e, for the first time, she
bewailed her hard and cruel lot, little dreaming that a kind fairy was
at the same moment watching over her.

[Illustration]

She continued sobbing in the chimney-corner until a rap at the door
aroused her, and she got up to see what had caused it. She found a
little old woman, hobbling on crutches, who besought her to give her
some food.

"I have only part of my own supper for you, Goody, which is no better
than a dry crust. But if you will step in and warm yourself by the fire,
you can do so, and welcome."

"Thank you, my dear," said the old woman, in a feeble, croaking voice;
and when she had hobbled in, and taken her seat by the fire, she
continued, "Hey! dearee me! what are all these tears about, my child?"

And then Cinderella told her of all her griefs,--how her sisters had
gone to the ball, and how she should like to have gone also.

"But you shall go," exclaimed her visitor, who was suddenly transformed
into a beautiful fairy, "or I am not queen of the fairies, or your
godmother. Dry up your tears, my dear goddaughter, and do as I bid you,
and you shall have clothes and horses finer than any one."

As Cinderella had often heard her father talk of her godmother, and tell
her that she was one of those kind fairies who protect good children,
her spirits revived, and she wiped away her tears.

The fairy took Cinderella by the hand, and said, "Now, my dear, go into
the garden, and fetch me a pumpkin."

Cinderella went immediately to gather the best she could find, and
carried it to her godmother, though she could not guess how this pumpkin
could make her go to the ball. Her godmother took the pumpkin and
hollowed it out, leaving only the rind; she then struck it with her
wand, and the pumpkin was immediately changed into a beautiful gilt
coach. She next sent Cinderella for the mouse-trap, wherein were found
six mice alive. She directed Cinderella to raise the door of the trap,
and as each mouse came out she struck it with her wand, and it was
immediately changed into a beautiful horse; so that she had now six
splendid grays for her gilt coach.

[Illustration]

The fairy was perplexed how to find a coachman, but Cinderella said, "I
will go and see if there is a rat in the rat-trap; if there is, he will
make a capital coachman."

"You are right," said the godmother; "go and see." Cinderella brought
the rat-trap, in which there were three large rats. The fairy selected
one, on