Once
upon a time... there lived an unhappy young girl. Unhappy she was, for her mother
was dead, her father had married another woman, a widow with two daughters, and
her stepmother didn't like her one little bit. All the nice things, kind
thoughts and loving touches were for her own daughters. And not just the kind
thoughts and love, but also dresses, shoes, shawls, delicious food, comfy beds,
as well as every home comfort. All this was laid on for her daughters. But, for
the poor unhappy girl, there was nothing at all. No dresses, only her
stepsisters' hand-me-downs. No lovely dishes, nothing but scraps. No nice rests
and comfort. For she had to work hard all day, and only when evening came was
she allowed to sit for a while by the fire, near the cinders. That is how she
got her nickname, for everybody called her Cinderella.
Cinderella used to spend
long hours all alone talking to the cat. The cat said, "Miaow", which
really meant, "Cheer up! You have something neither of your stepsisters
have and that is beauty." It was quite true. Cinderella, even dressed in
rags with a dusty gray face from the cinders, was a lovely girl. While her
stepsisters, no matter how splendid and elegant their clothes, were still
clumsy, lumpy and ugly and always would be. One day, beautiful new dresses
arrived at the house. A ball was to be held at Court and the stepsisters were
getting ready to go to it. Cinderella, didn't even dare ask, "What about
me?" for she knew very well what the answer to that would be: "You?
My dear girl, you're staying at home to wash the dishes, scrub the floors and turn
down the beds for your stepsisters. They will come home tired and very
sleepy." Cinderella sighed at the cat. "Oh dear, I'm so
unhappy!" and the cat murmured "Miaow". Suddenly something
amazing happened. In the kitchen, where Cinderella was sitting all by herself,
there was a burst of light and a fairy appeared. "Don't be alarmed,
Cinderella," said the fairy. "The wind blew me your sighs. I know you
would love to go to the ball. And so you shall!" "How can I, dressed
in rags?" Cinderella replied. "The servants will turn me away!"
The fairy smiled. With a flick of her magic wand... Cinderella found herself
wearing the most beautiful dress, the loveliest ever seen in the realm.
"Now that we have settled the matter of the dress," said the fairy,
"we'll need to get you a coach. A real lady would never go to a ball on
foot!" "Quick! Get me a pumpkin!" she ordered. "Oh of
course," said Cinderella, rushing away. Then the fairy turned to the cat.
"You, bring me seven mice!" "Seven mice!" said the cat.
"I didn't know fairies ate mice too!" "They're not for eating,
silly! Do as you are told!... and, remember they must be alive!"
Cinderella soon returned with a fine pumpkin and the cat with seven mice he had
caught in the cellar. dongeng cinderella dalam bahasa inggris "Good!"
exclaimed the fairy. With a flick of her magic wand... wonder of wonders! The
pumpkin turned into a sparkling coach and the mice became six white horses,
while the seventh mouse turned into a coachman, in a smart uniform and carrying
a whip. Cinderella could hardly believe her eyes. "I shall present you at
Court. You will soon see that the Prince, in whose honor the ball is being
held, will be enchanted by your loveliness. But remember! You must leave the
ball at midnight and come home. For that is when the spell ends. Your coach
will turn back into a pumpkin, the horses will become mice again and the
coachman will turn back into a mouse... and you will be dressed again in rags
and wearing clogs instead of these dainty little slippers! Do you
understand?" Cinderella smiled and said, "Yes, I understand!"
When Cinderella entered the ballroom at the palace, a hush fell. Everyone
stopped in mid-sentence to admire her elegance, her beauty and grace. "Who
can that be?" people asked each other. The two stepsisters also wondered
who the newcomer was, for never in a month of Sundays, would they ever have
guessed that the beautiful girl was really poor Cinderella who talked to the
cat! When the prince set eyes on Cinderella, he was struck by her beauty.
Walking over to her, he bowed deeply and asked her to dance. And to the great
disappointment of all the young ladies, he danced with Cinderella all evening.
"Who are you, fair maiden?" the Prince kept asking her. But
Cinderella only replied: "What does it matter who I am! You will never see
me again anyway." "Oh, but I shall, I'm quite certain!" he
replied. Cinderella had a wonderful time at the ball... But, all of a sudden,
she heard the sound of a clock: the first stroke of midnight! She remembered
what the fairy had said, and without a word of goodbye she slipped from the
Prince's arms and ran down the steps. As she ran she lost one of her slippers,
but not for a moment did she dream of stopping to pick it up! If the last
stroke of midnight were to sound... oh... what a disaster that would be! Out
she fled and vanished into the night. The Prince, who was now madly in love
with her, picked up her slipper and said to his ministers, "Go and search
everywhere for the girl whose foot this slipper fits. I will never be content
until I find her!" So the ministers tried the slipper on the foot of all
the girls... and on Cinderella's foot as well... Surprise! The slipper fitted
perfectly. "That awful untidy girl simply cannot have been at the
ball," snapped the stepmother. "Tell the Prince he ought to marry one
of my two daughters! Can't you see how ugly Cinderella is! Can't you see?"
Suddenly she broke off, for the fairy had appeared. "That's enough!"
she exclaimed, raising her magic wand. In a flash, Cinderella appeared in a
splendid dress, shining with youth and beauty. Her stepmother and stepsisters
gaped at her in amazement, and the ministers said, "Come with us, fair
maiden! The Prince awaits to present you with his engagement ring!" So
Cinderella joyfully went with them, and lived happily ever after with her
Prince.
Pasti kalian nggak asing kan sama cerita diatas? Yakin deh, pasti kalian pernah kenal cerita ini di masa kecil kalian ^^
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