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CINDERELLA

Once upon a time, there lived a rich man whose wife grew very sick. With her ending drawing near, she summoned her only daughter and told her, “Dear child, always remain good and kind, and God will watch over you. I will always be with you from heaven.” Then, she closed her eyes and died.The daughter went every day to her mother’s grave and wept, heeding her mother’s last words to be pious and good. Seasons passed and her father married another wife who brought two daughters along. They were beautiful in appearance but ugly at heart. Then started times of misery for the poor stepchild.“Such a dirty monster cannot share space with us,” they said. They stripped her of her fancy dresses and instead only permitted old gray rags and wooden shoes. She was forced to do all the tedious work in the house, drawing water, making fires, cooking, and washing. Cinderella found the work difficult, for she had not been used to the work as a servant. Every time she made a mistake or failed to complete a chore, her stepfamily harassed her, mocking her and even disrupting her daily chores. And yet, she persevered and remained patient, not because she was unoffended but because she wanted to honor her late mother’s words and knew that one day she would be rewarded for her for all of her suffering.After each hard day of work, she was tired out, but because she had no bed to rest on, she had to lie among the cinders and looked dusty and dirty all the time. The sisters hence named her Cinderella.It soon became known to the house that the King would be hosting a ball for three days, open to all women of the kingdom with the purpose of selecting the prince’s bride among them. When the sisters were informed, they were very pleased, and they made Cinderella comb their hair, brush their shoes, and fasten their buckles. Cinderella could not stop crying, as she

would have liked to go to the ball, and she begged her stepmother to allow her.“You, Cinderella?” said she. “You want to go to the festival covered in dust and dirt? You have no dress and no shoes! But you want to dance?” Cinderella, however, kept asking, and the stepmother finally said, “I have placed a dishful of lentils all over a pile of ashes, and if you can pick them up in two hours, you can go with us.” So Cinderella acquiesced and did her best, but her stepmother’s order was impossible and there was not enough time. And so she desperately called out, “O gentle pigeons, O turtle-doves, and all you birds, the lentils that lie in ashes, come pick them up for me! The good go in the dish, the bad you may eat if you wish.”Down came through the kitchen window white doves, turtle-doves, then a crowd of all the birds in the sky, chirping and fluttering, gathered among the ashes and began to pick, peck, pick, peck. They were finished before an hour had passed, and they flew away. Then, ecstatic at the thought of attending the ball, Cinderella brought the finished bowl to her stepmother. But alas, her stepmother stopped her and said, “No, Cinderella, you have no clothes, and you do not know how to dance. You will only be laughed at! All this will not help you, for you cannot come with us; you will embarrass us.” Then she strutted out the door with her two proud daughters, their backs turned on poor Cinderella.Alone and devastated, Cinderella ran to her mother’s grave and spoke to it as if her mother could hear her. “How I miss you, dear mother,” she said, “If only you were here!”Just then, a blinding light startled Cinderella, and from afar, a glimmering figure floated towards her.As the figure drew closer, Cinderella had an inkling that she knew who the magical spirit was. Her suspicion was confirmed as the figure spoke in her mother’s voice, “As I am no

longer a living soul on earth, I am not permitted to meddle in human affairs, but you, dear child of mine, have worked so tirelessly that I can no longer remain a bystander.”From thin air, the spirit produced a beautiful silk dress of gold and silver, edged with expensive pearls and jewels, and a pair of slippers made of glass. Cinderella thanked the spirit profusely and donned the dress in haste, but she found that the glass shoes were quite small for her feet and that the looped-up, wide skirt made it uncomfortable to move.Before the spirit could suggest her remedy, Cinderella took the matter in her own hands and removed the corner hoops and petticoats. With the bulk of the fabric removed, the silk fell flat and draped closely at her sides. Cinderella swished side to side, and seeing the silk move gracefully and elegantly, she was pleased.“Be warned,” said the spirit, “the magic fades, and you must return by midnight.”The spirit had also prepared a splendid carriage for transportation, but Cinderella gently refused, for she preferred to promenade. Expressing her gratitude once more, she began dashing toward the palace.When she arrived, the strange shape of her gown briefly attracted some attention. Even her stepmother and sisters stole sidelong glances, but they did not recognize her and thought she must be from a foreign land, as she looked rather unique in her dress. They never imagined that it could be Cinderella, because she was supposed to be sitting at home and picking out lentils from the ashes.Instead of dancing, most of the hundreds of young women merely stood by the edges of the ballroom; they were waiting for the grand entrance of the prince and hoping to dance with him, but he was nowhere to be found. A few women were bold enough to search the open areas in the palace, only to

