Cinderella #256 Jump at the Sun Fairy-tale Classics: Cinderella
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| It was her fairy godmother! |
Once upon a time, "there lived a girl named Cinderella, who was very beautiful and very kind." She lived in a house with a red roof. So did "her mean old stepmother and her two evil stepsisters." They did not even let Cinderella go anywhere, except out to do her chores, so she made friends with the little animals. Cinderella's indoor chores included wiping "the cinders from the fireplace". She also had to wait on her stepsisters, doing all of the things that most people do for themselves. All day, every day, Cinderella cleaned and did laundry, styled her sisters' hair and cooked dinner. It happened one day that "a royal messenger knocked on their door." He read a letter from the king, saying,"Every girl in the kingdom is invited" to a party at the palace. Her stepsisters laughed,"Every girl but Cinderella!". Then they ran off to get their gowns ready for the big event. They were made of silks and ribbons, diamonds and gold. At last the big night came, and "the evil threesome were dressed and on their way." That's when her meanest stepsister sneered,"If yiou were clean of cinders and had something to wear, Cinderella, you could go too!" Then she ran off laughing. Cinderella knew that, by the end of the evening, the prince would have chosen a wife. How sad she felt! And then "a gentle wind of pixie dust and sparkles formed around her. Then someone appeared." It was her fairy godmother! In the moonlight, Cinderella could see that the old woman's skin was a warm brown, just like her own. Now the old fairy said," You will go to the royal ball and meet the prince! Make haste! I need five mice, a rabbit, and a pumpkin." So Cinderella ran to the garden,"called to the animals" and they quickly came. Then the fairy changed them into "five sturdy horses". The rabbit became "an elegant coachman" and the pumpkin was transformed into a coach. Before she knew it, Cinderella was on her way to the ball. But she remembered the fairy's warning that the magic would wear off at midnight. She looked so lovely that when she got to the ball, the prince asked her to dance right away. They "danced and they danced and they danced". And then the clock struck the first toll of the midnight hour. So she fled, but "as she ran down the stairs, the prince found the tiny glass slipper she had left behind." The next day, the prince began his search. He stopped at each house in the village, looking for maidens with small feet. When he got to Cinderella's house, "each of her stepsisters tried, but couldn't get one toe into the tiny glass slipper. Then the prince saw Cinderella. As soon as he saw her again, he knew that she was the one for him. So he asked," Will you be my wife?' Cinderella said,"Yes, I will.' And they lived happily ever after."
From: Jump at the Sun Fairy Tale Classics: Cinderella. (2004) New York: Hyperion Books for Children
Notes: In this lovely tale, you will find the traditional Perrault retelling, with a couple of nice twists. The first is that everyone in the whole story is black. The fairy godmother, the prince, the sisters, Cinderella, everyone. Also the appearance of a rabbit! Rabbits are traditional helpers in many cultures, including those of the African continent, and African American derivatives such as Brer Rabbit.
