5 Cinderella or the Little Glass Slipper (2)(France)

The king’s son conducted her to the most honorable seat,and afterward took her out to dance with him, and she danced so gracefully that all more and more admired her. Suddenly,she heard the clock strike eleven and three-quarters,whereupon she immediately made a curtsy to the company and hastened away as fast as she could.

Reaching home, she ran to seek out her godmother and was eagerly telling her godmother whatever had passed at the ball, when her two sisters knocked at the door, which Cinderella ran and opened. “How long you have stayed!”cried she, rubbing her eyes and stretching herself as if she had been just waked out of her sleep. One of her sisters told her how there had come thither the finest princess, and how she showed them a thousand civilities.

The next day the two sisters were at the ball, and so was Cinderella, but dressed more magnificently than before.The king’s son was always by her and never ceased his compliments and kind speeches to her. All this was so far from being tiresome that she quite forgot what her godmother had commanded her. At last, she counted the clock striking twelve when she took it to be no more than eleven. She then rose up and fled. The prince followed but could not overtake her. She left behind one of her glass slippers, which the prince took up most carefully.

The guards at the palace gate were asked if they had not seen a princess go out. They had seen nobody but a young girl, very meanly dressed, and who had more the air of a poor country wench than a gentlewoman.

A few days afterward the king’s son caused it to be proclaimed, by sound of trumpet, that he would marry her whose foot the glass slipper would just fit. They whom he employed began to try it upon the princesses, then the duchesses, and all the court, but in vain. It was brought to the two sisters, who each did all she possibly could to thrust her foot into the slipper. But they could not effect it.Cinderella, who saw all this, and knew her slipper, said to them, laughing: “Let me see if it will not fit me.”

Her sisters burst out laughing and began to banter her.The gentleman who was sent to try the slipper looked earnestly at Cinderella and, finding her very handsome, said it was but just she should try, and that he had orders to let everyone make trial. He obliged Cinderella to sit down, and putting the slipper to her foot, he found it went on easily and fitted her. The astonishment of her two sisters was great, but still greater when Cinderella pulled out of her pocket the other slipper and put it on her foot. There upon, in came her godmother who, having touched Cinderella’s clothes with her wand, made them richer and more magnificent than any she had worn before.

And now her two sisters found her to be that fine,beautiful lady 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. Cinderella raised them up and embraced them.

She was conducted to the young prince. He thought her more charming than ever and, a few days after, married her.Cinderella, who was no less good than beautiful, gave her two sisters lodgings in the palace, and that very same day matched them with two great lords of the court.

—Charles Perrault