CINDERELLA, OR THE GLASS SLIPPER

I CINDERELLA IN THE KITCHEN

 

ONCE upon a time there lived a man and his wife and one beautiful daughter. The wife fell sick and died, and some time after the father  married again, for he needed some one to take care of his child. The new wife appeared very well before the wedding, but afterward she showed a bad temper. She had two children of her own, and they were proud and unkind like their mother. They could not bear their gentle sister, and they made her do all the hard work.

She washed the dishes, and scrubbed the stairs. She swept the floor in my lady’s chamber, and took care of the rooms of the two pert misses. They slept on soft beds in fine rooms, and had tall looking-glasses, so that they could admire themselves from top to toe. She lay on an old straw sack in the garret.

She bore all this without complaint. She did her work, and then sat in the corner among the ashes and cinders. So her two sisters gave her the name of Cinderella or the cinder-maid. But Cinderella was really much more beautiful than they; and she surely was more sweet and gentle.

Now the king’s son gave a ball, and he invited all the rich and the grand. Cinderella’s two sisters were fine ladies; they were to go to the ball. Perhaps they would even dance with the prince. So they had new gowns made, and they looked over all their finery.

Here was fresh work for poor Cinderella. She must starch their ruffles and iron their linen. All day long they talked of nothing but their fine clothes.

“I shall wear my red velvet dress,” said the elder, “and trim it with my point lace.”

“And I,” said the younger sister, “shall wear a silk gown, but I shall wear over it a gold brocade, and I shall put on my diamonds. You have nothing so fine.”

Then they began to quarrel over their clothes, and Cinderella tried to make peace between them. She helped them about their dresses, and offered to arrange their hair on the night of the ball.

While she was thus busy, the sisters said to her:—

“And pray, Cinderella, would you like to go to the ball?”

“Nay,” said the poor girl; “you are mocking me. It is not for such as I to go to balls.”

“True enough,” they said. “Folks would laugh to see a cinder-maid at a court ball.”

Any one else would have dressed their hair ill to spite them for their rudeness. But Cinderella was good-natured, and only took more pains to make them look well.

The two sisters scarcely ate a morsel for two days before the ball. They wished to look thin and graceful. They lost their tempers over and over, and they spent most of the time before their tall glasses. There they turned and turned to see how they looked behind, and how their long trains hung.

At last the evening came, and off they set in a coach. Cinderella watched them till they were out of sight, and then she sat down by the kitchen fire and began to weep.

All at once her fairy godmother appeared, with her wand.

“What are you crying for, my little maid?”

“I wish—I wish,” began the poor girl, but her voice was choked with tears.

“You wish that you could go to the ball?”

Cinderella nodded.

“Well, then, if you will be a good girl, you shall go. Run quick and fetch me a pumpkin from the garden.”

Cinderella flew to the garden and brought back the finest pumpkin she could find. She could not guess what use it would be, but the fairy scooped it hollow, and then touched it with her wand. The pumpkin became at once a splendid gilt coach.

“Now fetch me the mouse-trap from the pantry.”

In the mouse-trap were six sleek mice. The fairy opened the door, and as they ran out she touched each with her wand, and it became a gray horse. But what was she to do for a coachman?

“We might look for a rat in the rat-trap,” said Cinderella.

“That is a good thought. Run and bring the rat-trap, my dear.”

Back came Cinderella with the trap. In it were three large rats. The fairy chose one that had long black whiskers, and she made him the coachman.

“Now go into the garden and bring me six lizards. You will find them behind the water-pot.”

These were no sooner brought than, lo! with a touch of the wand they were turned into six footmen, who jumped up behind the coach, as if they had done nothing else all their days. Then the fairy said:—

“Here is your coach and six, Cinderella; your coachman and your footmen. Now you can go to the ball.”

“What! in these clothes?” and Cinderella looked down at her ragged frock. The fairy laughed, and just touched her with the wand. In a twinkling, her shabby clothes were changed to a dress of gold and silver lace, and on her bare feet were silk stockings and a pair of glass slippers, the prettiest ever seen.

 

 

“Now go to the ball, Cinderella; but remember, if you stay one moment after midnight, your coach will instantly become a pumpkin, your horses will be mice, your coachman a rat, and your footmen lizards. And you? You will be once more only a cinder-maid in a ragged frock and with bare feet.”

II CINDERELLA IN THE PALACE

 

CINDERELLA promised and drove away in high glee. She dashed up to the palace, and her coach was so fine that the king’s son came down the steps of the palace to hand out this unknown princess. He led her to the hall where all the guests were dancing.

The moment she appeared all voices were hushed, the music stopped, and the dancers stood still. Such a beautiful princess had never been seen! Even the king, old as he was, turned to the queen and said:—

“She is the most beautiful being I ever saw—since I first saw you!”

As for the ladies of the court, they were all busy looking at Cinderella’s clothes. They meant to get some just like them the very next day, if possible.

