FRONTISPIECE. THE HISTORY OF OR, THE LITTLE GLASS SLIPPER. OTLEY : PRINTED BY WILLIAM WALKER; AND SOLD BY ALL OTHER BOOKSELLERS. THE HISTORY OF CINDERELLA. THE story of Cinderella has generally been allowed to be pleasing and interesting to the youthful mind. We are not, how- ever, about to assert the truth of what is here related. No one, in this enlightened age, will, we presume, venture to act a part so inconsistent. These stories were, no doubt, once be- lieved \ and it has been thought that crea- tures called fairies, conjurors, and magici- ans, had the power of transforming rats, mice, horses, cows, and other creatures, into objects possessed of natures quite dif- ferent. An acorn will, by natural means, grow up to a large oak tree; a caterpillar will become a most beautiful butterfly ; and an egg will become a handsome bird : but mice do not become horses, nor can a melon, sometimes called a pumpion, be transformed into a coach, as stated in this book. Among the stories in which is given an 6 CINDERELLA. account of the wonderful tricks and per- formances of fairies, that of Cinderella stands most conspicuous, as abounding with amusement and instruction ; and it is hoped, that though the little boys and girls into whose hands this book may fall, may be astonished by the accounts of the uncommon feats of the fairy, yet they will retain and derive considerable instruction from the sensible part of this narrative. There were once a very rich gentleman and lady, who were married, and were ex- ceedingly fond of each other. It pleased Heaven to bless them with a most lovely daughter; but before the little child grew up, the lady died, leaving her infant with- out a mother. Her father, deeply affected by a recol- lection of the loss he had sustained in the death of his dear wife, now devoted his affection to his daughter, who by her pretty little actions endeared herself to all who had the pleasure of knowing her. But the little girl not being quite two years old, and being unable to converse with her father on those subjects which might relieve the afflicted state of his mind, and direct it to ( INDERELLA. 7 the consideration of more pleasing subjects, he at length resolved to endeavor to find another lady, who might sympathize with him in his afflictions, and with whom he might spend the remainder of his days W peace. In addition to this consideration, he was convinced that he could not give that ne- cessary attention to the education ot his daughter which his late partner would have done. These considerations made him anxiously desire again to marry ; and he accordingly took every opportunity ot intro- ducing himself to the notice and acquaint- ance of such ladies as were distinguished for their politeness, civility, good manners, and all those other amiable qualities which so highly adorn the female sex. 8 CINDERELLA. Being one evening on a visit at a friend's house, where there were a large party of ladies, he met with a lady whose charming manners and agreeable conversation arrested his attention. This lady had formerly been married, but her husband had died, and left her with two daughters. The gentle- man thought this lady, on account of her apparently amiable disposition, a person properly qualified to superintend the educa- tion of his daughter, and with whom he could spend the remainder of his days in ease and comfort. He soon after availed himself of an op- portunity of telling her how much he loved her; and, in consequence of his immense riches, and agreeable manners, his proposal was readily accepted, and they were soon after united. It is very possible for some persons to appear pleasant and good-natured in com- pany, while in their own houses they mani- fest dispositions the most turbulent and peevish. This lady was of the character last mentioned ; and the remainder of this story will shew that the gentleman was greatly deceived in her, and that we must not always estimate the disposition of per- sons by their appearance in company. She CINDERELLA. 9 was ever in an ill humour with her servants ; and her manners, towards all who were beneath her, were of the most unfeeling kind. The two daughters, by being the constant witnesses of the morose temper of their mother, had themselves imbibed the same disposition ; and they began, while yet young, to manifest their intolerable pride and presumption, by their insolent behaviour. The cheerful and obliging man- ners of the gentleman's daughter gave them much uneasiness ; they therefore resolved to endeavour, by some means, to get rid of her company. Their mother, who was secretly dissatisfied with the good-natured manners of the little girl, which made the conduct of her own daughters appear so odious to others, instead of persuading them to imitate the truly praise-worthy conduct of the little girl, did all in her power to render her life miserable. The gentleman, whose happiness was inseparably connected with that of his child, found that he and his daughter were unhappily involved in difficulties from which it was almost impossible to extricate themselves. Let my little reader think for a moment what must have been the thoughts of this 