CINDERELLA; OR THE LITTLE GLASS SLIPPER.

Once there was a gentleman who married for his second wife the
proudest and most haughty woman that was ever seen. She had by a
former husband two daughters of her own humor, who were, indeed,
exactly like her in all things. He had likewise, by another wife,
a young daughter, but of unparalleled goodness and sweetness of
temper, which she took from her mother, who was the best creature
in the world.

No sooner were the ceremonies of the wedding over but the
mother-in-law began to show herself in her true colors. She could
not bear the good qualities of this pretty girl, and the less
because they made her own daughters appear the more odious. She
employed her in meanest work of the house: she scoured the
dishes, tables, etc., and scrubbed madam's chamber and those of
misses, her daughters; she lay up in a sorry garret, upon a
wretched straw bed, while her sisters lay in fine rooms, with
floors all inlaid, upon beds of the very newest fashion, and
where they had looking-glasses so large that they might see
themselves at their full length from head to foot.

The poor girl bore all patiently and dared not tell her father,
who would have rattled her off; for his wife governed him
entirely. When she had done her work she used to go into the
chimney-corner and sit down among cinders and ashes, which made
her commonly be called a cinder maid; but the youngest, who was
not so rude and uncivil as the eldest, called her Cinderella.
However, Cinderella, notwithstanding her mean apparel, was a
hundred times handsomer than her sisters, though they were always