|
Once upon a time the wife of a rich man fell sick, and as she knew
her end was approaching she called her only daughter to her bedside,
and said, "Dear child, when I am gone, continue good and pious, and
God will help you in every trouble and always care for you."
Soon after this the mother closed her eyes in death, and the dear
little maiden was left to weep for a mother's loving care, but she
never forgot her last words, and tried to do all she could to make
her papa happy.
Time passed on, till one fine day in the Spring her father brought
home another wife, who had two daughters. These two daughters were
very fair and beautiful to look upon, but at heart they were
evil-minded and malicious, and as soon as they saw the sweet,
opened-faced little girl, with such sparkling blue eyes, and dimpled
face surrounded by glossy curls, they began to hate her; so they
persuaded their mother to banish her from the parlor to the kitchen.
Here the poor child had a sad life of it. She was compelled to do
the household drudgery, and wait on her beautiful step-sisters, and
when work was done her only place was the chimney-corner bench, with
no company except the old cat. And although she had once a pretty
name, from sitting in the ashes and getting covered with cinders,
they called her "Cinderella."
Years went on, and Cinderella bloomed like a wild rose, in spite of
all her kitchen work and common dingy clothes.
One day a beautiful sweet-scented note came to the house from the
King. He was going to give his son a fine ball, in honor of his
twenty first birthday, and all the ladies in the land must come. How
poor Cinderella longed to attend this ball! But when she asked to
go, the stepmother and daughter laughed at her, and said she would
be a beautiful sight at the King's ball, with her smutty face and
ugly clothes. She was made to wash and iron, plait and crimp
ruffles, and run errands, early and late, that the two daughters
might look beautiful; at last when the night came, she helped to
paint their faces, lace their satin shoes, and trim them up with
flowers and laces. Then she watched the coach roll grandly out of
sight, and after that returned to the kitchen and sat down in the
cinders with the cat, and sobbed as if her heart would break. The
poor old cat tried to comfort her (as she had often tried to do
before) by rubbing her sides against poor Cinderella's ashy dress,
and purring softly to her, but the poor child was too sad to notice
her. The hot tears rolled down her cheeks and dropped into the grimy
soot, when right before her, she knew not how or why, stood the
oddest little old woman; her face was almost hid by a queer little
bonnet that stood up iin a queer little peak in the back; her little
short, thick body was covered with a long green cloak, and she
leaned on a stout cane.
As Cinderella looked up, the good Fairy, for such she proved to be
said: "Why do you cry?"
"It is so very lonely here," Cinderella said, and sobbed again.
The good Fairy patted her on the head, and whispered, "Is that all?
Wouldn't my dear Cinderella like to go to the ball? Dry up your
tears, and run to the garden, quick, and bring me the largest,
finest, yellow pumpkin you can find; then from the mouse-trap on the
pantry shelf get six slick mice; tow fine rats you will find in the
stable in the rat-trap; and from the watering-pot, or from under the
garden stone, six green lizards must be brought!"
Nimble as a cricket in the grass, Cinderella dried her tears, and
ran and did as she was bid. And then the strangest thing of all
happened! The good Fairy took her wand, which was hidden under her
long cloak, and touched them every one.
The pumpkin changed into a coach, and the mice became six horses
with harnesses of gold. One rat was a coachman, with jeweled livery,
and the other rat became a herald, to blow a trumpet in advance, and
the first blast that he sounded made the horses plunge and prance.
The lizards were made footmen, because they were so gay and spry,
and Cinderella's dingy dress became a glistening gold brocade, and
the gems that shone upon her fingers nothing could surpass, while on
her feet were dainty little slippers made of glass. Then into the
coach she quickly sprang.
"Be sure you are home by twelve o'clock," the good Fairy said, and
then the footman quickly closed the coach door, and away the coach
sped and was soon out of sight, and in a twinkling drew up before
the King's palace.
When Cinderella entered the ball-room, all eyes were turned upon
her, as so beautiful a creature was never seen before. The Prince
was so charmed with her, he claimed her for the dance, took her into
super, and in every way showed his admiration, but Cinderella
remembered the good Fairy's warning, and just at half-past eleven
left the ball and hastened home.
The Prince inquired of every one who the lovely maiden was, without
success, so the next night the King gave another ball, in hopes his
son might be able to find out the home of Cinderella.
Again poor Cinderella helped her sisters primp and curl, and again
the good Fairy came, and with her wand arrayed her in greater
splendor than before. A crowd had gathered around the King's palace,
as the lovely coach with its six prancing horses and lively footmen
drove up, and as the lovely maiden sprang up the steps her slipper
twinkled like stars.
Again the Prince was all attention, and chose only her for waltz or
tete-a-tete, and the moments flew quickly; she did not dream of it
being so late, until she heard the bell begin to strike, then she
remembered what the good Fairy had said, and quickly as a swallow's
flight she fled; but alas! in her hurry she dropped one tiny slipper
on the steps. When she reaches the street she was just in time to
see her coach changed into a pumpkin, and her six horses changed to
mice, and her beautiful brocade changed into her cinder dress. The
Prince had followed her to the door, hoping to see which way she
went, but he only saw a poor little dirty girl, all covered with
cinders, walking down the street. He found the glass slipper, and
made the proclamation that the country should be searched, and any
lady who could wear the slipper should come to the palace to live.
So everybody tried it, until they came to cinderella's home. Then
such pinching and squeezing as the two sister did trying to put on
the slipper! But, no, it would not go on.
"Have you no other ladies in the house?" the royal heralds asked.
"Oh, nobody but ugly Cinderella in the kitchen!" the sister's
replied.
"Well, she must try, as our orders are to miss no one," they said;
and from the kitchen Cinderella stepped, and seating herself on a
low stool she slipped the slipper on with ease, and from her pocket
took its mate. Then the sisters cried, and stormed, and scolded in
anger, while the courtier, without thinking, laughed from behind his
hat, for here was all the evidence the Prince had asked complete,
the two little slippers made of glass an exact fit for the two
little feet.
When the courtiers took the news home to the King and Prince, and
told them where they had found the little beauty, there was great
excitement at the court.
Soon after this, Cinderella was brought to the King's palace, and
given lovely clothes, such as only princesses wear, and was ever
loved and petted for her goodness.
Cinderella
A Fictional Short Story by
Agnes Taylor Ketchum & Ida M. Jorgensen
|
