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Once upon
a time...
There was a gentleman who married, for his second wife, the
proudest and most haughty woman that was ever seen. She had, by a
former husband, two daughters of her own humour, who were, indeed,
exactly like her in all things. He had likewise, by another wife, a
young daughter, but of unparalleled goodness and sweetness of
temper, which she took from her mother, who was the best creature in
the world.
No sooner were the ceremonies of the wedding over but the
mother-in-law began to show herself in her true colours. She could
not bear the good qualities of this pretty girl, and the less
because they made her own daughters appear the more odious. She
employed her in the meanest work of the house: she scoured the
dishes, tables, etc., and scrubbed madam's chamber, and those of
misses, her daughters; she lay up in a sorry garret, upon a wretched
straw bed, while her sisters lay in fine rooms, with floors all
inlaid, upon beds of the very newest fashion, and where they had
looking-glasses so large that they might see themselves at their
full length from head to foot.
The poor girl bore all patiently, and dared not tell her father, who
would have rattled her off; for his wife governed him entirely. When
she had done her work, she used to go into the chimney-corner, and
sit down among cinders and ashes, which made her commonly be called
Cinderwench; but the youngest, who was not so rude and uncivil as
the eldest, called her Cinderella. However, Cinderella,
notwithstanding her mean apparel, was a hundred times handsomer than
her sisters, though they were always dressed very richly.
It happened that the King's son gave a ball, and invited all persons
of fashion to it. Our young misses were also invited, for they cut a
very grand figure among the quality. They were mightily delighted at
this invitation, and wonderfully busy in choosing out such gowns,
petticoats, and head-clothes as might become them. This was a new
trouble to Cinderella; for it was she who ironed her sisters' linen,
and plaited their ruffles; they talked all day long of nothing but
how they should be dressed.
"For my part," said the eldest, "I will wear my red velvet suit with
French trimming."
"And I," said the youngest, "shall have my usual petticoat; but
then, to make amends for that, I will put on my gold-flowered
manteau, and my diamond stomacher, which is far from being the most
ordinary one in the world."
They sent for the best tire-woman they could get to make up their
head-dresses 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 Cinderwench at a ball."
Anyone 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 were they transported with joy. They
broke above a dozen 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 couldst go to the ball; is it not so?"
"Yes," 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 mouse-trap, 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-collared
dapple-grey. Being at a loss for a coachman,
"I will go and see," says Cinderella, "if there is never a rat in
the rat-trap--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 coach- man, 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 nasty
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. This done, she gave her a pair of glass slippers,
the prettiest in the whole world. Being thus decked out, she got up
into her coach; but her godmother, above all things, commanded her
not to stay till after midnight, telling her, at the same time, that
if she stayed one moment longer, the coach would be a pumpkin again,
her horses mice, her coachman a rat, her footmen lizards, and her
clothes become just as they were before.
She promised her godmother she would not fail of leaving the ball
before midnight; and then away she drives, scarce able to contain
herself for joy. The King's son who was told that a great princess,
whom nobody knew, was come, ran out to receive her; he gave her his
hand as she alighted out of the coach, and led her into the ball,
among all the company. There was immediately a profound silence,
they left off dancing, and the violins ceased to play, so attentive
was everyone to contemplate the singular beauties of the unknown
new-comer. Nothing was then heard but a confused noise of:
"Ha! how handsome she is! Ha! how handsome she is!"
The King himself, old as he was, could not help watching her, and
telling the Queen softly that it was a long time since he had seen
so beautiful and lovely a creature.
All the ladies were busied in considering her clothes and headdress,
that they might have some made next day after the same pattern,
provided they could meet with such fine material and as able hands
to make them.
The King's son conducted her to the most honourable seat, and
afterward took her out to dance with him; she danced so very
gracefully that they all more and more admired her. A fine collation
was served up, whereof the young prince ate not a morsel, so
intently was he busied in gazing on her.
She went and sat down by her sisters, showing them a thousand
civilities, giving them part of the oranges and citrons which the
Prince had presented her with, which very much surprised them, for
they did not know her. While Cinderella was thus amusing her
sisters, she heard the clock strike eleven and three-quarters,
whereupon she immediately made a courtesy to the company and hasted
away as fast as she could.
