought the rat-trap, which to her great joy, contained three
of the largest rats ever seen. The fairy chose the one which had the
longest beard, and touching him with her wand, he was instantly turned
into a smart, handsome postilion, with the finest pair of whiskers
imaginable.
She next said to Cinderella, "Go again into the garden, and you will
find six lizards behind the watering-pot; bring them hither."
This was no sooner done, than, with a stroke from the fairy's wand, they
were changed into six footmen, who all immediately jumped up behind the
coach in gold-laced liveries, and stood side by side as cleverly as if
they had been used to nothing else the whole of their lives. The fairy
then said to Cinderella, "Well, my dear, is not this such an equipage
as you could wish for to take you to the ball? Are you not delighted
with it?"
"Y-e-s," replied Cinderella, with hesitation; "but must I go thither in
these filthy rags?"
Her godmother touched her with the wand, and her rags instantly became
the most magnificent apparel, ornamented with the most costly jewels in
the whole world. To these she added a beautiful pair of glass slippers,
and bade her set out for the palace.
The fairy, however, before she took leave of Cinderella, strictly
charged her on no account whatever to stay at the ball after the clock
had struck twelve; telling her that, should she stay but a single moment
after that time, her coach would again become a pumpion, her horses
mice, her footmen lizards, and her fine clothes be changed to filthy
rags.
Cinderella did not fail to promise all her godmother desired of her;
and, almost wild with joy, drove away to the palace.
As soon as she arrived, the king's son, who had been informed that a
great princess whom nobody knew was come to the ball, presented himself
at the door of the carriage, helped her out, and conducted her to the
ball-room.
Cinderella no sooner appeared than every one was silent; both the
dancing and the music stopped, and everybody was employed in gazing at
the uncommon beauty of this unknown stranger: nothing was heard but
whispers of "How handsome she is!" The king himself, old as he was,
could not keep his eyes from her, and continually repeated to the queen,
that it was a long time since he had seen so lovely a creature. The
ladies endeavoured to find out how her clothes were made, that they
might get some of the same pattern for themselves by the next day,
should they be lucky enough to meet with such handsome materials, and
such good workpeople to make them.
The king's son conducted her to the most honourable seat, and soon after
took her out to dance with him. She both moved and danced so gracefully,
that every one admired her still more than before, and she was thought
the most beautiful and accomplished lady ever beheld.
After some time a delicious collation was served up; but the young
prince was so busily employed in looking at her, that he did not eat a
morsel.
Cinderella seated herself near her sisters, paid them a thousand
attentions, and offered them a part of the oranges and sweetmeats with
which the prince had presented her; while they on their part were quite
astonished at these civilities from a lady whom they did not know.
As they were conversing together, Cinderella heard the clock strike
eleven and three quarters: she rose from her seat, curtsied to the
company, and hastened away as fast as she could.
As soon as she got home she flew to her godmother, and, after thanking
her a thousand times, told her she would give the world to be able to go
again to the ball the next day, for the king's son had entreated her to
be there.
While she was telling her godmother everything that had happened to her
at the ball, the two sisters knocked a loud rat-tat-tat at the door,
which Cinderella opened.
"How late you have stayed!" said she, yawning, rubbing her eyes, and
stretching herself as if just awaked out of her sleep, though she had
in truth felt no desire to sleep since they left her.
"If you had been at the ball," said one of the sisters, "let me tell
you, you would not have been sleepy: there came thither the handsomest,
yes, the very handsomest princess ever beheld! She paid us a thousand
attentions, and made us take a part of the oranges and sweetmeats the
prince had given her."
Cinderella could scarcely contain herself for joy: she asked her sisters
the name of the princess: to which they replied, that nobody had been
able to discover who she was; that the king's son was extremely grieved
on that account, and had offered a large reward to any person who could
find out where she came from.
Cinderella smiled, and said, "How very beautiful she must be! How
fortunate you are! Ah, could I but see her for a single moment! Dear
Miss Charlotte, lend me only the yellow gown you wear every day, and let
me go and see her."
"Oh, yes, I warrant you; lend my clothes to a Cinderbreech! Do you
really suppose me such a fool? No, no; pray, Miss Forward, mind your
proper business, and leave dress and balls to your betters."
Cinderella expected some such answer, and was by no means sorry, for she
would have been sadly at a loss what to do if her sister had lent her
the clothes that she asked of her.
The next day the two sisters again appeared at the ball, and so did
Cinderella, but dressed much more magnificently than the night before.
The king's son was continually by her side, and said the most obliging
things to her imaginable.
The charming young creature was far from being tired of all the
agreeable things she met with: on the contrary, she was so delighted
with them, that she entirely forgot the charge her godmother had given
her.
Cinderella at last heard the striking of a clock, and counted one, two,
three, on till she came to twelve, though she had thought that it could
be but eleven at most. She got up and flew as nimbly as a deer out of
the ball-room.
