Little Cinderella | Page 4

former

magnificence except one of her little glass slippers,--the fellow of that
she had lost.
[Illustration]
Upon inquiry being made of the guards, at the palace gates, as to
whether the princess had gone out, they replied that they had seen no
one go out but a young girl, very poorly dressed, who looked more like
a peasant than a fine lady.
When the two sisters returned from the ball Cinderella asked if they
had enjoyed themselves, and if the beautiful lady had again been there.
They told her that she had been there, but that when the clock struck
twelve she had started off so quickly that she let one of her pretty glass
slippers fall off; that the prince, who quickly followed her, had picked
it up, and had done nothing but look at it all the rest of the evening; and
that he was evidently very much in love with the beautiful creature to
whom it belonged, and would spare no pains to find her.
This was indeed the case; for, a few days after, the prince caused it to
be published, with the sound of trumpets, that he would marry the lady
whose foot would exactly fit the slipper.
[Illustration]
So the slipper was first tried on by all the princesses, then by all the
duchesses, and next by all the ladies belonging to the court; but in vain.
It was then taken to the two sisters, who tried every possible way of
getting their foot into it, but without success.
Cinderella, who was looking at them, and now recognized her slipper,
said, laughingly, "Let me see if it will fit me."
The sisters immediately began to laugh, and to ridicule her; but the
gentleman who had been appointed to try on the slipper, having looked
attentively at Cinderella, and finding her very pretty, said she was quite
right in her request; for he was ordered to try it on to everybody.

He desired her to sit down, and at once found that the slipper would go
on her foot, without any trouble, and, indeed, fitted her like wax.
The astonishment of the sisters was very great, but still greater when
Cinderella drew from her pocket the fellow-slipper, and, to the great
delight of the gentleman, placed it upon her other foot.
Her godmother now made her appearance, and, having touched
Cinderella with her wand, she made her look even more magnificent
than on either of the former occasions.
The sisters now recognized in Cinderella the beautiful person they had
seen at the ball, and threw themselves at her feet, to implore
forgiveness for all the ill-treatment they had shown her. Cinderella
raised them up, and, embracing them, said she forgave them, with all
her heart, their unkindness to her, and hoped that for the future they
would be more kind in their behavior to every one about them. She told
them she had never forgotten the last words of her mother, on her
death-bed:--"My child, always be good, and bear with patience
everything that occurs to you; then, whatever toils and troubles you
may suffer during life, happiness will be your lot in the end."
These words now proved to be true; for, having borne unkindness and
cruelty with patience ever since her father's second marriage, she was
now going to be the wife of the king's son.
Cinderella then explained the visit of her godmother, the queen of the
fairies; and how her magic wand had furnished her with dresses,
carriages, and attendants; and how, by forgetting the good fairy's orders,
she was obliged to quit the ball-room so suddenly; and how, in her
haste, she lost her little glass slipper, and, for her disobedience, was
deprived of all her fine clothes.
Cinderella being now betrothed to the prince, she was taken to the
palace, dressed in all her splendor; and, being as amiable as she was
beautiful, invited her sisters to live in the palace with her, where they
were soon married to two great lords belonging to the court.

[Illustration]
The prince thought Cinderella more beautiful than ever, and in a few
days married her. She was most happy in the love of her husband, the
esteem of the court, and the good-will of all who knew her.
[Illustration]

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Little Cinderella, by
Anonymous
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