Snow White

ONE SNOWY DAY a queen sat sewing and pricked her finger. As the crimson blood dripped upon the snow she longed for a child as white as snow, as red as blood, and as black as ebony. Soon after giving birth to a daughter who fulfilled all of these requirements, she died.

When the baby Snow White was one year old, her father married again. The new queen was even more beautiful than the old one, but proud and vain . She spent many hours gazing into a magic mirror and often asked it:

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest one of all?"

Knowing that the mirror never lied, her vanity was satisfied when it replied:

"You, my queen are fairest of all"

But as years passed Snow white grew to be beautiful too. By her seventh birthday she was even lovelier than her stepmother and in answer to the queen's usual question the honest mirror had to say:

"You, my queen, have a beauty rare, but Snow White is a thousand times fairer."

From that moment on the queen was tormented by hatred for the little girl. Her jealous heart knew no peace and finally she ordered her huntsman to kill Snow White in the forest and bring back her liver and lungs.

The man tried to obey, but when he pulled out his hunting knife he couldn't stab such a beautiful, innocent child. Instead, he left her to be eaten by wild beasts and returned to the queen with the liver and lungs of a young boar. Believing they were Snow White's organs, she had them boiled in salt and ate them.

Meanwhile the frightened girl was alone in the forest. She ran over sharp stones and through thorny bushes but it was almost night when she stumbled upon a sheltering cottage. Upon entering she found a neat table lay with seven small plates that held seven small dinners. The hungry girl, not wanting to take everything from just one place, ate a little from each plate. Then, laying down on one of the seven small beds, she slept.

Now the cottage belonged to seven dwarves who worked up an enormous appetite mining for gold all day. When they came home and saw how their dinners had shrunk they were furious and searched about to punish the greedy intruder. They quickly found the sleeping child but she was so beautiful they could not even bear to wake her.

When Snow White opened her lovely eyes the next morning she was startled to see seven little men staring at her. They were so kind, however, that she soon felt right at home and told them all about the wicked queen. Moved by her tale the dwarves said:

"If you'll keep the house for us, cook, make the beds, and keep everything neat and orderly, you can stay."

Snow White agreed to their terms and soon settled into her new home. Every morning the dwarves went off to the gold mines and returned after dark to a hot meal and a gleaming home. They loved Snow White dearly and, for her own protection, insisted that she always keep the cottage door locked and never, ever let anybody in. They were afraid of the wicked queen, and rightly so. For she very soon found out from the truthful mirror that her rival was alive and began to plot another murder.

This time she did not send the huntsman but went into the forest herself, disguised as an old peddler. Making sure the dwarves had left for the day she knocked on the cottage door and cried:

Pretty wares for sale, pretty laces for sale."

Peeping from a window Snow White thought 'Those laces are pretty and I really do need a new one for my bodice. Surely I can let this honest old lady in?'

And quick as a flash she unbolted the door. In came the peddler woman to help re-thread and tie the bodice, but she pulled so tight the breath left Snow White's body and she sank to the floor as if dead.

"Well you used to be the fairest of all - but not now!"

Then the crone sped off. When the dwarves came home for dinner and saw their dear child laying on the ground they rushed to lift her up. Seeing that her bodice was pulled too tight they cut the lace in two and at once she began to breathe again.

The first thing the witch did upon returning home was consult her mirror:

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?"

Of course, she didn't like the reply for Snow White was still alive and still fairest of all. This time, she vowed, I will really destroy her.

For her next attempt, using all her witchcraft, she made a poisoned comb, disguised herself as an old peddler, and went into the forest. Knocking on the cottage door she cried:

"Pretty wares for sale, pretty combs for sale!"

Peeping from a window Snow White thought. 'Those combs are pretty and I really do need a new one. Surely I can let this honest old lady in?'

Quick as a flash she had unbolted the door, bought a comb and let the peddler unbind her hair to comb it out. But as soon as the poison comb touched her pretty head she fell down as if dead.

