Chapitre 1: La pauvre fille d'à côté Oh mes chers lecteurs!

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

J'ai une histoire pour vous aujourd'hui!

Do I have a story for you today!

Vous connaissez cette grande maison sur Maple Street?

You know that big house on Maple Street?

Celle avec les grandes fenêtres et le joli jardin?

The one with the tall windows and the pretty garden?

Laissez-moi vous dire ce qui se passe vraiment à l'intérieur de ces murs!

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

Il y a une fille qui s'appelle Cendrillon.

There lives a girl named Cinderella.

Pauvre fille!

Poor thing!

Son père est mort quand elle était très jeune.

Her father died when she was very young.

Elle vit maintenant avec sa belle-mère et ses deux demi-sœurs.

Now she lives with her stepmother and two stepsisters.

Et oh mon Dieu, ces trois femmes ne sont pas gentilles avec elle!

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

Chaque matin, je vois Cendrillon nettoyer les vitres.

Every morning, I see Cinderella cleaning the windows.

Elle lave les sols.

She washes the floors.

Elle cuisine.

She cooks the food.

Elle fait TOUT le travail!

She does ALL the work!

Pendant ce temps, ses demi-sœurs dorment jusqu'à midi et se peignent les ongles.

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

Tu peux le croire?

Can you believe it?

La belle-mère fait porter à Cendrillon des vêtements vieux et sales.

The stepmother makes Cinderella wear old, dirty clothes.

Mais même dans ces chiffons, cette fille est belle!

But even in those rags, that girl is beautiful!

Elle a des yeux gentils et un sourire doux.

She has kind eyes and a sweet smile.

Contrairement à ses demi-sœurs, elles sont méchantes et laides à l'intérieur et à l'extérieur!

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

Chapitre 2: Une grande nouvelle au palais!

Chapter 2: Big News at the Palace!

Mardi dernier, le prédicateur est venu dans notre village.

Last Tuesday, the town crier came to our village.

Il avait de GRANDES NOUVELLES!

He had BIG NEWS!

Le prince fait un bal!

The Prince is having a ball!

Une fête au palais!

A fancy party at the palace!

Chaque jeune femme du royaume peut venir.

Every young woman in the kingdom can come.

Le Prince veut trouver une épouse!

The Prince wants to find a wife!

Tu aurais dû voir les demi-sœurs!

Well, you should have seen the stepsisters!

Ils sautaient comme des poules folles!

They jumped up and down like crazy chickens!

Elles ont acheté de nouvelles robes.

They bought new dresses.

Ils se sont fait coiffer.

They got their hair done.

Ils ont pratiqué la danse dans le salon.

They practiced dancing in the living room.

Mais la pauvre Cendrillon?

But poor Cinderella?

Elle devait les aider à se préparer.

She had to help them get ready.

Elle a fait leurs cheveux.

She fixed their hair.

Elle a nettoyé leurs chaussures.

She cleaned their shoes.

Elle les aidait même à mettre leurs robes serrées!

She even helped them put on their tight dresses!

"Puis-je venir au bal aussi?" demanda Cendrillon. La belle-mère a éclaté de rire.

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

Vous?

"You?

Dans ces vêtements sales?

In those dirty clothes?

Ne sois pas bête!

Don't be silly!

Vous devez rester à la maison et nettoyer la maison. "

You must stay home and clean the house."

C'est pas méchant?

How mean is that?

Chapitre 3: La magie est possible!

Chapter 3: Magic Happens!

Le soir du bal, je promenais mon chien devant la maison de Cendrillon.

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

J'ai entendu des pleurs dans le jardin.

I heard crying from the garden.

C'était Cendrillon, assise près du vieux puits, les larmes sur le visage.

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

Soudain, l'air s'est mis à étinceler!

Suddenly, the air started to sparkle!

Une vieille femme est apparue!

An old woman appeared!

Elle avait une baguette magique et un beau sourire.

She had a magic wand and a kind smile.

"Je suis votre fée marraine", dit-elle.

"I am your Fairy Godmother," she said.

" Pourquoi pleures-tu, chère enfant? " " Je veux aller au bal ", dit Cendrillon.

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

"Mais je n'ai pas une jolie robe et aucun moyen d'y arriver".

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

La fée marraine a souri.

The Fairy Godmother smiled.

"On peut arranger ça!" Elle a pointé sa baguette sur une grosse citrouille.

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

Ça alors!

POOF!

C'est devenu une magnifique voiture dorée!

It became a beautiful golden carriage!

Elle a touché des souris.

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!