Little Cinderella | Page 3

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.
[Illustration]
Cinderella promised faithfully to attend to everything that the fairy had
mentioned; and then, quite overjoyed, gave the direction to the footman,
who bawled out, in a loud voice, to the coachman, "To the royal
palace!"
The coachman touched his prancing horses lightly with his whip, and
swiftly the carriage started off, and in a short time reached the palace.
The arrival of so splendid an equipage as Cinderella's could not fail to
attract general notice at the palace gates, and as it drove up to the
marble portico the servants, in great numbers, came out to see it.

[Illustration]
The king's son, to whom it was announced that an unknown princess
had arrived, hastened to receive her. He handed her out of the carriage,
and led her to the ball-room. Immediately she entered the dancing
ceased, and the violins stopped playing; so much was every one struck
with the extreme beauty of the unknown princess; and the only sound
heard was that of admiration. The king, old as he was, could not take
his eyes off her, and said, in a low voice to the queen, that he had not
seen such a beautiful person for many years. All the ladies began
examining her dress, that they might have similar ones the next evening,
if it was possible to obtain equally rich stuffs, and work-people skilled
enough to make them. The king's son conducted her to the most
distinguished place, and invited her to dance. She danced with such
grace that everybody was in raptures with her; and when supper was
served the prince could partake of nothing, so much was he occupied in
contemplating the beauty of the fair stranger.
Seated close to her sisters, Cinderella showed them marked attention,
and divided with them the oranges and citrons which the prince had
given her; all of which surprised them greatly, as they did not recognize
her.
When Cinderella saw that it wanted but a quarter of an hour of
midnight she left as quickly as possible, making a low courtesy to all
the company.
On reaching home she found her godmother there, thanked her for the
delightful evening she had spent, and begged permission to go to the
ball the following night, as the prince had desired her company. The
fairy kindly granted her request, on condition that she would return
before twelve. She then caused her clothes to resume their usual
plainness, that her sisters might not know of her adventure.
Whilst Cinderella was occupied in relating all that had passed at the
ball to her godmother, the two sisters knocked at the door, and as she
went to open it for them the fairy disappeared.

[Illustration]
"O, how late you are in coming home," said Cinderella, rubbing her
eyes, as if just awakened.
"If you had been at the ball," said one of the sisters, "you would not
have been tired; for there was there the most beautiful princess that
ever was seen, who paid us much attention, and gave us oranges and
citrons."
Cinderella could scarcely contain herself for joy. She asked the name of
the princess, but they said it was not known, and that the king's son was
therefore much distressed, and would give anything he had to know
who she could be.
Cinderella smiled, and said, "Was she, then, so very beautiful? Could
not I see her? O, Javotte, do lend me your yellow dress, that you wear
every day, that I may go to the ball, and have a peep at this wonderful
princess!"
"Indeed," said Javotte, "I am not so silly as to lend my dress to a
wretched Cinderella like you."
Cinderella expected this refusal, and was very glad of it; for she would
have been greatly embarrassed if her sister had lent her the dress.
The next evening the sisters again went to the ball, and Cinderella soon
made her appearance, more magnificently dressed than before. The
king's son was constantly at her side, saying the most agreeable things;
so that Cinderella did not notice how the time passed, and had quite
forgot her godmother's injunctions. While she therefore thought it was
scarcely eleven o'clock, she was startled by the first stroke of midnight.
She rose very hastily, and fled as lightly as a fawn, the prince following,
though he could not overtake her. In her flight she let one of her glass
slippers fall, which the prince picked up with the greatest care.
Cinderella arrived at home out of breath, without carriage or servants,
in her shabby clothes, and had nothing remaining of all her