CINDERILLA:
OR,
The little GLASS SLIPPER.
THERE was once upon a time, a gentleman who married for
his second wife the proudest and most haughty woman that ever
was known. She had been a widow, and had by her former
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husband two daughters of her own humour,
who were exactly like her in all things. He had also by a former
wife a young daughter, but of an unparallelled goodness and
sweetness of temper, which she took from her mother, who was
the best creature in the world.
NO sooner were the ceremonies of the wedding over, but the
mother-in-law began to display her ill humour; she could not
bear the good qualities of this pretty girl; and the less, because
they made her own daughters so much the more hated and
despised. She employed her in the meanest work of the house,
she cleaned the dishes and stands, and rubbed Madam's
chamber, and those of the young Madams her daughters: she lay
on the top of the house in a garret, upon a wretched straw bed,
while her sisters lay in fine rooms, with floors all inlaid, upon
beds of the
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newest fashion, and where they had
looking-glasses so large, that they might see themselves at their
full length, from head to foot. The poor girl bore all patiently,
and dared not tell her father, who would have rattled her off; for
his wife governed him intirely. When she had done her work,
she used to go into the chimney corner, and sit down upon the
cinders, which made her commonly be called in the house
Cinderbreech: but the youngest, who was not so rude
and uncivil as the eldest, called her Cinderilla.
However, Cinderilla, not withstanding her poor clothes,
was a hundred times handsomer than her sisters, though they
wore the most magnificent apparel.
NOW, it happened that the King's son gave a ball, and
invited all persons of quality to it: our young ladies were also
invited; for they made a very great figure.
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They were very well pleased thereat, and were very busy in choosing
out such gowns, petticoats, and head-clothes as might become
them best. This was a new trouble to Cinderilla; for it
was she that ironed her sisters linnen, and plaited their ruffles;
they talked all day long of nothing but how they should be
dress'd. For my part, said the eldest,
I'll wear my red velvet suit,
with French trimming. And I, said the youngest, will have my
common petticoat; but then, to make amends for that, I'll put on
my gold flowered manteau, and my diamond stomacher, which
is not the most indifferent in the world. They sent for the best
tirewoman they could get, to dress their heads, and adjust their
double pinners, and they had their red brushes and patches from
Mrs. De la poche.
Cinderilla advised them the
best in the world, and offered herself
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to dress their
heads; which they were very willing she should do. As she was
doing this, they said to her, Cinderilla, would you not be
glad to go to the ball? Ah! said she, you only banter me; it is
not for such as I am to go thither.
You are in the right of it, said
they, it would make the people laugh to see a
Cinderbreech at a ball. Any one but Cinderilla
would have dressed their heads awry; but she was very good,
and dress'd them perfectly well. They were almost two days
without eating, so much were they transported with joy: they
broke above a dozen of laces in trying to be laced up close, that
they might have a fine slender shape, and they were continually
at their looking-glass. At last the happy day came; they went to
court, and Cinderilla followed them with her eyes as
long as she could, and when she had lost sight of them,
she fell a crying.
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HER godmother, who saw her all in tears, asked her what
was the matter? I wish I could--, I wish I could--; she could not
speak the rest, her tears interrupting her. Her godmother, who
was a Fairy, said to her, Thou wishest thou could'st go to the
ball, is it not so? Y--es, said Cinderilla, with a great
Sob. Well, said her godmother, be but a good girl, and I'll
contrive thou shalt go. Then she took her into her chamber, and
said to her, go into the garden, and bring me a pompion;
Cinderilla went immediately to gather the finest she
could get, and brought it to her Godmother, not being able to
imagine how this pompion could make her go to the ball: her
godmother scooped out all the inside of it, having left nothing
but the rind; she struck it with her wand, and the pompion
immediately was turned into a fine coach,
gilt all over with gold.
