CINDERELLA

Long ago and far away, there was a widower who had a young daughter named Ella.

One day, the widower introduced Ello to a lady with two daughters.”This lady and I are to be married tommorrow. She will be your stepmother. And these are your stepsisters, Hilda and Gilda,”said Ella’s father.”Sadly, I must leave on a long trip right after the wedding.”

Ella was very surprised. But she was so sweet and good she welcomed her new family.”I shall see to whatever they need, Father”,Ella promised.

Ella worked hard to make everyone happy. Her stepmother always had a chore for Ella. As for Hilda and Gilda, they played, rested, and ate sweets all day.

“My daughters are too delicate for common housework,” said Ella’s stepmother. “They are fine young ladies, sure to marry royalty.”

Ella worked long into the night, sitting down to a plain supper many hours after everyone else had gone to bed.

Even though Ella did all she could to please her stepsisters, they often teased her cruelly.

One day, Hilda said to Gilda, “Look at her gathering cinders from the fireplace. Let’s call her Cinderella!”

That afternoon, a royal messenger came to the door with an invitation to the prince’s ball.

“Whatever shall we wear?” cried Gilda.

Hilda, Gilda and their mother dressed in their finest clothes.

“What shall I wear? Asked Cinderella.

“You were not invited!” cried her stepmother.

In truth, Cinderella had been invited, but her stepmother knew that if Cinderella went to the ball.

The prince would never look at Hilda or Gilda, who were somewhat homely and not very nice.

Cinderekka did not trust her stepmother's word. She went to check the invitation, but found it had already been burned in the fire.

That night, Cinderella sat in her room, sadly thinking about the ball."How I wish I could go," she sighed.

"And so you shall!" said a voice. To Cinderella's amazement a fairy appeared from out of nowhere.

"I'm your Fairy Godmother", said the fairy. "I've come to grant your wish."

She led Cinderella out into the yard. With a wave of her wand, the fairy changed a pumpkin into a golden coach and four white mice into fine white horses.

Two salamanders became handsome coachmen.

"That's wpnderful," Cinderella gasped."But Fairy Godmother, I have nothing to wear."

The fairy smiled and waved her wand once more.

Cinderella looked down and found herself wearing a beautiful ball gown. There were jewels in her hair, and on her feet were a pair of tiny glass dancing slippers."thakyou, Fairy Godmother!" Cinderella cried.

"You must leave the ball before midnight!" the fairy warned."The magic will alst only until then!"

Cinderella promised she would, and off she went to the ball.

Everyone at the ball noticed how the prince gazed at the bautiful stranger and how he danced with no one else for the rest of the night. Nobody knew it was Cinderella.

Suddenly, the clock struck twelve! Cinderella ran from the palace as fast as she could. The prince followed, but Cinderella disappeared into the night before he could catch up to her.

In her haste, Cinderella lost one of her glass slippers. The prince found it and picked it up. Cradling the tiny shoe in his hands, he said, "If I must search the kingdom ten times over, I will find the beautiful lady who fits into this slipper. When I do, I will marry her, for she is the most wonderful maiden I have ever met!"

The next day, the serach for the prince's true love began. Every home in the Kingdom was visited......adn every maiden, including Hilda and Gilda, tried to squeeze her foot into the glass slipper. The shoe was so tiny, no one's foot could fit inside.

As he prince's men were leaving Cinderella's home, they saw her working in the garden.

"Why she's just a common servant", lied her stepmother.

"Surely you don't mean to have her try. She didn't even attend the ball!"

The prince's men insisted that Cinderella try on the slipper.

It fit perfectly.

While Hilda, Gilda and her stepmother shrieked in outrage, Cinderella was led out of the house and away to the castle.

Cinderella and the prince were married, and lived happily ever after.