| Then two white doves came in by the kitchen window, and were followed by the turtledoves and all the other little birds under heaven. And in less than an hour the lentils had been picked up, and they had all flown away. Then the girl carried the dish to her stepmother and was delighted to think that she would now be able to go to the ball. But she said, "It's not a bit of good. You can't go with us, for you've got not clothes and you can't dance. We should be quite ashamed of you." Thereupon she turned her back upon her and hurried off with her two proud daughters. After everyone had left the house, Cinderella went out to her mother's grave under the hazel tree, and cried: "Shiver and shake, dear little tree, Gold and silver shower on me." Then the bird threw down to her a gold and silver robe and a pair of slippers embroidered with silk and silver. With all speed she put on the robe and went to the feast. But her stepsisters and their stepmother did not recognizer her. They supposed that she was some foreign princess, so beautiful did she appear in her golden dress. They never gave a thought to Cinderella, but imagined that she was sitting at home in the dirt, picking the lentils out of the cinders. The Prince came up to the stranger, took her by the hand, and danced with her. In fact, he would not dance with anyone else and never let go of her hand. If anyone came up to ask her to dance, he said, "This is my partner." She danced until nightfall and then wanted to go home, but the Prince said, "I will go with you and escort you." He wanted to see to whom the beautiful maiden belonged. But she slipped out of his way and sprang into the pigeon house. Then the Prince waited till her father came, and told him that the unknown maiden had vanished into the pigeon house. The old man thought, "Could it be Cinderella?" And he had an ax brought to him so that he might break down the pigeon house, but there was no one inside. When they went home, there lay Cinderella in her dirty clothes among the cinders, and a dismal oil lamp was burning in the chimney corner, for Cinderella had quietly jumped out of the pigeon house and had run back to the hazel tree. There she had taken off her beautiful clothes and laid them on the grave, and the bird had taken them away again. Then she had settled herself among the ashes on the hearth in her old gray frock. On the second day, when the festival was renewed and her parents and stepsisters had started forth again, Cinderella went to the hazel tree and said: "Shiver and shake, dear little tree Gold and silver shower on me." Then the bird threw down a still more gorgeous robe than on the previous day. And when she appeared at the festival in this robe, everyone was astounded by her beauty. The King's son had waited till she came and at once took her hand, and she danced with no one but him. When others came forward and invited her to dance, he said, "This is my partner." At nightfall she wished to leave; but the Prince went after her, hoping to see into what house she went, but she sprang out into the garden behind the house. There stood a fine big tree on which the most delicious pears hung. She climbed up among the branches as nimbly as a squirrel, and the Prince could not make out what had become of her. But he waited till her father came and then said, "The unknown maiden has slipped away from me, and I think that she has jumped into the pear tree." The father thought, "Can it be Cinderella?" And he had the ax brought to cut down the tree, but there was noone in it. When they went home and looked into the kitchen, there lay Cinderella among the cinders as usual, for she had jumped down on the other side of the tree, taken back the beautiful clothes to the bird on the hazel tree, and put on her old gray frock. On the third day, when her parents and sisters had started, Cinderella went again to her mother's grave and said: "Shiver and shake, dear little tree Gold and silver shower on me." Then the bird threw down a dress that was so magnificent that noone had ever seen the like before, and the slippers were entirely of gold. When she appeared at the festival in this attire, they were all speechless with astonishment. The Prince danced only with her, and if anyone asked her to dance he said, "This is my partner." When night fell and she wanted to leave, the Prince was more desirous than ever to accompany her, but she darted away from him so quickly that he could not keep up with her. But the Prince had used a strategem, and had caused the steps to be covered with cobblers' wax. The consequence was, that as the maiden sprang down them, her left slipper remained sticking there. The Prince took it up. It was small and dainty and made entirely of gold. The next morning he went with it to Cinderella's father and said to him, "No other shall become my wife but she whose foot this golden slipper fits." The two sisters were delighted at that, for they both had beautiful feet. The eldest went into the room to try on the slipper, and her mother stood beside her. But her great toe prevented her getting it on. Her foot was too long. Then her mother handed her a knife and said, "Cut off the toe. When you are Queen you won't have to walk anymore." The girl cut off her big toe, forced her foot into the slipper, stifled her pain, and went out to the Prince. Then he took her up on his horse as his bride and rode away with her. However, they had to pass the grave on the way, and there sat the two doves on the hazel tree and cried: NEXT PAGE |
| Cinderella Cont. |