"You paragon of beauty, now you are done for"

Said the wicked woman and away she went. Fortunately it was nearly evening and the dwarves soon came home. They pulled out the comb and instantly Snow White revived. Meanwhile the queen had returned home and asked the mirror her usual question,

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?"

But once again the reply came:

"You, my queen, have a beauty rare: but Snow White is a thousand times fairer."

At this she trembled with rage and hid herself in a secret chamber. She emerged cradling a luscious apple On the outside it shone white and red but beneath the rosy part lurked a deadly poison.

Once again the queen disguised herself and entered the forest. But this time, when she knocked on the cottage door Snow White was more cautious. She refused to let the peddler in an wouldn't even take the apple as a gift.

Are you afraid it might be poisoned?" said the old woman placidly. "Look, I'll cut it in two. You have the half that's as red as your pretty lips and I'll eat the white bit." The apple looked so tasty that Snow white could no longer resist and, stretching her hand out of the window, she took the fruit. No sooner did she bite into it that she fell down dead. The queen laughed and danced a little dance before she left.

When the dwarves returned that evening they found Snow White laying on the ground and tried to revive her as they had before, but this time nothing worked. The dear child was truly dead and for 3 days they wept over her body. Unable to confine their lovely princess in the worm-eaten earth, the sad little men built her a coffin of clear glass. They lovingly wrote her name upon it, kept it above ground and guarded it night and day. For many, many years Snow White lay in her casket without rotting.

Now it happened one day that a prince came into the forest. He saw Snow White laying still red as blood, white as snow, and black as ebony, and promptly fell in love. Unable to live without her he tried to buy the coffin and its contents, but the good dwarves refused to sell. The prince was distraught and begged them to give him the beautiful girl. Eventually he made himself so pitiful that they gave in and handed her over.

The prince ordered his servants to carry it to his father's castle with the utmost care. But, while heaving the heavy casket up on to his shoulder, one of the servants stumbled on a shrub and jolted the coffin so violently that a piece of poison apple lodged in Snow White's throat flew out. Opening her eyes, the beautiful corpse sat up and exclaimed:

"Oh Lord! Where am I?"

The overjoyed prince immediately proposed and the pair were wed at his father's castle with great pomp and circumstance. Now the wicked queen was still alive and stil proud and vain. She received an invitation to the wedding and arrived, dressed in her best, expecting to be greeted warmly. Truly, her reception was a hot one but not in any way she anticipated. A pair of iron slippers had been roasted until they glowed red and she was forced to dance in them until she fell down dead.

Little Mermaid

Once upon a time...

The Little Mermaid lives at the sea bottom with her father the Sea King, her grandmother, and her five older sisters, born one year apart. When a mermaid turns 15, she is allowed to swim to the surface to watch the world above, and as the sisters become old enough one of them visits the surface every year. As each of them returns the Little Mermaid listens longingly to their descriptions of the surface and human beings.

When the Little Mermaid turns 15 she ventures to the surface. She sees a ship with a handsome prince, and falls in love with him from a distance. There comes a great storm, and the prince almost drowns, but the Little Mermaid saves him and she delivers him unconscious to the shore near a temple. Here she waits until he is found by a young girl from the temple. The prince never sees the Little Mermaid.

The Little Mermaid asks her grandmother whether humans can live forever if they do not drown. She is told that no, humans have an even shorter lifespan than mermaids. Mermaids live for 300 years, but when they die they turn to sea foam and cease to exist. Humans, on the other hand, have a short lifespan on earth, but they have an eternal soul that lives on in heaven even after they die. The Little Mermaid spends her days longing for the prince and for an eternal soul. At last she goes to the Sea Witch who sells her a potion that gives her legs, in exchange for her tongue; the Little Mermaid has the most intoxicating voice in the world. But drinking the potion will make her feel like a sword is being passed through her, and walking on her feet will feel like walking on knives. And she will only get a soul if the prince loves her and marries her, for then a part of his soul will flow into her. Otherwise, at dawn on the first day after he marries another woman, the Little Mermaid will die broken-hearted and turn to sea foam like other me folk.

