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. These 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 every body. 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 any thing 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 any thing to make her
comfortable. The poor child bore 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' linen.
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 hair dresser
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 in adjusting their head-dresses; which was exactly
what they wanted, and they accordingly accepted her proposal. 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 any thing 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 her 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 bedchamber, and said to
her: "Run into the garden and bring me a pumpkin." 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 pumpkin instantly became a fine coach gilded all
over with gold. She then 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 gray mouse colour. "Here, my child," said the godmother, "is
a coach and horses too, as handsome as your sisters', but what shall we
do for a postillion?" "I will run," replied Cinderella, "and see if
there be not a rat in the trap. If I find one, he will do very well for
a postillion." "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 handsome postillion, 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 jumped up behind the coach in
their 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 pumpkin, 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 her 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 every body 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 work-people 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 they 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, curtesied 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 every thing 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 awakened out of her sleep, though she had
in truth felt no desire for sleep since they left her. "If you had been
at the ball," said one of her 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 this 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 to 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 imaginable to her. 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 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 poor
Cinderella's fright made her run the faster. However, in her great
hurry, she dropped one of her 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 old
clothes, without either coach or footmen, and having nothing left of her
magnificence but the fellow of the glass slipper which she had dropped.
In the mean while, the prince had inquired 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
had 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 look at it all the rest of the evening; and that every body
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." The gentleman 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 ever 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 on
her their affection. Cinderella was then conducted, dressed 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.