afterward took her out to dance with him. She danced so very
gracefully that they all more and more admired her. A fine
collation was served up, whereof the young Prince ate not a
morsel, so intently was he busied in gazing on her.
She went and sat down by her sisters, showing them a thousand
civilities, giving them part of the oranges and citrons which the
Prince had presented her with, which very much surprised them,
for they did not know her. While Cinderella was thus amusing her
sisters, she heard the clock strike eleven and three-quarters,
whereupon she immediately made a courtesy to the company and
hastened away as fast as she could.
Being got home, she ran to seek out her Godmother, and after
having thanked her she said she could not but heartily wish she
might go next day to the ball, because the King's son had desired
her.
As she was eagerly telling her Godmother what had passed at the
ball her two sisters knocked at the door, which Cinderella ran
and opened.
"How long you have stayed!" cried she, gaping, rubbing her eyes,
and stretching herself as if she had been just waked out of her
sleep. She had not, however, had any manner of inclination to
sleep since they went from home.
"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
fled as nimble as a deer. The Prince followed, but could not
overtake her. She left behind one of her glass slippers, which
the Prince took up most carefully. She got home, but quite out of
breath, and in her old clothes, having nothing left her of all