The Story of Cinderella
Once upon a time there was a sweet and beautiful young girl, called Cinderella. Her mother died when she was very young, but after a time, her father, a quiet, kindly man, married again. Cinderella’s new mother was not kindly and didn’t like her at all. This mother had also been married before and she brought her two grown-up daughters Lucy and Lydia with her. They were both spoiled and ugly and they were horrid to Cinderella.
(Lydia) “We’re living here now, Cinderella. Lucy and I must have your bedroom. You’ll have to go and sleep in the attic.”
(Lucy) “That’s right. So just hurry up.”
(Lydia) “Yes, don’t just sit there, girl, you should be ironing our dresses.”
Cinderella was surprised and upset. The truth was that her new sisters were jealous of her. So while she slept on a bed of straw in the miserable attic, they took over her comfortable bedroom. They were so vain, that they ordered expensive new beds and mirrors, so that they could see themselves from head to foot. Cinderella’s life was quite changed. The sisters were lazy and spent all their time dressing themselves up, but Cinderella’s new mother never bought any new clothes for her. Her father just did as he was told and he was too frightened of his new wife to do anything about it.
(Lucy)“Cinderella, come and clear this table and do the washing up.”
(Lydia) “When you’ve done that, you can polish our bedroom floor.
(Lucy) “Get a move on, girl.”
(Lydia) “Move, you lazy trollop!”
When Cinderella had done as many jobs as they could think of, she used to go to the kitchen and sit alone in the chimney corner by the cinders and ashes. She was so tired that often she would fall asleep there, but one day something happened to change all this.
(Lucy)“Cinderella! Oh, drat that girl, where is she?”
(Cinderella) “Oh, I’m here.”
(Lydia)“Listen, the prince is giving a ball next week. (Lucy) “Yes, at the palace.” (Lydia)“Just fancy, all the great lords and ladies will be there.”
(Lucy)“And some of the townspeople, as well.”
(Lydia)“And we have both been invited.”
(Lucy)“Oh just think, meeting all those people.”
(Lydia) “We might find ourselves with husbands.”
(Lucy laughing) “Imagine.”
(Cinderella) “I see.”
(Lydia) “Oh you are listening, are you Cinderella?”
(Lucy) “What do you mean ‘I see’? Huh, you surely didn’t think they were going to invite you as well, did you?”
(Lydia)“Oh dear me, no. You’re the one who’s going to make us look nice. You must help us to get ready”
(Lucy)“Yes. I’m going to wear my striped woollen dress with the lace trimmings.”
(Lydia)“And I shall wear my best dress with frills, you know the one I spilt cocoa down the front of. If I wear my pink cloak over it, I can cover it up. Cinderella, come upstairs and help us to sort things out.”
(Lucy)“Oh, I can’t wait to see how lovely we’re going to look.”
The ugly sisters spent most of the next few days trying on clothes and changing hairstyles. They were so vain that they couldn’t see that they only looked even more ridiculous and that Cinderella, in spite of her ragged old working dresses, was a hundred times more beautiful. She helped her sisters in every possible way. Bu instead of being grateful, they just laughed at her.
(Lucy) “Oh Cinderella, I bet you’d like to be going to the ball”
(Cinderella) “I should indeed, but I couldn’t go looking like this.”
(Lucy)“Ha, ha, ha, I should think not!”
(Lydia) “The very idea.”
At last the great day arrived and after an enormous amount of fussing, the two sisters went off to the palace, giggling and sniggering all the way. When they had gone and all was quiet, Cinderella just sat down among the kitchen cinders and wept. (Cinderella crying)
(Cinderella) “I wish…I wish I could go to the ball!”
(Sounds of clashing cymbals) Suddenly a very bright light shone through the dingy kitchen. Standing there in front of Cinderella was an old, old woman in a big black cloak.
(Godmother)“My dear Cinderella”
(Cinderella) “Why, who-“
(Godmother)“I am your fairy godmother. Don’t cry, my dear. I say you shall go the ball.”
