e refusal, for she
would have been sadly put to it if her sister had lent her what she
asked for jestingly.

The next day the two sisters were at the ball, and so was Cinderella,
but dressed more magnificently than before. The king's son was always by
her side and never ceased his compliments and amorous speeches to her;
to whom all this was so far from being tiresome that she quite forgot
what her godmother had recommended to her, so that she at last counted
the clock striking twelve when she took it to be no more than eleven.
She then rose up and fled as nimble as a deer. The prince followed, but
could not overtake her. She left behind one of her glass slippers, which
the prince took up most carefully. She got home, but quite out of
breath, without coach or footmen, and in her old cinder clothes, having
nothing left of all her finery but one of the little slippers, fellow to
that she dropped. The guards at the palace gate were asked if they had
not seen a princess go out. They said they had seen nobody go out but a
young girl very meanly dressed, who had more the air of a poor country
wench than a gentlewoman.

When the two sisters returned from the ball, Cinderella asked them if
they had been well diverted and if the fine lady had been there. They
told her yes, but that she hurried away immediately when it struck
twelve and with so much haste that she dropped one of her little glass
slippers, the prettiest in the world, which the king's son had taken up;
that he had done nothing but look at her all the time of the ball, and
that most certainly he was very much in love with the beautiful person
who owned the little glass slipper.

What they said was very true, for a few days after, the king's son
caused to be proclaimed by sound of trumpets that he would marry her
whose foot this slipper would just fit. They whom he employed began to
try it on upon the princesses, then the duchesses, and all the court,
but in vain. It was brought to the two sisters, who did all they
possibly could to thrust their foot into the slipper, but they could not
effect it. Cinderella, who saw all this and knew her slipper, said to
them, laughing, "Let me see if it will not fit me!"

Her sisters burst out laughing and began to banter her. The gentleman
who was sent to try the slipper looked earnestly at Cinderella, and
finding her very handsome, said it was but just that she should try, and
that he had orders to let every one make trial. H