The Little Mermaid drinks the potion and meets the prince, who is attracted to her beauty and grace even though she is mute. Most of all he likes to see her dance and she dances for him even though it feels like dancing on knives. The prince loves her like one loves a child.

The time comes when the king decides that the prince is to marry the neighboring king's daughter. The prince tells the Little Mermaid that he will not marry the princess because he does not love her. He can only love the young girl who once saved his life, the girl who unfortunately belongs to the temple. He also tells the Little Mermaid that she is beginning to take the temple girl's place in his heart. However, it turns out that the princess is the temple girl; she had only been sent to the temple to be educated. The prince loves her and the wedding is announced.

The prince and princess are married and the Little Mermaid's heart breaks. She thinks of all that she has given up in order to be with the prince and to gain an eternal soul - her beautiful voice, her wonderful home, her loving family, her life - and of all the pain that she has suffered; all without the prince ever having a thought thereof. She despairs, but before dawn her sisters come to her and give her a knife that the Sea Witch has given them in exchange for their hair. If the Little Mermaid slays the prince with the knife she will become a mermaid again and be able to live out her full life under the sea.

But the Little Mermaid cannot bring herself to kill the sleeping prince lying with his bride and, as dawn breaks, throws herself into the sea. Here her body dissolves into sea foam, but instead of ceasing to exist, she feels the warmth of the sun; she has turned into a spirit, a daughter of the air. The other daughters of the air tell her that she has become like them because she, like them, strove with all her heart to gain an eternal soul. As a mermaid her gaining a soul was dependent on another, the prince; but as a daughter of the air she will earn her own soul by doing good deeds. When 300 years have passed she will have earned her soul and will rise into the kingdom of God. This time can be shortened: With each good child she finds she subtracts a year, while she adds a day for each tear she must shed over a wicked child.

Jasmine (Alladin)

Once upon a time...

The film begins with a merchant in the mystical city of Agrabah, telling the story of a magical lamp and how it changed a young man's life ("Arabian Nights"). The story begins on a dark night, where Jafar, the grand vizier to the Sultan, and a follower of his, Kazim the theif, attempt to access the Cave of Wonders, a magical trove where a magical lamp containing a genie is hidden. He and his talking parrot, Iago, learn that the only one who can enter the Cave of Wonders is the metaphorical "Diamond in the Rough", after the cave collapses on Kazim when he walks in.

Meanwhile, street urchin Aladdin is fleeing guards with his pet monkey Abu after stealing a loaf of bread ("One Jump Ahead"). He eventually gives the bread to two homeless children before being knocked to the ground by Prince Achmed, who is on his way to attempt to marry Princess Jasmine. Jasmine, the teenage daughter of the Sultan, must be married before her upcoming birthday, but she rejects every prince she meets, wanting to be married for true love. Achmed is one of those rejected by Jasmine, and to add injury to insult, he is bitten in the rear by Jasmine's pet tiger, Rajah. (One of the morning scenes involves Rajah with part of Achmed's boxers in his mouth.) Later that day, Jasmine, frustrated with "having her life lived for her", climbs over the palace walls, and in the morning sees the marketplace for the first time, where she meets Aladdin and Abu. Meanwhile, Jafar has tricked the Sultan into giving him his ring, which allows Jafar to see who the "diamond in the rough" is, and it is in fact Aladdin. Jafar sends a group of guards out to capture Aladdin, and they do, while Jasmine is still with him. Later, Jasmine tells Jafar to release him, but Jafar lies to her that he was executed, when he is in fact in a dungeon.

A disguised Jafar leads Aladdin and Abu to the Cave of Wonders. Aladdin and Abu enter and encounter a magic carpet before Aladdin finds the lamp. Abu attempts to steal a ruby and the cave collapses with them inside. When Aladdin awakens, he rubs the lamp and unleashes the magical, humorous genie, who reveals that he will now grant Aladdin three wishes ("Friend like Me"). As they leave the cave, the sultan scolds Jafar while Jasmine plans to fire him once she is ruler of Agrabah. After they leave the room, Iago suggests that Jafar become Jasmine's husband in order to gain power.

