e fattest, sleekest mice.
The fairy lifted up the wire door, and as each mouse ran out she
struck it and changed it into a beautiful black horse.

"But what shall I do for your coachman, Cinderella?"

Cinderella suggested that she had seen a large black rat in the
rat-trap, and he might do for want of better.

"You are right; go and look again for him."

He was found, and the fairy made him into a most respectable coachman,
with the finest whiskers imaginable. She afterwards took six lizards
from behind the pumpkin frame and changed them into six footmen, all
in splendid livery, who immediately jumped up behind the carriage, as
if they had been footmen all their days. "Well, Cinderella, now you
can go to the ball."

"What, in these clothes?" said Cinderella piteously, looking down on
her ragged frock.

Her godmother laughed, and touched her also with the wand, at which
her wretched, threadbare jacket became stiff with gold and sparkling
with jewels; her woollen petticoat lengthened into a gown of sweeping
satin, from underneath which peeped out her little feet, no longer
bare, but covered with silk stockings and the prettiest glass slippers
in the world. "Now, Cinderella, depart; but remember, if you stay one
instant after midnight, your carriage will become a pumpkin, your
coachman a rat, your horses mice, and your footmen lizards; while you
yourself will be the little cinder-wench you were an hour ago."

Cinderella promised without fear, her heart was so full of joy.

Arrived at the palace, the king's son, whom some one, probably the
fairy, had told to await the coming of an uninvited princess whom
nobody knew, was standing at the entrance ready to receive her. He
offered her his hand, and led her with the utmost courtesy through the
assembled guests, who stood aside to let her pass, whispering to one
another, "Oh, how beautiful she is!" It might have turned the head of
any one but poor Cinderella, who was so used to be despised that she
took it all as if it were something happening in a dream.

Her triumph was complete; even the old king said to the queen, that
never since her majesty's young days had he seen so charming and
elegant a person. All the court ladies scanned her eagerly, clothes
and all, determining to have theirs made next day of exactly the same
pattern. The king's son himself led her out to dance, and she danced
so gracefully that he admired her more and more. Indeed, at supper,
which was f