Capítulo 1: A pobre rapariga da porta ao lado Oh meus queridos leitores!

Chapter 1: The Poor Girl Next Door Oh my dear readers!

Tenho uma história para vocês hoje!

Do I have a story for you today!

Sabes aquela casa grande na Rua Maple?

You know that big house on Maple Street?

Aquela com as janelas altas e o belo jardim?

The one with the tall windows and the pretty garden?

Bem, deixe-me dizer-lhe o que realmente acontece dentro dessas paredes!

Well, let me tell you what really happens inside those walls!

Lá vive uma rapariga chamada Cinderela.

There lives a girl named Cinderella.

Pobrezinha!

Poor thing!

O pai dela morreu quando ela era muito nova.

Her father died when she was very young.

Agora ela mora com a madrasta e duas meias-irmãs.

Now she lives with her stepmother and two stepsisters.

E, meu Deus, essas três mulheres NÃO são simpáticas com ela!

And oh my goodness, those three women are NOT nice to her!

Todas as manhãs, vejo a Cinderela a limpar as janelas.

Every morning, I see Cinderella cleaning the windows.

Ela lava o chão.

She washes the floors.

Ela cozinha a comida.

She cooks the food.

Ela faz todo o trabalho!

She does ALL the work!

Enquanto isso, as suas meias irmãs dormem até ao meio-dia e pintam as unhas.

Meanwhile, her stepsisters sleep until noon and paint their nails.

Consegues acreditar?

Can you believe it?

A madrasta faz a Cinderela usar roupas velhas e sujas.

The stepmother makes Cinderella wear old, dirty clothes.

Mas mesmo com esses trapos, aquela rapariga é linda!

But even in those rags, that girl is beautiful!

Ela tem olhos gentis e um sorriso doce.

She has kind eyes and a sweet smile.

Não é como as suas meias irmãs - são más e feias por dentro E por fora!

Not like her stepsisters - they are mean and ugly inside AND outside!

Capítulo 2: Grandes Notícias no Palácio!

Chapter 2: Big News at the Palace!

Na última terça-feira, o pregador da cidade veio à nossa aldeia.

Last Tuesday, the town crier came to our village.

Ele tinha GRANDES NOTÍCIAS!

He had BIG NEWS!

O Príncipe está a dar um baile!

The Prince is having a ball!

Uma festa chique no palácio!

A fancy party at the palace!

Todas as jovens do reino podem vir.

Every young woman in the kingdom can come.

O Príncipe quer encontrar uma esposa!

The Prince wants to find a wife!

Bem, devias ter visto as meias-irmãs!

Well, you should have seen the stepsisters!

Saltaram para cima e para baixo como galinhas loucas!

They jumped up and down like crazy chickens!

Compraram vestidos novos.

They bought new dresses.

Fizeram o cabelo.

They got their hair done.

Eles praticaram dança na sala de estar.

They practiced dancing in the living room.

Mas a pobre Cinderela?

But poor Cinderella?

Tinha de os ajudar a preparar-se.

She had to help them get ready.

Ela arranjou o cabelo deles.

She fixed their hair.

Ela limpou os sapatos deles.

She cleaned their shoes.

Ela até os ajudou a vestir os vestidos apertados!

She even helped them put on their tight dresses!

"Posso ir ao baile também?" perguntou Cinderela. A madrasta riu.

"Can I come to the ball too?" asked Cinderella. The stepmother laughed.

"Você?

"You?

Nestas roupas sujas?

In those dirty clothes?

Não sejas tolo!

Don't be silly!

Você deve ficar em casa e limpar a casa".

You must stay home and clean the house."

Que maldade é essa?

How mean is that?

Capítulo 3: A magia acontece!

Chapter 3: Magic Happens!

Na noite do baile, estava a passear o meu cão pela casa da Cinderela.

The night of the ball, I was walking my dog past Cinderella's house.

Ouvi choro do jardim.

I heard crying from the garden.

Havia a Cinderela, sentada junto ao velho poço, com lágrimas no rosto.

There was Cinderella, sitting by the old well, tears on her face.

De repente, o ar começou a brilhar!

Suddenly, the air started to sparkle!

