Cinderella #305: Cinderlily (A Floral Fairy Tale in Three Acts)
Ellwand & Tagg |
Starring: Lilium Oriental as Cinderlily and Iris Xyphiam as The Sultan
Once upon a time, "a formal invitation" came "to flowers one and all. Please gather at the Royal Palace for the Royal Autumn Ball. Tonight, the Sultan with choose his bride—the loveliest bloom of all." So begins ACT l: An invitation. There is one sad little flower who "hears the news and gives a sigh. Her name is Cinderlily, and she's beautiful, but shy." Her two sisters, a pair of pansy-faced, petal skirted gals, demand her help in preparing. Then they order her to stay home and clean while they go out. She thinks longingly of the Sultan, but concludes that "she will not have a chance". ACT ll: A Fairy Visit. In which a fairy appears in a sparkle of light, and and causes "a splendid golden coach", prickly stem intact. It is a pumpkin, drawn by "six bright butterfies". Best of all, the fairy's magic has caused Cinderlily's "torn and faded petals" to bloom again, freshly. So Cinderelily is off to the ball, calling back a promise to be home by midnight. At the palace "a row of nervous flowers all keen to pass the test" await an audience with the Sultan. A waltz is struck up, and all of the flowers begin to dance. The Sultan is dazzled, but that is when the fairy reappears! She "casts a spell to show him Cinderlily, shy and sweet". He falls for her after one dance, and stays with her all evening. Suddenly, she dashes away, leaving only "one single petal and her fragrance in the air". ACT lll: The Handsome Couple. In which the Sultan places the petal on a cushion and has it carried around the kingdom. He proclaims, "Whomso'er this petal fits shall be the Royal Bride." After a lengthy search, the Sultan finds in "one small room, the faded unforgettable charm of a once-familiar bloom". So he proposes to her, and slips the petal into place. She agrees and they are married at once.
From: Ellwand, D. & Tagg, C. (2003) Cinderlily, A Floral Fairy Tale in Three Acts. MA: Candlewick Press