iful creature
to whom it belonged, and would spare no pains to find her.

This was indeed the case; for, a few days after, the prince caused it to
be published, with the sound of trumpets, that he would marry the lady
whose foot would exactly fit the slipper.

[Illustration]

So the slipper was first tried on by all the princesses, then by all the
duchesses, and next by all the ladies belonging to the court; but in
vain. It was then taken to the two sisters, who tried every possible way
of getting their foot into it, but without success.

Cinderella, who was looking at them, and now recognized her slipper,
said, laughingly, "Let me see if it will fit me."

The sisters immediately began to laugh, and to ridicule her; but the
gentleman who had been appointed to try on the slipper, having looked
attentively at Cinderella, and finding her very pretty, said she was
quite right in her request; for he was ordered to try it on to
everybody.

He desired her to sit down, and at once found that the slipper would go
on her foot, without any trouble, and, indeed, fitted her like wax.

The astonishment of the sisters was very great, but still greater when
Cinderella drew from her pocket the fellow-slipper, and, to the great
delight of the gentleman, placed it upon her other foot.

Her godmother now made her appearance, and, having touched Cinderella
with her wand, she made her look even more magnificent than on either of
the former occasions.

The sisters now recognized in Cinderella the beautiful person they had
seen at the ball, and threw themselves at her feet, to implore
forgiveness for all the ill-treatment they had shown her. Cinderella
raised them up, and, embracing them, said she forgave them, with all her
heart, their unkindness to her, and hoped that for the future they would
be more kind in their behavior to every one about them. She told them
she had never forgotten the last words of her mother, on her
death-bed:--"My child, always be good, and bear with patience everything
that occurs to you; then, whatever toils and troubles you may suffer
during life, happiness will be your lot in the end."

These words now proved to be true; for, having borne unkindness and
cruelty with patience ever since her father's second marriage, she was
now going to be the wife of the king's son.

Cinderella then explained the visit of her godmother, the queen of the
fairies; and how her magic wand had furnished her with dresses,