return disappointed. Cinderella, too, was curious of the whereabout of the host of the glorious party but only briefly; she basked in the delight of her anonymity and freedom as she joined the few dancing men and women for most of the night.With one hour left till midnight, Cinderella grew tired, and she could dance no longer. She made her preparations to leave and was exiting the ballroom when she found herself facing a young man whose attire was nondescript and ordinary, one that normally belonged to an insignificant member of the courtiers at best. However, his air and stature were so distinctive that she was immediately made aware that he was the King’s son.Cinderella curtsied and removed herself from the prince’s path.A sheepish grin graced his Royal Highness’s face. “I suppose my disguise is a failure, then.” Cinderella wondered why the prince needed a disguise at all but dared not to speak her mind.“Was it foolish to choose a costume?” he asked her.“In ordinary circumstances it may seem so,” she responded carefully. “But if the question pertains to the present night, I must say that it is not only you, Your Highness, but also all of the young maidens in this kingdom who have donned their own respective costumes in full awareness and with full intent that it serves as a facade.”The prince took in the maiden’s rosy cheeks and exquisite––albeit unconventional––gown. He stepped closer to her.“And what leads you away from the ballroom?”“My particular disguise must be returned by midnight.”Unsurprisingly, the prince assumed the strange maiden was jesting, and so he requested her to keep him company until moments before the clock would strike twelve.

Once they reached the palace gardens, he asked the question that had sprung to his mind the moment he heard her voice, “May I ask whom your disguise belongs to?”“Sadly, Your Royal Highness, that would defeat its very purpose. Not that I am anyone worthy of note at this ball, in this country, even in my own house,” she mused. “I am assuming you are in a different kind of predicament to want to avoid the party that was arranged in your name? One that serves the purpose of finding a bride, too.”“I am well aware of my duties, and one day, I am assured I will be ready. But I am afraid that the time is not now, and the King is not patient. Does that make me a coward?”“Not a coward. Have you spoken to the King about this?” “Yes.”“Not as king and his heir, but as father and son,” she corrected.The prince appeared amused. “No.”“Then I recommend that you explore that option. Speak your mind frankly. After all, this is a lovely ball, and forsaking the opportunity to dance tonight is a true tragedy.”“You like to dance,” he observed before directing his attention to her feet. “I must say those are exquisite shoes.”“Thank you, Your Highness. They were a gift, and as grateful as I am, I wish they fit me better.” Tightly covered in glass, her toes and heels had tired after hours of dancing and were covered in blisters.“But a million maidens would kill to fit into those beautiful slippers.” “Or we could simply find larger ones that suit us better.”As simple as Cinderella’s logic was, the prince was taken aback, for he had never fully considered that another option existed so plainly and transparently.

“Is it not odd?” continued Cinderella. “Indeed, finding larger slippers is a troublesome ordeal but not an impossible one like making our feet smaller. And yet we would still choose to wish we could fit into the shoes rather than simply changing them to fit us.”All was well until Cinderella discovered that it was approaching midnight.As she prepared to leave, the prince realized how much it saddened him to see her go. “How can I find you?” he asked, at last.The maiden knew that the camaraderie and romance that had begun to blossom between the two was unexpected and young yet exciting and significant. It was so intoxicating that she could not distinguish between reality and fantasy. Without a word, she handed him a glass slipper.“The owner would be you,” he understood.Cinderella nodded but also knew that the slippers would disappear along with her beautiful gown as soon as the night was over. She would probably never see him again but hoped that the gesture was enough.Unbeknownst to her, however, the magical spirit had given her the slippers as a gift, and they would not disappear.It was one minute until midnight, and recalling the spirit’s warning, Cinderella ran past him so quickly that he could not follow her. All he could see was the disappearing shadow of the mysterious maiden.When her stepmother and sisters returned to the house, Cinderella looked exactly the way they saw her when they left. Even as the night grew deeper, the excitement did not fade, as her sisters chattered away and expressed their disappointment of not having met the prince. However, Cinderella was barely listening, as she silently relived the bittersweet memory of her

