Cinderella

Cinderella
Once upon a time there was a rich man whose wife lay
On her deathbed. Because she did not have long to live
She called her only child, a daughter, to her bed
"Dear child, be kind and good as long as you live
And God will stay by you. And I will look down
Upon you from heaven and always be with you."
When she had finished, the good woman closed her eyes and died
Her daughter was very sad, and went to her grave every day
And cried. Winter came and covered the grave with snow. When
The spring sun came and melted the snow away, the man married
Another woman. His second wife was cruel, and she had two
Daughters who were pretty on the outside, but mean and ugly
On the inside. They made their step-sister's life very hard
"Who does she think she is sitting around here with us?"
"That's right. If she wants to eat, let her work."
They took away her pretty dress, and gave her wooden shoes. They got
Rid of their kitchen maid and forced the poor girl to work for them
"Carry the water!"
"Make the fire!"
"Cook the dinner!"
"Wash the clothes!"
They made fun of their step-sister and called her wicked names
And worst of all, they poured big pots of peas and beans on the
Cinders on the floor, and made her sit there until she had sorted
Them all out again. At night she had to sleep on the dirty floor
Because there was no longer a bed for her. And because she always
Sat or lay in the cinders on the floor, they named her Cinderella
One day before the father went to a fair, he asked the
Three daughters what they wanted him to bring them
"Bring me beautiful clothes."
"Bring me pearls and precious stones."
"Bring me a fresh green twig from a tree."
The father rode his horse to the fair, bought beautiful clothes
Pearls and precious stones for his two step-daughters, and started
Home. On his way home, the branch of a hazel nut tree struck him
On the head as he rode along, and he remembered the wish of his
Daughter Cinderella. He broke off a twig and took it home to her
Cinderella took the twig to her mother's grave at once and planted it
As time went by, the twig grew and grew until there was a beautiful
Tree. When the tree had grown a bit, a little white bird appeared
And whenever Cinderella happened to make a wish as she sat by the
Grave under the tree, the little bird
Saw to it that the wish came true
One day, the family received an invitation from the King
"Look sister, an invitation from the King."
"Oh, read it, hurry!"
"Just a minute. Don't get so pushy."
"You are hereby invited to a three-day ball at which my son, the
Prince, will choose the fairest young
Woman in the kingdom for his bride."
"How wonderful!"
"We must get Cinderella to help us prepare."
"Cinderella!"
"Cinderella!"
"Yes?"
"Comb our hair."
"And polish our shoes."
"Lay out our best dresses. We're going to the
Palace to meet and dance with the Prince."
Cinderella did what she was told, but she cried to
Herself because she wanted to go along as well
"Step-mother, may I go to the ball as well?"
"You? Look at you. You're full of dust and dirt and you want to go
To the ball? You have no dresses or shoes and you want to dress up?"
"Please, step-mother."
"I'll tell you what. Here's a pot of beans. If
You have sorted out the good ones from the bad
Ones in two hours, you can go to the ball too."
And the wicked step-mother poured a large pot of beans onto
The floor that was covered with cinders, and left poor
Cinderella alone. But Cinderella remembered her friends
The birds, and went into the garden to call them for help
"Gentle little birds, kind little birds, please come and help me sort
These beans."And the birds came from all around. First pigeons, then
Turtle doves, and finally all the birds under the sun flew down to
Cinderella to help her sort the beans. Pick, pick, pick, pick, pick
Pick, pick. They put the good beans in a pan and the bad ones in a
Pot. In less than an hour the work was done and the birds flew away
"Cinderella: Look, stepmother. I've finished
My work. May I go to the ball now?"
"Stepmother: No, Cinderella. You have no clothes and
You can't dance. The prince would only laugh at you."
"Cinderella: But you promised. Please
Dear stepmother, let me go along."
"Stepmother: Hmm, very well. If you can sort out two
Pots of beans in one hour, then you can go along."
And the stepmother poured two very large pots of beans onto the
Cinders on the floor and left poor Cinderella alone. But Cinderella
Did not despair. She ran into the garden and called her friends
The birds. Before long, she was surrounded by them, and they
All returned to the spot where the beans had been poured on
The floor and began to sort them out together. Pick, pick, pick
Pick, pick, pick, pick, pick, pick. The little heads of the
Birds went up and down as they picked up the beans in their
Beaks and put the good ones in a pan and the bad ones in a pot
In half an hour they were finished, and the birds flew away again
"Cinderella: Look, stepmother. I've finished
Sorting the beans. May I go to the ball now?"
"Stepmother: It's no use, Cinderella. You have no
Clothes and you can't dance. How can you go to
The ball? We will be ashamed to be seen with you."
And the wicked stepmother turned her back on Cinderella
And left with her two wicked daughters and her husband for
The ball. Cinderella was all alone. She went outside to
Her mother's grave and made a wish under the hazelnut tree
"Cinderella: Little tree, little tree, with gold and silver cover me."