The genie grants Aladdin his first wish: making him a prince so that he can marry Jasmine. They parade to the sultan's home, much to Jafar's dismay ("Prince Ali"). As Prince Ali, dressed in a white silk robe with a turban and a cape on, Aladdin turns Jasmine off with his arrogant behavior, but he later takes her on a magic carpet ride through the sky, showing her his true feelings ("A Whole New World") and she soon realizes that he is the same boy she met in the streets. Aladdin returns her home with a kiss for Jasmine before Jafar sends the guards to have Aladdin bound and gagged and thrown into the bottom of the sea. Aladdin ends up in the sea, and the genie makes Aladdin's second wish for him by saving him from drowning.

Meanwhile, a hypnotized sultan orders Jasmine to marry Jafar, but Aladdin arrives and reveals Jafar's plot. Jafar escapes, but discovers that Aladdin now has the lamp. Meanwhile, the genie hopes for Aladdin to set him free with his third wish, but Aladdin refuses, fearing that he may need the third wish for something else. Iago then steals the lamp and brings it to Jafar, who becomes the genie's new master and uses his first wish to become sultan. Jafar then wishes to become "the most powerful sorcerer in the world" and, using his new-found powers, the now all-powerful wizard sends Aladdin to the ends of the earth in one of the palace towers ("Prince Ali Reprise").

Aladdin uses the magic carpet to return to Agrabah, where Jafar is keeping the Sultan, the Genie, and Jasmine as slaves. Aladdin fights Jafar, but Jafar transforms himself into a giant snake and begins to strangle Aladdin. When Jafar boasts that he is "the most powerful being on Earth," Aladdin reminds the former vizier that he still isn't as powerful as the genie since it was the genie who gave Jafar his powers in the first place. This immediately prompts the power-hungry sorcerer to use his third and final wish to become a genie himself. However, after his wish is granted, Jafar tries to gain control of the whole universe with his new powers, but discovers that, as a genie, he has no free will and he is sucked into a new lamp, pulling Iago along with him.

In the aftermath, Aladdin and Jasmine attempt to be married but are unable to now that Aladdin isn't a prince. Instead of wishing to be a prince, Aladdin wishes for the genie's freedom, much to the genie's happiness. Inspired, the Sultan changes the law so that Jasmine can marry anyone she chooses and she, of course, chooses Aladdin. The genie leaves to explore the universe while Aladdin and Jasmine begin a new life together.

Beauty and The Beast

Once upon a time...

The rich merchant not only has three daughters but also three sons who have little to do with the story. All the girls are good looking, particularly the youngest who becomes known as Little Beauty. The sisters are vain and jealous of Beauty who is by contrast modest and charming and wishes to stay with her father.

All of a sudden the family loses its money and is forced into a poorer lifestyle which makes life more difficult all around and exaggerates the differences between Beauty and her sisters. Beauty and the three brothers throw themselves into working for their new life while the sisters are bored. The father takes a trip in the hopes of regaining his wealth, and the older sisters demand he bring them expensive garments. Beauty asks simply for a rose.

The father is unsuccessful in his attempt to regain his wealth and in despair, wandering in the forest, is trapped in a snow storm. He comes upon a seemingly deserted palace where he finds food and shelter for the night. In the morning he wanders into the garden where he sees the perfect rose for Beauty. Upon plucking it, a hideous Beast appears and says that for his thievery he must die. The father begs for his life and, the Beast agrees to let him go if one of his daughters will take his place. If she refuses, then he must return to die himself. The Beast gives him a chest filled with gold and sends him home. This treasure enables the older daughters to make fashionable marriages. On giving Beauty the rose, her father cannot help but tell her what happened. The brothers offer to slay the Beast but the father knows that they would die in the process. Beauty insists on taking her father’s place, and so she returns with him to the Beast’s palace where he reluctantly leaves her.