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After that, she went to look into her mouse-trap, where she found six
mice all alive; she ordered
Cinderilla to lift up a little the trap door, and she gave
every mouse that went out a stroke with her wand, and the
mouse was that moment turned into a fine horse, which all
together made a very fine set of six horses, of a beautiful
mouse-coloured dapple grey. As she was at a loss for a coach-man,
I'll go and see, says Cinderilla, if there be never a
rat in the rat-trap, we'll make a coach-man of him. You are in
the right, said her godmother, go and see. Cinderilla
brought the trap to her, and in it there were three huge rats: the
Fairy made choice of one of the three, which had the largest
beard, and having touched him with her wand, he was turned
into a fat jolly coach-man, that had the finest whiskers as ever
were seen.
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AFTER that, she said to her, Go into
the garden, and you will find six Lizards behind the watering-pot,
bring them to me; she had no sooner done so, but her
godmother turned them into six footmen, who skipped up
immediately behind the coach, with their liveries all bedaubed
with gold and silver, and clung so close behind one another, as
they had done nothing else all their lives. The Fairy then said to
Cinderilla, Well, you see here an equipage fit to go to
the Ball with; are you not pleased with it? O yes, said she, but
must I go thither as I am, with these ugly nasty clothes? Her
godmother only just touched her with her wand, and at the same
instant her clothes were turned into cloth of gold and silver, all
beset with jewels: after this, she gave her a pair of Glass
Slippers, the finest in the world. Being thus dress'd out she
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got into her coach; but her godmother, above all
things, commanded her not to stay beyond twelve a clock at
night; telling her at the same time, that if she stay'd at the ball
one moment longer, her coach would be a pompion again, her
horses mice, her footmen lizards, and her clothes resume their
old form.
SHE promised her godmother she would not fail of
leaving the ball before midnight, and then departed not a little
joyful at her good fortune.
The King's son, who was informed that a great Princess, whom
they did not know, was come, ran out to received her; he gave
her his hand as she alighted out of the coach, and led her into
the hall where the company was: there was a great silence; they
left off dancing, and the violins ceased to play, so attentive was
every body to contemplate the extraordinary
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beauties of this unknown person:
there was heard nothing but a confused
noise of ha! how handsome she is, ha! how handsome she is.
The King himself, as old as he was, could not help looking at
her, and telling the Queen in a low voice, that it was a long time
since that he had seen so beautiful and lovely a creature. All the
ladies were busied in considering her clothes and head-dress,
that they might have some made the next day after the same
pattern, supposing they might get such fine materials, and as
able hands to make them.
THE King's son shewed her to the
most honourable place, and afterwards took her out to dance
with him: she danced with so much gracefulness, that they more
and more admired her. A fine collation was served up, of which
the young Prince eat nothing, so much
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was he taken
up in looking upon her. She went and set herself down by her
sisters, and shewed them a thousand civilities: she gave them
some of the oranges and lemons that the Prince had presented
her with; which very much surprised them; for they did not
know her. While the company was thus employed,
Cinderilla heard the clock go eleven and three quarters;
upon which she immediately made a courtesy to the company,
and went away as fast as she could.
ASSOON as she came
home, she went to find out her godmother, and after having
thanked her, she told her, she could not but heartily wish to go
the next day to the ball, because the King's son had desired her.
As she was busie in telling her godmother every thing that had
passed at the ball, her two sisters knock'd at the door,
Cinderilla went and opened it. You have
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stay'd a long while, said she, gaping, rubbing her eyes, and
stretching herself as if she had been just awaked out of her
sleep; she had however no manner of inclination to sleep since
they went from home. If thou hadst been at the ball, said one of
her sisters, thou would'st not have been tired with it: there came
thither the most beautiful Princess, the most beautiful that ever
was seen; she shewed us a thousand civilities, and gave us
oranges and lemons. Cinderilla seem'd indifferent; she
asked them the name of that Princess; but they told her they did
not know it, and that the King's son was very uneasy on her
account, and would give all the world to know where she was.
At this Cinderilla smiled, and said, she must then be very
handsome indeed; Lord how happy have you been, could not I
see her? Ah! good Madam Charlotte, lend me your
yellow suit of clothes
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that you wear every day.
Undoubtedly, said Madam Charlotte, lend my clothes to
such a Cinderbreech as you are, who is fool then?
