Let me tell you about a girl named Ella. She was sweet and kind, and her mother loved her very much. But one day, her mother became very sick and, with a last gentle kiss, said goodbye.

Ella's father, after a while, decided to marry again. His new wife arrived with her two daughters. They had pretty faces, but oh dear, their hearts were not pretty at all! Right away, they took Ella's lovely dresses and made her wear old, grey rags. "Look at the dusty thing!" they'd laugh, and because she often had to sleep near the fireplace to keep warm, getting covered in cinders, they called her Cinderella. She had to do all the hard work, from scrubbing floors to carrying water, while her stepsisters lounged about.

One day, the father was going to a fair. "What shall I bring you?" he asked. The first stepsister wanted beautiful dresses. The second wanted pearls and jewels. "And you, Cinderella?" he asked. "Father," she said, "please bring me the first twig that brushes against your hat on your way home."

He brought her a little hazel twig. Cinderella planted it on her mother's grave and cried so many tears that it watered the twig, and it grew into a beautiful little tree. Whenever Cinderella went to the tree and made a wish, a little white bird would fly down and give her what she wished for, or send other birds to help.

Now, the King decided to have a big party, a festival that would last for three whole days! All the young ladies in the land were invited, so the Prince could choose a bride. The stepsisters were so excited! "Cinderella, comb our hair! Cinderella, polish our shoes!" they bossed. Cinderella did her best, but she longed to go too.

"You?" sneered the stepmother. "Covered in dust and ashes? You have no dress, no shoes!" But then she said, "Alright, if you can pick all these lentils out of the ashes in two hours, you can go." And she threw a big bowl of lentils into the fireplace.

Cinderella went to her little tree and called, "Little birds in the sky, come help me, please do! The good ones in the pot, the bad ones you can chew!" And swoosh! Down came the birds, and peck, peck, peck, they sorted all the lentils in no time! But the stepmother just said, "Too late! And besides, you have nothing to wear!" and off they went to the ball, laughing.

Cinderella ran to her tree, crying. "Little tree, little tree, shake yourself for me, throw gold and silver down to me!" And poof! The tree gave her a magnificent dress of silver and gold, and tiny slippers to match. She hurried to the ball. The Prince had never seen anyone so lovely. He danced with her all night. When it was time to go, Cinderella slipped away so fast, he couldn't see where she went.

The next night, it happened all over again. More impossible tasks from the stepmother, more help from the birds, and an even more beautiful dress from the tree! Again, she danced only with the Prince, and again, she vanished.

On the third night, Cinderella wore a dress that sparkled like a thousand stars, and her slippers were made of pure gold. The Prince was determined not to lose her this time. So, he had a clever idea – or so he thought! He had the palace stairs coated with sticky pitch. As Cinderella ran down, one of her little golden slippers got stuck! She had to leave it behind.

The Prince picked up the tiny golden slipper. "I will marry the girl whose foot this slipper fits!" he declared. He went from house to house. When he came to Cinderella's home, the first stepsister tried it on. Her foot was too big! "Quick, cut off your toe!" whispered her mother. "When you're queen, you won't need to walk much." So, she did! Ouch! The slipper fit. The Prince was about to ride off with her.

But as they passed the hazel tree, two little birds sang out: "Roo coo coo, roo coo coo, Blood's in the shoe! The shoe's too small, she's not the bride at all!" The Prince looked down and saw the blood. He took her back.

Then the second stepsister tried. Her heel was too big. "Cut off a piece of your heel!" said her mother. So, she did! Ouch! The slipper fit. Again, the birds sang their warning as they rode past the tree. The Prince saw the blood and took her back too.

"Is there no other girl in the house?" asked the Prince.
"Only a dirty little kitchen maid, Cinderella," said the stepmother. "She couldn't possibly be the one."
"Bring her here," said the Prince.

Cinderella washed her face and hands and came out. She slipped her foot into the golden slipper. It fit perfectly, like it was made just for her! And when she stood up, the Prince looked into her eyes and knew it was the beautiful girl from the ball.

The Prince was overjoyed! He lifted Cinderella onto his horse, and they rode off to the palace to be married. The little birds from the hazel tree flew along, singing happily.

When the wedding day came, the two stepsisters came too, hoping to get some good luck from Cinderella, now that she was going to be a princess. But as they walked beside Cinderella, one on her right and one on her left, the little birds swooped down. Peck! They pecked one eye from the first stepsister. Peck! They pecked one eye from the second. And later, as they left the church, the birds swooped again. Peck! Peck! And they pecked out their other eyes. So, for their wickedness and their lies, they had to spend the rest of their days unable to see the beautiful world around them.

But Cinderella, with her kind heart, lived happily ever after with her Prince.

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