me; it is not my fortune to have any such pleasure."

"You are right; people would only laugh to see a little cinder-wench
at a ball."

Any other than Cinderella would have dressed the hair all awry, but
she was good, and dressed it perfectly even and smooth, and as
prettily as she could.

The sisters had scarcely eaten for two days, and had broken a dozen
stay-laces a day, in trying to make themselves slender; but to-night
they broke a dozen more, and lost their tempers over and over again
before they had completed their toilette. When at last the happy
moment arrived, Cinderella followed them to the coach; after it had
whirled them away, she sat down by the kitchen fire and cried.

Immediately her godmother, who was a fairy, appeared beside her. "What
are you crying for, my little maid?"

"Oh, I wish--I wish--" Her sobs stopped her.

"You wish to go to the ball; isn't it so?"

Cinderella nodded.

"Well, then, be a good girl, and you shall go. First run into the
garden and fetch me the largest pumpkin you can find."

Cinderella did not comprehend what this had to do with her going to
the ball, but being obedient and obliging, she went. Her godmother
took the pumpkin, and having scooped out all its inside, struck it
with her wand; it became a splendid gilt coach, lined with
rose-coloured satin.

"Now fetch me the mouse-trap out of the pantry, my dear."

Cinderella brought it; it contained six of the 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 thread-bare jacket became stiff with gold, and sparkling
with jewels; her woollen petticoat lengthened into a gown of sweepi