Once there was a poor servant girl named Cinderella. She was kind and gentle, but her life was very hard.

Her days were long and grueling—filled with the most tiresome and tedious chores.

Scrubbing floors. Washing clothes. Dusting shelves. And cooking meals.

Cinderella's mother had died, and her father soon remarried. Her new stepmother was very mean and had two equally mean daughters. They made Cinderella do all the chores.

They called her "Cinderella" because she often swept the cinders from the fireplace.

One day, a royal messenger came to their house. He announced that the King was having a Royal Ball, and all the young ladies were invited. The Prince was looking for a bride.

Cinderella's stepsisters were very excited. They got ready for the ball, but Cinderella was not allowed to go. She was very sad.

As Cinderella cried, a bright light appeared. It was her fairy godmother! The fairy godmother used her magic to help Cinderella. She turned a pumpkin into a golden carriage, a rat into a coachman, two mice into footmen, and four grasshoppers into beautiful horses.

She gave Cinderella a beautiful dress and glass slippers.

“Remember,” said the fairy godmother, “the magic will end at midnight.”

Cinderella went to the ball. Everyone was amazed by her beauty, especially the Prince. They danced together all night.

When the clock struck midnight, Cinderella had to leave quickly. She ran out of the palace and lost one of her glass slippers on the steps.

The next day, the Prince searched the kingdom for the girl who fit the slipper. When he came to Cinderella's house, her stepsisters tried on the slipper, but it didn’t fit.

Then Cinderella tried the slipper, and it fit perfectly. She showed the other slipper, and the Prince knew she was the one.

Cinderella and the Prince got married and lived happily ever after.