e obliged Cinderella to
sit down, and putting the slipper to her foot, he found it went in very
easily and fitted her as if it had been made of wax. The astonishment
her two sisters were in was excessively great, but still abundantly
greater when Cinderella pulled out of her pocket the other slipper and
put it on her foot. Thereupon in came her godmother, who having touched,
with her wand, Cinderella's clothes, made them richer and more
magnificent than any of those she had before.

And now her two sisters found her to be that fine beautiful lady whom
they had seen at the ball. They threw themselves at her feet to beg
pardon for all the ill treatment they had made her undergo. Cinderella
took them up, and as she embraced them, cried that she forgave them with
all her heart and desired them always to love her. She was conducted to
the young prince, dressed as she was. He thought her more charming than
ever, and a few days after, married her. Cinderella, who was no less
good than beautiful, gave her two sisters lodgings in the palace, and
that very same day matched them with two great lords of the court.

166

The hero of the next story is often known as
Drakesbill, which easily becomes Bill Drake.
The version that follows is a translation from
the French of Charles Marelles as given by Lang
in his _Red Fairy Book_. It has a raciness not
in those softened versions in which one friend
gets into a pocket, another under a wing, and
so on. The persistent energy of the little
hero, his resourcefulness in difficulty, his
loyal friends, the unexpected honor that comes
as recognition of his success, the humor that
pervades every character and incident, make
this one of the most delightful of children's
stories.

DRAKESTAIL

Drakestail was very little, that is why he was called Drakestail; but
tiny as he was he had brains, and he knew what he was about, for having
begun with nothing he ended by amassing a hundred crowns. Now the king
of the country, who was very extravagant and never kept any money,
having heard that Drakestail had some, went one day in his own person to
borrow his hoard, and, my word, in those days Drakestail was not a
little proud of having lent money to the king. But after the first and
second year, seeing that he never even dreamed of paying the interest,
he became uneasy, so much so t