10 CINDERELLA, tender father, when he daily saw his dear child, whom he tenderly loved, exposed to the unmerited insults of his cruel wife and her two daughters. Being unable to per- suade them to the pursuit of a different line of conduct, he at length sunk under the weight of his afflictions, and died broken- hearted, leaving his child exposed to the enmity of his wife and her daughters. The lady and her girls had now no re- straint upon their conduct towards this little orphan. They were, if possible, more ill- natured than they had before been ; and they soon after ordered her to leave the sitting-room, and to live in the kitchen, among; the servants. She was now con- sidered in the character of a menial servant ; CINDERELLA. and if ever it was her business to carry them any thing into the room, they were sure to scold her till she was out of sight again. They made her work with the servants, in washing the dishes and rubbing the tables and chairs ; it was her business to clean the chambers of her step-mother, and that of the misses her daughters : these were all inlaid in the richest manner, and furnished with the most elegant furniture that could be bought. There were in those chambers, looking-glasses of the largest dimensions, wherein they could see themselves from head to foot. All this time the poor girl was obliged to sleep in a garret, upon a wretched straw bed, without any curtains to it, or any thing which would have made her comfort- able. The poor child bore all this with the greatest patience, not daring to utter a single word of complaint. When she had done all her work, she used to sit in the chimney corner of the kitchen, among the cinders, by which she got the name of c Cinder- wench' : the younger of the two daughters, however-, afterwards improved the appellation, and gave her the name of c Cinderella. 7 Cin- derella, dirty and ragged as she was, as 12 CINDERELLA. often happens in such cases, was infinitely more handsome than her proud relatives. It happened that the king's son gave a splendid ball, to which he invited all the persons of fashion in the country : our two misses were of the number ; for the prince had not been informed of their disgraceful conduct; but supposed, as they were so much indulged by their mother, that they were really deserving of the respect with which he honored them. He did not invite Cinderella, for he had never seen nor heard of her. The two sisters immediately began to be very busy in preparing for the happy even- ing. Nothing could exceed their joy ; every moment of their time was spent in fancying what sort of gowns, shoes, and head-dress- es, would set them off to the best advantage. The two girls erroneously thought that a handsome gown, splendid head-dresses, and costly diamonds, could not fail to pro- cure them universal respect. No, my little reader; obliging manners, and civil behaviour, will ever secure to their posses- sors the love and esteem of those who are good and virtuous ; while those who pur- sue an opposite line of conduct, will be shunned and neglected. CINDERELLA. 13 Their numerous preparations were a new source of trouble to Cinderella ; for it was she who had to wash and plait her sisters' linen, which she did with as much care as if the things were to have been worn at the ball by herself. The two girls, who thought more about the decoration of their persons than the cultivation of their minds, now talked of nothing but how they should be dressed. "I" (said the eldest) u will wear my scarlet velvet with French trimming." " And I" (said the youngest) " shall wear the same petticoat I had made for the last ball ; but then, to make amends for that, I shall put on my gold muslin train, and wear my diamonds in my hair; with these I must certainly look well. They sent several miles for the best hair-dresser that could be procured, and all their ornaments 14 CINDERELLA. were bought at the first repositories of fashion in the kingdom. The taste of Cinderella was greatly su- perior to that of her sisters, though it was not her practice to be incessantly talking about fine clothes : they were fully sensible of that ; and therefore, on the morning of the day on which this splendid entertain- ment was to be given, she was summoned to attend the misses in their dressing-room, to assist them in their preparations. The kind-hearted creature, instead of resenting their insolence towards her by a refusal to give them her advice, readily consented to assist them to the utmost of her power. While Cinderella was busily employed in adjusting their head-dresses in the neatest CINDERELLA. 