In a homestead in a remote corner of a small kingdom there once lived a beautiful girl. Her clothes were torn and her cheeks were dirty, but even that did not hide her charm. She was also very kind and modest. She did the hardest work in the homestead and rarely had a moment to herself.
No one called her anything but Cinderella. Her stepmother and two stepsisters lived with her in the homestead. However, all three of them were very mean to Cinderella and she had to endure all sorts of abuse from them.
One day the news spread that there was going to be a special event was about to take place at the castle. A royal ball at which the handsome young prince was to choose his bride. Cinderella’s sisters immediately began to prepare, having expensive dresses made and buying jewellery. Cinderella had no dresses and no money to buy any. And besides, her stepmother told her she had to stay home and work anyway. On the day of the ball, the sisters dressed and decorated while Cinderella swept the parlor, and she was very sorry that she could not go with them. After the sisters and their stepmother left for the ball, the unhappy Cinderella burst into tears.
But at that moment, her fairy godmother appeared before her. She comforted Cinderella, caressed her and then gracefully waved her magic wand. A pumpkin growing in the garden of the house all of a sudden turned into a carriage and a couple of mice became sturdy white horses harnessed to the carriage. The fairy godmother then waved her wand a second time and Cinderella turned into a princess in a beautiful dress and her homemade scarves became glittering shoes adorned with jewels. Then the fairy godmother just told her that the spell would end at the stroke of midnight.
And so Cinderella was able to go to the ball. When she entered the castle, her beauty took everyone’s breath away. Even her sisters didn’t recognize her, clean and in a fancy dress. Even the prince took an immediate fancy to her and asked her to dance. During the dance he discovered that Cinderella was not only beautiful, but also a very kind and clever girl. And at that moment he fell in love with her. He took her to his royal parents and told them that he wanted to marry her.
But then Cinderella noticed that midnight was approaching, remembered her godmother’s words and hurriedly ran out of the hall. The Prince ran after her, but could not catch up. On the castle steps, Cinderella slipped off her slipper, but she had to keep running. When the prince ran out of the castle, there was no sign of Cinderella. But he saw the lost slipper on the stairs.
The slipper was very small and the prince immediately thought that it could help him find the beautiful girl. The one whom the little slipper fit would be his wife. The next morning, the prince and his servants set off to all corners of the kingdom to find a girl who could wear the slipper. They had no luck all day, until towards evening they reached the homestead where Cinderella lived with her stepmother and sisters. The sisters tried to slip into the slipper at any cost, but it was impossible. It was really too small.
The only one left was Cinderella. She slipped into the slipper smoothly, because it was hers! The sisters burst into a rage, but the happy prince took Cinderella to his castle and soon a great and glorious wedding took place. It was remembered throughout the kingdom for many years. The Prince and Cinderella lived happily together and had many children, and the castle was always full of laughter and joy.
