Story Hour Readers — Book Three

								

horses became mice; the coachman became a rat and the footmen lizards.
Cinderella was again clothed in rags, but in her hand she carried one of
the glass slippers that she had worn at the prince's ball.
The mother and sisters came home soon afterwards. They could talk of
nothing but the sudden disappearance of the beautiful princess.
On the following morning, there was a noise of trumpets and drums.
The king's messengers passed through the town, crying, "The king's son
will marry the fair maiden whose foot the glass slipper exactly fits."
The prince rode behind in his coach. He was followed by a company of
attendants, who carried the glass slipper upon a velvet cushion.
At last the procession arrived at the home of Cinderella.
The mother and sisters saw the prince coming.
They at once hid pretty Cinderella under a tub in the kitchen.
The prince tried to fit the glass slipper to the foot of the oldest
daughter. The foot was too long and too thin at the heel.
"You can pare off the heel," said the mother.
But the prince only laughed.
He tried the glass slipper on the foot of the second daughter. Her foot
was too short and too fat at the toe.
"You can pare off the toe," said the mother.
But the prince only laughed.
Suddenly the parrot called, from his cage by the kitchen window,


"You may pare off the heels,

    Or pare off the toes,
But under the tub

    The slipper goes."
The prince ordered his attendants to lift the tub. Crouching under it
sat Cinderella, clothed in rags but wearing on one foot the mate to the
glass slipper.
The prince knelt upon the velvet cushion, and tried on Cinderella's foot
the little glass slipper which he had found in the ball room. It fitted
exactly. It was like the slipper that Cinderella had on the other foot.
At that moment, the Fairy Godmother appeared. She touched Cinderella's
clothes with her wand.
There stood Cinderella, dressed in a costume even more beautiful than
those she had worn at the palace.
Then the prince saw that Cinderella was indeed the lovely maiden for
whom he was searching. He arose and kissed her, and begged her to become
his wife.
The prince and Cinderella were married, and in time they became king and
queen. They ruled the kingdom long and well.

THE WIND

I saw yon toss the kites on high
And blow the birds about the sky;
And all around I heard you pass,
Like ladies' skirts across the grass--
O wind, a-blowing all day long!
O wind, that sings so loud a song!
I saw the different things you did,
But always you yourself you hid.
I felt you push, I heard you call,
I could not see yourself at all--
O wind, a-blowing all day long!
O wind, that sings so loud a song!
O you that are so strong and cold,
O blower, are you young or old?
Are you a beast of field and tree,
Or just a stronger child than me?
O wind, a-blowing all day long!
O wind, that sings so loud a song!