een tired; for there was there the most beautiful princess that
ever was seen, who paid us much attention, and gave us oranges and
citrons."

Cinderella could scarcely contain herself for joy. She asked the name of
the princess, but they said it was not known, and that the king's son
was therefore much distressed, and would give anything he had to know
who she could be.

Cinderella smiled, and said, "Was she, then, so very beautiful? Could
not I see her? O, Javotte, do lend me your yellow dress, that you wear
every day, that I may go to the ball, and have a peep at this wonderful
princess!"

"Indeed," said Javotte, "I am not so silly as to lend my dress to a
wretched Cinderella like you."

Cinderella expected this refusal, and was very glad of it; for she would
have been greatly embarrassed if her sister had lent her the dress.

The next evening the sisters again went to the ball, and Cinderella soon
made her appearance, more magnificently dressed than before. The king's
son was constantly at her side, saying the most agreeable things; so
that Cinderella did not notice how the time passed, and had quite forgot
her godmother's injunctions. While she therefore thought it was scarcely
eleven o'clock, she was startled by the first stroke of midnight. She
rose very hastily, and fled as lightly as a fawn, the prince following,
though he could not overtake her. In her flight she let one of her glass
slippers fall, which the prince picked up with the greatest care.

Cinderella arrived at home out of breath, without carriage or servants,
in her shabby clothes, and had nothing remaining of all her former
magnificence except one of her little glass slippers,--the fellow of
that she had lost.

[Illustration]

Upon inquiry being made of the guards, at the palace gates, as to
whether the princess had gone out, they replied that they had seen no
one go out but a young girl, very poorly dressed, who looked more like a
peasant than a fine lady.

When the two sisters returned from the ball Cinderella asked if they had
enjoyed themselves, and if the beautiful lady had again been there. They
told her that she had been there, but that when the clock struck twelve
she had started off so quickly that she let one of her pretty glass
slippers fall off; that the prince, who quickly followed her, had picked
it up, and had done nothing but look at it all the rest of the evening;
and that he was evidently very much in love with the beaut