Once upon a time there was a beautiful girl named Cinderella. She was so kind that even the mice and the birds were her friends.
Each morning the birds woke her from her sweet dreams with their song.
Cinderella lived with her cruel stepmother and her two stepsisters, Anastasia and Drizella. They treated her like a servant.
Cinderella had to do all the cooking and sewing and washing and scrubbing.
Her stepsisters never did any work.
One day a royal messenger came to the house.
He brought a letter from the King!
The Stepmother read the letter.
The King was giving a Royal Ball for the Prince that night. Every girl in the kingdom was invited.
“That means I can go!” Cinderella cried.
Her stepsisters laughed.
“Imagine, Cinderella dancing with the Prince!” Drizella cackled.
“She’s only fit to dance with a broom,” added Anastasia.
“But the letter says every girl is invited,” Cinderella insisted.
“So it does,” the Stepmother agreed. “You may go – if you get all your work done. And if you can find something to wear.”
“Oh, thank you!” said Cinderella. She quickly ran up to her room.
Cinderella pulled a dress out of her trunk.
“This was my mother’s dress,” she told the mice. “Isn’t it lovely? It just needs some decoration.”
Cinderella’s mice had never seen her so happy.