4 Cinderella or the Little Glass Slipper (1) (France)

Once there was a gentleman who married, for his second wife, the proudest and most haughty woman that was ever seen. She had, by a former husband, two daughters of her own humor, who were, indeed, exactly like her in all things.He had likewise a young daughter, but of unparalleled goodness and sweetness of temper.

The stepmother could not bear the good qualities of this pretty girl, and all the less because they made her own daughters appear the more odious. She employed her in the meanest work of the house. The girl slept in a sorry garret,upon a wretched straw bed, while her sisters lay in fine rooms.

The poor girl bore all patiently. When she had done her work, she used to go into the chimney corner and sit down among cinders and ashes, which caused her to be called Cinderwench^[1]. But afterwards they called her Cinderella.However, Cinderella, notwithstanding her mean apparel, was a hundred times handsomer than her sisters.

It happened that the king’s son gave a ball and invited all persons of fashion to it. The two sisters were also invited.They were delighted at this invitation and wonderfully busy in choosing such gowns, petticoats and headdresses as might become them. This was a new trouble to Cinderella, for it was she who ironed her sisters’ linen and plaited their ruffles.As she was doing this, they said to her: “Cinderella, would you not like to go to the ball?”“Alas,”she said, “you only jeer at me. It is not for such as I to go thither.”“You are in the right of it,”replied they. “It would certainly make people laugh to see a cinderwench at a palace ball.”

At last the happy day came. They went to court, and Cinderella followed them with her eyes as long as she could,and when she had lost sight of them, she fell a-crying. Her godmother, who was a fairy, said to her, “You wish to go to the ball. Is it not so?”“Yes,”cried Cinderella, with a great sigh. “Well,”said her godmother, “run into the garden and bring me a pumpkin.”

Cinderella went immediately to gather the finest one and brought it to her godmother. Her godmother scooped out all the inside of it, leaving nothing but the rind; which done, she struck it with her wand, and the pumpkin was instantly turned into a fine coach, gilded all over with gold. She then went to look into her mousetrap, where she found six mice, all alive.She gave each mouse a little tap with her wand, the mouse was that moment turned into a fine horse. Being at a loss for a coachman, Cinderella said, “I will go and see if there is a rat in the rat-trap.”She brought the trap to her, and in it there were three huge rats. The fairy made choice of the one which had the largest beard, and having touched him with her wand,he was turned into a fat, jolly coachman, who had the smartest whiskers eyes ever beheld. After that, the godmother touched Cinderella with her wand, and at the same instant her clothes were turned into cloth of gold and silver, all beset with jewels.This done, she gave her a pair of glass slippers, the prettiest in the whole world. Being thus decked out, Cinderella climbed into her coach, but her godmother, above all things,commanded her not to stay till after midnight, telling her, at the same time, that if she stayed one moment longer,everything would become just as it was before.

Cinderella promised her and then away she drove, scarce^[2] able to contain herself for joy. The king’s son, who was told that a great princess, whom nobody knew, had come, ran out to receive her. He gave her his hand as she alighted from the coach and led her into the hall. There was immediately a profound silence. They left off dancing, and the violins ceased to play, so attentive was everyone to contemplate the singular beauties of the unknown newcomer. Nothing was then heard but a confused noise of: “Ha! How handsome she is! Ha!How handsome she is!”

—Charles Perrault

[1]　Cinderwench：cinder意為煤渣，wench意為村女。Cinderella的"ella"為女子名後綴，故稱灰姑娘。

[2]　scarce：= scarcely。