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Cinderella
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 alone talking 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 gray 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 honor 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 goodbye 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"! |
