Story Hour Readers — Book Three

								

The door of the coach was flung open, and Cinderella stepped out.
As Cinderella entered the ball room, the prince hastened to meet her.
"Never," said he to himself, "have I seen anyone so lovely!"
Cinderella was so beautiful, so elegantly dressed, and she danced so
well, that the prince fell in love with her. He would dance with no one
else.
The evening passed away like a dream. Suddenly Cinderella heard a clock
chime three quarters past eleven.
She bade the prince good-night and was soon on her way home in the
pumpkin coach.
When Cinderella reached home, she found her Fairy Godmother waiting to
hear about the ball.
"It was fine!" said Cinderella. "The prince has invited me to attend the
ball to be given to-morrow night. Oh, how I wish that I might go!"
"You may certainly go to the prince's ball to-morrow night. I wish to
make you very happy, dear child," said the Fairy Godmother.
By the time the mother and sisters had returned home from the ball, the
Fairy Godmother had disappeared.
Cinderella was sitting by the kitchen fire in her rags.
"Do you not wish that you had been to the ball?" asked the sisters.
"There was a wonderful princess there. The prince would dance with no
one else."
"Who was she?" asked Cinderella.
"That we cannot say," answered the two sisters. "She would not tell her
name, though the prince, on bended knee, begged her to do so."
The next night, as soon as the mother and sisters had started in their
carriage to attend the ball, the Fairy Godmother appeared once more.
Again, at the touch of her wand, the pumpkin became a coach; the mice
became horses; the rat became a coachman, and the lizards became
footmen.
The Fairy Godmother touched Cinderella's clothes with her wand, and this
time her rags became a beautiful costume of silver cloth, covered with
rubies. In place of the worn-out shoes were the wonderful glass
slippers.
"Whatever you do, remember to leave before the clock strikes twelve,"
said the Fairy Godmother, as Cinderella drove away.
When Cinderella arrived at the king's palace, the prince met her at the
door. He would dance with no one else.
Cinderella was very happy. The hours passed swiftly away, but she left
the palace before the clock struck twelve.
The king gave another ball the third night. This time Cinderella wore a
costume of gold cloth, covered with sparkling diamonds; and on her feet
were the wonderful glass slippers.
The prince met her at the door. He led her to the ball room and again
would dance with no one else.
This time Cinderella was enjoying the ball so much that she forgot the
warning of the Fairy Godmother.
Suddenly the clock began to strike twelve. With a cry of alarm she fled
from the ball room, dropping one of her glass slippers in her haste.
The prince hurried after her, but by the time he reached the royal
courtyard the beautiful maiden had disappeared.
As Cinderella arrived at her own gate, the coach became a pumpkin; the