to the ball and have a peep at this wonderful princess." "A likely
story, indeed!" cried Javotte, tossing her head disdainfully, "that I
should lend my clothes to a dirty Cinderella like you!"

Cinderella expected to be refused, and was not sorry for it, as she
would have been puzzled what to do, had her sister really lent her the
dress she begged to have.

On the following evening the sisters again went to the court ball, and
so did Cinderella, dressed even more magnificently than before. The
king's son never left her side, and kept paying her the most flattering
attentions. The young lady was nothing loth to listen to him; so it came
to pass that she forgot her godmother's injunctions, and, indeed, lost
her reckoning so completely, that before she deemed it could be eleven
o'clock, she was startled at hearing the first stroke of midnight. She
rose hastily, and flew away like a startled fawn. The prince attempted
to follow her, but she was too swift for him; only, as she flew she
dropped one of her glass slippers, which he picked up very eagerly.
Cinderella reached home quite out of breath, without either coach or
footmen, and with only her shabby clothes on her back; nothing, in
short, remained of her recent magnificence, save a little glass slipper,
the fellow to the one she had lost.

[Illustration: CINDERELLA DANCING WITH THE PRINCE IS ADMIRED FOR HER
GRACEFULNESS. THE CLOCK STRIKES TWELVE: SHE HAVING FORGOT HER
GOD-MOTHER'S INSTRUCTIONS, IS ALARMED, FLIES OUT OF THE BALL-ROOM--HER
GORGEOUS APPAREL IS CHANGED INTO THE DRESS OF A CINDER-WENCH, AND HER
SPLENDID EQUIPAGE INTO A PUMPKIN, RATS, MICE AND LIZARDS.]

The sentinels at the palace gate were closely questioned as to whether
they had not seen a princess coming out; but they answered they had seen
no one except a shabbily dressed girl, who appeared to be a peasant
rather than a young lady.

On this second night, as you have taken notice, dazzled by worldly show
and the pleasing flattery of her royal lover, Cinderella over-stays her
time, and is compelled to make her way back to her father's house on
foot and in rags--an everlasting lesson to all the pretty little
Cinderellas in the world to keep their word, and to act in good faith by
such as befriend them. Never mind--her heart is in the right place--she
is a charming good creature; and although virtue goes home in rags, it
will leave some token behind--some foot-print by which it can be known
and trace