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.