Cinderella

A Kind Girl Named Cinderella

Once upon a time, there was a kind and gentle girl named Cinderella. She lived with her stepmother and two stepsisters. They were not kind to her at all.

Cinderella did all the work. She swept the floor. She washed the dishes. She cleaned the fire until she was covered in ash. But she never stopped being sweet and kind. She even sang to the little birds and mice, and they loved her.

An Invitation to the Ball

One day, a letter came from the palace. The prince was having a grand ball! Everyone was invited.

The stepsisters were so excited. "We will wear our best gowns!" they said.

"May I come too?" asked Cinderella.

"You?" they laughed. "You have nothing nice to wear. You must stay home and clean."

That night, the stepsisters rode off to the ball. Poor Cinderella sat by the fire and cried.

A Fairy Godmother Appears

Suddenly, the room filled with light. A fairy godmother appeared!

"Do not cry, dear Cinderella," she said. "You shall go to the ball."

She waved her wand. A pumpkin became a golden coach. Six mice became six fine horses. And Cinderella's old dress turned into a beautiful gown, with sparkling glass slippers on her feet.

"How lovely!" gasped Cinderella.

"But remember," said the fairy godmother. "The magic ends at midnight. You must be home before then."

Midnight at the Ball

At the ball, Cinderella was the most beautiful girl of all. The prince danced only with her. They laughed and twirled all evening.

Then — bong, bong, bong! — the clock began to strike midnight.

"Oh no! I must go!" cried Cinderella. She ran down the stairs so fast that one glass slipper slipped off her foot. But she could not stop. She raced home just as the magic faded away.

The Slipper Fits

The prince found the tiny glass slipper on the stairs. "I will marry the girl whose foot fits this slipper," he said.

He went from house to house. At last, he came to Cinderella's home. The stepsisters tried to squeeze their feet into the slipper, but it was far too small.

"May I try?" asked Cinderella softly.

The stepsisters laughed, but the prince said, "Of course."

Cinderella slipped her foot in. It fit perfectly! "It is you!" said the prince with a smile.

And so the kind, good-hearted girl married the prince. They lived happily ever after.

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The moral: A kind heart shines through, even on the hardest days, and good hearts find happy endings.

Want more read-along tales? Try Goldilocks and the Three Bears or The Lion and the Mouse next.