Cinderella Fairy Tale

Once upon a time, a man’s wife died, and he remarried. His new wife had a daughter from her previous marriage. The stepmother was a very cruel person. She had two rude daughters who came with her. From the day the stepmother arrived, she cherished her own daughters and treated her stepdaughter harshly. She constantly assigned her difficult and dirty tasks, not allowing the girl any respite. Sometimes, exhausted, she would sit down on the ashes while cleaning the fireplace. Her step-sisters, who always witnessed this, began to mock her, calling her "Cinderella."

One day, a grand ball was to be held at the royal palace. All esteemed and wealthy individuals were invited. The invitation also reached Cinderella's stepmother and her daughters. From that day on, the stepmother was furious and began preparations to go to the royal palace. Cinderella took care of all the household chores. As if that wasn't enough, her stepmother and stepsisters sent her on various errands, making her life miserable. Finally, the day arrived for the royal ball. Cinderella stayed up all night decorating dresses for her stepsisters. The next morning, the spoiled girls put on the dresses that their mother had prepared and headed out with excitement. As they were leaving the house, they asked Cinderella:

– Do you want to go to the royal palace? – They inquired. Eager to see the palace and the ball, Cinderella nodded.

– Then clean the entire house, chop the firewood, water the flowers, wash the dishes, and then you can look out the window, – said her stepmother mockingly. The two daughters giggled at Cinderella's expense. Cinderella was left in tears. At that moment, a kind fairy appeared in the room from nowhere.

– My child, don’t cry. If you want to go to the ball, bring me a large pumpkin, – she said warmly. The kind fairy selected the largest pumpkin from among those available and tapped it with her magic wand. At that moment, the pumpkin transformed into a large and beautiful golden carriage. When she tapped the mice running around, they turned into noble horses. A magnificent coachman also appeared from the large carriage. Similarly, Cinderella's tattered dress turned into a stunning gown worthy of a princess. The worn-out shoes on her feet transformed into sparkling crystal slippers. Cinderella was overjoyed. As the kind fairy sent her off, she warned:

– Remember, when the clock strikes twelve, the magic will wear off, and everything will return to its original state, – she cautioned. Thus, the golden carriage quickly reached the palace. Cinderella shyly entered. The people in the palace were astonished to see such a beautiful maiden. The prince invited the mysterious princess to dance. The young man could not take his eyes off her. They danced and enjoyed each other's company throughout the evening, becoming the center of attention at the ball. Suddenly, the clock struck twelve, and Cinderella remembered the fairy's warning. She hurriedly bid farewell to the prince and ran out of the palace. Upon returning home, Cinderella was greeted by the same fairy.

Overjoyed, Cinderella excitedly recounted everything she had seen and experienced at the palace. She expressed her wish to meet the prince again. The fairy agreed to her request. The next day, after breakfast, Cinderella's stepsisters could not stop talking about the mysterious princess they had seen at the royal ball.

– Please take me with you next time. I want to go to the ball and see it with my own eyes, – the girl pleaded.

– What do you have to do there? Are you going to scare everyone? Just look at yourself! – her stepsisters scolded her. Time flew by. One day, news arrived that another ball would be held at the royal palace, and all the guests from the last ball were invited. The stepmother and her two daughters became frantic again. “The prince might notice us,” the two sisters hoped as they frantically prepared for the ball. At one point, they even argued about how they would dance with the prince. Cinderella laughed at their ridiculous behavior. Finally, the day of the ball came. The stepmother took her daughters and set off for the palace. After them, Cinderella also emerged in a golden carriage. The prince was overjoyed to see the mysterious princess again. He paid no attention to anyone around him and spent all his time with Cinderella. However, this wonderful moment soon passed. Suddenly, the clock chimed, signaling midnight. The girl who was on cloud nine realized it was time to leave. Cinderella hurriedly said goodbye to the prince and ran out. The prince, bewildered, tried to stop her. But Cinderella didn’t look back. She rushed out of the palace. While hurrying down the stairs, she accidentally dropped one of her crystal slippers. The prince could not catch up with her. With his head down, he returned upstairs and found the crystal slipper that had fallen from the princess’s foot. Meanwhile, Cinderella returned home with the matching slipper in hand. The next day, her stepmother and sisters were excitedly discussing their experiences at the royal palace and the mysterious princess. They had no idea that the beautiful girl they had seen at the ball was none other than Cinderella! At that moment, a royal messenger arrived. He announced the king’s decree: “Whoever fits this crystal slipper shall marry the prince!” The messenger traveled throughout the kingdom, trying the slipper on every maiden. However, it did not fit anyone. Finally, it was Cinderella's turn.

 – Don’t you have any other daughters? – asked the royal messenger. The two sisters answered:

– Yes, there is one more, but she is Cinderella, who always looks dirty, – they replied mockingly.

– I must try this slipper on every young woman in the kingdom. So, regardless of who she is, bring her to me! – commanded the messenger. The stepmother called out for Cinderella. The girl, who was busy chopping firewood, entered the house shyly. The messenger paid no attention to anything else and tried the crystal slipper on Cinderella's foot. It fit perfectly. The stepmother and stepsisters were left in shock.

– Look at that! It fits her as if it were made for her! – the messenger exclaimed, unable to hide his joy. Everyone was astonished as Cinderella took the matching slipper out of her pocket and put it on.

Her stepsisters and stepmother, feeling ashamed, reluctantly asked Cinderella for forgiveness. The kind and gentle girl forgave them. Because her body was not only beautiful, but her soul was also pure and kind. The messenger, having fulfilled the prince’s request, took Cinderella to the palace. The people at the palace were left speechless when they saw the simply dressed girl. Only the prince recognized his mysterious princess and came closer to hold her hand. At that moment, the kind fairy appeared again and waved her magic wand over Cinderella's dress. Then Cinderella’s old dress transformed into a beautiful, elegant gown. She emerged looking even more radiant than before. The prince asked Cinderella to marry him. She agreed, and a grand celebration was held at the palace. And so, they lived happily ever after.