Then her friend the bird flew out of the tree and brought a gold and
silver dress for her, and slippers of spangled silk; and she put them
on, and followed her sisters to the feast. But they did not know her,
and thought it must be some strange princess, she looked so fine
and beautiful in her rich clothes; and they never once thought of
Cinderella, but took for granted that she was safe at home in the
dirt.

[Illustration: _Painted by Jennie Harbour_
CINDERELLA]


[Illustration]

The king's son soon came up to her, and took her by the hand and
danced with her and no one else; and he never left her hand; but when
any one else came to ask her to dance, he said, "This lady is dancing
with me." Thus they danced till a late hour of the night, and then she
wanted to go home: and the king's son said, "I shall go and take care
of you to your home;" for he wanted to see where the beautiful maid
lived. But she slipped away from him unawares, and ran off towards
home, and the prince followed her; but she jumped up into the
pigeon-house and shut the door. Then he waited till her father came
home, and told him that the unknown maiden who had been at the feast
had hidden herself in the pigeon-house. But when they had broken open
the door they found no one within; and as they came back into the
house, Cinderella lay as she always did, in her dirty frock by the
ashes, and her dim little lamp burnt in the chimney; for she had
run as quickly as she could through the pigeon-house and on to the
hazel-tree, and had there taken off her beautiful clothes, and laid