Cindrella

Cinderella
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Once there was a gentleman who married for his second wife the proudest and most haughty woman that was ever seen. She had by aformer husband two daughters of her own humor, who were, indeed, exactly like her in all things. He had likewise, by another wife, a young daughter, but ofunparalleled goodness and sweetness of temper, which she took from her mother, who was the best creature in the world. No sooner were the ceremonies of the wedding overbut the mother-in-law began to show herself in her true colors. She could not bear the good qualities of this pretty girl, and the less because they made her owndaughters appear the more odious. She employed her in meanest work of the house: she scoured the dishes, tables, etc., and scrubbed madam''s chamber and those ofmisses, her daughters; she lay up in a sorry garret, upon a wretched straw bed, while her sisters lay in fine rooms, with floors all inlaid, upon beds of the verynewest fashion, and where they had looking-glasses so large that they might see themselves at their full length from head to foot.The poor girl bore all patiently anddared not tell her father, who would have rattled her off; for his wife governed him entirely. When she had done her work she used to go into the chimney-cornerand sit down among cinders and ashes, which made her commonly be called a cinder maid; but the youngest, who was not so rude and uncivil as the eldest, called herCinderella. However, Cinderella, notwithstanding her mean apparel, was a hundred times handsomer than her sisters, though they were always dressed very richly. |