Capítulo 1: La pobre chica de al lado Oh mis queridos lectores!

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

¡Tengo una historia para ustedes hoy!

Do I have a story for you today!

¿Conoces esa casa grande en la calle Maple?

You know that big house on Maple Street?

¿La de las ventanas altas y el bonito jardín?

The one with the tall windows and the pretty garden?

Bueno, déjame decirte lo que realmente sucede dentro de esas paredes!

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

Allí vive una chica llamada Cenicienta.

There lives a girl named Cinderella.

¡Pobrecita! ¿Qué haces?

Poor thing!

Su padre murió cuando ella era muy joven.

Her father died when she was very young.

Ahora vive con su madrastra y dos hermanastras.

Now she lives with her stepmother and two stepsisters.

¡Y por el amor de Dios, esas tres mujeres no son buenas con ella!

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

Todas las mañanas veo a Cenicienta limpiando las ventanas.

Every morning, I see Cinderella cleaning the windows.

Ella lava los pisos.

She washes the floors.

Ella cocina la comida.

She cooks the food.

¡Ella hace TODO el trabajo!

She does ALL the work!

Mientras tanto, sus hermanastras duermen hasta el mediodía y se pintan las uñas.

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

¿Puedes creerlo?

Can you believe it?

La madrastra hace que Cenicienta use ropa vieja y sucia.

The stepmother makes Cinderella wear old, dirty clothes.

Pero incluso en esos harapos, esa chica es hermosa!

But even in those rags, that girl is beautiful!

Tiene ojos amables y una dulce sonrisa.

She has kind eyes and a sweet smile.

No como sus hermanastras, que son malas y feas por dentro y por fuera.

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

Capítulo 2: Grandes noticias en el Palacio!

Chapter 2: Big News at the Palace!

El martes pasado, el heraldo vino a nuestro pueblo.

Last Tuesday, the town crier came to our village.

¡Él tenía GRANDES NUEVAS!

He had BIG NEWS!

¡El Príncipe está teniendo un baile!

The Prince is having a ball!

¡Una fiesta elegante en el palacio!

A fancy party at the palace!

Todas las jóvenes del reino pueden venir.

Every young woman in the kingdom can come.

¡El príncipe quiere encontrar una esposa!

The Prince wants to find a wife!

¡Deberías haber visto a las hermanastras!

Well, you should have seen the stepsisters!

¡Saltaban como gallinas locas!

They jumped up and down like crazy chickens!

Compraron vestidos nuevos.

They bought new dresses.

Se arreglaron el pelo.

They got their hair done.

Practicaron el baile en la sala.

They practiced dancing in the living room.

¿Pero la pobre Cenicienta?

But poor Cinderella?

Tuvo que ayudarlos a prepararse.

She had to help them get ready.

Ella arregló su cabello.

She fixed their hair.

Ella limpió sus zapatos.

She cleaned their shoes.

¡Incluso las ayudó a ponerse sus vestidos ajustados!

She even helped them put on their tight dresses!

"¿Puedo ir yo también al baile?" preguntó Cenicienta. La madrastra se echó a reír.

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

¿Y usted?

"You?

¿En esa ropa sucia?

In those dirty clothes?

¡No seas tonto!

Don't be silly!

Debes quedarte en casa y limpiar la casa".

You must stay home and clean the house."

¿Qué tan malo es eso?

How mean is that?

Capítulo 3: ¡La magia ocurre!

Chapter 3: Magic Happens!

La noche del baile, estaba paseando a mi perro por la casa de Cenicienta.

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

Oí gritos desde el jardín.

I heard crying from the garden.

Había Cenicienta, sentada junto al viejo pozo, con lágrimas en la cara.

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

¡De repente, el aire comenzó a brillar!

Suddenly, the air started to sparkle!

Apareció una anciana.

An old woman appeared!

Tenía una varita mágica y una sonrisa amable.

She had a magic wand and a kind smile.

"Soy tu Hada Madrina", dijo ella.

"I am your Fairy Godmother," she said.

"¿Por qué lloras, querida niña?" "Quiero ir al baile", dijo Cenicienta.

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

"Pero no tengo un vestido bonito y no hay manera de llegar allí".

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

La Hada Madrina sonrió.

The Fairy Godmother smiled.

"¡Podemos arreglar eso!" Ella apuntó su varita a una gran calabaza.

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

¡Eso es!

POOF!

¡Se convirtió en un hermoso carruaje dorado!

It became a beautiful golden carriage!

Tocó algunos ratones.

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!