In a dream Beauty sees a beautiful lady who thanks her for her sacrifice and says that she will not go unrewarded. The Beast treats her well; all her wishes are met by magic. He visits her every evening for supper and gradually Beauty grows to look forwards to these meetings as a break to the monotony of her life. At the end of each visit the Beast asks Beauty to be his wife, which she refuses although agreeing never to leave the palace. Beauty sees in the magic mirror that her father is desperately missing her and asks that she might return to visit him. The Beast assents on the condition that she return in seven days, lest he die.

The next morning she is at home. Her father is overjoyed to see her but the sisters are once again jealous of Beauty, her newly found happiness and material comfort with the Beast. They persuade Beauty to stay longer, which she does, but on the tenth night she dreams of the Beast who is dying. Wishing herself back with him, she is transported back to the castle where she finds the Beast dying of a broken heart. She realizes that she is desperately in love with the Beast and says that she would gladly marry him. At this the Beast is transformed into a prince, the Father joins them at the palace and the sisters are turned into statues until they own up to their own faults.

The Prince and Beauty live happily ever after because their "contentment is founded on goodness."

Sleeping Beauty

Once upon a time there was a Queen who had a beautiful baby daughter. She asked all the fairies in the kingdom to the christening, but unfortunately forgot to invite one of them, who was a bit of a witch as well. She came anyway, but as she passed the baby's cradle, she said:

"When you are sixteen, you will injure yourself with a spindle and die!"

"Oh, no!" screamed the Queen in horror. A good fairy quickly chanted a magic spell to change the curse. When she hurt herself, the girl would fall into a very deep sleep instead of dying.

The years went by, the little Princess grew and became the most beautiful girl in the whole kingdom. Her mother was always very careful to keep her away from spindles, but the Princess, on her sixteenth birthday, as she wandered through the castle, came into a room where an old servant was spinning.

"What are you doing?" she asked the servant.

"I'm spinning. Haven't you seen a spindle before?"

"No. Let me see it!" The servant handed the girl the spindle ... and she pricked herself with it and. with a sigh, dropped to the floor.

The terrified old woman hurried to tell the Queen. Beside herself with anguish, the Queen did her best to awaken her daughter but in vain. The court doctors and wizards were called, but there was nothing they could do. The girl could not be wakened from her deep sleep. The good fairy who managed to avoid the worst of the curse came too, and the Queen said to her,

"When will my daughter waken?"

"I don't know," the fairy admitted sadly.

"In a year's time, ten years or twenty?" the Queen went on.

"Maybe in a hundred years' time. Who knows?" said the fairy.

"Oh! What would make her waken?" asked the Queen weeping.

"Love," replied the fairy. "If a man of pure hearts were to fall in love with her that would bring her back to life!"

"How can a man fall in love with a sleeping girl?" sobbed the Queen, and so heart-broken was she that, a few days later, she died. The sleeping Princess was taken to her room and laid on the bed surrounded by garlands of flowers. She was so beautiful, with a sweet face, not like those of the dead, but pink like those who are sleeping peacefully. The good fairy said to her,

"When she wakens, who is she going to see around her? Strange faces and people she doesn't know? I can never let that happen. It would be too painful for this unfortunate girl."

So the fairy cast a spell; and everyone that lived in the castle - soldiers, ministers, guards, servants, ladies, pages, cooks, maids and knights - all fell into a deep sleep, wherever they were at that very moment.

"Now," thought the fairy, "when the Princess wakes up, they too will awaken, and life will go on from there." And she left the castle, now wrapped in silence. Not a sound was to be heard, nothing moved except for the clocks, but when they too ran down, they stopped, and time stopped with them. Not even the faintest rustle was to be heard, only the wind whistling round the turrets, not a single voice, only the cry of birds.

The years sped past. In the castle grounds, the trees grew tall. The bushes became thick and straggling, the grass invaded the courtyards and the creepers spread up the walls. In a hundred years, a dense forest grew up.

