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How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
Benefits of Mindfulness: Mindful Living Can Change Your Life
Mindfulness 101: A Beginner's Guide
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Make yourself cosy and fall into a deep slumber with this dreamy story, Cinderella by Henry W. Hewet.
Let's settle in for a night of deep sleep
with this story, Cinderella by Henry W.
Hewitt.
There once lived gentlemen and
his wife who were the parents
of a lovely little daughter.
When this child was only nine
years of age, her mother fell sick.
Finding her death coming on, she
called her child to her and said
to her, "My child, always be good.
Bear everything that happens
to you with patience.
And whatever evil and troubles
you may suffer, you will be
happy in the end if you are so."
Then the lady died and her daughter
was filled with grief at the loss
of her mother so good and kind.
The father too was grieving and
unhappy and sought to get rid of
his sorrow by marrying another wife.
He looked out for a prudent lady
who might be a second mother to his
child and a companion to himself.
His choice fell on a lady of a proud
and tyrannical temper who had two
daughters by a former marriage.
Both as arrogant and bad
tempered as their mother.
No sooner was the wedding over, the
stepmother began to show her bad temper.
She could not bear her stepdaughter's
good qualities that only showed up her
daughters unamiable ones more obviously.
And accordingly, compelled the young girl
to do all the drudgery of the household.
It was she who washed the dishes and
scrubbed down the stairs and polished
the floors in her stepmother's chamber
and in those of her two daughters,
While the two unpleasant stepsisters slept
on comfortable feather beds in elegant
rooms furnished with full length mirrors,
their youngest stepsister laid in and
wretched attic on an old straw mattress.
Yet the sweet girl bore this ill
treatment very meekly and did not
dare complain to her father who
thought so much of his wife, in fear
that he would only have scolded her.
When her work was done, she used
to sit in the chimney corner
amongst the cinders, which had
caused the nickname of Cinderella
to be given to her by the family.
Yet for all her shabby clothes, Cinderella
was a hundred times prettier and more
charming than her sisters, even when
they were dressed ever so magnificently.
It happened that the King's
son was hosting a ball to which
he invited all the nobility.
And luckily for the two young ladies, they
were included in the list of invitations.
They began to be very busy
choosing what headdress and which
gown would be the most becoming.
This meant more work for poor Cinderella.
For it was she who had to
press and prepare the ruffles
and iron all their fine linen.
Between the two young ladies, there was
nothing but talk about gowns for days.
"I," said the eldest, "shall
put on my red velvet dress
with my pointe lace trimmings."
"And I," said, the younger sister,
"shall wear my usual petticoat, but
shall set it off with my gold brocaded
train and my circlets of diamonds."
They sent for a clever dressmaker
to prepare the double rows
of quilting for their caps.
And they purchased a quantity
of fashionably cut patches.
They called in Cinderella to take her
advice as she had such good taste.
And Cinderella not only advise them
well, but offered to style their hair,
which they were pleased to accept.
While she was busy helping them, the
sisters said to her, "Cinderella,
would you like to go to the ball?"
"No.
You are mocking me,"
replied the poor girl.
"Attending balls is not for me."
"True enough," they said.
"Folks would laugh to see a
Cinderella at a court ball."
These two stepsisters were very
cruel to Cinderella and took
advantage of her wherever they could.
Anyone other than Cinderella would
have refused to be helpful in order to
punish them for their lack of respect.
But she was so good natured that
she still dressed them beautifully.
Although they sought to degrade
and lower her, Cinderella's lovely
disposition, still shone bright.
Although she was not allowed to
go to the ball of the King's son,
she not only advised them well
on how they could hold themselves
to appear to the best advantage.
But she, even with her own hands styled
their hair and in the most becoming
manner her delicate tastes could suggest.
The two sisters were so delighted that
they spent their whole time in front
of the mirror admiring themselves.
The long wished for evening came at last.
And these excited sisters stepped into
the carriage and drove away to the palace.