15 manner, they could not restrain their ac- customed insults. One of them said to her, " Should you not like, Cinderella, to go to the ball?" "Ah!" replied Cinderella, " it is not for such as I am to think of going to balls." "You are in the right," said they : " folks might laugh indeed to see a cinder-wench dancing in a ball-room." Any other than Cinderella would have felt enraged at their intolerable insolence, and instead of using every effort to improve their appearance, would have tried to make the haughty creatures look as ugly as pos- sible ; but the sweet-tempered girl, on the contrary, did all that she could possibly think of to improve their appearance, and to render them as neat as possible. The two sisters had scarcely eaten any thing for two whole days, so high were their spirits elated by the anticipation of the pleasure they should enjoy at the ap- proaching ball. Efforts the most absurd and ridiculous were made use of to improve their shape. Above a dozen laces were broken in endeavouring to give them a fine slender shape; and they were continually admiring themselves in the looking-glasses. At length the long-expectea evening ar- rived, for which they had made so many 16 CINDERELLA. preparations : the proud misses stepped into a beautiful carriage drawn by six horses, and attended by servants in rich liveries, drove towards the palace. Cin- derella followed them with her eyes as far as she could ; and when the carriage was out of sight, she sat down in a corner, and, for the first time, lamented her unhappy condition. It is necessary to inform the reader, that the godmother of Cinderella was a fairy ; and that the first time she was honored with her acquaintance, was on this evening. This lady appeared to Cinderella in the kitchen, soon after her sisters were gone ; and, perceiving her in a pensive mood, and drowned in tears, enquired, with the great- CINDERELLA. 17 est good nature, what ailed her. u I wish — I w-i-s-h," sobbed poor Cinderella, with- out being able to utter another word. The godmother said to her, "You wish to go to the ball, Cinderella? Is not this the truth V? u Alas ! yes/' replied the poor child, sobbing still more than before. " Well, well, be a good girl," said the godmother, " and you shall go." Cinderella had frequently heard her father and mother converse about the fairy her godmother ; and a thought instantly crossed her mind that this must be the very lady. Cinderella immediately wiped away her tears, and her spirits began to revive. The fairy then took Cinderella into ano- ther room, and said to her, " Run, my dear, into the garden, and bring me a pum- pion." Cinderella ran like lightning to the garden, and brought back the finest she could lay hold of. Her godmother scooped out the inside, leaving nothing but the rind ; she then gave it a tap with her wand, and the pumpion instantly became an elegant gilt coach. She next ordered the amiable girl to look into the pantry, where she would find six fine large mice : she did so, found them, 18 CINDERELLA. and immediately returned with them. The fairy desired Cinderella to lift up the door of the trap very gently ; and, as the mice passed out, one by one, she touched them with her wand, and each became a fine horse, of a beautiful dapple grey colour. " Here, my child," said the godmother, 66 are a coach and horses too, as handsome as your sisters' : but what shall we do for a postillion?" "I will run," replied Cin- derella, u and see if there be not a rat in the trap ; and, if 1 find one, he will do very well for a postillion." " Well thought of, my child," said her godmother: "make what haste you can." Cinderella brought the rat-trap, which, to her great joy, con- tained three of the largest rats ever seen. The fairy chose the one with the largest beard ; and, touching him with her wand, he was instantly turned into a smart hand- some postillion, with the finest pair of whiskers imaginable. She next said to Cinderella, u Go again into the garden, and look behind the water- ing-pots, where you will find six lizards ; with these immediately return." The good girl went to the garden, found the lizards, and did with them as desired. This was no sooner done, than, by a touch from the CINDERELLA. 19 fairy's wand, they were transformed into six footmen, who all immediately jumped up behind the carriage in their laced liveries, and stood side by side, as cleverly as if they had been accustomed to it twenty years, The fairy then said to Cinderella, "Well, my dear, is not this such an equipage as you wish for, to take you to the ball ? Are you not charmed with it? "Y-e-s," replied Cinderella, with a little hesitation ; but must I go thither in these filthy rags?" On this, the godmother touched her with her wand, and the rags immediately be- came the most magnificent apparel, orna- 20 CINDERELLA. merited with jewels the most costly in the whole world. To these she added a pair of beautiful glass slippers, and bade her set out for the palace. The fairy, however, before she took leave of Cinderella, strictly charged her, on no account whatever to stay at the ball till after the clock had struck twelve ; telling her that, if she should stay but a single moment after the time, her coach would resume its original shape of a pumpion, her horses become mice, her footmen lizards, and her magnificent apparel be changed to filthy rags. Cinderella did not fail to promise obedi- ence to all that the fairy requested of her ; and, almost wild with joy, away she drove to the palace. As soon as she arrived, the king's son, being informed that a lady, elegantly dressed, and attended by numerous servants, had arrived, presented himself at the door of the carriage, assisted her in getting out, and conducted her himself to the ball-room. Cinderella no sooner appeared, than every one was silent. Both the dancing and the music were stopped, and every CINDERELLA. 