The little white bird was in the tree at the time and heard
Cinderella's wish, so he threw down a beautiful dress of gold and
Silver with matching slippers. Cinderella got dressed as fast as
She could and hurried off to the ball. She looked so lovely in
The gold and silver dress that her own family did not recognize her
The prince fell in love with her at first sight and danced every
Dance with her, which angered the jealous stepdaughters no end
"Princess: Why is he dancing with her
All the time? I'm just as pretty."
"Princess: The prince is sure to ask me to dance soon."
"Princess: You? Tchah!"
But the prince danced with Cinderella until evening
And finally Cinderella thought she had better go home
"Prince: I will take you home in the royal coach," the prince said
But when the prince turned his head, Cinderella slipped away and
Ran home, and no one in the palace could find her. The prince was
Very sad. At home, Cinderella changed her clothes quickly and took
The beautiful dress back to her mother's grave for the little bird
When the rest of the family returned, they saw Cinderella sitting on
The floor in the cinders, wearing a dirty old dress. The next day
When the family had left for the palace again, Cinderella went
Outside to her mother's grave and made
A wish under the hazelnut tree again
"Cinderella: Little tree, little tree, with gold and silver cover me."
The little white bird threw down an even more beautiful dress
Than the one she had worn the night before, and Cinderella put
It on and rushed off to the ball. When she arrived, everyone was
Astounded at her beauty, especially the young prince who danced
Every dance with her. And they danced until the evening again
"Cinderella: I'm afraid I must leave now
It's getting late and I should be at home."
"Prince: I will take you home in the royal coach." But when
He turned round, Cinderella slipped away again and disappeared
Where no one could find her. On the third day, when the
Family had left for the ball, Cinderella returned to her
Mother's grave and made a wish under the hazelnut tree
"Cinderella: Little tree, little tree, with gold and silver cover me."
This time the white bird threw down the most beautiful
Dress in the whole wide world, and the slippers were made
Of pure gold. When Cinderella got to the ball, everyone
Was amazed at her extraordinary beauty. The prince went
Straight to her and danced with her the rest of the day
"Princess: The last day of the ball and he's danced with no one else!"
"Princess: Who is that girl anyway?"
Toward the end of the day, Cinderella slipped away from the prince
Again, but this time the prince used a trick so he could find her
Again. He had had the stairway to the palace covered with pitch
So that one of Cinderella's slippers got stuck, and she returned to
The little bird with only one slipper.The prince found the slipper
"The prince: I will search the entire kingdom until I find the girl
Whose foot fits this shoe. She, and only she, shall be my bride."
And the next day, he rode forth and went with his servants
From house to house and tried the shoe on every young
Woman who lived there. When at last he came to where
Cinderella lived, the stepsisters jumped up and down with glee
"Here he comes! I want to try it on first!"
"No, me!"
"Me first, I said!"
"No, me first!"
"Girls, girls, shhh! The prince is here."
The wicked stepmother let the prince in. He gave the
Slipper to the elder sister first. She took the shoe
And went with her mother into another room to try it on
"Ouch! It's too small! I can't get my big toe in!"
"Then cut off your toe, you stupid girl. When you become the princess
You won't have to go on foot any more, anyway." And she gave the
Girl a sharp knife. The elder sister cut off her toe and forced
Her foot down into the shoe. The prince was delighted that he had
Found his bride, and he put her on his horse and had just started
To ride away when the prince noticed blood flowing out of the shoe
He took it off and, realizing what the elder sister had done
He rode back to the house to try the shoe on the younger sister
The younger sister took the shoe and went into the
Other room with her mother and tried on the shoe
"It's too small! Ouch! I can get my toes in, but not my heel!"
"Then cut a piece off your heel, you stupid girl. When you're
A princess you won't have to walk, anyway. Others will carry
You." And the wicked stepmother gave the girl a sharp knife
The younger sister did what her mother said and slipped her foot
In the shoe. Then she bit her lip to cover the pain and went out
To the prince who was very happy to think that he had found his
Bride at last. He lifted her onto his horse and he had just
Started to ride away when he saw blood coming out of the shoe
He took it off and, realizing what the girl had done, he rode back
To the house to see if there was anyone else the shoe might fit
"Have you any other daughters?"
"No, only little Cinderella, my dead wife's child
But it's not possible that she could be the one."
"Out of the question. She's too dirty even to be seen."
But the prince insisted, and Cinderella was called. Before she came to
Him, however, she washed herself and put on fresh, clean clothes
The prince handed her the golden shoe. Cinderella took off her heavy
Wooden shoe and placed her foot easily in the
Golden one, which fit perfectly. And as she
Arose again, the prince looked deep into her eyes
"You're the girl I danced with, my true love!"
When the stepmother and the two stepsisters heard this, they
Turned white with anger and fell to the floor in a state of shock
The prince lifted the beautiful Cinderella onto his
Horse and rode back to the palace with her, where
He married her and they lived happily ever after