Kapitel 1: Das arme Mädchen von nebenan Oh meine lieben Leser!

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

Ich habe heute eine Geschichte für euch!

Do I have a story for you today!

Kennst du das große Haus in der Maple Street?

You know that big house on Maple Street?

Die mit den hohen Fenstern und dem hübschen Garten?

The one with the tall windows and the pretty garden?

Nun, lassen Sie mich Ihnen sagen, was wirklich in diesen Mauern passiert!

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

Dort lebt ein Mädchen namens Aschenputtel.

There lives a girl named Cinderella.

Das arme Ding!

Poor thing!

Ihr Vater starb, als sie sehr jung war.

Her father died when she was very young.

Jetzt lebt sie bei ihrer Stiefmutter und zwei Stiefschwestern.

Now she lives with her stepmother and two stepsisters.

Und oh mein Gott, diese drei Frauen sind NICHT nett zu ihr!

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

Jeden Morgen sehe ich Aschenputtel die Fenster putzen.

Every morning, I see Cinderella cleaning the windows.

Sie wäscht die Böden.

She washes the floors.

Sie kocht das Essen.

She cooks the food.

Sie macht die ganze Arbeit!

She does ALL the work!

In der Zwischenzeit schlafen ihre Stiefschwestern bis Mittag und streichen sich die Nägel.

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

Kannst du dir das vorstellen?

Can you believe it?

Die Stiefmutter lässt Aschenputtel alte, schmutzige Kleider tragen.

The stepmother makes Cinderella wear old, dirty clothes.

Aber selbst in diesen Lumpen ist das Mädchen schön!

But even in those rags, that girl is beautiful!

Sie hat freundliche Augen und ein süßes Lächeln.

She has kind eyes and a sweet smile.

Sie ist nicht wie ihre Stiefschwestern - sie sind gemein und hässlich von innen und außen!

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

Kapitel 2: Große Neuigkeiten im Palast!

Chapter 2: Big News at the Palace!

Am vergangenen Dienstag kam der Gemeindeprediger in unser Dorf.

Last Tuesday, the town crier came to our village.

Er hatte große Neuigkeiten!

He had BIG NEWS!

Der Prinz hat einen Ball!

The Prince is having a ball!

Eine schicke Party im Palast!

A fancy party at the palace!

Jede junge Frau im Königreich kann kommen.

Every young woman in the kingdom can come.

Der Prinz will eine Frau finden!

The Prince wants to find a wife!

Du hättest die Stiefschwestern sehen sollen!

Well, you should have seen the stepsisters!

Sie sprangen wie verrückte Hühner auf und ab!

They jumped up and down like crazy chickens!

Sie kauften neue Kleider.

They bought new dresses.

Sie haben ihre Haare gemacht.

They got their hair done.

Sie haben im Wohnzimmer getanzt.

They practiced dancing in the living room.

Aber die arme Aschenputtel?

But poor Cinderella?

Sie musste ihnen helfen, sich vorzubereiten.

She had to help them get ready.

Sie hat ihre Haare gemacht.

She fixed their hair.

Sie putzte ihre Schuhe.

She cleaned their shoes.

Sie half ihnen sogar, ihre engen Kleider anzuziehen!

She even helped them put on their tight dresses!

"Darf ich auch zum Ball kommen?" fragte Aschenputtel. Die Stiefmutter lachte.

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

"Sie?

"You?

In diesen schmutzigen Kleidern?

In those dirty clothes?

Sei nicht albern!

Don't be silly!

Du musst zu Hause bleiben und das Haus putzen".

You must stay home and clean the house."

Wie gemein ist das?

How mean is that?

Kapitel 3: Magie ist möglich!

Chapter 3: Magic Happens!

Am Abend des Balls ging ich mit meinem Hund an Aschenputtels Haus vorbei.

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

Ich hörte das Weinen aus dem Garten.

I heard crying from the garden.

Da war Aschenputtel, am alten Brunnen, mit Tränen im Gesicht.

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

Plötzlich begann die Luft zu funkeln!

Suddenly, the air started to sparkle!

Eine alte Frau erschien!

An old woman appeared!

Sie hatte einen Zauberstab und ein freundliches Lächeln.

She had a magic wand and a kind smile.

"Ich bin deine gute Fee", sagte sie.

"I am your Fairy Godmother," she said.

"Warum weinst du, mein Kind?" "Ich will zum Ball", sagte Aschenputtel.

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

"Aber ich habe kein hübsches Kleid und keinen Weg dorthin".

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

Die gute Fee lächelte.

The Fairy Godmother smiled.

"Das können wir in Ordnung bringen!" Sie zeigte mit ihrem Stab auf einen großen Kürbis.

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

Das ist Poof!

POOF!

Es wurde ein wunderschöner goldener Wagen!

It became a beautiful golden carriage!

Sie hat ein paar Mäuse berührt.

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!