Cinderella | Page 4

headdresses and adjust their double pinners, and they had their red
brushes and patches from Mademoiselle de la Poche.
Cinderella was likewise called up to them to be consulted in all these
matters, for she had excellent notions and advised them always for the
best, nay, and offered her services to dress their heads, which they were
very willing she should do. As she was doing this they said to her:
"Cinderella, would you not be glad to go to the ball?"
"Alas!" said she, "you only jeer me. It is not for such as I am to go
thither."
"Thou art in the right of it," replied they. "It would make the people
laugh to see a cinder wench at a ball."
Any one but Cinderella would have dressed their heads awry, but she
was very good and dressed them perfectly well. They were almost two
days without eating, so much they were transported with joy. They
broke above a dozen of laces in trying to be laced up close, that they
might have a fine, slender shape, and they were continually at their
looking-glass. At last the happy day came. They went to Court, and
Cinderella followed them with her eyes as long as she could, and when
she had lost sight of them she fell a-crying.
Her Godmother, who saw her all in tears, asked her what was the
matter.
"I wish I could--I wish I could--"
She was not able to speak the rest being interrupted by her tears and
sobbing.

This Godmother of hers, who was a fairy, said to her: "Thou wishest
thou could'st go to the ball. Is it not so?"
"Y--es," cried Cinderella, with a great sigh.
"Well," said her Godmother, "be but a good girl, and I will contrive that
thou shalt go." Then she took her into her chamber and said to her:
"Run into the garden and bring me a pumpkin."
Cinderella went immediately to gather the finest she could get and
brought it to her Godmother, not being able to imagine how this
pumpkin could make her go to the ball. Her Godmother scooped out all
the inside of it, having left nothing but the rind; which done, she struck
it with her wand, and the pumpkin was instantly turned into a fine
coach, gilded all over with gold.
She then went to look into her mousetrap, where she found six mice all
alive, and ordered Cinderella to lift up a little the trapdoor, when,
giving each mouse as it went out a little tap with her wand, the mouse
was that moment turned into a fine horse, which altogether made a very
fine set of six horses of a beautiful mouse-colored dapple-gray. Being
at a loss for a coachman, Cinderella said:
"I will go and see if there is never a rat in the rattrap--we may make a
coachman of him."
"Thou art in the right," replied her Godmother. "Go and look."
Cinderella brought the trap to her, and in it there were three huge rats.
The fairy made choice of one of the three which had the largest beard,
and having touched him with her wand he was turned into a fat, jolly
coachman, who had the smartest whiskers eyes ever beheld. After that
she said to her:
"Go again into the garden, and you will find six lizards behind the
watering-pot. Bring them to me."
She had no sooner done so but her Godmother turned them into six
footmen,who skipped up immediately behind the coach, with their
liveries all bedaubed with gold and silver, and clung as close behind
each other as if they had done nothing else their whole lives. The fairy
then said to Cinderella:
"Well, you see here an equipage fit to go to the ball with. Are you not
pleased with it?"
"Oh! yes," cried she; "but must I go thither as I am, in these dirty rags?"
Her Godmother only just touched her with her wand, and at the same

instant her clothes were turned into cloth-of-gold and silver, all beset
with jewels. Ah! who can describe a robe made by the fairies? It was
white as snow, and as dazzling; round the hem hung a fringe of
diamonds, sparkling like dewdrops in the sunshine. The lace about the
throat and arms could only have been spun by fairy spiders. Surely it
was a dream! Cinderella put her daintily gloved hand to her throat, and
softly touched the pearls that encircled her neck.
"Come, child," said the Godmother, "or you will be late."
As Cinderella moved, the firelight shone upon her dainty shoes.
"They are of diamonds," she said.
"No," answered her Godmother, smiling; "they are better than
that--they are of glass, made by the fairies. And now, child, go, and
enjoy