Cinderilla was very glad of the refusal, for she would
have been sadly put to it, if her sister had leant her her
clothes.
THE next day the two sisters were at the ball, and so was
Cinderilla, but dressed more richly than she was at first.
The King's son was always by her, and saying abundance of
tender things to her; the young lady was no ways tired, and
forgot what her godmother had recommended to her, so that she
heard the clock begin to strike twelve, when she thought it was
only eleven, she then rose up and fled as nimble as a deer: the
Prince followed her, but could not catch hold of her; she dropt
one of her Glass Slippers, which the Prince took up very
carefully; Cin-
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derilla came home quite out of
breath, without coach or footmen, and in her old ugly clothes;
she had nothing left her of all her finery, but one of the little
Slippers, fellow to that she drop'd. The guards at the palace-
gate were asked if they had not seen a Princess go out, who said,
they had seen no body go out, but a young woman very badly
dress'd, and who had more the air of a poor country wench than
a lady.
WHEN the two sisters returned from the ball,
Cinderilla asked them, if they had been well diverted,
and if the fine lady had been there; they told her, Yes, but that
she flew away assoon as it had struck twelve a clock, and with
so much haste, that she drop'd one of her little Glass Slippers,
the prettiest in the world, and which the King's son had taken
up, that he did nothing but look at her all the time
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of the ball, and that certainly he was very much in love with the
beautiful person who owned the little Slipper. What they said
was very true;
for a few days after, the King's son caused it to be proclaimed
by sound of trumpet, that he would marry her whose foot this
Slipper would just fit. They began to try it on upon the
princesses, then the dutchesses, and all the court, but in vain; it
was brought to the two sisters, who did all they possibly could
to thrust their foot into the Slipper,
but they could not effect it.
Cinderilla, who saw all this, and knew the Slipper, said
to them laughing, Let me see if it will not fit me; her sisters
burst out a laughing, and began to banter her. The gentleman
who was sent to try the Slipper, looked earnestly at
Cinderilla, and finding her very handsome, said, it was
but just that she should try, and that he had orders to let every
bo-
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dy do so. He made
Cinderilla sit down, and putting the Slipper to her foot,
he found it went in very easily, and fitted her, and if it had been
made of wax. The astonishment her two sisters were in, were
very great; but much greater, when Cinderilla pulled out
of her pocket the other Slipper, and put it upon her foot. Upon
this her godmother came in, who having touch'd with her wand
Cinderilla's clothes, made them more rich and
magnificent than ever they were before.
AND now, her two
sisters found her to be that fine beautiful lady that they had seen
at the ball. They threw themselves at her feet, to beg pardon for
all the ill treatment they had made her undergo.
Cinderilla took them up, and told them, as she embraced
them, that she forgave them with all her heart, and desired them
always to love
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her.
She was conducted to the young Prince dress'd as she was: he
thought her more beautiful than ever, and a few days after
married her. Cinderilla, who was as good as handsome,
gave her two sisters lodgings in the palace, and married them the
same day to two great lords of the court.
THE MORAL.
BEauty's to the sex a treasure,
We still admire it without measure,
And never yet was any known
By still admiring weary grown.
But that thing, which we call good grace,
Exceeds by far a handsome face;
Its charms by far surpass the other,
And this was what her good godmother
Bestow'd on CINDERILLA fair,
Whom she instructed with such care,
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And gave her such a graceful mien,
That she became thereby a Queen.
For thus (may ever truth prevail)
We draw our moral from this Tale.
This quality, fair ladies, know
Prevails much more, you'll find it so,
T'engage and captivate a heart,
Than a fine head dress'd up with art;
'Tis the true gift of heaven and fate,
Without it none in any state
Effectual any thing can do;
But with it all things well and true.
ANOTHER.
A Great advantage 'tis, no doubt, to man,
To have wit, courage, birth, good sense and brain,
And other such like Qualities, which we
Receiv'd from heaven's kind hand and destiny.
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But none of these rich graces from above,
In your advancement in the world will prove
Of any use, if Godsires make delay,
Or Godmothers your merit to display.
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