The Project Gutenberg EBook of Little Cinderella, by Anonymous

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Title: Little Cinderella

Author: Anonymous

Release Date: March 1, 2007 [EBook #20723]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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[Illustration: LITTLE CINDERELLA]

BROWN, TAGGARD & CHASE, 25 & 29 CORNHILL, BOSTON.

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CINDERELLA.

In former times, a rich man and his wife were the parents of a beautiful
little daughter; but before she had arrived at womanhood, her dear
mother fell sick, and seeing that death was near, she called her little
child to her, and thus addressed her: "My child, always be good, and
bear everything that occurs to you with patience; then, whatever toil
and troubles you may suffer during life, happiness will be your lot in
the end."

After uttering these words the poor lady died, and her daughter was
overwhelmed with grief at the loss of so good and kind a mother.

The father, too, was very unhappy; but he sought to get rid of his
sorrow by marrying another wife; and he looked for some amiable lady who
might be a second mother to his child, and a companion to himself.
Unfortunately, his choice fell on a widow lady, of a proud and
overbearing temper, who had two daughters by a former marriage, both as
haughty and bad-tempered as herself.

Before marriage this woman had the cunning to conceal her bad qualities
so well that she appeared to be very amiable; but the marriage was
scarcely over when her real character showed itself. She could not
endure her amiable step-daughter, with all her charming qualifications;
for they only made her own daughters appear more hateful. She gave her
the most degrading occupations, and compelled her to wash the dishes and
clean the stairs, and to sweep her own rooms and those of her
sisters-in-law.

[Illustration]

When the poor girl had finished her work, she used to sit in the
chimney-corner amongst the cinders, which made her sisters give
her the name of "Cinderel