Story Hour Readers — Book Three

								

swan's-down," said she.
The second sister chose a gown of green velvet, saying, "The green
velvet will show my diamonds to advantage."
The night of the great ball came at last. Cinderella helped her sisters
to dress.
"Do you not wish that you were going to the ball?" said one of them.
"Yes, indeed!" sighed poor Cinderella.
But her sisters only laughed.
Cinderella watched them from the kitchen window as they drove away in
their fine carriage. Then she sat down by the fire and began to cry.
"Why are you crying, Cinderella?" said some one gently.
There stood her Fairy Godmother.
"I wish I could--I wish I could--" sobbed Cinderella.
"You wish that you could go to the prince's ball," said the Fairy
Godmother.
"Yes," nodded Cinderella.
"Stop crying and you may go," said the Fairy Godmother. "Run into the
garden and bring me the largest pumpkin that you can find."
Cinderella could not think how a pumpkin would help her to go, but she
obeyed.
The Fairy Godmother scooped out the inside of the pumpkin, leaving only
the rind. She carried it to the kitchen door. Then she touched the rind
with her wand. Instantly there stood a great coach covered with gold.
"Where shall we find horses for such a great coach?" cried Cinderella.
"Bring the mouse trap from the cellar," the Fairy Godmother replied.
"Here are six live mice in the trap," said Cinderella breathlessly.
The Fairy Godmother lifted the door of the trap. She touched each of the
mice with her wand as it ran out. The mice became six beautiful white
horses standing before the coach.
"Where shall we find a coachman to drive the horses?" asked Cinderella.
"Bring the rat trap to me," replied the Fairy Godmother.
Cinderella brought the rat trap, and in it was a large gray rat.
At a touch of the wand, the rat was changed into a coachman. He sat in
state upon the coach.
"Now run into the garden again. You will find two lizards behind the
watering pot. Bring them to me."
The Fairy Godmother touched the lizards with her wand. In their place
stood two footmen in splendid livery.
They stepped to the back of the coach as if they had been footmen all
their lives.
Then the kind Fairy Godmother touched Cinderella's clothes with her
wand. The rags became a beautiful costume of satin, covered with pearls.
In place of her old shoes were glass slippers that had been made by the
fairies. They were the very prettiest little slippers in the world.
Never had Cinderella been so happy!
"Now you may go to the ball, but do not fail to leave before midnight,"
said the Fairy Godmother.
"If you stay until the clock strikes twelve," added the Fairy Godmother,
"your coach will again become a pumpkin; your horses will be mice; your
coachman will be a rat; your footmen will be lizards, and your beautiful
dress will become rags."
Cinderella stepped into the coach. A few minutes later, the white horses
dashed into the royal courtyard.