"If thou hadst been at the ball," said one of her sisters, "thou
would'st not have been tired with it. There came thither the
finest Princess, the most beautiful ever was seen with mortal
eyes. She showed us a thousand civilities and gave us oranges and
citrons."

Cinderella seemed very indifferent in the matter. Indeed, she
asked them the name of that Princess, but they told her they did
not know it, and that the King's son was very uneasy on her
account, and would give all the world to know who she was. At
this Cinderella, smiling, replied:

"She must, then, be very beautiful indeed. How happy you have
been! Could not I see her? Ah! dear Miss Charlotte, do lend me
your yellow suit of clothes which you wear every day."

"Ay, to be sure," cried Miss Charlotte; "lend my clothes to such
it dirty cinder maid as thou art! I should be a fool."

Cinderella expected well such answer and was very glad of the
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, and never ceased his compliments
and kind 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