: "O yes, O yes, O yes, be it known unto you all that
whatsoever lady of noble birth can fit this shoe upon her foot shall
become the bride of his Highness the Prince and our future Queen. God
save the King."

[Illustration: The Step-Sister Cuts off her Toe]

And when the herald came to the house of Cinder-Maid's father the
eldest of her two step-sisters tried on the golden shoe. But it was
much too small for her, as it was for every other lady that had tried
it up to that time; but she went up into her room and with a sharp
knife cut off one of her toes and part of her heel, and then fitted
her foot into the shoe, and when she came down she showed it to the
herald, who sent a message to the Palace saying that the lady had been
found who could wear the golden shoe. Thereupon the Prince jumped at
once upon his horse and rode to the house of Cinder-Maid's father. But
when he saw the step-sister with the golden shoe, "Ah," he said, "but
this is not the lady." "But," she said, "you promised to marry the one
that could wear the golden shoe." And the Prince could say nothing,
but offered to take her on his horse to his father's Palace, for in
those days ladies used to ride on a pillion at the back of the
gentleman riding on horseback. Now as they were riding towards the
Palace her foot began to drip with blood, and the little bird from the
hazel tree that had followed them called out:

"Turn and peep, turn and peep,
There's blood within the shoe;
A bit is cut from off the heel
And a bit from off the toe."

And the Prince looked down and saw the blood streaming from her shoe
and then he knew that this was not his true bride, and he rode back to
the house of Cinder-Maid's father; and then the second sister tried
her chance; but when she found that her foot wouldn't fit the shoe she
did the same as her sister, but all happened as before. The little
bird called out:

"Turn and peep, turn and peep,
There's blood within the shoe;
A bit is cut from off the heel
And a bit from off the toe."

And the Prince took her back to her mother's house, and then he asked,
"Have you no other daughter?" and the sisters cried out, "No, sir."
But the father said, "Yes, I have another daughter." And the sisters
cried out, "Cinder-Maid, Cinder-Maid, she could not wear that shoe."
But the Prince said, "As she is of noble birth she has a right to try
the shoe." So the herald went down to the kitchen and found