As she sat there in the dusk, with the firelight dancing over her, and
her face buried in her hands, she heard a voice calling:

"Cinderella, Cinderella!" and with a start she looked up to see who it
could be.

There on the hearth in front of her stood an old woman, leaning upon a
stick. She was dressed in a long red cloak, and she wore high-heeled
shoes and a tall black hat.

[Illustration]

Where she had come from Cinderella could not imagine. She certainly had
not come in through the door, nor yet through the window for both were
shut.

Cinderella was so surprised to see her that she stopped crying, and
stared at her in astonishment.

"What are you crying for?" asked the old woman.

"Because my mother and sisters have gone to the ball, and I am left here
all alone," said Cinderella.

"Do you want to go to the ball, too!" said the old lady.

"Yes, but it is no good; I have nothing but rags to wear," sobbed poor
Cinderella.

"Well, well, be a good child and don't cry any more," said the old
woman, briskly. "I am your Fairy Godmother, and if you do what I tell
you, perhaps you shall go after all. Run out into the garden and bring
me in a pumpkin!"

Cinderella ran out into the garden and brought in the biggest pumpkin
that she could find.

"Now go and fetch the mouse-trap out of the cellar," said her Godmother,
and Cinderella hurried to get it. There were six mice in the trap, and
the old woman harnessed them to the pumpkin, put a rat on the top to
drive them, and two lizards behind, and then waved her wand over them.
Immediately the pumpkin turned into a gorgeous coach, the mice into six
beautiful horses, the rat into a stately coachman, and the lizards into
tall footmen, with powdered hair and silk stockings. "There," said the
old woman; "there's a carriage to take you to the ball."

[Illustration]

"Alas," said Cinderella, "how can I go to the ball? I have nothing to
wear but this!" and she touched her ragged frock.

"Is that all?" said the Fairy Godmother. Once more she waved her wand,
and Cinderella's rags turned into the most beautiful dress in the world,
all shining with gold and silver threads and covered with costly gems.
In her hair was a circlet of pearls, and her feet were shod with the
prettiest and daintiest pair of glass slippers that ever were seen.

"Now," said the Fairy Godmother, "now you can go to the ball. But mind
you come away before the clock strikes twelve, for should you