In which the poor little sister whom no one thought beautiful, becomes the wife of the prince.

Cinderella was a good girl who lived with her step-mother and her two sisters, who were unkind to her. The ugly sisters went to many parties and wore beautiful dresses; but Cinderella had nothing but rags and lived in a dark room. One night the sisters were going to the prince’s ball, and Cinderella had to dress them. Her heart was almost broken because she wished to wear a beautiful dress.

Away went the sisters looking very grand and never thinking of their sister crying at home. While Cinderella was weeping all alone in her dark room, some one came in—a lovely fairy who wore dainty slippers and a pointed cap, and who carried a wand. “I will see that you go to the prince’s ball,” said the fairy god-mother, and began waving her wand.

In a few minutes the pumpkin from the garden had been changed into a carriage. Two mice and two large rats from the pantry were changed into horses and coachmen. The little maid was changed from a cinder maid into a beautiful young girl in a lovely white dress, with silver stars in her hair, and a shining crown on her head. From the pocket of the god-mother came a dainty pair of glass slippers for her feet. She could go to the ball now. The only thing for her to remember was to be back before the clock struck twelve. At that hour she would be changed again to the cinder maid.

Cinderella went away to the ball promising her god-mother to be back on time. Many lovely maidens were found there dancing, but none so beautiful as Cinderella. The prince saw her and could think of no other. He danced with her many times and begged for her name, but this she would not tell.

The minutes flew by. Finally the big clock in the hall struck twelve. Down the steps she flew, but it was too late. In her haste she lost a slipper on the steps which was picked up by the prince. As she ran her lovely clothes were again rags.

She walked home but was very tired when she reached there and sat in the cinders and cried. When her sisters came home they could talk of nothing but the beautiful maiden who came to the ball and danced with the prince.

The prince was very unhappy because he could not find the beautiful maiden. He kept the glass slipper and traveled the land over trying to find whose foot it fitted. The ugly sisters tried it on but it was entirely too small.

At last Cinderella spoke up and said, “Let me try on the slipper.” The sisters laughed at her, but the prince insisted that she be allowed to try. When the slipper was put on her foot it fitted exactly. The prince then said, “You are the princess for whom I am looking.” And so they were married and lived together in the great castle.