rind; she then struck it with her wand,
and the pumpion instantly became a fine coach gilded all over with gold.
She next looked into her mouse-trap, where she found six mice all alive
and brisk. She told Cinderella to lift up the door of the trap very
gently; and as the mice passed out, she touched them one by one with her
wand, and each immediately became a beautiful horse of a fine dapple
grey mouse-colour.

"Here, my child," said the godmother, "is a coach and horse, too, as
handsome as your sisters; but what shall we do for a postilion?"

"I will run," replied Cinderella, "and see if there be not a rat in the
rat-trap. If I find one, he will do very well for a postilion."

"Well thought of, my child!" said her godmother; "make what haste you
can."

Cinderella brought the rat-trap, which to her great joy, contained three
of the largest rats ever seen. The fairy chose the one which had the
longest beard, and touching him with her wand, he was instantly turned
into a smart, handsome postilion, with the finest pair of whiskers
imaginable.

She next said to Cinderella, "Go again into the garden, and you will
find six lizards behind the watering-pot; bring them hither."

This was no sooner done, than, with a stroke from the fairy's wand, they
were changed into six footmen, who all immediately jumped up behind the
coach in gold-laced liveries, and stood side by side as cleverly as if
they had been used to nothing else the whole of their lives. The fairy
then said to Cinderella, "Well, my dear, is not this such an equipage
as you could wish for to take you to the ball? Are you not delighted
with it?"

"Y-e-s," replied Cinderella, with hesitation; "but must I go thither in
these filthy rags?"

Her godmother touched her with the wand, and her rags instantly became
the most magnificent apparel, ornamented with the most costly jewels in
the whole world. To these she added a beautiful pair of 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 after the clock
had struck twelve; telling her that, should she stay but a single moment
after that time, her coach would again become a pumpion, her horses
mice, her footmen lizards, and her fine clothes be changed to filthy
rags.

Cinderella did not fail to promise all her godmother desired of her;
and, almost wild with joy, drove away to the palace.