Once Upon a Time (Fairy Tales)

Cinderella

Many, many years ago there lived a beautiful girl who was cursed with a very mean very ugly stepmother. Not only was the girl's stepmother mean and ugly, but the woman also had two daughters who were even meter and uglier than she.

Now is this dreadful stepmother expected her kind and beautiful step daughter to do all the dirtiest household chores. The girl peeled the potatoes and scrubbed the floors. She washed the dishes and split the firewood.

But none of these tasks was as dirty as scooping the cinders and Ash from the fireplace.

"Cinderella!" her stepsisters would chant. "Clean the cinders Cinderella!"

"Cinderella," her stepmother would demand. "Clean the fireplace until it shines I don't want to see a single cinder left!"

So the beautiful girl worked hard covered in dirt and ash, and the awful name clung to her. While her stepsisters wore gorgeous gowns and jewelry and flowers in their hair, the girl now known as Cinderella wore rags and scrub the filthy fireplace.

One day, a messenger arrived with a very important delivery. It was an invitation to the royal ball.

"Oooh!" Squealed one of the terrible stepsisters. "I hope the handsome prince will ask me to dance with him!"

"He will surely ask me," said the other step sister. "I am the most beautiful young lady in all the kingdom!"

"I know the prince will be enchanted by both of you," declared their mother. "You are both lucky to be blessed with my good looks unlike our little Cinderella."

The three women then turned to look at for Cinderella. They teased her for being dirty and for wearing rags.

Soon the night of the ball arrived the stepsisters excitedly squeezed into their finest gowns. They made Cinderella helped them fast in their necklaces and style their hair. All the while, they scolded her and taunted her because she would not be going to the ball.

"Ouch! You are pulling my hair!" yelled one stepsister. "While we are dancing with the handsome prince, Cinderella will be tidying the house," laughed the other.

Cinderella watch sadly as they left for the ball.

When she was alone Cinderella sat down in the garden and sobbed. "Why must I work all day long and be so wretched and dirty?" poor Cinderella ask herself. "If only I could go and dance at the ball, just for one night!"

No sooner had she spoken these words than Cinderella was surprised by a flash of light. Before her appeared a winged woman dressed in a flowing gown.

"Who are you?" asked a very startled Cinderella.

"Why, I'm your fairy godmother," answered the woman.

"My fairy godmother?" asked Cinderella.

"Yes, my dear," said the woman. "I am here to help you. I have watched while your family has mistreated you, and I have come to help bring you the dood fortune you deserve. Tonight is the night of the royal ball, is it not? Would you like to go?"

"More than anything!" answered Cinderella. "My stepsisters have already gone. But I must stay here. I have nothing to wear but these filthy rags."

"Leave that to me," said the fairy godmother.

With the wave of her wand, the fairy godmother showered the garden with sparks. When Cinderella opened her eyes she was amazed with what she saw.

"Why my rags have turned into a beautiful gown!" exclaimed Cinderella. "Look at these lovely glass slippers! The pumpkin and mice from the garden are a coach and a team of fine horses! How did you do this?"

"There is no time for questions, my dear," said the fairy godmother. "You must hurry to the ball, for my magic spell will be broken once the clock strikes twelve."

Dressed in her splendid gown and riding in her fine horse-drawn coach, Cinderella arrived at the ball.

"Who is that stunning girl?" asked one of the guests.

"She must be royalty," said another.

Seeing the gorgeous young woman, the prince asked her to dance. With a warm smile, Cinderella agreed.

"Who does this girl think she is?" cried the two stepsisters, not knowing the stranger was really Cinderella.

Throughout the night the prince danced only with Cinderella. The other girls had come to the ball hoping to dance with him, and perhaps make him fall in love with them. But the prince's eyes never left Cinderella ---- and she never left his arms.

"I have never had such a wonderful time," Cinderella told the prince. Dancing with him, she felt herself falling in love.

The prince was falling in love too.

"Who are you?" he asked Cinderella.

Before Cinderella could answer, the clock began to strike twelve. She had forgotten all about her fairy godmother's warning!

As the clock chimed, Cinderella rushed from the prince's arms.

"I must get home," she thought to herself. "I cannot let the prince see me in my filthy rags."

"Come back!" cried the startled prince. "You did not even tell me your name!"

But Cinderella did not hear him, for she was already out of the palace doors. She flew down the steps. In her hurry she had dropped one of her glass slippers.

The prince rushed after her. He did not see the beautiful girl that he loved, but he did find one of her glass slippers.

Picking it up he vowed he would see her again.

The next day, Cinderella was again in her rags, cleaning her stepmother's house.

As she scrubbed, she heard her step sister's talking excitedly. "The prince is searching the kingdom for the girl he loves," said one.

"He has her glass slipper with him. Whomever it fits he will marry," said the other stepsister.

Soon the prince arrived at the house of Cinderella's stepmother.

Cinderella watched, hidden in a corner, as each of her selfish stepsisters tried on the slipper. But their feet were too big for the delicate shoe. The prince was standing to leave when he spotted Cinderella.

"Why won't you try on the slipper?" asked the prince.

"Dirty Cinderella?' laughed the wicked stepmother. "Certainly she is not the girl you love!"

But the prince insisted. Sure enough, Cinderella's dainty foot fit perfectly inside the glass slipper. The prince had found his love at last!

Cinderella and the prince were soon married. They lived happily ever after.