mind, cut
it off; when you are queen you will not care about toes, you will
not want to go on foot." So the silly girl cut her great toe off, and
squeezed the shoe on, and went to the king's son. Then he took her for
his bride, and set her beside him on his horse and rode away with
her. But on their way home they had to pass by the hazel tree that
Cinderella had planted and there sat a little dove on the branch
singing---

"Back again! back again! look to the shoe!
The shoe is too small, and not made for you!
Prince! prince! look again for thy bride,
For she's not the true one that sits by thy side."

Then the prince got down and looked at her foot, and saw by the blood
that streamed from it what a trick she had played him. So he turned
his horse round and brought the false bride back to her home, and
said, "This is not the right bride; let the other sister try and put
on the slipper." Then she went into the room and got her foot into the
shoe, all but the heel, which was too large. But her mother squeezed
it in till the blood came, and took her to the king's son; and he set
her as his bride beside him on his horse, and rode away with her. But
when they came to the hazel tree the little dove sat there still, and
sang--

"Back again! back again! look to the shoe!
The shoe is too small, and not made for you!
Prince! prince! look again for thy bride,
For she's not the true one that sits by thy side."

[Illustration]

Then he looked down and saw that the blood streamed so from the shoe
that her white stockings were quite red. So he turned his horse and
brought her back again also. "This is not the true bride," said he to
the father; "have you no other daughters?" "No," said he; "there is
only a little dirty Cinderella here, the child of my first wife; I am
sure she cannot be the bride." However, the prince told him to send
her. But the mother said, "No, no, she is much too dirty, she will not
dare to show herself;" still the prince would have her come. And she
first washed her face and hands, and then went in and curtsied to him,
and he handed to her the golden slipper.

Then she took her clumsy shoe off her left foot and put on the golden
slipper; and it fitted her as if it had been made for her. And when
the Prince drew near and looked at her face he knew her, and said,
"This is the right bride."

But the mother and both the sisters were frightened and turned pale