Cinderella

Once upon a time, a rich man’s wife became very sick. Before she died, she called her only daughter to her bedside and said, “Be good and kind, and God will always protect you. I will watch over you from heaven.” After saying this, she closed her eyes and passed away.

The girl missed her mother deeply and visited her grave every day, weeping and praying. As winter came, snow covered the grave, and when spring arrived, her father remarried. His new wife brought two beautiful daughters with her, but they were mean and cruel.

The stepmother and stepsisters treated the girl harshly. They mocked her, took away her pretty clothes, and made her wear an old, ragged dress. They forced her to do all the housework, like cooking, cleaning, and fetching water. They called her Cinderella because she always looked dirty from working by the ashes of the fire.

One day, Cinderella's father went to a fair and asked his daughters what they wanted. The first sister wanted beautiful dresses, and the second wanted pearls and jewels. When he asked Cinderella, she replied, “Please bring me the first branch that brushes against your hat on your way home.”

He brought back the branch, and Cinderella planted it on her mother’s grave. She cried so much that her tears watered the branch, and it grew into a beautiful tree. Each day, she went to the tree to weep and pray. A little white bird lived in the tree, and whenever Cinderella made a wish, the bird would drop down what she desired.

One day, the king announced a festival that all the young girls in the land could attend, and his son would choose a bride. The stepsisters were excited and told Cinderella to help them get ready. Cinderella wished she could go, too, but her stepmother refused. When Cinderella begged to go, her stepmother said, “If you can pick out the lentils from the ashes in two hours, you can come.”

Cinderella went to the garden and called the birds for help. Soon, the doves and pigeons came and helped her pick out the good lentils. She finished in no time and returned to her stepmother, thinking she could go to the festival. But her stepmother only laughed, saying she still had no clothes to wear.

Heartbroken, Cinderella ran to her mother’s grave and cried out, “Little tree, please give me a beautiful dress.” The bird dropped down a lovely gown and shoes. Cinderella put on the dress and went to the festival. Her stepsisters didn’t recognize her, thinking she was a beautiful princess.

At the festival, the prince danced only with Cinderella and didn’t let anyone else dance with her. When evening came, she hurried home, but the prince wanted to follow her. She escaped into a pigeon house, and the prince couldn’t find her. He told her father about the mysterious girl, and they broke down the pigeon house, but Cinderella was gone.

The next day, the festival happened again. Cinderella visited her mother’s grave and asked the little tree for another beautiful dress. The bird dropped down an even prettier gown. She attended the festival again, and the prince danced only with her.

When it was time to leave, she ran away and climbed a pear tree. The prince thought she had escaped up the tree and had it cut down, but she was not there. Once again, Cinderella returned home and changed into her old clothes.

On the third day of the festival, she went to the tree again, asking for the most beautiful dress yet. The bird gave her a splendid gown and golden slippers. At the festival, everyone was amazed by her beauty. The prince danced only with her once again.

When she ran away at the end of the night, the prince had smeared the stairs with pitch, causing her to lose one of her golden slippers. The next day, the prince declared that he would marry the girl whose foot fits the slipper.

The stepsisters were excited and tried on the slipper, but it was too small. The mother told the eldest to cut off her toe, and she forced her foot into the shoe. The prince took her away, but as they passed the hazel tree, the doves cried out that the shoe had blood in it and was too small.

The prince returned her home and asked to try the other stepsister. She cut a piece off her heel, but when the prince took her away, the doves cried out again that the shoe had blood in it.

Finally, the prince asked if there were any other daughters. The father mentioned Cinderella, but the stepmother protested. However, the prince insisted. Cinderella washed up and tried on the golden slipper, and it fit perfectly.

When the prince saw her face, he recognized her as the beautiful girl from the festival. Cinderella became the prince’s bride, and her stepsisters begged for forgiveness. But as they went to the wedding, the doves punished them by pecking out their eyes for their cruelty. And so, Cinderella and the prince lived happily ever after.