that no princess had passed the gates; and that they
had not seen a creature but a little ragged girl, who looked more like a
beggar than a princess.

When the two sisters returned from the ball, Cinderella asked them if
they had been as much amused as the night before, and if the beautiful
princess had been there? They told her that she had; but that as soon as
the clock struck twelve she hurried away from the ball-room, and in the
great haste she made, had dropped one of her glass slippers, which was
the prettiest shape that could be; that the king's son had picked it up,
and had done nothing but looked at it all the rest of the evening; and
that everybody believed he was violently in love with the handsome lady
to whom it belonged.

This was very true; for a few days after, the prince had it proclaimed
by sound of trumpet, that he would marry the lady whose foot should
exactly fit the slipper he had found.

Accordingly the prince's messengers took the slipper, and carried it
first to all the princesses; then to the duchesses: in short, to all the
ladies of the court--but without success.

They then brought it to the two sisters, who each tried all she could to
squeeze her foot into the slipper, but saw at last that this was quite
impossible.

Cinderella, who was looking at them all the while, and knew her slipper,
could not help smiling, and ventured to say, "Pray, sir, let me try to
get on the slipper."

Her sisters burst out a-laughing in the rudest manner possible:--"Very
likely, truly," said one of them, "that such a clumsy foot as your's
should fit the slipper of a beautiful princess."

The gentleman, however, who brought the slipper, turned round, looked at
Cinderella, and observing that she was very handsome, said, that as he
was ordered by the prince to try it on every one till it fitted, it was
just that Cinderella should have her turn.

Saying this, he made her sit down: and putting the slipper to her foot,
it instantly slipped in, and he saw that it fitted her like wax.

The two sisters were amazed to see that the slipper fitted Cinderella:
but how much greater was their astonishment, when she drew out of her
pocket the other slipper and put it on! Just at this moment the fairy
entered the room, and touching Cinderella's clothes with her wand, made
her all at once appear more magnificently dressed than they had seen her
before.

The two sisters immediately perceived that she was the beautiful