(Cinderella) “But how?”
(Godmother)“Now listen carefully. Run into the garden and bring me a pumpkin.”
Cinderella was amazed, but she did as she was told. Back she came with the biggest pumpkin she could find.
(Cinderella) “But I don’t see how this pumpkin can help me go to the ball.”
(Godmother) “My dear, be patient and you shall see.”
Her fairy godmother took a knife and scooped out the inside of the pumpkin, leaving just the shell. From the fold of her cloak, she took a wand and tapped the hollow pumpkin with it.
(Sounds of magic)
(Cinderella) “Goodness!”
(Godmother) “There, a fine golden coach for you to ride in. Next, I shall need six mice from the mouse trap.”
(Cinderella) “Six mice?”
So Cinderella hurried round the kitchen and found six mice. (Sounds of mice squeaking). The fairy godmother tapped her wand just once. (Sounds of magic and the neighing of horses)
(Godmother) “There! Six dapple grey horses to pull the coach. Now, one rat from the rat trap, if you please.”
(Cinderella) “One rat?”
And with another tap of the fairy’s wand (sounds of magic)….
(Cinderella laughing) “Why, he’s become a coachman!”
(Coachman) “At your service, madam. Where may I drive you?”
(Cinderella) “To the ball at the palace. Oh, but Godmother?”
(Godmother) “mm?”
(Cinderella) “Am I to go dressed like this, in my old working clothes?”
(Godmother) “Oh, my dear, I almost forgot. That would never do, would it?”
(Sounds of magic and Cinderella laughing). Cinderella found herself dressed in a magnificent gown of silver and gold, covered with sparkling jewels. And on her feet were two shining, glass, crystal slippers.
(Cinderella) “Oh, thank you! Thank you, godmother!”
(Godmother) “Now, Cinderella, I have one word of warning. Whatever happens, do not stay at the ball after twelve o’clock.”
(Cinderella) “Twelve o’clock.”
(Godmother) “Now remember, as the clock strikes the last stroke of midnight, everything will change back again.”
(Cinderella) “Oh”
(Cinderella) “You will be in your old clothes and your coat and everything will vanish.”
Cinderella shivered at the very thought. She thanked her fairy godmother and promised not to forget. Then she climbed into her golden coach. The coachman cracked his whip.
(Sound of cracking whip)(Sounds of coach and horses moving).
Off went the dapple grey horses and soon she arrived at the palace. When Cinderella entered the ball room, all the company turned to look at her.
(Different voices) “Whoever is she? Isn’t she beautiful? She must be some great princess!” Oh sssh. Here comes the prince!”
(Prince) “You are most welcome, dear lady. May I have the pleasure of being the first to dance with you?”
(Cinderella) “Certainly, Your Highness.”
And the prince and Cinderella found they liked each other so much, that they danced together for most of the evening. But Cinderella never let the prince know who she was. The other guests could see that they were beginning to fall in love, but a quarter of an hour before midnight, they saw the prince lead her sadly to the door. Cinderella had remembered her godmother’s warning. She had just time enough to get home. But then as the clock struck the last note of midnight…(clock striking midnight and sounds of magic), coach, coachman and horses all disappeared. Cinderella was in her ragged old dress again and there was her fairy godmother.
(Cinderella) “Oh, thank you godmother, it’s been the most wonderful evening! But please, do you think I could go to the next ball tomorrow?”
(Godmother) “mm… very well, just once more, my dear. But do remember my warning. At midnight your fine clothes, coach and everything will disappear.”
(Cinderella) “Of course, godmother, no, I won’t forget!”
When her sisters arrived home some time afterwards, they couldn’t stop talking about the ball, the prince and above all, the beautiful unknown princess.
(Lucy) “Do you know, Cinderella, the prince was with her all night long. He never asked me to dance with him once!”
(Lydia) “Well, neither did anybody else.”