Now, it so happened that a Prince arrived in these parts. He was the son of a king in a country close by. Young, handsome and melancholy, he sought in solitude everything he could not find in the company of other men: serenity, sincerity and purity. Wandering on his trusty steed he arrived, one day, at the dark forest. Being adventurous, he decided to explore it. He made his way through slowly and with a struggle, for the trees and bushes grew in a thick tangle. A few hours later, now losing heart, he was about to turn his horse and go back when he thought he could see something through the trees . . . He pushed back the branches . . . Wonder of wonders! There in front of him stood a castle with high towers. The young man stood stock still in amazement,

"I wonder who this castle belongs to?" he thought.

The young Prince rode on towards the castle. The drawbridge was down and, holding his horse by the reins, he crossed over it. Immediately he saw the inhabitants draped all over the steps, the halls and courtyards, and said to him,

"Good heavens! They're dead!" But in a moment, he realized that they were sound asleep. "Wake up! Wake up!" he shouted, but nobody moved. Still thoroughly astonished, he went into the castle and again discovered more people, lying fast asleep on the floor. As though led by a hand in the complete silence, the Prince finally reached the room where the beautiful Princess lay fast asleep. For a long time he stood gazing at her face, so full of serenity, so peaceful, lovely and pure, and he felt spring to his heart that love he had always been searching for and never found. Overcome by emotion, he went close, lifted the girl's little white hand and gently kissed it . . .

At that kiss, the princess quickly opened her eyes, and wakening from her long long sleep, seeing the Prince beside her, murmured:

"Oh, you have come at last! I was waiting for you in my dream. I've waited so long!"

Just then, the spell was broken. The Princess rose to her feet, holding out her hand to the Prince. And the whole castle woke up too. Everybody rose to their feet and they all stared round in amazement, wondering what had happened. When they finally realized, they rushed to the Princess, more beautiful and happier then ever.

A few days later, the castle that only a short time before had lain in silence, now rang with the sound of singing, music and happy laughter at the great party given in honor of the Prince and Princess, who were getting married. They lived happily ever after, as they always do in fairy tales, not quite so often, however, in real life.

Cinderella

Once upon a time...

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 the 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 Cinderwench; but the youngest, which was not as 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 head-dresses 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 Cinderwench at a ball."

Anyone 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 were they transported with joy. They broke above a dozen 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 wish thou couldst go to the ball; is it not so?"

"Yes," cried Cinderella, with a great sigh.

"Well," said her godmother, "be but a good girl, and I will contrive that thou shall 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 mouse-trap, 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-collared dapple-grey. Being at a loss for a coachman,

"I will go and see," says Cinderella, "if there is never a rat in the rat-trap--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 coach- man, 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 nasty 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. This done, she gave her a pair of glass slippers, the prettiest in the whole world. Being thus decked out, she got up into her coach; 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 before.

She promised her godmother she would not fail of leaving the ball before midnight; and then away she drives, scarce able to contain herself for joy. The King's son who was told that a great princess, whom nobody knew, was come, ran out to receive her; he gave her his hand as she alighted out of the coach, and led her into the ball, among all the company. There was immediately a profound silence, they left off dancing, and the violins ceased to play, so attentive was everyone to contemplate the singular beauties of the unknown new-comer. Nothing was then heard but a confused noise of:

"Ha! how handsome she is! Ha! how handsome she is!"

The King himself, old as he was, could not help watching her, and telling the Queen softly that it was a long time since he had seen so beautiful and lovely a creature.

All the ladies were busied in considering her clothes and headdress, that they might have some made next day after the same pattern, provided they could meet with such fine material and as able hands to make them.

The King's son conducted her to the most honorable seat, and afterward took her out to dance with him; she danced so very gracefully that they all more and more admired her. A fine collation was served up, whereof the young prince ate not a morsel, so intently was he busied in gazing on her.

She went and sat down by her sisters, showing them a thousand civilities, giving them part of the oranges and citrons which the Prince had presented her with, which very much surprised them, for they did not know her. While Cinderella was thus amusing her sisters, she heard the clock strike eleven and three-quarters, whereupon she immediately made a courtesy to the company and hasted away as fast as she could.

