Once upon a time... there lived an
unhappy young girl. Unhappy she was,
for her mother was dead, her father had
married another woman, a widow with
two daughters, and her stepmother didn't
like her one little bit. All the nice things,
kind thoughts and loving touches were
for her own daughters. And not just the
kind thoughts and love, but also dresses,
shoes, shawls, delicious food, comfy
beds, as well as every home comfort. All
this was laid on for her daughters. But, for
the poor unhappy girl, there was nothing
at all. No dresses, only her stepsisters'
hand-me-downs. No lovely dishes,
nothing but scraps. No nice rests and
comfort. For 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, for everybody called her
Cinderella. Cinderella used to spend long
hours all alonetalking to the cat. The cat
said,
"Miaow", which really meant, "Cheer up!
You have something neither of your
stepsisters have and that is beauty."
It was quite true. Cinderella, even
dressed in rags with a dusty grey face
from the cinders, was a lovely girl. While
her stepsisters, no matter how splendid
and elegant their clothes, were still
clumsy, lumpy and ugly and always
would be.
One day, beautiful new dresses arrived
at the house. A ball was to be held at
Court and the stepsisters were getting
ready to go to it. Cinderella, didn't even
dare ask, "What about me?" for she
knew very well what the answer to that
would be:
"You? My dear girl, you're staying at
home to wash the dishes, scrub the floors
and turn down the beds for your
stepsisters. They will come home tired
and very sleepy." Cinderella sighed at
the cat.
"oh dear, I'm so unhappy!" and the cat
murmured "Miaow".
Suddenly something amazing
happened. In the kitchen, where
Cinderella was sitting all by herself, there
was a burst of light and a fairy appeared.
"Don't be alarmed, Cinderella," said the
fairy. "The wind blew me your sighs. I
know you would love to go to the ball.
And so you shall!"
"how can I, dressed in rags?" Cinderella
replied. "The servants will turn me away!"
The fairy smiled. With a flick of her magic
wand... Cinderella found herself wearing
the most beautiful dress, the loveliest ever
seen in the realm.
"Now that we have settled the matter of
the dress," 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!"
"Seven mice!" said the cat. "I didn't know
fairies ate mice too!"
"They're not for eating, silly! Do as you
are told!... and, remember they must be
alive!"
Cinderella soon returned with a fine
pumpkin and the cat with seven mice he
had caught in the cellar.
"Good!" exclaimed the fairy. With a flick of
her magic wand... wonder of wonders!
The pumpkin turned into a sparkling
coach and the mice became six white
horses, while the seventh mouse turned
into a coachman, in a smart uniform and
carrying a whip. Cinderella could hardly
believe her eyes.
"I shall present you at Court. You will
soon see that the Prince, in whose
honour the ball is being held, will be
enchanted by your loveliness. But
remember! You must leave the ball at
midnight and come home. For that is
when the spell ends. Your coach will turn
back into a pumpkin, the horses will
become mice again and the coachman
will turn back into a mouse... and you will
be dressed again in rags and wearing
clogs instead of these dainty little slippers!
Do you understand?" Cinderella smiled
and said,
"Yes, I understand!"
When Cinderella entered the ballroom at
the palace, a hush fell. Everyone
stopped in mid-sentence to admire her
elegance, her beauty and grace.
"Who can that be?" people asked each
other. The two stepsisters also wondered
who the newcomer was, for never in a
month of Sundays, would they ever have
guessed that the beautiful girl was really
poor Cinderella who talked to the cat!
When the prince set eyes on Cinderella,
he was struck by her beauty. Walking
over to her, he bowed deeply and asked
her to dance. And to the great
disappointment of all the young ladies, 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 had a wonderful time at the
ball... But, all of a sudden, she heard the
sound of a clock: the first stroke of
midnight! She remembered what the
fairy had said, and without a word of
goobye she slipped from the Prince's
arms and ran down the steps. As she ran
she lost one of her slippers, but not for a
moment did she dream of stopping to
pick it up! If the last stroke of midnight
were to sound... oh... what a disaster that
would be! Out she fled 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 this slipper fits. I will never be
content until I find her!" So the ministers
tried the slipper on the foot of all the
girls... and on Cinderella's foot as well...
Surprise! The slipper fitted perfectly.
"That awful untidy girl simply cannot have
been at the ball," snapped the
stepmother. "Tell the Prince he ought to
marry one of my two daughters! Can't
you see how ugly Cinderella is! Can't you
see?"
Suddenly she broke off, for the fairy had
appeared.
"That's enough!" she exclaimed, raising
her magic wand. In a flash, Cinderella
appeared in a splendid dress,shining with
youth and beauty. 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 his
engagement ring!" So Cinderella joyfully
went with them, and lived happily ever
after with her Prince. And as for the cat,
he just said "Miaow"!