conversation with the prince.The next morning, the prince began his search. He sent the grand duke with a notice declaring that he had chosen a bride among the maidens at the ball. She was called the “mystery princess,” and the only description provided was “the owner of this glass slipper.” The duke ordered that all maidens who believed that they were the one in question were invited to return to the palace one day henceforth and that the prince himself will identify and welcome his future bride.Soon, word spread that the prince will let every maiden try on the glass slipper to determine its owner. Hopeful maidens began their preparations. They spent the day tending their feet and practicing trying on different sized shoes. Cinderella’s step-sisters were no different. They massaged their feet and tried on all the shoes they could find. Cinderella, however, was befuddled. She knew she was the owner of the glass slipper and hence knew that the prince was hoping to marry her. However, she could not fathom why the prince was searching for a maiden whose feet were small enough to fit the slipper, as she had clearly told him that the shoe did not fit her.When the day arrived, hundreds of maidens flocked to the palace, claiming to be the sole owner of the said glass slipper. Cinderella once again helped her sisters prepare for the trip before deciding to join them. Although she did not have a ballroom gown, she donned her best dress and a pair of modest shoes.“Where will you be off to?” they asked as Cinderella followed them.“To the palace,” she said. “The duke’s invitation discriminates against no one, and I believe I am the mystery princess. That is why I choose to go.”“You? A servant girl? You think the prince will ever notice you? This is of no good to you. You would put us to

shame!”“Stop daydreaming and wash those dishes, will you? We’ll be going now.”As her stepfamily continued to harass her, Cinderella felt the familiar pain settle in her chest. For a moment, she believed them. Then the next moment, her own words to the prince came back to her. Speak your mind frankly, she had advised him. She decided to take her own advice.“Be kind,” her late mother had also told her as she took her last breath, and it was time that she be kind to not only others but also herself.Alone but confident, Cinderella marched toward the palace. Fancy carriages passed by her and other maidens were dressed in gloriously extravagant gowns, but she was unfazed. Walking past the guards and other maidens who were sneaking side-eyed glances at her, she joined the circle surrounding the prince. One by one, the maidens filed into a line for their chance with the glass slipper, and naturally, Cinderella was pushed to the farthest end.The prince sat in silence as the guards unveiled the glass slipper. The first maiden tried the shoe; as expected, it did not quite fit her, but she forced all of her toes in and winced at the pain. Without a word, the prince signaled to his guards to remove the slipper from the maiden’s foot.Every maiden reacted the same, trying on the slipper and shoving their foot in if it did not fit. Occasionally, there would be a perfect match, but to everyone's surprise, the prince would simply signal to the guard to remove the shoe, exactly as he did with all others. Whispers traveled down the waiting line as the befuddled ladies wondered what it meant to be the true owner of the shoe.

Then, the final maid––Cinderella––was given her chance with the slipper. She gently tried it on but was, of course, unsuccessful, especially due to the fact that her foot was still swollen and recovering from blisters. The prince’s face was wrought with disappointment.“Never did I imagine,” Cinderella told him, “that I would be disappointed to see that I cannot fit into a shoe, for this is the singular time which I would not prefer to find a larger one.”At these words, the prince knew that the search had ended. He asked for Cinderella’s hand in marriage, and she joyously accepted.On the day of the wedding, all the festivities were prepared for the prince and Cinderella––or Ella, as she decided was her name to connect to her past hardships but still start afresh. By that time, her jealous stepfamily had long fled the country, never to be seen or heard again. All people of the country were invited to see the marriage of the future king and queen, and the two lived happily ever after.

Author’s NoteCinderella is associated with the figure of a stereotypically ideal woman who is physically attractive and industrious in managing household duties. She follows the exact Western fairytale narrative, from playing a servant-like role for her stepfamily to marrying the perfect prince who falls in love with her at first sight. She is unable to help herself and grows reliant on her animal friends, the fairy godmother, or the prince to resolve her problems.Perhaps the most obvious (and seemingly necessary) and therefore the most problematic characteristic of Cinderella is her extraordinary beauty. Her appealing physical appearance is depicted explicitly and repeatedly. Most of the time, the portrayal is far from subtle. A characteristic so instantly recognizable as beauty ought to be accentuated to make the plotline plausible; after all, the prince falls in love with her at first sight. In Cinderella, what is especially more notable is that it is not just her breathtakingly beautiful features but also the lavish glamor exuding from her gold and silver dress in the original narrative that acts as her asset while she dances with the prince at the ball. Prioritizing beauty and physical charm over mind, character, talent, and disposition clearly reflects what society wants and expects from a woman.Furthermore, Cinderella never once stands up to her stepfamily despite their constant belittling. She is only able to escape from her misery when she marries into the royal family and leaves her home. Until then, she is constantly bullied and exploited, and her silent obedience without protest is dangerously characterized as a virtue.Preserving the portrayal of this beloved princess as a bland, passive beauty is not only unrealistic but also inappropriate for the audience of the 21st century. The story was, therefore, revised and edited to star a version of Cinderella

who is a little less conventional, a little less perfect––one who has a voice and learns to speak up when she must. In this version, you will see a new Cinderella who is not completely happy with her glass slippers, and the small twist in the ending may surprise you.