When she got home she ran to seek out her godmother, and, after having thanked her, she said she could not but heartily wish she might go next day to the ball, because the King's son had desired her.

As she was eagerly telling her godmother whatever had passed at the ball, her two sisters knocked at the door, which Cinderella ran and opened.

"How long you have stayed!" cried she, gaping, rubbing her eyes and stretching herself as if she had been just waked out of her sleep; she had not, however, any manner of inclination to sleep since they went from home.

"If thou hadst been at the ball," said one of her sisters, "thou wouldst not have been tired with it. There came thither the finest princess, the most beautiful ever was seen with mortal eyes; she showed us a thousand civilities, and gave us oranges and citrons."

Cinderella seemed very indifferent in the matter; indeed, she asked them the name of that princess; but they told her they did not know it, and that the King's son was very uneasy on her account and would give all the world to know who she was. At this Cinderella, smiling, replied:

"She must, then, be very beautiful indeed; how happy you have been! Could not I see her? Ah! dear Miss Charlotte, do lend me your yellow suit of clothes which you wear every day."

"Ay, to be sure!" cried Miss Charlotte; "lend my clothes to such a dirty Cinderwench as thou art! I should be a fool."

Cinderella, indeed, expected well such answer, and was very glad of the refusal; for she would have been sadly put to it if her sister had lent her what she asked for jestingly.

The next day the two sisters were at the ball, and so was Cinderella, but dressed more magnificently than before. The King's son was always by her, and never ceased his compliments and kind speeches to her; to whom all this was so far from being tiresome that she quite forgot what her godmother had recommended to her; so that she, at last, counted the clock striking twelve when she took it to be no more than eleven; she then rose up and fled, as nimble as a deer. The Prince followed, but could not overtake her. She left behind one of her glass slippers, which the Prince took up most carefully. She got home but quite out of breath, and in her nasty old clothes, having nothing left her of all her finery but one of the little slippers, fellow to that she dropped. The guards at the palace gate were asked:

If they had not seen a princess goes out.

Who said: They had seen nobody go out but a young girl, very meanly dressed, and who had more the air of a poor country wench than a gentlewoman.

When the two sisters returned from the ball Cinderella asked them: If they had been well diverted, and if the fine lady had been there.

They told her: Yes, but that she hurried away immediately when it struck twelve, and with so much haste that she dropped one of her little glass slippers, the prettiest in the world, which the King's son had taken up; that he had done nothing but look at her all the time at the ball, and that most certainly he was very much in love with the beautiful person who owned the glass slipper.

What they said was very true; for a few days after the King's son caused it to be proclaimed, by sound of trumpet, that he would marry her whose foot the slipper would just fit. They whom he employed began to try it upon the princesses, then the duchesses and all the Court, but in vain; it was brought to the two sisters, who did all they possibly could to thrust their foot into the slipper, but they could not effect it. Cinderella, who saw all this, and knew her slipper, said to them, laughing:

"Let me see if it will not fit me."

Her sisters burst out a-laughing, and began to banter her. The gentleman who was sent to try the slipper looked earnestly at Cinderella, and, finding her very handsome, said:

It was but just that she should try, and that he had orders to let everyone make trial.

He obliged Cinderella to sit down, and, putting the slipper to her foot, he found it went on very easily, and fitted her as if it had been made of wax. The astonishment her two sisters were in was excessively great, but still abundantly greater when Cinderella pulled out of her pocket the other slipper, and put it on her foot. Thereupon, in came her godmother, who, having touched with her wand Cinderella's clothes made them richer and more magnificent than any of those she had before.

And now her two sisters found her to be that fine, beautiful lady whom they had seen at the ball. They threw themselves at her feet to beg pardon for all the ill- treatment they had made her undergo. Cinderella took them up, and, as she embraced them, cried:

That she forgave them with all her heart, and desired them always to love her.

She was conducted to the young prince, dressed as she was; he thought her more charming than ever, and, a few days after, married her. Cinderella, who was no less good than beautiful, gave her two sisters lodgings in the palace, and that very same day matched them with two great lords of the Court.


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