Cinderella

Once, there was a kind man who married a proud woman. She had two daughters, who were mean and selfish, just like their mother. The man also had a daughter named Cinderella, who was gentle and sweet because her mother, who had died, was a good woman. After the wedding, the stepmother showed her true nature. She disliked Cinderella, who was kind and beautiful, because she made her daughters look bad. She made Cinderella do hard work, like cleaning dishes and scrubbing floors. Cinderella slept in a small, dirty attic, but her stepsisters, who were cruel, had big rooms with nice beds. Cinderella never complained, even though her stepmother controlled her father. She sat by the fireplace, which was full of ashes, so her stepsisters called her Cinderella. But she was much prettier than them, even in old clothes. The king’s son, who was young and rich, planned a ball and invited everyone important. The stepsisters, who loved fancy things, were excited. They chose beautiful dresses and talked about their clothes all day. Cinderella, who had to iron their dresses, worked harder. The eldest said, “I will wear my red velvet dress.” The youngest said, “I will wear my gold dress, which has diamonds.” They asked Cinderella for help with their hair, because she had good ideas.