(Lucy) “What do you mean, of course they did! But I didn’t see anyone dancing with you.”
(Lydia)“That princess might be beautiful, but she didn’t look any better than I did.”
(Lucy) “I looked heaps better than you did, anyway!”
(Lydia)“What, how dare you!”(Sounds of slapping)
(Lucy) “Ow!”
And then they quarrelled with each other as usual. The next evening, Cinderella had to help them to get ready once again. But as soon as they had set off, her fairy godmother appeared with coach, coachman and horses, ready and waiting. And once again Cinderella found herself transformed.
(Cinderella) “Oh!”
(Godmother) “You look more beautiful than ever my dear. Now off you go! And remember to leave the ball before midnight.”
(Cinderella) “Oh, I will, godmother.”
When Cinderella arrived at the palace, the prince was at the door waiting to greet her.
(Prince) “My dear, I was afraid you were not coming.”
(Cinderella) “I am more than happy to be here, Your Highness.”
The music played, the candles blazed and the prince never left her side. The evening sped by. Cinderella quite forgot about the time and all too soon….(Sounds of clock chiming)
(Cinderella) “Oh, midnight! Oh my goodness! Oh, how late it is. I must go. Goodbye prince, goodbye!”
(Prince)”No, don’t go! Wait! Please wait....she’s gone and I don’t even know her name. Where does she come from? I must find her!”
(Voices) “The princess. Find the princess!”
The prince sent a service to see whether the princess had left in her golden coach, but the only person who had left the palace was a young girl in a ragged old dress.
Cinderella arrived home quite out of breath, without coach or coachman in her torn old clothes. Nothing was left of her finery, but one of the little glass slippers. Meanwhile on the palace steps, the prince’s servants found the other slipper.
(Prince) “This is once of those she wore. With the help of this glass slipper, I will find her”
Next day, everyone was talking about how suddenly the unknown princess had left the ball. Cinderella’s sisters were full of it.
(Lucy)“He’s obviously in love with her.”
(Lydia)“In love? With who?”
(Lucy)“Why, the princess who dropped that slipper, stupid. Who do you think?”
(Lydia) “Yes, and he’s ordered every lady in the town to try it on. They say it will only fit one person’s foot. That will be the princess and the prince will marry her.”
(Lucy) “Oh! I wonder if I could manage to squeeze it on. My feet aren’t that big, are they?”
(Lydia) “You’re size twelve, stupid. Now, I’m a size nine, so I just might manage it myself.”
Sure enough, the prince’s servants began to try the slipper on all the princesses, then the duchesses and all the court ladies, but it fitted no one.
Then they went from house to house. One of the servants handed the slipper to each of Cinderella’s two sisters in turn and they tried to cram their great feet into the tiny glass slipper.
(Lucy)“Give me a moment. Oh, it’s nearly there! If I could just squeeze it over my bunion, ow!”
(Lydia) “Not a hope, anyway your heel is hanging way over the back.”
(Lucy) “You’re only saying that because it wouldn’t fit you.”
Cinderella had watched all this and tried hard not to laugh. Now it was her turn to try the slipper.
(Cinderella) “Let me see if it would fit me.”
(Lucy) “You, Cinderella? Huh, don’t be stupid.”
(Lydia) “You’re always barefooted anyway.”
But the prince had commanded that everyone must try it on, and of course it fitted perfectly. (Sisters gasp in amazement)
(Lucy)“So you were the beautiful lady we saw at the ball.”
(Lydia)“And now you’ll be going to marry the prince.”
(Lucy)“Oh Cinderella, can you ever forgive us?”
(Lydia)“We didn’t mean you any harm.”
(Lucy) “No, really we didn’t. Please Cinderella.”
(Cinderella) “Of course I will. Yes, I forgive you both.”
And very soon after this, Cinderella left home and all its troubles behind her. Then she and the prince were married with great rejoicing and they lived happily ever after.
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