Part 1 of 2
ONCE upon a time, a widowed nobleman remarried so that his only daughter might have a mother and the company of sisters. But they sent her away to sweep out the ash from the fireplaces, and dubbed her ‘Cinderella’, maid-of-ashes.
One day, the Prince announced a sumptuous ball in the hope of finding himself a princess. So mother and daughters put on their best gowns, and left strict instructions with Cinderella to ready the fires for their return.
When they were gone, Cinderella sang a sad little rhyme by the tree that marked her mother’s grave; and as she did, a nut fell at her feet.
She opened the nut, and a magnificent gown tumbled out; then the tree-trunk split wide, and a coach-and-four sprang out.
So Cinderella did go to the ball. She danced with the prince until midnight, and then slipped away, knowing that at that hour the magical gown and coach would vanish.
Part Two
NOW, Cinderella’s step-sisters (who had not recognised her beneath her mask) were achingly curious to know who the mysterious young lady in the beautiful gown had been, but not nearly so curious as the prince.
Twice more he hosted a sumptuous ball, and twice more Cinderella came and danced until midnight.
On the third night, however, as she raced for the palace doors on the last stroke of twelve, she lost her dainty shoe.
Here was a pretty mystery for the prince, and for her gossipy step-sisters! But the resourceful prince took the shoe, and proclaimed that whomsoever it would fit must be his elusive dancing-partner, and one day his queen.
What the two step-sisters did to make that tiny shoe fit doesn’t bear thinking about. Fortunately, the horrified prince discovered it, and despite their protests turned to Cinderella.
Of course the shoe fitted her perfectly. And so they were married, and crowned, and lived happily ever after.