CINDER.
ELLA

rooms in the house and feather-beds. They had
also in their rooms cheval glasses in which they
could admire themselves from top to toe.

The poor girl endured all without complaining.
She did not dare to speak to her father about it,
because he was completely under the thumb of his
new wife. Moreover, he was much engaged in
business which carried him away from home for
weeks together, and she considered that if she
were to speak to him about her treatment, her step-
mother and sisters would serve her still worse as
soon as his back was turned. When she had done
her daily tasks, she was wont to creep into a
corner of the fireplace, and sat among the cinders,
for which reason her eldest sister called her Cinder-
slut, but the second who was not quite so ill-
tempered as the other, called her Cinderella.
Although, poor girl, she was given the shabbiest
clothes, and the dirtiest occupation, she was a
hundred times more beautiful than her sisters in
their finest dresses.

It happened that the king gave a ball, to which
were invited all persons of quality. Amongst
others the two young ladies of the house received
invitation. No one thought of Cinderella, for no
one knew of her existence; or if at any time they
had known, they had forgotten her since she had
been banished to the kitchen.

The two daughters of the lady were greatly
excited about the ball; they discussed how they
should be dressed and how they would have their
hair done up, and what jewels they would wear.
‘For my part,’ said the eldest, ‘I will wear red
velvet and lace, and a turban of red and yellow,
with an ostrich feather.’

‘And I,’ said the younger, ‘I shall wear sere
green velvet and satin embroidered with gold, and
eee frizzle up my hair and tie it with amber silk
ribbons.’

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