21 body was employed in gazing at this fair unknown stranger. Nothing was heard but exclamations of " How handsome she is P The king him- self, though far advanced in years, could not keep his eyes from gazing at her, and was continually repeating to the queen, that it was a long time since he had seen a creature so lovely and blooming. The ladies were busily engaged in en- deavouring to find out how her clothes were made, that they might get some of the same pattern for themselves, to appear in at the ball on the following evening, should they be so fortunate as to meet with any materials so rich, and such good dress- makers to make them up. The charms of Cinderella were indeed irresistible. No one, however cold and indifferent, could look upon her without being lost in astonishment at her transcendent charms. There was not indeed a lady present — no, not even her proud and ambi- tious sisters— who could ever hope to rival the least of her distinguished virtues. Soon after her entrance into the ball-room, the king's son conducted her to the most 22 CINDERELLA. distinguished seat, and begged that she would do him the honour of dancing with him. The person and dress of Cinderella had indeed before fixed the attention, and gained the admiration of the whole assembly; but what were their sentiments of admira- tion, when she began to dance ! Her movements were so graceful, and her dan- cing performed with such nice, and, at the same time, easy exactness, that the admira- tion of the whole assembly was raised to the greatest height, and every part of the room resounded with loud bursts of applause. " The court ne'er such dancing " Before saw, nor since : "And Cind'rella soon conquerM " The heart of the prince." CINDERELLA. 23 The whole company agreed in pronounc- ing her the most charming and accomplished female they had ever seen. " Her virtues and sense (Not her beauty alone) " SeemM to render her worthy " To shine on a throne." After some time, a delicious collation was served up, consisting of every delicacy which could possibly gratify the taste of the company ; but the young prince was so busily engaged in his attentions to Cinder- ella, that he could not eat a single morsel. Cinderella seated herself near her sisters, paid Ihem a thousand attentions, and offered them a part of the oranges and sweet-meats with which the prince had presented her. She was, however, unknown to them ; for they never guessed that the lady who was thus honouring them, was no other than the despised Cinderella, towards whom they had exercised so many unmerited cruelties. As they were conversing together, Cinderella heard the clock strike eleven and three quarters : she rose from her seat, curtsied to the company, and hastened to her carriage, in which she immediately returned home. 24 CINDERELLA. As soon as she got home, she flew to her godmother, and, after thanking her most gratefully for her goodness, ventured to hint a modest desire of attending at the ball which was to be given at the palace on the following evening, telling her that the king's son had particularly invited her to be there. As Cinderella had been favored by the fairy with the first evening's enter- tainment, on account of her patience and civility under the hardships to which she had been exposed ; so, on account of her attention to her godmother's request, in returning at the time appointed, she re- ceived a promise of what she desired. While she was telling the fairy every thing that had happened to her at the ball, CINDERELLA. 25 a loud rat-tat-tat at the door, announced the return of the two sisters. Cinderella hastened to open the door. u How late you have staid I" said she, yawning, rub- bing her eyes, and stretching herself, as if just awakened out of a deep sleep, though she had in truth felt no desire to sleep since they left her. " If you had been at the bail," said one of the sisters, u let me tell you, you would not have been sleepy : there came thither the most handsome, yes, the most handsome princess ever beheld ! She paid us a thousand attentions, and made us take part with her of the oranges and sweetmeats which the prince presented to her." On this, Cinderella could scarce avoid bursting out into a great fit of laughter ; 26 CINDERELLA. but, endeavoring to hide it as much as possible, by assuming a serious and thought- ful countenance, she asked her sisters the name of this beautiful princess ; to which they replied, that nobody had been able to discover who she was ; but that the king's son had offered an immense reward to any person who should find out where she came from. Cinderella smiled, and said, " How very beautiful she must have been! how fortunate you are ! Oh ! could I but see her for a single moment ! dear miss Charlotte, be so good as to lend me your old yellow- striped gown that you wear every day, in order that I may go and see her. " J ndeed ! indeed ! miss Forward ! lend my clothes to a cinder-wench ! do you think I am such a fool '? no, no : pray mind your own business in the kitchen, and don't let me hear a dirty kitchen-girl talk of going to balls." This was such an answer as Cinderella expected. The next day her two sisters again went to the ball; and so did Cinderella, but drest much more magnificently than before. The king's son was continually by her side, and said the most pleasing things to her imaginable. The charming young girl was of course delighted with the agreeable things she met with, and entirely forgot the charge which her godmother had given her. CINDERELLA. 