a well known tale

once upon a time
there was a girl
who lived with her father
her mother had died

one day
her father decided that his daughter needed a mother
so he got remarried
to a woman with two daughters
who he thought could be company for his daughter

the woman simpered and preened
her daughters were just the same

then, only a few weeks after they were married
the girl's father died
coincidence?
i think not

now the girl was immediately moved into the attic
demoted to the position of servant
in her own house

her step-family bossed her around
do this, do that

her clothes become rags
her shoes, had no soles
her hands were red and rough from cleaning

but she made friends
when she went to the market
she became friends with the fish seller
and his son
the dressmaker
and her daughter
the butcher
the baker
the candlestickmaker

more friends then she'd ever had when part of
"high society"

her life went on
her hands slowly got used to the rough work
she become stronger
she got older
and became beautiful

years passed
she turned 15, 16,17,

her step-family became worse
if possible
her sisters uglier
her mother nastier

one day, a letter arrived

"it's from the palace"
her sisters cried

"what is it?"
her mother inquired

"an invitation"
she replied
"the king is throwing a ball
and we are all invited"

her step-mother was delighted
and danced away with her sisters
already talking about what they would wear

"wait!"
cinderella called
(a name her sisters had bequeathed to her)
"it says we may all go
that means me as well"

"ah, yes, of course you may come"
replied her mother
"after you do all of your chores,
clean out the stables
cook us dinner
and trim the hedges"

cinderella thought of
the stablemaster
the cook
and the gardener

"yes, i shall do it"
she said

her family continued away from her
her sisters complaining to her mother
"why does she get to go?"

cinderella turned away
a smile lighting up her face

the ball was to take place on the night of her 18 birthday
the only reason she wanted to go
was to have a beautiful night
to celebrate

she ran to the market
to tell her friends

they were very excited for her
and made her promise to tell them everything
the dressmaker's daughter was particularly jealous
"i want to meet the prince!"
she cried
"he'll probably fall desperatly in love with you, cinders
you're so beautiful"

cinderella laughed
"you look just like me silly,
that means he would love you too!"

the night of the ball arrived
cinderella rushed around
collecting her nicest dress
white with a burn mark on the hem
oh well
she'd have to cover it somehow

she cleaned out the stables
cooked dinner
trimmed the hedge

"hurry!"
called her step-mother
"we're leaving!"

cinderella rushed upstairs to get ready
but by the time she got downstairs
their carriage had already left

she ran to the market
and fell to the ground
in front of her friends
crying
telling them what happened
the fishmaker stood her up
brushed her off
told her that he would drive her to the palace himself
in the cart that he delivered fish in

the dressmaker looked at her dress
stained brown from the dirt of the markerplace
brought her to her shop,
took a beautiful dress out of the window display
gave it to cinderella
told her it was for her to keep
"on the house"
she said, and winked

so cinderella dried her tears
thanked her friends
put on her new dress
and drove off to the palace
with the fish seller's son driving the cart

when she arrived
she sought out her step-family
but they ignored her
aghast at her arrival
in her beautiful dress

she danced with the young men
entranced by the lights
the huge rooms
the number of people

finally, the prince entered
all the young ladies crowded forward
but cinderella stayed with the man she was with
knowing that the prince would never be interested in her

but as he danced past her with someone else
he saw her
and asked to dance

flattered, she agreed
they danced one dance, two dances, three
had a good time
laughed
all without him knowing anything about her position in life

the ball ended
he kissed her hand as she left the ball

she ran to the cart
crying

the fish seller's son
asked her what was wrong

barely able to speak
she told him that she loved the prince
but that she would never see him again

the fish seller's son
gave her a hug
held her tight
told her it would be ok

asked her how she could love the prince
she'd known him for four hours
she replied that she just did
but she listened
and thought that maybe he was right
love was more than dancing with someone

he drove her home,
held her tight again
told her it would be alright
it would pass

back at the palace
the prince had decided
he must find the girl he had danced with
his father advised against it
"there were hundreds of girls at that ball
how will you find the one you want?"

I'll know her as soon as i see her"
the prince replied

he issued a proclaimation
declaring that he wanted to find a girl
he went to every house in town
knocked on the door
looked at all the women
and left

cinderella heard about his search
but discovered that she didn't care
the fish seller's son had been right
the feelings she had felt for the prince had passed

but one day
her sister's were in a tizzy

she asked them what was wrong

"the prince is comeing! coming here!"
they were extatic
cinderella was not
she didn't want him to find her
she didn't want to have to marry him

the dressmaker's daughter thought she was lucky
"i told you he'd love you cinders!
you're so lucky
i wish i could marry the prince"

cinderella had an idea
she and the dressmaker's daughter looked very similar

"you can marry the prince"
she told her friend

when the prince arrived at cinderella's house
her step-sisters danced around him
offering him tea
crumpets
their hand in marriage

he was disappointed
he still hadn't found his mystery girl
when a girl walked in
dressed in rags
holding a bucket
she proceeded to clean out the fireplace
putting the ashes in her bucket

as she got up
the prince could see the bucket was too heavy for her
he walked forward and offered to help
she looked up at him
the dressmaker's daughter smiled at the prince
but the prince was fooled
he had found the 'girl of his dreams"

he proposed on the spot
she smiled
and accepted

and they lived happily ever after
the dressmaker's daughter and the prince

while cinderella left her step-family
and married the fish seller's son
and they lived happily ever after as well