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[Illustration]


HEWET'S

HOUSEHOLD STORIES

FOR LITTLE FOLKS

ILLUSTRATED

W. H. THWAITE

ENGRAVED BY THE BEST ARTISTS.


VOL I.

CINDERELLA



1855




[Illustration: Frontispiece]




CINDERELLA;

Or,

THE LITTLE GLASS SLIPPER.


There once lived a gentleman and his wife, who were the parents of a
lovely little daughter.

When this child was only nine years of age, her mother fell sick.
Finding her death coming on, she called her child to her and said to
her, "My child, always be good; bear every thing that happens to you
with patience, and whatever evil and troubles you may suffer, you will
be happy in the end if you are so." Then the poor lady died, and her
daughter was full of great grief at the loss of a mother so good and
kind.

The father too was unhappy, but he sought to get rid of his sorrow by
marrying another wife, and he looked out for some prudent lady who might
be a second mother to his child, and a companion to himself. His choice
fell on a widow lady, of a proud and tyrannical temper, who had two
daughters by a former marriage, both as haughty and bad-tempered as
their mother. No sooner was the wedding over, than the step-mother began
to show her bad temper. She could not bear her step-daughter's good
qualities, that only showed up her daughters' unamiable ones still more
obviously, and she accordingly compelled the poor girl to do all the
drudgery of the household. It was she who washed the dishes, and
scrubbed down the stairs, and polished the floors in my lady's chamber
and in those of the two pert misses, her daughters; and while the latter
slept on good feather beds in elegant rooms, furnished with full-length
looking-glasses, their sister lay in a wretched garret on an old straw
mattress. Yet the poor thing bore this ill treatment very meekly, and
did not dare complain to her father, who thought so much of his wife
that he would only have scolded her.

When her work was done, she used to sit in the chimney-corner amongst
the cinders, which had caused the nickname of _Cinderella_ to be given
her by the family; yet, for all her shabby clothes, Cinderella was a
hundred times prettier than her sisters, let them be dressed ever so
magnificently.

The poor little Cinder-wench! this harsh stepmother was a sore trial to
her; and how often, as she sate sadly by herself, did she feel that
there is no mother like our own, the dear parent whose flesh and blood
we are, and who bears all our little cares and sorrows tenderly as in
the apple of her eye!

It happened that the king's son gave a ball, to which he invited all the
nobility; and, as our two young ladies made a great figure in the world,
they were included in the list of invitations. So they began to be very
busy choosing what head-dress and which gown would be the most becoming.
Here was fresh work for poor Cinderella: for it was she, forsooth, who
was to starch and get up their ruffles, and iron all their fine linen;
and nothing but dress was talked about for days together. "I," said the
eldest, "shall put on my red velvet dress, with my point-lace
trimmings." "And I," said the younger sister, "shall wear my usual
petticoat, but shall set it off with my gold brocaded train and my
circlet of diamonds."

[Illustration: CINDERELLA DRESSING HER SISTER'S HAIR.]

They sent for a clever tire-woman to prepare the double rows of quilling
for their caps, and they purchased a quantity of fashionably cut
patches. They called in Cinderella to take her advice, as she had such
good taste, and Cinderella not only advised them  well,  but offered to
dress their hair, which they were pleased to accept. While she was thus
busied, the sisters said to her: "And pray, Cinderella, would you like
to go to the ball?"

"Nay, you are mocking me," replied the poor girl; "it is not for such as
I to go to balls." "True enough," rejoined they; "folks would laugh to
see a Cinderella at a court ball."

These two step-sisters were very cruel to Cinderella, and ill-used her
much. Ah! what sweet friends are our own born sisters!--there can be no
substitutes like them in the whole wide world.

Any other but Cinderella would have dressed their hair awry to punish
them for their impertinence, but she was so good-natured that she
dressed them most becomingly. Although they disdained her, and while
they would themselves make a great figure in the world, sought to
degrade and lower her, see how the lovely disposition of Cinderella
shines out. Although she was not allowed to go to the ball of the king's
son, she not only advised them well how they could array themselves to
appear to the best advantage, but she even--what greatness of heart to
do that!--with her own hands dresses their hair, and in the most
becoming manner her delicate taste can suggest.