Cinderella watched the coaches far
as she could see and then returned
to the kitchen in tears, where for
the first time she expressed sadness
for her hard and cruel degradation.
She continued sobbing in the corner
of the chimney until a tapping at
the kitchen door roused her and she
got up to see who had caused it.
She found a little old woman
hobbling on crutches who asked
her to give her some food.
"I have only part of my own supper
for you which is no better than a
dry crust, but if you like to step
in and warm yourself, you can do so."
"Thank you, my dear," said the old
woman in a feeble croaking voice.
She then hobbled in and
took her seat by the fire.
"Hey, deary me.
What are all these tears, my child?"
said the old woman.
And then Cinderella told the
old woman all her griefs.
How her sisters had gone to the ball
and how she wished to go too, but
had no clothes or means to do so.
"But you shall go, my
darling," said the old woman.
"Or I am not the queen of the
fairies or your godmother.
Dry up your tears like a good
goddaughter and do as I tell you.
And you shall have clothes
and horses finer than anyone."
Cinderella had heard her father
often talk of her godmother and
tell her that she was one of those
good fairies who protect children.
Her spirits revived, and
she wiped away her tears.
The fairy took Cinderella by the
hand and said, "Now, my dear, go into
the garden and fetch me a pumpkin."
Cinderella bounded lightly to
execute her commands and returned
with one of the finest and largest
pumpkins she could meet with.
It was as big as a beer barrel
and Cinderella trundled it into
the kitchen wondering what her
godmother would do with it.
Her godmother took the pumpkin
and scooped out the inside of
it, leaving nothing but rind.
She then struck it with her wand
and it instantly became one of the
most elegant carriages ever seen.
She next sent Cinderella into
the pantry for the mouse trap.
Requesting she bring six little mice
alive, which she could find in the trap.
Cinderella ran to the pantry.
And there she found the mice as the
fairy had said, which she brought to
the old lady who told her to lift up
the door of the trap, but a little
way in very gently so that only one
of the mice might go out at a time.
Cinderella raised the mouse trap door.
And as the mice came out one by one,
the old woman touched them with her
wand and transformed them into fine
prancing, dapple, gray carriage horses
with long manes and tails, which
were tied up with light blue ribbons.
"Now, my dear good child," said the fairy.
"Here you have a coach and horses
much nicer than your sisters.
But as we have neither a postilion or
a coachman to take care of them, run
quickly to the stable where the rat
trap is placed and bring it to me."
Cinderella was full of joy and
did not lose a moment and soon
returned with the trap in which
there were two fine, large rats.
These too were touched with the wand
and immediately one was changed into
a smart postilion and the other into a
jolly looking coachman in full finery.
Her godmother then said, "My
dear Cinderella, you must go
into the garden again before I
can complete the transformation.
When you get there, keep to the
right side and close to the wall,
you will see the water pot standing.
Look behind it and there you
will find six lizards which you
must bring to me immediately."
Cinderella hurried to the garden
as she was asked and found the six
lizards, which she put into her
apron and brought to the fairy.
Another touch of the wonderful wand
soon converted them into six foot men
in dashing uniforms with powdered hair
in pigtails, three cornered cocked hats,
and gold headed canes who immediately
jumped up behind the carriage as
nimbly as if they'd been footmen
and nothing else, all their lives.
With the coachman and postilion having
likewise taken their places, the fairy
said to Cinderella, "Well, my dear girl,
is this not the finest coach you could
ever desire to go to the ball with?
Tell me now, are you pleased with it?"
"Oh yes, dear Godmother,"
replied Cinderella.
And then with a good deal of hesitation
added, "But how can I make my appearance
amongst so many finally dressed people
in these scruffy looking clothes?"
"Give yourself no uneasiness
about that, my dear.
The most laborious part of our task
is already accomplished and it will
be hard if I cannot make your dress
correspond with your coach and servants."
