home without knowing it.

* * * * *

CINDERELLA

Once upon a time there lived a noble gentleman who had one dear little
daughter. Poor child! her own kind mother was dead, and her father,
who loved her very dearly, was afraid that his little girl was
sometimes lonely. So he married a grand lady who had two daughters
of her own, and who, he thought, would be kind and good to his little
one. But no sooner did the stepmother enter her new home than she
began to show her true character. Her stepdaughter was so much
prettier and sweeter than her own children, that she was jealous of
her, and gave her all the hard work of the house to do, whilst the two
proud sisters spent their time at pleasant parties and entertainments.

The only pleasure the poor child had was to spend her evenings sitting
in the chimney-corner, resting her weary limbs, and for this reason
her sisters mockingly nicknamed her "Cinderella." The sisters' fine
clothes made Cinderella feel very shabby; but, in her little torn
frock and ragged shoes, she was a thousand times more lovely than
they.

Now, it chanced that the King's son gave a grand ball, to which he
invited all the lords and ladies in the country, and, amongst the
rest, Cinderella's two sisters were asked. How pleased and excited
they were when the invitation arrived! For days they could talk of
nothing but the clothes they should wear and the grand folk they hoped
to meet.

When at last the great day arrived, Cinderella was kept running about
from early till late, decking the sisters, and dressing their hair.

"Don't you wish you were going to the ball?" said one of them.

"Indeed I do," sighed the poor little maid. The sisters burst out
laughing. "A pretty spectacle _you_ would be," they said rudely. "Go
back to your cinders--they are fit company for rags." Then, stepping
carefully into their carriage so that they might not crush their fine
clothes, they drove away to the ball.

Cinderella went back to her chimney-corner, and tried not to feel
envious, but the tears _would_ gather in the pretty eyes, and trickle
down the sorrowful little face.

"What are you crying for, child?" cried a silvery voice.

Cinderella started, and raised her eyes. Who could it be? Then in a
moment she knew--it was her fairy Godmother!

"I do so want----" began Cinderella; then her sobs stopped her.

"To go to the ball," finished the Godmother. Cinderella nodded.