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the little drudge had finished her work she used to sit in the chimney corner among the ashes and burned-out fire, where she got so dusty that the older daughter called her the cinder girl; but the younger, who was, perhaps, not so uncivil and unkind, called her Cinderella, and by this name she came to be known to her family and the neighbors. Nevertheless, Cinderella, dirty and ragged as she was, always appeared much prettier than her sisters, though they were dressed in all their splendor.

After they had lived this way for some time, the king's son gave a great ball, to which he invited all the nobles and wealthy people in the country, and among his guests were the two daughters of whom we have been speaking. The king's son had no idea how disagreeable they were, but supposed, as they lived in such splendor, that they must be very lovable and amiable creatures. He did not invite Cinderella, for he had never seen her or heard of her.

Nothing could exceed the joy of the two sisters, who began immediately to prepare for the happy day. Every moment of the time was spent in dreaming about such gowns and shoes and headdresses as would be most becoming to them and make them appear most attractive in the eyes of the king's son. You can imagine how great a trouble and vexation all this was to poor Cinderella, for she it was who ironed and plaited her sisters' linen and worked for long hours over their dresses. She heard nothing but the talk of how the two should be dressed.

"I," said the older, "shall wear my scarlet velvet with the French trimming."

"I," said the younger, "shall wear the same petticoat I had made for the last ball, but to make amends

for that I shall put on my gold muslin train and wear my diamonds in my hair. With these I must certainly look well."

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CINDERELLA HELPED HER SISTERS

They sent to the distant town for the best hairdresser they could hire, and bought many jewels and ornaments of fashionable shapes.

On the morning of the ball they called upon Cin

derella to give them her advice about how they should wear their hair and fix their dresses. In spite of her ill treatment, Cinderella gave them the best advice she could, and otherwise assisted them in getting ready for the ball, just as though she had been going, too.

While her busy fingers were working for them, one of them said, "Would you not like to go to the ball, Cinderella?"

"Ah," replied the little girl, "you are only laughing at me. It is not for such a person as I am to think about going to balls."

"You are right," replied the two. "Folks would laugh, indeed, to see Cinderella dancing in the ballroom.'

Almost any other girl would have tried to spoil the dresses of the haughty creatures, or to make them look as ugly as she could. Cinderella, how

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ever, never even thought of such a thing, but did everything she could to make them appear well. For several days the sisters had eaten very little, so great was their joy at the approach of the happy day. They were always before the looking-glass, and many a lace they broke in trying to give themselves fine, slender shapes.

At length the much wished-for hour came; the proud young women stepped into the beautiful carriage, and, followed by servants in rich livery, drove toward the palace. Cinderella followed them with her eyes as far as she could, but when they were out of sight she sat down in her dusty corner and began to cry bitterly.

Her godmother, coming in just then, saw her in tears and asked her what was the matter. Poor Cinderella was able to utter scarcely a word, but managed to sob out, "I wish, w-i-s-h-"

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Cinderella's godmother was a fairy and understood at once why the child was crying. "You wish," she said, "to go to the ball, Cinderella. Is not that the truth?"

"Alas, yes," replied the child, sobbing still more than before.

"Well, well, be a good girl," said her godmother, "and you shall go. Run into the garden and bring me a pumpkin.

Cinderella flew like lightning and brought the finest she could lay hold of. Her godmother scooped out the inside, leaving nothing but the rind, and then with the wand which she carried she tapped the pumpkin gently three times. Instantly it became a fine coach shining all over with gold. She then looked into the mousetrap, where she saw six mice, all alive, and running about briskly.

"Lift up the door of the cage very gently, Cinderella," she said.

As the mice ran out, one by one, the fairy godmother touched them with the wand, and each instantly became a beautiful dapple-gray horse.

"Here, my child," said the godmother, "is a coach, and here are horses, too, as handsome as your sisters'; but what shall we do for a postilion?"

"I will run and see if there is not a rat in the trap. If I can find one he will do very well for a postilion."

Cinderella found the trap, which, much to her joy, contained three of the largest rats she had ever seen. The fairy chose the largest and touched him with her wand, and he was instantly turned into a handsome postilion with the finest pair of whiskers you can imagine.

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