Cinderella

GEORGE ROUTLEDGE AND SONS,

LONDON AND NEW YORK.

CINDERELLA:

OR,

THE LITTLE GLASS SLIPPER.

THERE was, many years ago, a gentleman who had a
charming lady for his wife. They had one daughter only,
who was very dutiful to her parents. But while she was
still very young, her mamma died, to the grief of her
husband and daughter. After a time, the little girl's
papa married another lady. Now this lady was proud
and haughty, and had two grown-up daughters as disa-
greeable as herself; so the poor girl found everything at
home changed for the worse.

But she bore all her troubles with patience, not even
complaining to her father, and, in spite of her hard toil,
she grew more lovely in face and figure every year.

Now the King's son gave a grand ball, and all persons
of quality were invited to it. Our two young ladies were
not overlooked. Nothing was now talked of but the rich
dresses 'they were to wear.

At last the happy day arrived. The two proud sisters
set off in high spirits. Cinderella followed them with her
eyes until the coach was out ©f sight. She then began
to cry bitterly. While she was sobbing, her godmother,
who was a Fairy, appeared before her.

CINDERELLA.

%k Cinderella," said the Fairy, " I am your godmother,
and for the sake of your dear mamma I an\ come to cheer
you up, so dry your tears ; you shall go to the grand ball
to-night, but you must do just as I bid you. Go into
the garden and bring me a pumpkin." Cinderella brought
the finest that was there. Her godmother scooped it out
very quickly, and then struck it with her wand, upon
which it was changed into a beautiful coach. Afterwards,
the old lady peeped into the mouse -trap, where she found
six mice. She tapped them lightly with her wand, and
each mouse became a fine horse. The rat-trap contained
two large rats ; one of these she turned into a coachman,
and the other into a postilion. Theft old lady then told
Cinderella to go into the garden and seek for half-a-dozen
lizards. These she changed into six footmen, dressed in
the gayest livery.

When all these things had been done, the kind god-
mother touching her with her wand, changed her worn-out
clothes into a beautiful ball- dress embroidered with pearls
and silver. She then gave her a pair of glass slippers,
that is, they were woven of the most delicate spun-glass,
fine as the web of a spider.

When Cinderella was thus attired, her godmother made
her get into her splendid coach, giving her a caution to
leave the ball before the clock struck twelve.

On her arrival, her beauty struck everybody with won-
der. The gallant Prince gave her a courteous welcome,
and led her into the ball-room; and the King and Queen
were as much enchanted with her, as the Prince conducted

5

fHH

CINDERELLA.

jher_ ta the supper-table, and was too much occupied in
waiting upon her to partake of anything himself. While
seated, Cinderella heard the clock strike three-quarters
past eleven. She rose to leave, the Prince pressing her
to accept an invitation for the ball on the following evening.

On reaching home, her godmother praised her for being
so punctual, and agreed to let her go to the next night's
ball.

Although she seemed to be tired, her sisters, instead of
showing pity, teased her witli glowing accounts of the
splendid scene they had just left, and spoke particularly
of the beautiful Princess. Cinderella was delighted to
hear all this, and asked them the name of the Princess,
but they replied, nobody knew her. So much did they
say in praise of the lady, that Cinderella expressed a
desire to go to the next ball to see the Princess ; but
this only served to bring out their dislike of poor Cinderella
still more, and they would not lend her the meanest of
their dresses.

The next evening the two sisters went to the ball, and
Cinderella also, who was still more splendidly dressed
than before. Her enjoyment was even greater than at
the first ball, and she was so occupied with the Prince's
tender sayings that she was not so quick in marking the
progress of time.

To her alarm she heard the clock strike twelve. She
fled from the ball-room ; but in a moment the coach changed
again to a pumpkin, the horses to mice, the coachman and
postilion to rats, the footmen to lizards, and Cinderella's

8

CINDERELLA.

beautiful dress to her old shabby clothes. In her haste she
dropped one of her glass slippers, and reached home, out of
breath, with none of her godmother's fairy gifts but one
glass slipper.

When her sisters arrived after the ball, they spoke in
terms of rapture of the unknown Princess, and told Cin-
derella about the little glass slipper she had dropped, and
how the Prince picked it up. It was evident to all the
Court that the Prince was determined if possible, to find
out the owner of the slipper; and a few days afterwards
a royal herald proclaimed that the King's son would
marry her whose foot the glass slipper should be found
exactly to fit.

This proclamation caused a great sensation. Ladies of
all ranks were permitted to make a trial of the slipper ;
but it was of no use. Cinderella now said, " Let me try
— perhaps it may fit me." It slipped on in a moment.
Great was the vexation of the two sisters at this ; but
what was their astonishment when Cinderella took the
fellow slipper out of her pocket !

At that moment the godmother appeared, and touched
Cinderella's clothes with her wand. Her sisters then saw
that she was the beautiful lady they had met at the ball,
and, throwing themselves at her feet, craved her forgive-
ness.

A short time after, she was married to the Prince, to
the intense gratification of the whole Court.

10

CHILDREN'S BOOK
COLLECTION

*

LIBRARY OF THE

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

LOS ANGELES

PENNY TOY-BOOKS,

WITH SIX COLOURED ILLUSTRATIONS,
PRINTED BY KRONHEIM & CO.

5. MY FIRST ALPHABET

6. MOTHER GOOSE

7. THE BABES IN THE WOOD

8. THIS LITTLE PIG

9. THE OLD WOMAN WHO LIVED

IN A SHOE

10. LITTLE BO-PEEP

11. NURSERY RHYMES

*?,. FARM-YARD ALPHABET

$3. JACK AND THE BEANSTALK

*4. JOHN GILPIN

15. OLD MOTHER HUBBARD

16. THE THREE BEARS

17. THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT

18. THE DOGS' DINNER PARTY

19. MY MOTHER

20. THE CATS' TEA PARTY

21. MORE NURSERY RHYMES
32. ROBIN REDBREAST

23. A, APPLE PIE

24. THE RAILWAY ALPHABET

25. NURSERY SONGS

26. NURSERY DITTIES

27. PUNCH AND JUDY

28. OUR PETS

29. CINDERELLA

30. PUSS-IN-BOOTS

31. LITTLE RED RIDING-HOOD

32. WILD ANIMALS

33. TAME ANIMALS

34. BIRDS

35. JACK THE GIANT KILLER

36. BLUE BEARD

37. ALADDIN

38. THE FORTY THIEVES

39. TOM THUMB

40. SLEEPING BEAUTY IN THE

WOOD

°TE AND SONS,