Cinders With a Twist

Cinders with a twist

Once upon a time, there lived a very unhappy girl called Cinderella. She was unhappy, for her mother was dead and her father had married another woman, Anaglypta, a widow with two daughters, Spinylio and Bonylio. All three of them really disliked Cinderella because she had beauty.

But, for poor unhappy Cinderella, there were no nice dresses, only her stepsisters' hand-me-downs. No lovely meals, nothing but scraps of food. No nice bedroom – she slept in the cellar where she worked. She was allowed to sit for a while by the fire, near the cinders. That is how she got her nickname, Cinders.

She had a true friend called Buttons who was the busy Butler and odd job man for the house. They hardly spent much time together, but when they did they really enjoyed each others company. She always thought he was a bit strange in his mannerisms but he was a real friend.

Cinders used to spend long hours all alone talking to her cat. The cat just merely replied "Meow". She used to tell her everything all about her feelings and how unhappy she was.
“I’m so unhappy because they have all gone to the Ball and I’m not allowed to go because I’ve got nothing to wear but rags”.

She sighed at the cat, "I'm so unhappy!”

The cat murmured "Meow".

Suddenly something amazing happened. In the cellar, where Cinderella was sitting all by herself, there was a loud pop and a fairy appeared just where the cat had been sitting.

"Don't be scared, Cinderella," said the fairy. "Your sigh made me change into your Fairy Godmother. I know you would love to go to the ball, and so you shall!"

“You are my cat?” She gasped.

“Yes, I’m stuck, trapped in a magic spell and only released to my rightful form when there is an emergency and tonight I’m here because your sigh released me”.

“But, but I tell you everything” Cinders whimpered.

“I know that’s why I’m here now, listen we are running out of time we have so much work to do I’ll need your help” exclaimed the Fairy Godmother.

“Yes but who are you? What’s you name? Asked Cinders, quite perplexed by the whole thing.
“Sorry not got time for big introductions, my name is Fairy Nuff. Now to work, that is, if you still want to go to this Ball?”

“Of course I do” said Cinders quickly.

"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 and seven mice while you are at it”.

"Oh of course," said Cinderella, rushing away.
Cinderella soon returned with a fine pumpkin with seven mice she had caught in a humane trap in the cellar.

"Good!" exclaimed the fairy. With a flick of her magic wand... sparks flew everywhere and glitter danced in the light! 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 blue uniform. Cinderella could hardly believe her eyes.

"How can I go to the Ball, I’m dressed in rags?" Cinderella whispered sadly.

The Fairy Nuff smiled. With another flick of her magic wand, Cinderella found herself wearing the most beautiful pale blue ball gown she had ever seen.

"Now we have settled the matter of the dress," said Fairy Nuff “We must get you some new shoes. You can’t wear those old trainers now can you? Horrible black tatty things they are, that let water in when it rains. They need throwing away; you’ve had them for years”

With yet another flick of her magic wand, her trainers turned into glass slippers that fitted her dainty feet like a glove.

"Here is your invitation. Enjoy your time with the Prince. But remember! You must leave the ball at midnight and return home because the spell ends at midnight. Your coach will turn back into a pumpkin, the horses and coachman will become mice again. You will be dressed again in rags and wearing those filthy black trainers again instead of these glass slippers! Do you understand?" Fairy Nuff asked.

Cinderella smiled and said, "Yes, I understand totally!"

When Cinderella entered the ballroom at the palace, the room fell silent. 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 her 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. To the great disappointment of all the young ladies, he danced with Cinderella for the rest of the evening.

Cinderella looked deeply into his brown eyes and saw warmth and love looking back at her. She stroked his goaty beard with affection.

"Who are you?" the Prince asked her.

But Cinderella only replied: "What does it matter who I am! We’ll never meet again after tonight.”

"Oh, but we will, I'm quite certain of that!" he replied.

Cinderella had a wonderful time at the ball. She felt like a princess. But, all of a sudden, she heard the sound of a clock: the first stroke of midnight!

She remembered what her Fairy Godmother had said, and without a word of goodbye she slipped from the Prince's arms, turned on her heel and ran out of the ball room and down the steps into the darkness of the night. 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, what a disaster that would be! Out she fled and vanished into the night.

The Prince, who was now curious beyond belief of who she was, picked up her slipper and said to his ministers, "I want to go and search everywhere for the girl whose foot this slipper fits. I will never be content until I find her!"

So the Prince and his ministers tried the slipper on the foot of all the girls in the land and finally arrived at Cinderella's house.

Her two vile stepsisters, Spinylio and Bonylio, had to try the slipper first but no way would that fit their great big size eight feet. Her horrible selfish stepmother had to try it on as well but it never fit her either because her bunions were too big.

Then Buttons walked in the room. He asked “Shall I fetch Cinders”?

“Oh if you must” Anagylpta snarled.

He trotted off with a skip in his step. The Prince’s gaze followed Buttons departure. Buttons returned with Cinders and announced “She’s here” waving his arms gaily.

“Would you like to try the slipper?” The Prince asked Cinders, looking her up and down at her shabby clothes and the black trainers that were ready for the bin, poking out from under her dress.

She sat down on the stool and started to remove the disgusting black trainers.

As she did, Buttons asked “Can I try it on please, it looks so nice. Don’t you think glass slippers would suit me?”

So he pulled up a chair and slipped it on his foot “Oh ooooooooh just look at that, it’s a perfect fit, where’s the other one I’ll try that while I’m here” he said and gazed dreamily at the Prince.

The Prince gazed dreamily back. The Prince took Button’s hand and lifted him to his feet.

“Oh you’ve got gorgeous brown eyes and I love that goaty beard” Buttons squeaked.

They stood gazing at each other when the moment was shattered as Cinders gave a loud cough. “Excuse me, I’m supposed to try them on now” in a sing-songy sort of voice.

“Oh push off you tramp” said the Prince “I’ve found what I’m looking for. Loves young dream. All my dreams have come true all at once”.

“But……” Cinders bawled “I’m supposed to…………..” but she was cut off by Buttons and the Prince in deep embrace.

“Will you marry me?” the Prince gasped as he came up for air.

“Whatever……” Buttons started to reply but was smothered in Royal kisses once again before he could finish his sentence.

"That awful smug boy simply cannot have been at the ball in a girls’ dress," snapped Anaglypta. "Tell the Prince he ought to marry one of my two daughters! Can't you see how ugly Buttons is! Can't you see?"

Cinders watched in horror as they left the room hand in hand gazing into each others eyes. Her cat passed them on her way into the room to see Cinders. She brushed up against her legs and looked up at Cinders. The cat shrugged and just said "Meow"!