The prince led Cinderella to the place of highest rank, and asked her hand for the next dance. She danced with so much grace that he admired her more and more. Supper was brought in, but the prince could not keep his eyes off the beautiful stranger. Cinderella went and sat by her  sisters, and shared with them the fruit which the prince gave her. They were very proud to have her by them, for they never dreamed who she really was.

Cinderella was talking with them, when she heard the clock strike the quarter hour before twelve. She went at once to the king and queen, and made them a low courtesy and bade them good-night. The queen said there was to be another ball the next night, and she must come to that. The prince led her down the steps to her coach, and she drove home.

At the house the fairy sat waiting for Cinderella. The maiden began to tell all that had happened, and was in the midst of her story, when a knock was heard at the door. It was the sisters coming home from the ball. The fairy disappeared, and Cinderella went to the door, rubbing her eyes, as if she had just waked from a nap. She was once more a poor little cinder-maid.

“How late you are!” she said, as she opened the door.

“If you had been to the ball, you would not have thought it late,” said her sisters. “There came the most beautiful princess that ever was seen. She was very polite to us, and loaded us with oranges and grapes.”

“Who was she?” asked Cinderella.

“Nobody knew her name. The prince would give his eyes to know.”

“Ah! how I should like to see her,” said Cinderella. “Oh, do, my Lady Javotte,”—that was the name of the elder sister,—”lend me the yellow dress that you wear every day, and let me go to the ball and have a peep at the beautiful princess.”

“What! lend my yellow gown to a cinder-maid! I am not so silly as that.”

Cinderella was not sorry to have Javotte say no; she would have been puzzled to know what to do if her sister had really lent her the dress she begged for.

The next night came, and the sisters again went to the court ball. After they had gone, the fairy came as before and made Cinderella ready.

“Now remember,” she said, as the coach drove away, “remember twelve o’clock.”

Cinderella was even more splendid than on the first night, and the king’s son never left her side. He said so many pretty things that Cinderella could think of nothing else. She forgot the fairy’s warning; she forgot her promise. Eleven o’clock came, but she did not notice the striking. The half-hour struck, but the prince grew more charming, and Cinderella could hear nothing but his voice. The last quarter—but still Cinderella sat by the prince.

Then the great clock on the tower struck the first stroke of twelve. Up sprang Cinderella, and fled from the room. The prince started to follow her, but she was too swift for him; in her flight, one of her glass slippers fell from her feet, and he stopped to pick it up.

The last stroke of twelve died away, as Cinderella darted down the steps of the palace. In a twinkling the gay lady was gone; only a shabby cinder-maid was running down the steps. The splendid coach and six, driver and footman,—all were gone; only a pumpkin lay on the ground, and a rat, six mice, and six lizards scampered off.

Cinderella reached home, quite out of breath. She had saved nothing of all her finery but one little glass slipper. The prince had its mate, but he had lost the princess. He asked the soldiers at the palace gate if they had not seen her drive away. No; at that hour only a ragged girl had passed out.

Soon the two sisters came home from the ball, and Cinderella asked them if they had again seen the beautiful lady. Yes; she had been at the ball, but she had left suddenly, and no one knew what had become of her. But the prince would surely find her, for he had one of her glass slippers.

They spoke truly. A few days afterward, the king’s son sent a messenger with a trumpet and the slipper through all the city. The messenger sounded his trumpet and shouted that the prince would marry the lady who could wear the glass slipper. So the slipper was first tried on by all the princesses; then by all the duchesses; next by all the persons belonging to the court; but in vain: not one could wear it.

Then it was carried to all the fine houses, and it came at last to the two sisters. They tried with all their might to force a foot into the fairy slipper, but they could not. Cinderella stood by, and said:—

“Suppose I were to try.” Her two sisters jeered at her, but the messenger looked at Cinderella. He saw that she was very fair, and, besides, he had orders to try the slipper on the foot of every maiden in the kingdom, if need were.

So he bade Cinderella sit down on a three-legged stool in the kitchen. She put out her little foot, and the slipper fitted like wax. The sisters stood in amaze. Then Cinderella put her hand into her pocket and drew forth the other glass slipper, and put it on her other foot.

 

The moment that Cinderella did this, the fairy, who stood by unseen, touched her with her wand, and the cinder-maid again became the beautiful, gayly dressed lady. The sisters saw that she was the same one whom they had seen at the ball. They thought how ill they had treated her all these years, and they fell at her feet and asked her to forgive them.

Cinderella was as good now as she had been when she was a cinder-maid. She freely forgave her sisters, and took them to the palace with her, for she was now to be the prince’s wife. And when the old king and queen died, the prince and Cinderella became King and Queen.

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30 thoughts on “CINDERELLA, OR THE GLASS SLIPPER”

  1. I read this story. Though some words are new for me but most of the words are so simple. Anyone understand it very easiy.
    Keep it up.

  2. Cinderella was favorite from my childhood. I have read cartoon book on it and watched animated cartoon movie several times. I just loved to read it once again. I have learnt from this story to use/make few words in sentences. It’s wasn’t in vain…..

