Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Cinderella. Although she was very beautiful, she was always covered in ashes.
It was all because Cinderella’s stepmother had a cruel heart. Even though Cinderella’s family was wealthy, the stepmother treated Cinderella like a servant.
Every day, Cinderella had to work from dawn till dusk.
At night, she had no bed to sleep in, so she slept among the ashes, which is why she was always covered in them.
In the house lived Cinderella, her father, the stepmother, and the two daughters the stepmother brought with her.
One day, the stepmother’s daughters excitedly asked Cinderella to help them with their hair and dressing.
The king held a grand ball, inviting all the young maidens to attend, so the prince could choose one to be the princess.
Cinderella helped them get ready and begged them to take her to the ball too.
But not only did the stepmother and her two daughters refuse, they also mocked and ridiculed her.
As they left for the ball, Cinderella sighed and went to the backyard, where her mother was buried.
As she cried by her mother’s grave, a voice said, “If they won’t take you, go by yourself!”
Cinderella knew it was the voice of a little bird in the tree. The bird knew of Cinderella’s plight, often chatting with her and helping her.
Cinderella sighed again, saying, “But I have no gown…”
Then another voice chimed in, “We’ve prepared everything for you already!”
With that, a beautiful gown and a pair of sparkling glass slippers drifted down from the tree.
Cinderella had never seen such beautiful attire and shoes. She exclaimed in astonishment, “Thank you, but who are you?”
The voice said, “I am the big tree next to you, haven’t you forgotten? I was once just a small branch. You planted me by your mother’s grave, hoping I would grow into a big tree to shelter her. Your tears made the branch grow into a tree with consciousness, and that’s who I am today. Now it’s time for me to repay you!”
Cinderella thanked the tree sincerely. She washed away the ashes from her face and body, tied up her hair, put on the gown and glass slippers.
In the mirror, Cinderella looked like a completely different person.
Guided by the little bird, Cinderella arrived at the palace.
As she entered, all eyes turned to her. Not only was Cinderella beautiful, but she also carried herself with grace and dignity.
She looked around the palace curiously, taking in everything.
When she saw her stepmother and stepsisters, they didn’t even recognize her.
At that moment, the prince noticed her too. He immediately approached her and invited her to dance.
Cinderella said, “But I don’t know how to dance.”
The prince replied, “I can teach you.”
Throughout the entire evening, the prince danced only with Cinderella.
The other maidens grew envious because they had come to the ball for the prince.
However, before the ball ended, the little bird perched on the window sill, reminding Cinderella that she must return home before her stepmother did, or she would be in trouble again.
Cinderella made up an excuse to leave the prince and hurried home with the bird.
The prince was very disappointed.
Fortunately, the next day, Cinderella returned.
Once again, the prince danced exclusively with Cinderella.
However, when the little bird appeared, Cinderella found another excuse to leave the prince and went home.
On the third day, the final day of the ball, Cinderella returned.
The prince decided he couldn’t let Cinderella leave again.
So, when the little bird appeared and Cinderella was about to leave again, the prince chased after her.
However, as Cinderella saw the prince, she ran even faster, disappearing in an instant.
In that moment, the prince noticed that Cinderella had run so fast that one of her glass slippers had fallen off. He picked up the glass slipper.
Then a voice said, “Whoever can wear this glass slipper is its rightful owner, for it fits only her!”
The prince looked up and saw that the voice belonged to the little bird that had appeared in the palace.
After speaking, the bird flew away.
The next day, the prince went to the king with the glass slipper and said, “Whoever can wear this slipper will be my bride.”
The king immediately called for all the young maidens to try on the glass slipper, including Cinderella’s stepsisters.
However, none of them fit perfectly; either the slipper was too small or too big.
The prince felt greatly disheartened.
One day, as he passed by a house, he heard a voice saying, “Prince, the owner of the glass slipper is right here in this house!”
The prince looked up, and it was the same little bird.
As it turned out, the prince was passing by Cinderella’s house. Quickly, he knocked on the door.
The stepmother, seeing the prince, hurriedly welcomed him inside. The prince said, “The owner of the glass slipper is in this house. Please bring out all the young maidens.”
The stepmother hurried to call her daughters.
However, upon seeing them, the prince remarked, “These two young ladies have already tried on the glass slipper and it didn’t fit. Are there any other maidens?”
The stepmother replied, “There are none.”
The prince was very disappointed and was about to leave when Cinderella happened to come out to pour tea.
Despite her face being covered in ashes, the prince recognized her immediately.
He asked her to come forward and try on the glass slipper.
Cinderella slipped her foot into the shoe, and it fit perfectly, not too big and not too small!
The stepmother and her two daughters said jealously, “How does this prove she was the girl at the ball? It’s just a coincidence!”
Cinderella took the other glass slipper from her pocket and put it on her foot.
Everyone was stunned.
The Prince exclaimed joyfully, “You are the girl – my future princess!”
Later on, Cinderella and the prince got married.
The prince had Cinderella’s father move them away from that house along with the stepmother and stepsisters.
This was because Cinderella often visited the house to see her mother, the big tree, and the little bird.
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