The two sisters were so delighted, that they scarcely ate a morsel for a
couple of days. They spent their whole time before a looking-glass, and
they would be laced so tight, to make their waists as slender as
possible, that more than a dozen stay-laces were broken in the attempt.

The long-wished-for evening came at last, and these proud misses stepped
into the carriage and drove away to the palace. Cinderella looked after
the coach as far as she could see, and then returned to the kitchen in
tears; where, for the first time, she bewailed her hard and cruel
degradation. She continued sobbing in the corner of the chimney, until a
rapping at the kitchen-door roused her, and she got up to see what had
occasioned, it. She found a little old beggar-woman hobbling on
crutches, who besought her to give her some food. "I have only part of
my own supper for you, Goody, which is no better than a dry crust. But
if you like to step in and warm yourself, you can do so, and welcome."
"Thank you, my dear," said the old woman in a feeble, croaking voice.
She then hobbled in and took her seat by the fire.

"Hey! dearee me! what are all these tears, my child?" said the old
woman. And then Cinderella told the old woman all her griefs; how her
sisters had gone to the ball, and how she wished to go too, but had no
clothes, or means to do so.

"But you _shall_ go, my darling," said the old woman, "or I am not
Queen of the Faeries or your Godmother. Dry up your tears like a good
god-daughter and do as I bid you, and you shall have clothes and horses
finer than any one."

Cinderella had heard her father often talk of her godmother, and tell
her that she was one of those good faeries who protect children. Her
spirits revived, and she wiped away her tears.

The faery took Cinderella by the hand, and said, "Now, my dear, go into
the garden and fetch me a pumpkin." Cinderella bounded lightly to
execute her commands, and returned with one of the finest and largest
pumpkins she could meet with. It was as big as a beer barrel, and
Cinderella trundled it into the kitchen, wondering what her godmother
would do with it. Her godmother took the pumpkin, and scooped out the
inside of it, leaving nothing but rind; she then struck it with her
wand, and it instantly became one of the most elegant gilt carriages
ever seen.

She next sent Cinderella into the pantry for the mouse-trap, bidding her
bring six little mice alive which she would find in the trap. Cinderella
hastened to the pantry, and there found the mice as the faery had said,
which she brought to the old lady, who told her to lift up the door of
the trap but a little way and very gently, so that only one of the mice
might go out at a time.

Cinderella raised the mouse-trap door, and as the mice came out one by
one, the old woman touched them with her wand, and transformed them into
fine prancing dapple-gray carriage horses with long manes and tails,
which were tied up with light-blue ribands.

"Now, my dear good child," said the faery, "here you have a coach and
horses, much handsomer than your sisters', to say the least of them; but
as we have neither a postilion nor a coachman to take care of them, run
quickly to the stable, where the rat-trap is placed, and bring it to
me."

Cinderella was full of joy, and did not lose a moment; and soon returned
with the trap, in which there were two fine large rats. These, too, were
touched with the wand, and immediately the one was changed into a smart
postilion, and the other into a jolly-looking coachman in full finery.

Her godmother then said, "My dear Cinderella, you must go to the garden
again before I can complete your equipage; when you get there, keep to
the right side, and close to the wall you will see the watering-pot
standing; look behind it, and there you will find six lizards, which you
must bring to me immediately."

Cinderella hastened to the garden as she was desired, and found the six
lizards, which she put into her apron and brought to the faery. Another
touch of the wonderful wand soon converted them into six spruce footmen
in dashing liveries, with powdered hair and pig-tails, three-cornered
cocked hats and gold-headed canes, who immediately jumped up behind the
carriage as nimbly as if they had been footmen and nothing else all
their lives.

The coachman and postilion having likewise taken their places, the faery
said to Cinderella, "Well, my dear girl, is not this as fine an equipage
as you could desire to go to the ball with? Tell me, now, are you
pleased with it?"

"O yes, dear godmother," replied Cinderella; and then, with a good deal
of hesitation, added, "but how can I make my appearance among so many
finely-dressed people in these mean-looking clothes?"

"Give yourself no uneasiness about that, my dear; the most laborious
part of our task is already accomplished, and it will be hard if I
cannot make your dress correspond with your coach and servants."