The prince tried to overtake her; but Cinderella's fright made her run
the faster. However, in her great hurry, she dropped one of the little
glass slippers from her foot, which the prince stooped down and picked
up, and took the greatest care of it possible.
Cinderella got home tired and out of breath, in her dirty old clothes,
without either coach or footman, and having nothing left of her
magnificence but the fellow of the glass slipper which she had dropped.
In the meanwhile, the prince had enquired of all his guards at the
palace gates, if they had not seen a magnificent princess pass out, and
which way she went?
The guards replied that no princess had passed the gates; and that they
had not seen a creature but a little ragged girl, who looked more like a
beggar than a princess.
When the two sisters returned from the ball, Cinderella asked them if
they had been as much amused as the night before, and if the beautiful
princess had been there? They told her that she had; but that as soon as
the clock struck twelve she hurried away from the ball-room, and in the
great haste she made, had dropped one of her glass slippers, which was
the prettiest shape that could be; that the king's son had picked it up,
and had done nothing but looked at it all the rest of the evening; and
that everybody believed he was violently in love with the handsome lady
to whom it belonged.
This was very true; for a few days after, the prince had it proclaimed
by sound of trumpet, that he would marry the lady whose foot should
exactly fit the slipper he had found.
Accordingly the prince's messengers took the slipper, and carried it
first to all the princesses; then to the duchesses: in short, to all the
ladies of the court--but without success.
They then brought it to the two sisters, who each tried all she could to
squeeze her foot into the slipper, but saw at last that this was quite
impossible.
Cinderella, who was looking at them all the while, and knew her slipper,
could not help smiling, and ventured to say, "Pray, sir, let me try to
get on the slipper."
Her sisters burst out a-laughing in the rudest manner possible:--"Very
likely, truly," said one of them, "that such a clumsy foot as your's
should fit the slipper of a beautiful princess."
The gentleman, however, who brought the slipper, turned round, looked at
Cinderella, and observing that she was very handsome, said, that as he
was ordered by the prince to try it on every one till it fitted, it was
just that Cinderella should have her turn.
Saying this, he made her sit down: and putting the slipper to her foot,
it instantly slipped in, and he saw that it fitted her like wax.
The two sisters were amazed to see that the slipper fitted Cinderella:
but how much greater was their astonishment, when she drew out of her
pocket the other slipper and put it on! Just at this moment the fairy
entered the room, and touching Cinderella's clothes with her wand, made
her all at once appear more magnificently dressed than they had seen her
before.
The two sisters immediately perceived that she was the beautiful
princess they had seen at the ball. They threw themselves at her feet,
and asked her forgiveness for the ill treatment she had received from
them. Cinderella helped them to rise, and, tenderly embracing them, said
that she forgave them with all her heart, and begged them to bestow upon
her their affection.
Cinderella was then conducted, drest as she was, to the young prince,
who finding her more beautiful than ever, instantly desired her to
accept of his hand.
The marriage ceremony took place in a few days; and Cinderella, who was
as amiable as she was handsome, gave her sisters magnificent apartments
in the palace, and a short time after married them to two great lords of
the court.
PUSS IN BOOTS.
There was a miller who had three sons, and when he died he divided what
he possessed among them in the following manner:--He gave his mill to
the eldest, his ass to the second, and his cat to the youngest.
Each of the brothers accordingly took what belonged to him without the
help of an attorney, who would soon have brought their little fortune to
nothing in law expenses.
The poor young fellow who had nothing but the cat complained that he was
hardly used: "My brothers," said he, "by joining their stocks together,
may do very well in the world; as for me, when I have eaten my cat, and
made a fur-cap of his skin, I may soon die of hunger!"
The cat, which all this time sat listening just inside the door of a
cupboard, now ventured to come out, and addressed him as follows:--
"Do not thus afflict yourself, my good master; you have only to give me
a bag, and get a pair of boots made for me, so that I may scamper
through the dirt and the brambles, and you shall see that you are not so
ill provided for as you imagine."
Though the cat's master did not much depend upon these promises, yet as
he had often observed the cunning tricks Puss used to catch rats and
mice, such as hanging by the hindlegs, and hiding in the meal to make
them believe that he was dead, he did not entirely despair of his being
of some use to him in his unhappy condition.
When the cat had obtained what he asked for, he gaily began to equip
himself; he drew on the boots--and putting the bag about his neck, he
took hold of the strings with his forepaws, and, bidding his master take
courage, immediately sallied forth.
The first attempt Puss made was to go into a warren, in which there was
a great number of rabbits. He put some bran and some parsley into his
bag; and then, stretching himself out at full length as if he was dead,
he waited for some young rabbits (which as yet knew nothing of the
cunning tricks of the world) to come and get into the bag, the better to
feast upon the dainties he had put into it.
Scarcely had he laid down before he succeeded as well as could be
wished. A giddy young rabbit crept into the bag, and the cat
immediately drew the strings, and killed him without mercy.
