Italy
Once upon a time there was a man who had three daughters. He was once ordered to go away to work, and said the them, "Since I am about making a journey, what do you want me to bring you when I return?"
One asked for a handsome dress; the other, a fine hat and a beautiful shawl. He said to the youngest, "And you, Cinderella, what do you want?" They called her Cinderella because she always sat in the chimney corner.
"You must buy me a little bird Verdeliò."
"The simpleton! She does not know what to do with the bird! Instead of ordering a handsome dress, a fine shawl, she takes a bird. Who knows what she will do with it!"
"Silence!" she says. "It pleases me."
The father went, and on his return brought the dress, hat, and shawl for…show more content… Listen; it is the last evening; you must come."
The father: "Oh let her alone! You are always teasing her!"
Then they went away and began to prepare for the ball. When they were all prepared, they went to the ball with their father.
When they had departed, Cinderella went to the bird: "Little Bird Verdeliò, make me more beautiful than I am!" Then she was dressed in all the colors of the heavens; all the comets, the stars, and moon on her dress, and the sun on her brow. She enters the ballroom. Who could look at her! For the sun alone they lower their eyes, and are all blinded. His majesty began to dance, but he could not look at her, because she dazzled him. He had already given orders to his servants to be on the lookout, under pain of death, not to go on foot, but to mount their horses that evening.
After she had danced longer than on the previous evenings she placed herself by her father's side, drew out her handkerchief, and there fell out a snuffbox of gold, full of money.
"Signora, you have dropped this snuffbox."
"Keep it for…show more content… The next morning they knocked at the door. Cinderella's father looked out and exclaimed, "Oh heavens! It is his majesty's carriage. What does it mean?" They open the door and the servants ascend. "What do you want of me?" asked the father.
"How many daughters have you?"
"Two."
"Well, show them to us."
The father made them come in there.
"Sit down," they said to one of them. They tried the slipper on her; it was ten times too large for her. The other one sat down; it was too small for her. "But tell me, good man, have you no other daughters? Take care to tell the truth! because majesty wishes it, under pain of death!"
"Gentlemen, there is another one, but I do not mention it. She is all in the ashes, the coals. If you should see her! I do not call her my daughter from shame."
"We have not come for beauty, or for finery; we want to see the girl!"
Her sisters began to call her, "Cin-der-ella!" but she did not answer.
After a time she said, "What is the matter?"
"You must come down! There are some gentlemen who wish to see you."
"I don't want to