Apareceu uma velhota!

An old woman appeared!

Ela tinha uma varinha mágica e um sorriso gentil.

She had a magic wand and a kind smile.

"Sou a tua Fada Madrinha", disse ela.

"I am your Fairy Godmother," she said.

"Por que você está chorando, querida criança?" "Eu quero ir ao baile", disse Cinderela.

"Why are you crying, dear child?" "I want to go to the ball," said Cinderella.

"Mas não tenho um vestido bonito e não tenho como chegar lá".

"But I have no pretty dress and no way to get there."

A Fada Madrinha sorriu.

The Fairy Godmother smiled.

"Nós podemos consertar isso!" Ela apontou sua varinha para uma grande abóbora.

"We can fix that!" She pointed her wand at a big pumpkin.

- O quê?

POOF!

Tornou-se uma bela carruagem dourada!

It became a beautiful golden carriage!

Ela tocou em ratos.

She touched some mice.

POOF!

They became white horses!

She even turned a rat into a driver!

Then she pointed her wand at Cinderella.

POOF!

Her old dress became the most beautiful ball gown in the world!

It was blue like the sky and sparkled like stars!

On her feet appeared glass slippers - the most beautiful shoes ever made!

"Now you can go to the ball!" said the Fairy Godmother.

"But remember - the magic ends at midnight.

You must leave before then!" Chapter 4: The Ball of the Century!

My friend Betty works at the palace.

She told me everything that happened at the ball!

When Cinderella walked into the ballroom, everyone stopped talking.

The Prince stopped dancing.

Even the music stopped!

She was the most beautiful woman anyone had ever seen!

The Prince walked straight to her.

"May I have this dance?" he asked.

They danced ALL night!

They talked and laughed.

The Prince forgot about all the other women at the ball.

He only wanted to dance with the mysterious beautiful girl.

The stepsisters were so jealous!

They tried to get the Prince's attention, but he didn't even look at them!

Chapter 5: Midnight Strikes!

Just before midnight, Cinderella heard the palace clock.

BONG!

BONG!

BONG!

"Oh no!

I must go!" she said to the Prince. She ran away so fast!

The Prince tried to follow her, but she was too quick.

As she ran down the palace steps, one of her glass slippers fell off.

The Prince picked it up. "Wait!" he called.

"I don't even know your name!" But Cinderella was already in her carriage, riding away into the night.

Just as the clock struck twelve, the magic ended.

The carriage became a pumpkin again.

The horses became mice.

And Cinderella was back in her old clothes.

But she kept one glass slipper.

The other one was with the Prince. Chapter 6: The Great Shoe Hunt!

The next morning, the whole village was talking!

The Prince was looking for the mystery girl!

He would marry whoever could wear the glass slipper!

He went to every house in the kingdom.

Every young woman tried on the shoe.

But it was too small for some and too big for others.

Finally, he came to Cinderella's house.

Oh, the stepsisters were so excited!

The first stepsister tried the shoe.

She pushed and pushed, but her foot was too big!

The second stepsister tried the shoe.

She squeezed and squeezed, but her foot was too wide!

"Is there anyone else in this house?" asked the Prince. "Just the servant girl," said the stepmother.

"She wasn't at the ball."

But the Prince wanted to be sure.

"Please, let her try."

Chapter 7: The Happy Ending!

When Cinderella put on the glass slipper, it fit perfectly!

The Prince looked at her face.

"You!

You are the beautiful girl from the ball!" The stepmother and stepsisters couldn't believe it!

Their servant girl was the mystery princess!

Cinderella pulled out the other glass slipper from her pocket.

It fit perfectly too!

The Prince asked Cinderella to marry him.

She said yes!

They had the most beautiful wedding in the kingdom.

Even the stepfamily was invited - though they weren't very happy about it!

And me?

Well, I had the best story ever to tell!

The servant girl became a princess!

Only in fairy tales, right?

Cinderella and the Prince lived happily ever after.

And every time I walk past the palace, I remember the night when magic made dreams come true!

The End Martha Chatterwell's Gossip Corner: Remember, dear readers - be kind to everyone!

You never know who might be a princess in disguise!