ONCE UPON A TIME a girl named Cinderella lived with her stepmother and two stepsisters. Poor Cinderella had to work hard all day long so the others could rest. It was she who had to wake up each morning when it was still dark and cold to start the fire. It was she who cooked the meals. It was she who kept the fire going. The poor girl could not stay clean, from all the ashes and cinders by the fire.

“What a mess!” her two stepsisters laughed. And that is why they called her “Cinderella.”

One day, big news came to town. The King and Queen were going to have a ball! It was time for the Prince to find a bride. All of the young ladies in the land were invited to come. They were wild with joy! They would wear their most beautiful gown and fix their hair extra nice. Maybe the prince would like them!

At Cinderella’s house, she now had extra work to do. She had to make two brand-new gowns for her step-sisters. 

“Faster!” shouted one step-sister.

“You call that a dress?” screamed the other.  

“Oh, dear!” said Cinderella. “When can I–“

The stepmother marched into the room. “When can you WHAT?”

“Well,” said the girl, “when will I have time to make my own dress for the ball?”

“You?” yelled the stepmother. “Who said YOU were going to the ball?”

“What a laugh!” said one step-sister.

“Such a mess!” They pointed at Cinderella. All of them laughed.

Cinderella said to herself, “When they look at me, maybe they see a mess. But I am not that way. And if I could, I WOULD go to the ball.”

Soon the time came for the stepmother and step-sisters to leave for the big party.

At once, Cinderella was all clean. She was dressed in a beautiful blue gown. Her hair was set up high on her head inside a golden band.

“This is wonderful!” said Cinderella.

“Who said I was done?” said the Fairy Godmother. She tapped her wand again. At once, a beautiful carriage came to be, with a driver and four white horses.

She stepped into the carriage. And they were off.

“Look!” Someone pointed to the front door. “Who is that?”

All heads turned. Who was that lovely maiden stepping down the stairs? She held her head tall and looked as if she belonged. But no one knew her.

“There is something about her,” said the Prince to himself. “I will ask her to dance.” And he walked over to Cinderella.

“Have we met?” said the Prince.

“I am pleased to meet you now,” said Cinderella with a bow.

“I feel as if I know you,” said the Prince. “But of course, that is impossible.”

“Many things are possible,” said Cinderella, “if you wish them to be true.”

“Dong!” said the clock.

“I cannot hear you,” said the Prince. “The clock is too loud!”

“Dong!” rung the clock.

“Goodbye!” said Cinderella. Up, up the stairs she ran.

“Dong!” went the clock.

“Please, stop for a moment!” said the Prince.

“Oh, dear!” she said as one glass slipper fell off her foot on the stair. But Cinderella kept running up.

“Wait!” called the Prince. He picked up her glass slipper and rushed out the door. He looked around but could not see her blue dress anywhere. “This is all I have left from her,” he said, looking down at the glass slipper. He saw that it was made in a special way, to fit a foot like none other. “Somewhere there is the other glass slipper,” he said. “And when I find it, I will find her, too. Then I will ask her to be my bride!”

From hut to hut, from house to house, went the Prince. One young woman after another tried to fit her foot inside the glass slipper. But none could fit. And so the Prince moved on.

At last the Prince came to Cinderella’s house. 

The prince knew that Cinderella was the one. He looked into her eyes. He did not see the cinders in her hair or the ashes on her face.

“I have found you!” he said.

“And I have found you,” said Cinderella.

And so Cinderella and the Prince were married, and they lived happily ever after.