Elementary Library

Cinderella

Once upon a time, there was a kind young girl named Cinderella. She lived with her wicked stepmother and two stepsisters who were very mean to her. They made her do all the hard work around the house, like cleaning and cooking. While they sat around and enjoyed themselves, Cinderella worked all day without any help. One day, an invitation arrived from the king. He was hosting a grand ball, and everyone in the kingdom was invited. Cinderella dreamed of going, but her stepmother said, “No! You must stay home and clean.” She was so sad, but she did not complain. As she was working, a fairy godmother appeared. The fairy godmother smiled and waved her magic wand. "Don't worry, Cinderella," she said. "I will help you go to the ball!" With a wave of her wand, she turned Cinderella’s rags into a beautiful gown and her old shoes into sparkling glass slippers. The fairy godmother also turned a pumpkin into a shiny golden carriage and mice into horses to pull the carriage. "Now, you can go to the ball!" said the fairy godmother. "But remember, you must leave before midnight. At midnight, everything will change back to normal." Cinderella thanked her fairy godmother and hurried to the ball. When she arrived, everyone was amazed by how beautiful she looked. The prince asked her to dance, and they danced all night long. They had so much fun together, and the prince could not stop thinking about her. But as the clock struck midnight, Cinderella remembered what the fairy godmother said. She ran away, leaving behind one of her glass slippers. The prince picked it up and decided he would find the beautiful girl who fit the slipper. The next day, the prince went to every house in the kingdom to find the girl who could wear the glass slipper. When he arrived at Cinderella’s house, her stepsisters tried on the slipper, but it was too small for them. Finally, Cinderella tried on the slipper, and it fit perfectly! The prince knew she was the one, and he asked her to marry him. Cinderella said yes, and they lived happily ever after.