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. "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 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"! The End |