On saying this, the old woman, assuming her character of Queen of the
Faeries, touched Cinderella with the magic wand, and her clothes were
instantly changed into a most magnificent ball dress, ornamented with
the most costly jewels. The faery took from her pocket a beautiful pair
of elastic glass slippers, which she caused Cinderella to put on, and
then desired her to get into the carriage with all expedition, as the
ball had already commenced.

Two footmen opened the carriage door, and assisted the now beautifully
dressed Cinderella into it. Her godmother, before she took leave,
strictly charged her, on no account whatever to stay at the ball after
the clock had struck twelve; and then added, that if she stopped but a
single moment beyond that time, her fine coach, horses, coachman,
postilion, and footmen, and fine apparel, would all return to their
original shapes of pumpkin, mice, rats, lizards, and mean-looking
clothes.

Cinderella promised faithfully to attend to every thing that the faery
had mentioned; and then, quite overjoyed, gave the direction to the
footman, who bawled out in a loud and commanding tone to the coachman,
"To the Royal Palace." The coachman touched his prancing horses lightly
with his whip, and swiftly the carriage started off, and in a short time
reached the palace.

[ILLUSTRATION: CINDERELLA'S ARRIVAL AT THE PALACE IN HER ELEGANT GILT
CARRIAGE, WHICH ATTRACTS GENERAL NOTICE AS IT DRIVES UP TO THE MARBLE
PORTICO; OF WHICH INFORMATION IS COMMUNICATED TO THE PRINCE, WHO HASTENS
TO THE DOOR AND WELCOMES CINDERELLA, HANDS HER OUT OF THE CARRIAGE, AND
GRACEFULLY LEADS HER INTO THE PALACE, WHERE THE NOBLES WELCOME HER AS A
PRINCESS.]

The arrival of so splendid an equipage as Cinderella's could not fail to
attract general notice at the palace gates; and as it drove up to the
marble portico, the servants in great numbers came out to see it.
Information was quickly taken to the king's son, that a beautiful young
lady, evidently some princess, was in waiting. His Royal Highness
hastened to the door, welcomed Cinderella, and handed her out of the
carriage. He then led her gracefully into the ball-room, and introduced
her to his father, the king. The moment she appeared, all conversation
was hushed, the violins ceased playing, and the dancing stopped short,
so great was the sensation produced by the stranger's beauty. A confused
murmur of admiration fluttered through the crowd, and each was fain to
exclaim, "How surpassingly lovely she is!" The ladies were all busy
examining her head-dress and her clothes, in order to get similar ones
the very next day, if, indeed, they could meet with stuffs of such rich
patterns, and find workwomen clever enough to make them up. "What a
lovely creature! so fair!--so beautiful!--What a handsome figure!--how
elegantly she is dressed!" Even the prince's father, old as he was,
could not behold her with indifference, but wiped his eye-glass and used
it very much, and said very often to the queen, that he had never seen
so sweet a being.

[Illustration: CINDERELLA IS PRESENTED BY THE PRINCE TO THE KING AND
QUEEN, WHO WELCOME HER WITH THE HONORS DUE TO A GREAT PRINCESS, AND IS
THEN LED INTO THE ROYAL BALL-ROOM.]

The king's son handed Cinderella to one of the most distinguished seats
on the dais at the top of the Hall, and begged she would allow him to
hand her some refreshments. Cinderella received them with great grace.
When this was over, the prince requested to have the honour of dancing
with her. Cinderella smiled consent; and the delighted prince
immediately led her out to the head of the dance, just about to
commence. The eyes of the whole company were fixed upon the beautiful
pair.

The trumpets sounded and the music struck up, and the dance commenced;
but if Cinderella's beauty, elegant figure, and the splendor of her
dress, had before drawn the attention of the whole room, the
astonishment at her dancing was still greater.

Gracefulness seemed to play in all her motions; the airy lightness with
which she floated along--as buoyant as thistle-down--drew forth a
general murmur of admiration. The hall rang with the loudest
acclamations of applause, and the company, all in one voice, pronounced
her the most elegant creature that had ever been seen. And this was the
little girl who had passed a great part of her life in the kitchen, and
had always been called a "Cinder-wench."