On saying this, the old woman, assuming
her character of queen of the fairies,
touched Cinderella with the magic wand
and her clothes were instantly changed
into a most magnificent ball dress,
ornamented with the most costly jewels.
The fairy took from her pocket a
beautiful pair of elastic glass slippers,
which she caused Cinderella to put on.
And then told her to get into the
carriage to set off quickly as
the ball had already commenced.
Two footmen opened the carriage door
and assisted the now beautifully
dressed Cinderella into it.
Her godmother, before she left, strictly
told her on no account, whatever to stay
at the ball after the clock had struck 12.
And then added that if she stopped
but a single moment beyond that time,
her fine coach horses, coachman,
postilion and footmen and fine apparel
would all return to their original
shapes of pumpkin, mice, rats,
lizards, and scruffy looking clothes.
Cinderella promised faithfully
to attend to everything that
the fairy had mentioned.
And then quite overjoyed, gave the
direction to the footman who yelled
out in a loud and commanding tone to
the coachman, "To the royal palace."
the coachman touched his prancing
horses with his whip and swiftly
the carriage started off and in
a short time reached the palace.
The arrival of such a splendid carriage
as Cinderella's could not fail to attract
the attention of the palace gates.
And as it drove up to the marble
entrance, the servants in great
numbers came out to see it.
Information was quickly taken to the
King's son that a beautiful young lady,
evidently a princess, was in waiting.
His Royal Highness rushed to the
door, welcomed Cinderella and
escorted her out of the carriage.
He then led her gracefully into
the ballroom and introduced
her to his father, the King.
The moment she appeared,
all conversation was hushed.
The violins ceased playing
and the dancing stopped short.
So great was the sensation
produced by the stranger's beauty.
A confused murmur of admiration
fluttered through the crowd.
And each was compelled to exclaim,
"How surpassingly lovely she is!"
The ladies were all busy examining her
headdress and her clothes in order to
get similar ones the very next day,
if indeed they could find seamstresses
clever enough to make them up.
What a lovely creature.
So fair, so beautiful.
What a handsome figure.
How is she so elegantly dressed?
The King's son handed Cinderella
to one of the most distinguished
seats at the top of the hall and
offered her some refreshments.
Cinderella received them with great grace.
When this was over, the prince requested
to have the honor of dancing with her.
Cinderella smiled with consent.
And the delighted prince immediately
led her out to the head of the dance,
which was just about to commence.
The eyes of all the guests were
fixed upon the beautiful pair.
The trumpet sounded and the music
struck up and the dance commenced.
But if Cinderella's beauty, elegant
figure and the splendor of her
dress had before drawn attention
of the whole room, the astonishment
at her dancing was still greater.
Gracefulness seem to
play in all her motions.
The airy lightness with which she
floated along as buoyant, as thistledown
generated a murmur of admiration.
The hall rang with the loudest
exclamations of applause and the company
all in one voice pronounced her the most
elegant creature that had ever been seen.
And this was the little girl
who had passed a great part of
her life in the kitchen and had
always been called a cinder girl.
When the dance ended, a
magnificent feast was served up
consisting of all delicacies.
So much was the young prince
engaged with Cinderella that he did
not eat one morsel of the supper,
Cinderella drew near her sisters
and frequently spoke to them.
And in the goodness of her heart, she
offered them the delicacies which she
had received from the prince, but they
did not know she was their sister.
When Cinderella heard the clock strike
three quarters past 11, she made
a low curtsy to the whole assembly
and left the ball very quickly.
On reaching home, she found her Godmother.
And after thanking her for the
treat she had enjoyed, she ventured
to express a wish to return to the
ball on the following evening, as
the prince had requested her to do.
She was still relating to her godmother
all that had happened at the ball when
her two sisters knocked at the door.
Cinderella went and let them in.
Pretending to yawn and stretch
herself and rub her eyes and
saying, "How late you are."
Just as if she was woken up out of a nap.
Though, truth to say, she had never
felt less disposed to sleep in her life.
