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CINDERELLA.

CINDERELLA's mother died while she was a very little child, leaving her to the care of her father and her step-sisters, who were very much older than herself; for Cinderella's father had been twice married, and her mother was his second wife. Now, Cinderella's sisters did not love her, and were very unkind to her. As she grew older they made her work as a servant, and even sift the cinders; on which account they used to call her in mockery "Cinderella." It was not her real name, but she became afterwards so well known by it that her proper one has been forgotten.

It .

She was a very sweet-tempered, good girl, however, and everybody except her cruel sisters loved her.

It happened when Cinderella was about seventeen years old, that the King of that country gave a ball, to which all ladies of the land, and among the rest the young girl's sisters, were invited. So they made

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CINDERELLA.

her dress them for this ball, but never thought of allowing her to go there.

"I wish you would take me to the ball with you, sisters," said Cinderella, meekly.

"Take you, indeed!" answered the elder sister, "it is no place for a cinder-sifter: stay

with a sneer;

at home and do your work."

When they were gone, Cinderella, whose heart was very sad, sat down and cried bitterly; but as she sat sorrowful, thinking of the unkindness of her sisters, a voice called to her from the garden, and she went out to see who was there. It was her godmother, a good old Fairy.

"Do not cry, Cinderella," she said; "you also shall go to the ball, because you are a kind, good girl. Bring me a large pumpkin."

Cinderella obeyed, and the Fairy, touching it with her wand, turned it into a grand coach. Then she turned a rat into a coachman, and some mice into footmen; and touching Cinderella with her wand, the poor girl's rags became a rich dress trimmed with

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