_In which the poor little sister whom no one thought beautiful,
becomes the wife of the prince._
Cinderella was a good girl who lived with her step-mother and her
two sisters, who were unkind to her. The ugly sisters went to many
parties and wore beautiful dresses; but Cinderella had nothing but
rags and lived in a dark room. One night the sisters were going to
the prince’s ball, and Cinderella had to dress them. Her heart was
almost broken because she wished to wear a beautiful dress.
Away went the sisters looking very grand and never thinking of
their sister crying at home. While Cinderella was weeping all alone
in her dark room, some one came in--a lovely fairy who wore dainty
slippers and a pointed cap, and who carried a wand. “I will see
that you go to the prince’s ball,” said the fairy god-mother, and
began waving her wand.
In a few minutes the pumpkin from the garden had been changed
into a carriage. Two mice and two large rats from the pantry were
changed into horses and coachmen. The little maid was changed from
a cinder maid into a beautiful young girl in a lovely white dress,
with silver stars in her hair, and a shining crown on her head.
From the pocket of the god-mother came a dainty pair of glass
slippers for her feet. She could go to the ball now. The only thing
for her to remember was to be back before the clock struck twelve.
At that hour she would be changed again to the cinder maid.
Cinderella went away to the ball promising her god-mother to be
back on time. Many lovely maidens were found there dancing, but
none so beautiful as Cinderella. The prince saw her and could think
of no other. He danced with her many times and begged for her name,
but this she would not tell.
The minutes flew by. Finally the big clock in the hall struck
twelve. Down the steps she flew, but it was too late. In her haste
she lost a slipper on the steps which was picked up by the prince.
As she ran her lovely clothes were again rags.
She walked home but was very tired when she reached there and sat
in the cinders and cried. When her sisters came home they could
talk of nothing but the beautiful maiden who came to the ball and
danced with the prince.
The prince was very unhappy because he could not find the beautiful
maiden. He kept the glass slipper and traveled the land over trying
to find whose foot it fitted. The ugly sisters tried it on but it
was entirely too small.
At last Cinderella spoke up and said, “Let me try on the slipper.”
The sisters laughed at her, but the prince insisted that she be
allowed to try. When the slipper was put on her foot it fitted
exactly. The prince then said, “You are the princess for whom I am
looking.” And so they were married and lived together in the great
castle.