Once upon a time, there was a widower who married an arrogant,cruel and haughty woman as his second wife. She had two daughters, who were also cruel,vain and selfish . By his first wife, he'd had a beautiful young daughter, a girl of great goodness and temprement.
The Stepmother and her daughters were jealous of her and forced into servitude, making her work day and night in menial chores.
She was homed in a dismal barren and cold room where she would curl up near the fireplace trying to stay warm. She would often arise covered in cinders, giving rise to the mocking nickname "Cinderella".
Cinderella bears the abuse patiently and dares not tell her father, since his wife controls him entirely.
One day, the Prince of the realm invited all the ladies in the land to a ball, in order to find a beloved wife from amongst them.
The Stepsisters gleefully planned their wardrobes for the ball, and taunted Cinderella by refusing to permit her to attend.
As the sisters depart to the ball, Cinderella's Fairy Godmother appears and immediately transforms Cinderella .
She turns a pumpkin into a golden carriage, mice into horses, a rat into a coachman, and lizards into footmen.
She transforms Cinderella's rags into a beautiful gown, complete with glass slippers. The Godmother warned that she had to return before midnight, when the spells would be broken.
At the ball, the entire court is entranced by the beauty of Cinderella, especially the Prince. At this first ball, Cinderella remembers to leave before midnight.
Back home, Cinderella graciously thanks her Godmother. She then greets the stepsisters, who had not recognized her earlier and talked of nothing but the beautiful girl at the ball.
Another ball is held the next evening, and Cinderella again attends with her Godmother's help. The Prince has become even more entranced, and Cinderella in turn becomes so enchanted by him she loses track of time and leaves only at the final stroke of midnight, losing one of her glass slippers on the steps of the palace in her haste.
The Prince chases her, but outside the palace, the guards watch only a simple country maid depart. The Prince pockets the slipper and vows to find and marry the girl to whom it belonged. Meanwhile, Cinderella keeps the other slipper, which did not disappear when the spell was broken.
The Prince tries the slipper on all the women in the realm. When the Prince arrives at Cinderella's home the stepsisters try in vain to win over the prince. Cinderella asks if she might try, while the stepsisters taunt her. Naturally, the slipper fits perfectly, and Cinderella produces the other slipper for good measure. The stepsisters both plead for forgiveness, and Cinderella forgives them for their cruelties.
Cinderella marries the Prince and they are filled with great joy.