When she got home she ran to seek out her godmother, and, after
having thanked her, she said she could not but heartily wish she
might go next day to the ball, because the King's son had desired
her.
As she was eagerly telling her godmother whatever had passed at the
ball, her two sisters knocked at the door, which Cinderella ran and
opened.
"How long you have stayed!" cried she, gaping, rubbing her eyes and
stretching herself as if she had been just waked out of her sleep;
she had not, however, any manner of inclination to sleep since they
went from home.
"If thou hadst been at the ball," said one of her sisters, "thou
wouldst not have been tired with it. There came thither the finest
princess, the most beautiful ever was seen with mortal eyes; she
showed us a thousand civilities, and gave us oranges and citrons."
Cinderella seemed very indifferent in the matter; indeed, she asked
them the name of that princess; but they told her they did not know
it, and that the King's son was very uneasy on her account and would
give all the world to know who she was. At this Cinderella, smiling,
replied:
"She must, then, be very beautiful indeed; how happy you have been!
Could not I see her? Ah! dear Miss Charlotte, do lend me your yellow
suit of clothes which you wear every day."
"Ay, to be sure!" cried Miss Charlotte; "lend my clothes to such a
dirty Cinderwench as thou art! I should be a fool."
Cinderella, indeed, expected well such answer, and was very glad of
the refusal; for she would have been sadly put to it if her sister
had lent her what she asked for jestingly.
The next day the two sisters were at the ball, and so was
Cinderella, but dressed more magnificently than before. The King's
son was always by her, and never ceased his compliments and kind
speeches to her; to whom all this was so far from being tiresome
that she quite forgot what her godmother had recommended to her; so
that she, at last, counted the clock striking twelve when she took
it to be no more than eleven; she then rose up and fled, as nimble
as a deer. The Prince followed, but could not overtake her. She left
behind one of her glass slippers, which the Prince took up most
carefully. She got home but quite out of breath, and in her nasty
old clothes, having nothing left her of all her finery but one of
the little slippers, fellow to that she dropped. The guards at the
palace gate were asked:
If they had not seen a princess go out.
Who said: They had seen nobody go out but a young girl, very meanly
dressed, and who had more the air of a poor country wench than a
gentlewoman.
When the two sisters returned from the ball Cinderella asked them:
If they had been well diverted, and if the fine lady had been there.
They told her: Yes, but that she hurried away immediately when it
struck twelve, and with so much haste that she dropped one of her
little glass slippers, the prettiest in the world, which the King's
son had taken up; that he had done nothing but look at her all the
time at the ball, and that most certainly he was very much in love
with the beautiful person who owned the glass slipper.
What they said was very true; for a few days after the King's son
caused it to be proclaimed, by sound of trumpet, that he would marry
her whose foot the slipper would just fit. They whom he employed
began to try it upon the princesses, then the duchesses and all the
Court, but in vain; it was brought to the two sisters, who did all
they possibly could to thrust their foot into the slipper, but they
could not effect it. Cinderella, who saw all this, and knew her
slipper, said to them, laughing:
"Let me see if it will not fit me."
Her sisters burst out a-laughing, and began to banter her. The
gentleman who was sent to try the slipper looked earnestly at
Cinderella, and, finding her very handsome, said:
It was but just that she should try, and that he had orders to let
everyone make trial.
He obliged Cinderella to sit down, and, putting the slipper to her
foot, he found it went on very easily, and fitted her as if it had
been made of wax. The astonishment her two sisters were in was
excessively great, but still abundantly greater when Cinderella
pulled out of her pocket the other slipper, and put it on her foot.
Thereupon, in came her godmother, who, having touched with her wand
Cinderella's clothes, made them richer and more magnificent than any
of those she had before.
And now her two sisters found her to be that fine, beautiful lady
whom they had seen at the ball. They threw themselves at her feet to
beg pardon for all the ill- treatment they had made her undergo.
Cinderella took them up, and, as she embraced them, cried:
That she forgave them with all her heart, and desired them always to
love her.
She was conducted to the young prince, dressed as she was; he
thought her more charming than ever, and, a few days after, married
her. Cinderella, who was no less good than beautiful, gave her two
sisters lodgings in the palace, and that very same day matched them
with two great lords of the Court.
Cinderella Story
from the Blue Fairy Book
Story Edited
by Andrew Lang |
