Cinderella (11)

Arriving home, Cinderella was staying in the ashes, dressed in her old dirty clothes. 
A dim little oil-lamp was burning in the fireplace.

She ran to seek out her godmother.

Soon her godmother came again to her.

After having thanked her, Cinderella said she could not but heartily wish she might go to the ball the next day as well, because the king's son had invited her.

As she was eagerly telling her godmother everything that had happened at the ball, her two sisters knocked at the door, which Cinderella ran and opened.

"You stayed such a long time!" she cried, gaping, rubbing her eyes and stretching herself as if she had been sleeping.

" Ah, if you had been at the ball," said one of her sisters, "you would not have been tired with it. The finest princess was there, the most beautiful that mortal eyes have ever seen. She showed us a thousand civilities, and gave us fruit and sweet-meats."

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, smiled and replied,
" She must be most beautiful, indeed. How happy you have been !  Could not I see her ? Ah, dear Charlotte, do lend me your yellow dress which you wear at home every day. "

" Yes, to be sure ! " cried Charlotte, " lend my clothes to such a dirty Cinderwench as you are !  I should be such a fool."

Cinderella, well enough expected such an answer, and was 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ーdressed even more magnificently than before.

(11/15)
ひとりの姉の名、Charlotte は、シャルル・ペローのサンドリオン原作にあります。