27 Cinderella at last beard the striking of the great palace clock, and counted one, two, three, and so on till she had counted twelve, though she had thought that it could not be past eleven at most. She jumped up, and flew as nimbly as a deer out of the room. The prince tried to over- take her, but in vain, for her fright made her run the faster. In her great hurry, however, she dropped one of the glass slip- pers, which the prince picked up, and took the greatest care of. Cinderella got home tired and out of breath, but in her dirty old clothes, without either coach or footmen, and having nothing left of her magnificence but the single glass slipper. 28 CINDERELLA. In the mean while, the prince had in- quired of the guards at the palace gates, if they had not seen a magnificent princess pass out, and which way she went ? The guards gave answer, that no princess had passed that way ; and that they had not seen a creature but a little ragged girl, who looked more like a beggar than a prin cess. When the two sisters returned home from the ball, Cinderella asked them if they had been as much amused as they were on the preceding evening, and if the beautiful princess had been there 1 They answered that she had ; but that, as soon as the clock had struck twelve, she hurried away from the ball-room, and, in her great haste, had dropped one of the glass slippers, which was of the neatest shape imaginable ; that the king's son had picked it up, and did nothing but look at it all the rest of the evening ; and that every one believed that he was violently in love with the beautiful lady to whom it belonged. A few days after, the prince caused it to be proclaimed by sound of trumpet, that he would marry the lady whose foot should fit the slipper he had found. Accordingly, the messengers of the prince took the slipper, CINDERELLA 29 and carried it first to all the princesses; then to the duchesses ; and afterwards to all the ladies of the court, — but without success. In the course of a few days they arrived at the house where Cinderella lived. Her two sisters each did her best to squeeze her foot into the slipper, but was at last convinced that it was quite impossible. Cinderella, who was standing by all the while, and who knew her slipper, could not help smiling, and at last ventured modestly to say to the gentleman who had the care of the slipper,—" Pray, Sir, will you be so obliging as to allow me to try to get on the slipper?" The two sisters here burst out into a great lit of laughter, in the rudest manner possible. " Very likely, indeed," said they, " that such a clumsy foot as yours should fit the slipper of a beautiful princess 5 The gentleman, however, who brought the slipper, on turning round, and perceiving that she was very handsome, said, that, as he was ordered to try it on every one till it should fit, it was but just that Cinderella should be allowed to try in her turn. Saying this, he made her sit down ; and, putting the slipper to her foot, he found that it fitted her exactly ! The two sisters were amazed and confounded to see that 30 CINDERELLA. the slipper fitted Cinderella j but they were still more so when she drew the other slip- per from her pocket, and put it on. Just at this moment the fairy entered the room, and, unperceived, gave the clothes of Cin- derella a touch with her wand, which made her appearance more magnificent than ever. Cinderella was now recognized by her sis- ters as the beautiful princess whom they had seen at the ball. The two persons who had before exercised their petty tyranny, in the most aggravating manner, over this amiable girl, were now as anxious to secure her favour as they had before been to make her miserable. They threw themselves at her feet, and asked her forgiveness for the ill treatment she had received from them. Cinderella did not CINDERELLA. 31 resent their cruelty, though she now had the power ; but, with the greatest affability and condescension, assisted them to rise, and embraced them in a most affectionate manner. She said that she freely forgave them with all her heart, and begged them lo bestow on her their affection. Cinderella was then conducted, in her ca mage, to the palace, and was immediately introduced to the young prince, who finding her infinitely more handsome than she ap- peared to him in the ball-room, was so much charmed with her beauty, that he instantly begged her to accept his hand in marriage. Cinderella was no less charmed with the agreeable manners of the prince : she therefore readily consented, and the marriage ceremony was soon after celebrated . W. Walker, Printer, Otley.