her that she was one of those good faëries who protect children. Her
spirits revived, and she wiped away her tears.

The faëry took Cinderella by the hand, and said, "Now, my dear, go into
the garden and fetch me a pumpkin." Cinderella bounded lightly to
execute her commands, and returned with one of the finest and largest
pumpkins she could meet with. It was as big as a beer barrel, and
Cinderella trundled it into the kitchen, wondering what her godmother
would do with it. Her godmother took the pumpkin, and scooped out the
inside of it, leaving nothing but rind; she then struck it with her
wand, and it instantly became one of the most elegant gilt carriages
ever seen.

She next sent Cinderella into the pantry for the mouse-trap, bidding her
bring six little mice alive which she would find in the trap. Cinderella
hastened to the pantry, and there found the mice as the faëry had said,
which she brought to the old lady, who told her to lift up the door of
the trap but a little way and very gently, so that only one of the mice
might go out at a time.

Cinderella raised the mouse-trap door, and as the mice came out one by
one, the old woman touched them with her wand, and transformed them into
fine prancing dapple-gray carriage horses with long manes and tails,
which were tied up with light-blue ribands.

"Now, my dear good child," said the faëry, "here you have a coach and
horses, much handsomer than your sisters', to say the least of them; but
as we have neither a postilion nor a coachman to take care of them, run
quickly to the stable, where the rat-trap is placed, and bring it to
me."