When the dance was ended, a magnificent feast was served up, consisting
of all delicacies: so much was the young prince engaged with Cinderella,
that he did not eat one morsel of the supper.

Cinderella drew near her sisters, and frequently spoke to them; and in
her goodness of heart she offered them the delicacies which she had
received from the prince:  but they did not know she was their sister.

When Cinderella heard the clock strike three-quarters past eleven, she
made a low courtesy to the whole assembly and retired in haste.

You see how fortune befriends the good-hearted, and even out of such
unpromising material as a pumpkin and mice, can make a coach and six,
with which to honor her worthy favorite. So Cinderella goes to the ball;
but to teach her to be diligent and faithful in her engagements, her
faery godmother enjoins upon her that she return home at twelve. Native
beauty and grace attract the princely heart; and while the king's son
pays no heed to her pretentious sisters, he is all grace and
condescension to little Cinderella. Obedient to her engagement with her
godmother, she returns in all the splendor and honor of the coach and
six.

On reaching home, she found her godmother; and after thanking her for
the treat she had enjoyed, she ventured to express a wish to return to
the ball on the following evening, as the prince had requested her to
do.

She was still relating to her godmother all that had happened at court,
when her two sisters knocked at the door. Cinderella went and let them
in, pretending to yawn and stretch herself, and rub her eyes, and
saying, "How late you are!" just as if she was waked up out of a nap,
though, truth to say, she had never felt less disposed to sleep in her
life. "If you had been to the ball," said one of the sisters, "you would
not have thought it late. There came the most beautiful princess ever
seen, who loaded us with polite attentions, and gave us oranges and
citrons."

Cinderella could scarcely contain her delight, and inquired the name of
the princess. But they replied that nobody knew her name, and that the
king's son was in great trouble about her, and would give the world to
know who she could be. "Is she, then, so very beautiful?" said
Cinderella, smiling. "Oh, my! how I should like to see her! Oh, do, my
Lady Javotte, lend me the yellow dress you wear every day, that I may go
to the ball and have a peep at this wonderful princess." "A likely
story, indeed!" cried Javotte, tossing her head disdainfully, "that I
should lend my clothes to a dirty Cinderella like you!"

Cinderella expected to be refused, and was not sorry for it, as she
would have been puzzled what to do, had her sister really lent her the
dress she begged to have.

On the following evening the sisters again went to the  court ball, and
so did Cinderella, dressed even more magnificently than before. The
king's son never left her side, and kept paying her the most flattering
attentions. The young lady was nothing loth to listen to him; so it came
to pass that she forgot her godmother's injunctions, and, indeed, lost
her reckoning so completely, that before she deemed it could be eleven
o'clock, she was startled at hearing the first stroke of midnight. She
rose hastily, and flew away like a startled fawn. The prince attempted
to follow her, but she was too swift for him; only, as she flew she
dropped one of her glass slippers, which he picked up very eagerly.
Cinderella reached home quite out of breath, without either coach or
footmen, and with only her shabby clothes on her back; nothing, in
short, remained of her recent magnificence, save a little glass slipper,
the fellow to the one she had lost.

[Illustration: CINDERELLA DANCING WITH THE PRINCE IS ADMIRED FOR HER
GRACEFULNESS. THE CLOCK STRIKES TWELVE: SHE HAVING FORGOT HER
GOD-MOTHER'S INSTRUCTIONS, IS ALARMED, FLIES OUT OF THE BALL-ROOM--HER
GORGEOUS APPAREL IS CHANGED INTO THE DRESS OF A CINDER-WENCH, AND HER
SPLENDID EQUIPAGE INTO A PUMPKIN, RATS, MICE AND LIZARDS.]

The sentinels at the palace gate were closely questioned as to whether
they had not seen a princess coming out; but they answered they had seen
no one except a shabbily dressed girl, who appeared to be a peasant
rather than a young lady.