Puss, proud of his prey, hastened directly to the palace, where he asked
to speak to the king. On being shown into the apartment of his majesty,
he made a low bow, and said--"I have brought you, sire, this rabbit from
the warren of my lord the Marquis of Carabas, who commanded me to
present it to your majesty with the assurance of his respect." This was
the title the cat thought proper to bestow upon his master.
"Tell my lord Marquis of Carabas," replied the king, "that I accept of
his present with pleasure, and that I am greatly obliged to him."
Soon after the cat laid himself down in the same manner in a field of
corn, and had as much good fortune as before; for two fine partridges
got into his bag, which he immediately killed and carried to the palace.
The king received them as he had done the rabbit, and ordered his
servants to give the messenger something to drink. In this manner he
continued to carry presents of game to the king from my lord Marquis of
Carabas, once at least every week.
One day, the cat having heard that the king intended to take a ride that
morning by the river side with his daughter, who was the most beautiful
princess in the world, he said to his master, "If you will but follow my
advice your fortune is made. Take off your clothes, and bathe yourself
in the river, just in the place I shall show you, and leave the rest to
me."
The Marquis of Carabas did exactly as he was desired, without being able
to guess what the cat intended. While he was bathing, the king passed
by, and Puss directly called out as loud as he could bawl "Help! help!
my lord Marquis of Carabas is in danger of being drowned!"
The king hearing the cries, put his head out at the window of his
carriage to see what was the matter; when, perceiving the very cat which
had brought him so many presents, he ordered his attendants to go
directly to the assistance of my lord Marquis of Carabas.
While they were employed in taking the Marquis out of the river, the cat
ran to the king's carriage and told his majesty, that while his master
was bathing, some thieves had run off with his clothes as they lay by
the river side, the cunning cat all the time having hid them under a
large stone.
The king hearing this, commanded the officers of his wardrobe to fetch
one of the handsomest suits it contained, and present it to my lord
Marquis of Carabas, at the same time loading him with a thousand
attentions. As the fine clothes they brought him made him look like a
gentleman, and set off his person, which was very comely, to the
greatest advantage, the king's daughter was mightily taken with his
appearance, and the Marquis of Carabas had no sooner cast upon her two
or three respectful glances, than she became violently in love with him.
The king insisted on his getting into the carriage, and taking a ride
with them. The cat, enchanted to see how well his scheme was likely to
succeed, ran before to a meadow that was reaping, and said to the
reapers, "Good people, if you do not tell the king, who will soon pass
this way, that the meadow you are reaping belongs to my lord Marquis of
Carabas, you shall be chopped as small as minced meat."
The king did not fail to ask the reapers to whom the meadow belonged,
"To my lord Marquis of Carabas," said they all at once; for the threats
of the cat had terribly frightened them.
"You have here a very fine piece of land, my lord Marquis," said the
king.
"Truly, sire," replied he, "it does not fail to bring me every year a
plentiful harvest."
The cat, which still went on before, now came to a field where some
other labourers were making sheaves of the corn they had reaped, to whom
he said as before, "Good people, if you do not tell the king, who will
presently pass this way, that the corn you have reaped in this field
belongs to my lord Marquis of Carabas, you shall be chopped as small as
minced meat."
The king accordingly passed a moment after, and inquired to whom the
corn he saw belonged, "To my lord Marquis of Carabas," answered they
very glibly; upon which the king again complimented the Marquis on his
noble possessions.
The cat still continued to go before, and gave the same charge to all
the people he met with; so that the king was greatly astonished at the
splendid fortune of my lord Marquis of Carabas.
Puss at length arrived at a stately castle, which belonged to an Ogre,
the richest ever known; for all the lands the king had passed through
and admired were his. The cat took care to learn every particular about
the Ogre, and what he could do, and then asked to speak with him,
saying, as he entered the room in which he was, that he could not pass
so near his castle without doing himself the honour to enquire for his
health.
The Ogre received him as civilly as an Ogre could do, and desired him to
be seated.
"I have been informed," said the cat, "that you have the gift of
changing yourself into all sorts of animals, into a lion, or an
elephant, for example."
"It is very true," replied the Ogre somewhat sternly; "and to convince
you, I will directly take the form of a lion."
The cat was so much terrified at finding himself so near a lion, that he
sprang from him, and climbed to the roof of the house; but not without
much difficulty, as his boots were not very fit to walk upon the tiles.
Some minutes after, the cat perceiving that the Ogre had quitted the
form of a lion, ventured to come down from the tiles, and owned that he
had been a good deal frightened.
"I have been further informed," continued the cat, "but I know not how
to believe it, that you have the power of taking the form of the
smallest animals also; for example, of changing yourself to a rat or a
mouse; I confess I should think this must be impossible."
"Impossible! you shall see;" and at the same instant he changed himself
into a mouse, and began to frisk about the room.