  3. Thank you to the admin who collect it and publish here for us. I had read it when I was in class four. Yes, I could remember it. But the story was in Bengali.
    by he way, the new achievement of this story is, I got some new words and could get it easily.
    Actually, these type of story are perfect for all types of readers and hope that these types of story will help all people.
    But the lesson, what to learnt from here is, we should not change our behave to the lower classes people by whom we usually getting served.

  4. Thanks Razib vai.I feel pleasure to read this story Cinderella or the glass slippers. without mother Cinderella first griefy girl.Side by side her two sisters also proudy & always insulted Cinderella. At last a fairy appeared and touched her wand Cinderella changedd a beautiful princess. At last she got married prince & passing her days happily, also her two sisters with her.very nice story .

  5. Shakiul Alom Sony

    I knew this story in Bangla. Today I read it in English. But there are a lot of words unknown for me. But I have tried to make me understand the story. Thank you so much for sharing such an amazing and interesting story.

  6. This is an awesome story indeed and its worth reading too. I lost my mind while I indulge into such story. I always try to finish it within a glimpse.

  7. nurjahan khanom

    I read it. but many new word here. something I know meaning. What can I do?please suggest me anyone.

  8. Md Juwel Islam

    লিখতে চাই কিন্তু কিছুই লিখতে পারি না তবে আশা করি ভাল পড়তে ও লিখতে পারবো ইনশাআল্লাহ।

  9. This is another great story I have read this story two timed,one times many days ago and todays one time. By this reading this story I understood that cindrela suffered lot of negligence from her dishonest mother and two histers, she always gave neglet and sorrow from those people of story.and I learnt many new words from this chapter.

  10. Alira Tanjira Alme

    its a nice story. .cinderella was indeed a beauty queen that’s why the godmother of fairy help her to decorate nicely with her wizard net…
    The two sisters of her really too fool. .they see her regularly but can’t try to reveal her but when in the ball they see her they are getting excited without knowing this she is their own sister..in finally the conclusion of this story is nice…

  11. This is a beautiful story with a lot of new words. Now I should know the meaning of these words and memorize them.

  12. I hear about this story so many time n know these all characters since my childhood. But today again reading this full story felt me feast On.

  13. I heard about this story before but not read before.
    Very eenjoyable & meaningful story.
    I enjoyed very much when I read it.
    I found some new words.I noted all words at my diary.

  14. Mohammad Sayful Alam

    It’s a great story forever.Learn few new word by reading this story.Before I heard this story in Bengali but today I read it in English.
    Moral of the story: -If you’re doing well each time in your life.Surely Allah will help y ou.

  15. I heard this story in bengali at before.After reading, i enjoyed a lot again..because it is one of my favourite stories.. At last Cinderella started her happy life with princes and forgave her wicked sisters..

  16. Loneliness naiym

    Owo! outstanding.
    .
    Hear we have learned one thing. Happiness will come afterwards sorrow. Just we have to keep patient. We know the proverb that” The result of patience is sweeter than honey “.
    In the world those who are catching patience sooner or later they are going to thr peak of success. Success will never come easily, for gettiing success we have to keep patient, working hard and have to believe that sooner or later we will get success. Then easily we could get success.
    .
    Sorrow will come but we have to handle it with bravely or doing hard working then we could get success.
    .
    Sir, you have fallen in worst situation when you were creating Search English or e-CAB but you never thought it what they told. You had handle the situation and now you have got the result of it.
    .
    We have to believe in fortune and doing working hard then sooner or later it will come success.
    .
    Thanks

  17. Cindrala is my dream girl when i was young. Even today i have seat for watching the movie.patience gives a good future which we learn from the story and forgiveness is a big quality of a human being .
    Cindrala lived with her step mother and sisters bt never hurt them all time they laught at her and he she stay there as a maid sevent .finally he got the chance to meet the prince and king queen .bt they found out her by her glass slipper. The prince loved her too much and finally they lived together happly and her step sisters also with her in that palace.

  18. It’s a amazing story indeed. I saw a movie which is made by base of this story. we can learn something from that if you have potential and your mind is honest not to greedy then one there will be occur a incident like occur in cindrala

  19. it’s a lovely story but here i got so much new sentence that i read inahaallah if i read all article i will be able to read faster more then previous yeah i know that for this i have to read more and more

  20. Rashed Talulkder

    nice story. before today I read it once time. Razib sir shared the story by a post in group. that time I read it.

  21. Just amazing story.From this story I found some new words.I wish that after some day I will read it again then it will be easy for me.

  22. Md:Moshiur Rahman

    its a lovely story. .cinderella was a beautiful girl.With the help of fairy she attracted the prince.The two sisters of her really too fool.They can’t imagine that the girl was their sister.The last scenes of this story is nice.

  23. wow,how nice this story is!!!!!
    fairy can do anything this story prove this..never treat someone your own as a maid…

  24. wow! it’s a nice story.I have been seing cindrela cartton wih my children.cindrella is a beautiful girl.I find maney new words. this story teach us where there is a will there is a way.

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