account of its beautiful whiskers, and, having touched it, it
was changed into a fat coachman, with the finest pair of whiskers that
ever were seen. She then said, "You must now go into the garden, where
you will find six lizards, behind the watering-pot; bring them to me."
These were no sooner brought than the godmother changed them into six
tall footmen, in handsome liveries, with cocked hats and gold-headed
canes, who jumped up behind the coach just as if they had been
accustomed to it all their lives.

The coachman and postilion having likewise taken their places, the fairy
said to Cinderella, "Well, my dear girl, is not this as fine an equipage
as you could desire, to go to the ball with? Tell me, now, are you
pleased with it?"

"O yes, dear godmother," replied Cinderella; and then, with a good deal
of hesitation, she added, "but how can I make my appearance among so
many finely-dressed people in these shabby clothes?"

"Give yourself no uneasiness about that, my dear. The most difficult
part of our task is already accomplished, and it will be hard if I
cannot make your dress correspond with your coach and servants."

On saying this, the fairy touched Cinderella with her magic wand, and
her clothes were instantly changed into a most magnificent ball-dress,
ornamented with the most costly jewels.

The fairy now took from her pocket a beautiful pair of elastic glass
slippers, which she caused Cinderella to put on; and when she had thus
completed her work, and Cinderella stood before her, arrayed in her
beautiful clothes, the fairy was much pleased, and desired her to get
into the carriage with all expedition, as the ball had already
commenced. Two of the footmen then sprang and opened the carriage-door,
and assisted Cinderella into it. Her godmother, however, before she took
leave, strictly charged her on no account whatever to stay at the ball
after the clock had struck the hour of midnight; and then added that if
she stopped but a single moment beyond that time her fine coach would
again become a gourd, her horses mice, her footmen lizards, and her old
clothes resume their former appearance.

[Illustration]

Cinderella promised faithfully to attend to everything that the fairy
had mentioned; and then, quite overjoyed, gave the direction to the
footman, who bawled out, in a loud voice, to the coachman, "To the royal
palace!"

The coachman touched his prancing horses lightly with his whip, and
swiftly the