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ANONYMOUS
Title:CINDERELLA AND OTHER TALES
Subject:FICTION
CINDERELLA OR, THE LITTLE GLASS SLIPPER AND OTHER STORIES
Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper
Fanny''s Telephone Order
The Raindrops'' New Dresses
Sir Gobble
What is It?
John''s Bright Idea
A Sad Thanksgiving Party
Guy and the Bee
Mean Boy
Naughty Pumpkin''s Fate
Something About Fires
The lee-King''s Reign.
Malmo, the Wounded Rat
Mama''s Happy Christmas
Cured of Carelessness
A Visit from a Prince
Stringing Cranberries
Christmas in California
A Troublesome Call
Bertie''s Corn-Popper
Fire! Fire! Fire!
The Dolls and the Other Dolls
Why Did Mamma Change Her Mind?
Clara''s Funeral.
The Chickadee-Dee.
The Children''s Party
Brave Tomasso
Tommy Frost Sees a Bear
Myself
Two Strange Sights
A Cat''s Instincts
Diliah''s New Year''s Presents
Night Flowers
The First Snow Storm
Fred''s Stolen Ride
A Valentine Party
The Venturesome Rat
The Bear''s Feast
Babie''s Curls.
The Red Apples
Bubbles
A Horse Who Wore Snow Shoes
The Angry Bobolink
How Hiram Spent His Shrimp Money
The Ant''s House
The Foolish Pug
The Silhouette Party
The Snow Birds
A Kind Heart
Towser Talks
Just as She Pleased
CINDERELLA; OR THE LITTLE GLASS SLIPPER.
Once 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 humor, 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 colors. 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 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 a cinder maid; 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
headdresses 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 cinder wench at a ball."
Any one 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 they were transported
with joy. They broke above a dozen of 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 could''st go to the ball. Is it not so?"
"Y--es," 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 mousetrap, 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-colored dapple-gray. Being at a loss for a
coachman, Cinderella said:
"I will go and see if there is never a rat in the rattrap--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 coachman, 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
dirty 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. Ah! who can describe a robe made
by the fairies? It was white as snow, and as dazzling; round the
hem hung a fringe of diamonds, sparkling like dewdrops in the
sunshine. The lace about the throat and arms could only have been
spun by fairy spiders. Surely it was a dream! Cinderella put her
daintily gloved hand to her throat, and softly touched the pearls
that encircled her neck.
"Come, child," said the Godmother, "or you will be late."
As Cinderella moved, the firelight shone upon her dainty shoes.
"They are of diamonds," she said.
"No," answered her Godmother, smiling; "they are better than
that--they are of glass, made by the fairies. And now, child, go,
and enjoy yourself to your heart''s content."
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 ...
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