you come
this evening, Cinderella?" "Oh," she says, "don't bother me! I don't
want to go." Their father cries out to them: "How troublesome you are!
Let her alone!" So they began to adorn themselves more handsomely than
the former evening, and departed. "Good-by, Cinderella!" When they had
gone, Cinderella went to the bird and said: "Little Bird Verdelio, make
me more beautiful than I am!" Then she became clothed in sea-green,
embroidered with all the fish of the sea, mingled with diamonds more
than you could believe. The bird said: "Take these two bags of sand, and
when you are followed, throw it out, and so they will be blinded." She
entered her carriage and set out for the ball. As soon as his Majesty
saw her he began to dance with her and danced as long as he could. After
he had danced as long as he could (she did not grow weary, but he did),
she placed herself near her sisters, drew out her handkerchief, and
there fell out a beautiful necklace all made of coal. The second sister
said: "Signora, you have dropped this." She replied: "Keep it for
yourself." "If Cinderella were here, who knows what might not happen to
her! To-morrow she must come!" After a while she leaves the ball. The
servants (just think, under pain of death!) were all on the alert, and
followed her. She began to throw out all the sand, and they were
blinded. She went home, dismounted, and went up-stairs. "Little Bird
Verdelio, make me homelier than I am!" She became frightfully homely.
When her sisters returned they began from below: "Cin-der-ella! if you
only knew what that lady gave us!" "It matters nothing to me!" "But
to-morrow evening you must go!" "Yes, yes! you would have had it!" Their
father says: "Let us go to supper and let her alone; you are really
silly!"

Let us return to his Majesty, who was waiting for his servants to learn
where she lived. Instead of that they were all brought back blinded, and
had to be accompanied. "Rogue!" he exclaimed, "either this lady is some
fairy or she must have some fairy who protects her."

The next day the sisters began: "Cinderella, you must go this evening!
Listen; it is the last evening; you must come." The father: "Oh let her
alone! you are always teasing her!" Then they went away and began to
prepare for the ball. When they were all prepared, they went to the ball
with their father. When they had departed, Cinderella went to the bird:
"Little Bird Verdelio, make me more beautiful than I am!" Then