"If you had been to the ball,"
said one of the sisters, "you
would not have thought it late.
There came the most beautiful
princess ever seen who loaded
us with polite attentions and
gave us oranges and citrons."
Cinderella could scarcely contain
her delight and inquired as to
the name of the princess, but they
replied that nobody knew her name.
Yet the King's son was very
taken by her and would give the
world to know who she could be.
"Is she then so very beautiful?"
said Cinderella smiling.
"Oh my, how I wish I could see her.
Oh my, Lady J'ouvert lend me the
yellow dress you wear every day so
that I may go to the ball and have
a peep at this wonderful princess?"
"A likely story indeed," cried her
sister, tossing her head disdainfully,
"that I should lend my clothes
to a dirty Cinderella like you?"
Cinderella expected to be refused and was
not sorry for it as she would have been
puzzled, what to do had her sister really
lent her the dress she begged to have.
On the following evening, the
sisters again went to the ball.
And so did Cinderella dressed even
more magnificently than before.
The King's son never left her
side and kept paying her the
most flattering compliments.
The young lady was enjoying the attention.
So it came to pass that she forgot
her godmother's instructions
and indeed lost track of time so
completely that she was startled at
hearing the first stroke of midnight.
She rose hastily and flew
away like a startled fawn.
The prince attempted to follow
her, but she was too swift for him.
Only as she rushed away, she
dropped one of her glass slippers,
which he picked up very eagerly.
Cinderella reached home quite out of
breath without either coach or footman and
with only her shabby clothes on her back.
Nothing in short remained of her
recent magnificence except for
the little glass slipper, the
match to the one she had lost.
Security at the palace gate were
closely questioned as to whether they
had not seen a princess coming out.
But they answered they had
seen no one except a shabbily
dressed girl who appeared to be a
peasant rather than a young lady.
When the two sisters returned from the
ball, Cinderella asked them whether
they had been well entertained and
whether the beautiful lady was there.
They replied that she was,
but that she had run away as
soon as midnight had struck.
And so quickly that she dropped one of
her dainty glass slippers which the King's
son had picked up and was looking at most
fondly during the remainder of the ball.
Indeed, it seemed beyond a doubt
that he was deeply enamored of the
beautiful creature to whom it belonged.
A few days afterwards, the King's
son caused a proclamation to be
made by a sound of trumpet all over
the kingdom, to the effect that he
would marry her whose foot should
be found to fit the slipper exactly.
So the slipper was first tried on
by all the princesses, then by all
the duchesses, and next by all the
persons belonging to the court.
But in vain.
It was then carried to the two sisters
who tried with all their might to
force their feet into its delicate
proportions, but with no better success.
Cinderella who was present and
recognized her slipper now laughed
and said, "Suppose I were to try?"
Her sister's ridiculed such an idea, but
the gentleman who was appointed to try
the slipper said that it was but fair
she should do so as he had orders to try
it on every young maiden in the kingdom.
Accordingly having requested Cinderella
to sit down, she no sooner put her
little foot to the slipper, then she
drew it on and it fitted like wax.
The sisters were quite amazed, but
their astonishment increased tenfold
when Cinderella drew the fellow slipper
out of her pocket and put it on.
Her Godmother then made her appearance and
having touched Cinderella's clothes with
her wand made them still more magnificent
than those she had previously worn.
Her two sisters now recognized
her for the beautiful stranger
they had seen at the ball.
And falling at her feet, begging
her forgiveness for their
unworthy treatment and all the
insults they had heaped upon her.
Cinderella raised them saying
as she embraced them that she
forgave them with all her heart.
She was then taken to the palace of the
young prince in whose eyes she appeared
yet more lovely and kind than before.
And only a few days later, they married.
Cinderella, who was as good as she was
beautiful, allowed her sisters to lodge in
the palace, making them feel very welcome.
And she even went on to introduce
them to two lords of the court.
And together they all
lived happily ever after.
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