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+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 10830 ***
+
+[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 Faëries 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 faëries who protect children. Her
+spirits revived, and she wiped away her tears.
+
+The faëry 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 faëry 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 faëry, "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 faëry. 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 faëry
+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
+Faëries, 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 faëry 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 faëry
+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 daïs 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
+faëry 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
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 10830 ***