scrubbed down the stairs, and polished the floors in my lady's chamber
and in those of the two pert misses, her daughters; and while the latter
slept on good feather beds in elegant rooms, furnished with full-length
looking-glasses, their sister lay in a wretched garret on an old straw
mattress. Yet the poor thing bore this ill treatment very meekly, and
did not dare complain to her father, who thought so much of his wife
that he would only have scolded her.

When her work was done, she used to sit in the chimney-corner amongst
the cinders, which had caused the nickname of _Cinderella_ to be given
her by the family; yet, for all her shabby clothes, Cinderella was a
hundred times prettier than her sisters, let them be dressed ever so
magnificently.

The poor little Cinder-wench! this harsh stepmother was a sore trial to
her; and how often, as she sate sadly by herself, did she feel that
there is no mother like our own, the dear parent whose flesh and blood
we are, and who bears all our little cares and sorrows tenderly as in
the apple of her eye!

It happened that the king's son gave a ball, to which he invited all the
nobility; and, as our two young ladies made a great figure in the world,
they were included in the list of invitations. So they began to be very
busy choosing what head-dress and which gown would be the most becoming.
Here was fresh work for poor Cinderella: for it was she, forsooth, who
was to starch and get up their ruffles, and iron all their fine linen;
and nothing but dress was talked about for days together. "I," said the
eldest, "shall put on my red velvet dress, with my point-lace
trimmings." "And I," said the younger sister, "shall wear my usual
petticoat, but shall set it off with my gold brocaded train and my