07-cinderella-第2节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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；　any　manner

of　inclination　to　sleep　since　they　went　from　home。



〃If　thou　hadst　been　at　the　ball；〃　said　one　of　her　sisters；

〃thou　wouldst　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　a　dirty　Cinderwench　as　thou　art！　I

should　be　a　fool。〃



Cinderella；　indeed；　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　nasty　old　clothes；

having　nothing　left　her　of　all　her　finery　but　one　of　the

little　slippers；　fellow　to　that　she　dropped。　The　guards　at

the　palace　gate　were　asked：



If　they　had　not　seen　a　princess　go　out。



Who　said：　They　had　seen　nobody　go　out　but　a　young

girl；　very　meanly　dressed；　and　who　had　more　the　air　of　a

poor　country　wench　than　a　gentlewoman。



When　the　two　sisters　returned　from　the　ball　Cinderella

asked　them：　If　they　had　been　well　diverted；　and　if　the

fine　lady　had　been　there。



They　told　her：　Yes；　but　that　she　hurried　away

immediately　when　it　struck　twelve；　and　with　so　much　haste

that　she　dropped　one　of　her　little　glass　slippers；　the

prettiest　in　the　world；　which　the　King's　son　had　taken

up；　that　he　had　done　nothing　but　look　at　her　all　the　time

at　the　ball；　and　that　most　certainly　he　was　very　much　in

love　with　the　beautiful　person　who　owned　the　glass

slipper。



What　they　said　was　very　true；　for　a　few　days　after　the

King's　son　caused　it　to　be　proclaimed；　by　sound　of　trumpet；

that　he　would　marry　her　whose　foot　the　slipper　would

just　fit。　They　whom　he　employed　began　to　try　it　upon

the　princesses；　then　the　duchesses　and　all　the　Court；　but

in　vain；　it　was　brought　to　the　two　sisters；　who　did　all　they

possibly　could　to　thrust　their　foot　into　the　slipper；　but

they　could　not　effect　it。　Cinderella；　who　saw　all　this；　and

knew　her　slipper；　said　to　them；　laughing：



〃Let　me　see　if　it　will　not　fit　me。〃



Her　sisters　burst　out　a…laughing；　and　began　to　banter

her。　The　gentleman　who　was　sent　to　try　the　slipper　looked

earnestly　at　Cinderella；　and；　finding　her　very　handsome；

said：



It　was　but　just　that　she　should　try；　and　that　he　had

orders　to　let　everyone　make　trial。



He　obliged　Cinderella　to　sit　down；　and；　putting　the

slipper　to　her　foot；　he　found　it　went　on　very　easily；　and

fitted　her　as　if　it　had　been　made　of　wax。　The　astonishment

her　two　sisters　were　in　was　excessively　great；　but

still　abundantly　greater　when　Cinderella　pulled　out　of　her

pocket　the　other　slipper；　and　put　it　on　her　foot。　Thereupon；

in　came　her　godmother；　who；　having　touched　with

her　wand　Cinderella's　clothes；　made　them　richer　and

more　magnificent　than　any　of　those　she　had　before。



And　now　her　two　sisters　found　her　to　be　that　fine；

beautiful　lady　whom　they　had　seen　at　the　ball。　They

threw　themselves　at　her　feet　to　beg　pardon　for　all　the　ill…

treatment　they　had　made　her　undergo。　Cinderella　took

them　up；　and；　as　she　embraced　them；　cried：



That　she　forgave　them　with　all　her　heart；　and　desired

them　always　to　love　her。



She　was　conducted　to　the　young　prince；　dressed　as　she

was；　he　thought　her　more　charming　than　ever；　and；　a　few

days　after；　married　her。　Cinderella；　who　was　no　less　good

than　beautiful；　gave　her　two　sisters　lodgings　in　the　palace；

and　that　very　same　day　matched　them　with　two　great

lords　of　the　Court。＇1＇





＇1＇　Charles　Perrault。