On this second night, as you have taken notice, dazzled by worldly show
and the pleasing flattery of her royal lover, Cinderella over-stays her
time, and is compelled to make her way back to her father's house on
foot and in rags--an everlasting lesson to all the pretty little
Cinderellas in the world to keep their word, and to act in good faith by
such as befriend them. Never mind--her heart is in the right place--she
is a charming good creature; and although virtue goes home in rags, it
will leave some token behind--some foot-print by which it can be known
and traced wherever it has once walked. We shall hear from that little
lost glass slipper again!

[Illustration: CINDERELLA RETURNED SHABBILY DRESSED.]

When the two sisters returned from the ball, Cinderella asked them
whether they had been well entertained; and whether the beautiful lady
was there? They replied, that she was; but that she had run away as soon
as midnight had struck, and so quickly as to drop one of her dainty
glass slippers, which the king's son had picked up, and was looking at
most fondly during the remainder of the ball; indeed, it seemed beyond a
doubt that he was deeply enamored of the beautiful creature to whom it
belonged.

They spoke truly enough; for, a few days afterwards, the king's son
caused a proclamation to be made, by sound of trumpet all over the
kingdom, to the effect that he would marry her whose foot should be
found to fit the slipper exactly. So the slipper was first tried on by
all the princesses; then by all the duchesses; and next by all the
persons belonging to the court; but in vain. It was then carried to the
two sisters, who tried with all their might to force their feet into its
delicate proportions, but with no better success. Cinderella, who was
present, and recognized her slipper, now laughed, and said, "Suppose I
were to try?" Her sisters ridiculed such an idea; but the gentleman who
was appointed to try the slipper, having looked attentively at
Cinderella, and perceived how beautiful she was, said that it was but
fair she should do so, as he had orders to try it on every young maiden
in the kingdom. Accordingly, having requested Cinderella to sit down,
she no sooner put her little foot to the slipper, than she drew it on,
and it fitted like wax. The sisters were quite amazed; but their
astonishment increased tenfold when Cinderella drew the fellow slipper
out of her pocket, and put it on. Her godmother then made her
appearance; and, having touched Cinderella's clothes with her wand, made
them still more magnificent than those she had previously worn.

[Illustration: THE HERALDS OF THE COURT ANNOUNCE THE PROCLAMATION THAT
THE PRINCE WOULD MARRY THE LADY WHOM THE GLASS SLIPPER FITTED.
CINDERELLA TRIES ON THE SLIPPER, WHICH FITS HER DELICATE FOOT, TO THE
GREAT ASTONISHMENT OF HER FAMILY.]

Her two sisters now recognized her for the beautiful stranger they had
seen at the ball; and, falling at her feet, implored her forgiveness for
their unworthy treatment, and all the insults they had heaped upon her
head. Cinderella raised them, saying, as she embraced them, that she not
only forgave them with all her heart, but wished for their affection.
She was then taken to the palace of the young prince, in whose eyes she
appeared yet more lovely than before, and who married her shortly after.

Cinderella, who was as good as she was beautiful, allowed her sisters to
lodge in the palace, and gave them in marriage, that same day, to two
lords belonging to the court.

[Illustration: MARRIAGE OF THE PRINCE AND CINDERELLA.]

The amiable qualities of Cinderella were as conspicuous after as they
had been before marriage.




       *       *       *       *       *


This series of FAIRY STORIES has for generations been listened to and
read by Children with an inexpressible delight, which other books have
failed to afford them.

The extravagance of the Stories--the attractive manner of telling
them--the picturesque scenery described--the marvellous deeds
related--the reward of virtue and punishment of vice, upon principles
strictly in accordance with ethical laws, as applied to the formation of
character, render them peculiarly adapted to induce children to acquire
a love for reading, and to aid them to cultivate the affections,
sympathies, fancy, and imagination.

The principle, that good examples only should be imitated, has been lost
sight of in the Pictorial embellishment of these standard Fairy Stories,
upon the assumption that indifferent pictures are good enough to give
first impressions of Art to Children. If this holds true then language
and morals of a questionable cast will subserve the same ends; but the
fallacy of this dogma  notwithstanding, no one upon reflection will
deny.

That this edition of these Stories may be more perfect than any other
extant, the publisher has embellished it with exquisite specimens of
high Pictorial Art, from which Children may derive those correct ideas
that will mature into the beautiful and grand.





End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Cinderella, by Henry W. Hewet

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