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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
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