Little Cinderella | Page 2

that a kind fairy was at the same moment watching over her.
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She continued sobbing in the chimney-corner until a rap at the door aroused her, and she got up to see what had caused it. She found a little old woman, hobbling on crutches, who besought her to give her some food.
"I have only part of my own supper for you, Goody, which is no better than a dry crust. But if you will step in and warm yourself by the fire, you can do so, and welcome."
"Thank you, my dear," said the old woman, in a feeble, croaking voice; and when she had hobbled in, and taken her seat by the fire, she continued, "Hey! dearee me! what are all these tears about, my child?"
And then Cinderella told her of all her griefs,--how her sisters had gone to the ball, and how she should like to have gone also.
"But you shall go," exclaimed her visitor, who was suddenly transformed into a beautiful fairy, "or I am not queen of the fairies, or your godmother. Dry up your tears, my dear goddaughter, and do as I bid you, and you shall have clothes and horses finer than any one."
As Cinderella had often heard her father talk of her godmother, and tell her that she was one of those kind fairies who protect good children, her spirits revived, and she wiped away her tears.
The fairy took Cinderella by the hand, and said, "Now, my dear, go into the garden, and fetch me a pumpkin."
Cinderella went immediately to gather the best she could find, and carried it to her godmother, though she could not guess how this pumpkin could make her go to the ball. Her godmother took the pumpkin and hollowed it out, leaving only the rind; she then struck it with her wand, and the pumpkin was immediately changed into a beautiful gilt coach. She next sent Cinderella for the mouse-trap, wherein were found six mice alive. She directed Cinderella to raise the door of the trap, and as each mouse came out she struck it with her wand, and it was immediately changed into a beautiful horse; so that she had now six splendid grays for her gilt coach.
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The fairy was perplexed how to find a coachman, but Cinderella said, "I will go and see if there is a rat in the rat-trap; if there is, he will make a capital coachman."
"You are right," said the godmother; "go and see." Cinderella brought the rat-trap, in which there were three large rats. The fairy selected one, on account of its beautiful whiskers, and, having touched it, it was changed into a fat coachman, with the finest pair of whiskers that ever were seen. She then said, "You must now go into the garden, where you will find six lizards, behind the watering-pot; bring them to me." These were no sooner brought than the godmother changed them into six tall footmen, in handsome liveries, with cocked hats and gold-headed canes, who jumped up behind the coach just as if they had been accustomed to it all their lives.
The coachman and postilion having likewise taken their places, the fairy said to Cinderella, "Well, my dear girl, is not this as fine an equipage as you could desire, to go to the ball with? Tell me, now, are you pleased with it?"
"O yes, dear godmother," replied Cinderella; and then, with a good deal of hesitation, she added, "but how can I make my appearance among so many finely-dressed people in these shabby clothes?"
"Give yourself no uneasiness about that, my dear. The most difficult part of our task is already accomplished, and it will be hard if I cannot make your dress correspond with your coach and servants."
On saying this, the fairy touched Cinderella with her magic wand, and her clothes were instantly changed into a most magnificent ball-dress, ornamented with the most costly jewels.
The fairy now took from her pocket a beautiful pair of elastic glass slippers, which she caused Cinderella to put on; and when she had thus completed her work, and Cinderella stood before her, arrayed in her beautiful clothes, the fairy was much pleased, and desired her to get into the carriage with all expedition, as the ball had already commenced. Two of the footmen then sprang and opened the carriage-door, and assisted Cinderella into it. Her godmother, however, before she took leave, strictly charged her on no account whatever to stay at the ball after the clock had struck the hour of midnight; and then added that if she stopped but a single moment beyond that time her fine coach would again become a gourd, her horses mice, her footmen lizards, and her old clothes resume their former appearance.
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Cinderella promised faithfully to attend to everything that the fairy had