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Cinderella 5 -
First night at the Ball
The arrival of so splendid an equipage as Cinderella's could not
fail to attract general notice at the palace gates; and as it drove
up to the marble portico, the servants in great numbers came out to
see it. Information was quickly taken to the king's son, that a
beautiful young lady, evidently some princess, was in waiting. His
Royal Highness hastened to the door, welcomed Cinderella, and
handed her out of the carriage. He then led her gracefully into the
ball-room, and introduced her to his father, the king.
Cinderella
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The moment
she appeared, all conversation was hushed, the violins ceased
playing, and the dancing stopped short, so great was the sensation
produced by the stranger's beauty. A confused murmur of admiration
fluttered through the crowd, and each was fain to exclaim,
"How
surpassingly lovely she is!"
The ladies were all busy examining her
head-dress and her clothes, in order to get similar ones the very
next day, if, indeed, they could meet with stuffs of such rich
patterns, and find workwomen clever enough to make them up.
"What a
lovely creature! so fair!—so beautiful!—What a handsome
figure!—how elegantly she is dressed!"
Even the prince's
father, old as he was, could not behold her with indifference, but
wiped his eye-glass and used it very much, and said very often to
the queen, that he had never seen so sweet a being.
The king's son handed Cinderella to one of the most
distinguished seats on the daïs at the top of the Hall, and
begged she would allow him to hand her some refreshments.
Cinderella received them with great grace. When this was over, the
prince requested to have the honour of dancing with her. Cinderella
smiled consent; and the delighted prince immediately led her out to
the head of the dance, just about to commence. The eyes of the
whole company were fixed upon the beautiful pair.
The trumpets sounded and the music struck up, and the dance
commenced; but if Cinderella's beauty, elegant figure, and the
splendor of her dress, had before drawn the attention of the whole
room, the astonishment at her dancing was still greater.
Gracefulness seemed to play in all her motions; the airy
lightness with which she floated along—as buoyant as
thistle-down—drew forth a general murmur of admiration. The
hall rang with the loudest acclamations of applause, and the
company, all in one voice, pronounced her the most elegant creature
that had ever been seen. And this was the little girl who had
passed a great part of her life in the kitchen, and had always been
called a "Cinder-wench."
When the dance was ended, a magnificent feast was served up,
consisting of all delicacies: so much was the young prince engaged
with Cinderella, that he did not eat one morsel of the supper.
Cinderella drew near her sisters, and frequently spoke to them;
and in her goodness of heart she offered them the delicacies which
she had received from the prince: but they did not recognize their sister.
When Cinderella heard the clock strike three-quarters past
eleven, she made a low courtesy to the whole assembly and retired
in haste.
You see how fortune befriends the good-hearted, and even out of
such unpromising material as a pumpkin and mice, can make a coach
and six, with which to honor her worthy favorite. So Cinderella
goes to the ball; but to teach her to be diligent and faithful in
her engagements, her faëry godmother enjoins upon her that she
return home at twelve. Native beauty and grace attract the princely
heart; and while the king's son pays no heed to her pretentious
sisters, he is all grace and condescension to little Cinderella.
Obedient to her engagement with her godmother, she returns in all
the splendor and honor of the coach and six.
Next: 6 - Second Night at
the Ball
cinderella
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