[Pg 23]
It happened that the King's son gave a ball, and invited to it all persons of quality. Our two young ladies were included in the invitation, for they cut a great figure in the neighbourhood. Behold10 them in great delight, and very busy choosing the most becoming gowns and head-dresses. A new mortification11 for Cinderella, for it was she who ironed her sisters' linen12, and set their ruffles13. Nothing was talked of but the style in which they were to be dressed. "I," said the eldest14, "will wear my red velvet15 dress and my English point-lace trimmings." "I," said the youngest, "shall only wear my usual petticoat; but to make up for that, I shall put on my gold-flowered mantua, and my necklace of diamonds, which are none of the poorest." They sent for a good milliner to make up their double-frilled caps, and bought their patches of the best maker16. They called Cinderella to give them her opinion, for she had excellent taste. Cinderella gave them the best advice in the world, and even offered to dress their heads for them, which they were very willing she should do; and whilst she was about it, they said to her, "Cinderella, shouldst thou like to go to the ball?" "Alas17! Mesdemoiselles, you make game of me; that would not befit me at all." "Thou art right, they would laugh immensely to see a Cindertail at a ball!" Any other but Cinderella would have dressed their heads awry18, but she was good natured, and dressed them to perfection. They could eat nothing for nearly two days, so transported were they with joy. More than a dozen laces were broken in making their waists as small as possible, and they were always before their looking-glasses. At last the happy day arrived. They set off, and Cinderella followed them with her eyes as long as she could. When they were out of sight, she began to cry. Her godmother, who saw her all in tears, inquired what ailed19 her. "I should so like—I should so like—" she sobbed20 so much that she could not finish the sentence. "Thou wouldst so like to go to the ball—Is not that it?" "Alas! yes," said Cinderella, sighing. "Well, if thou wilt21 be a good girl, I will take care thou shalt go." She led her into her chamber, and said to her, "Go into the garden and bring me a pumpkin22." Cinderella went immediately, gathered the finest she could find, and brought it to her godmother, unable to guess how the pumpkin could enable her to go to the ball. Her [Pg 24] godmother scooped23 it out; and, having left nothing but the rind, struck it with her wand, and the pumpkin was immediately changed into a beautiful coach gilt24 all over. She then went and looked into the mouse-trap, where she found six mice, all alive. She told Cinderella to lift the door of the mouse-trap a little, and to each mouse, as it ran out, she gave a tap with her wand, and the mouse was immediately changed into a fine horse, thereby25 producing a handsome team of six horses, of a beautiful dappled mouse-grey colour. As she was in some difficulty as to what she should make a coachman of, Cinderella said, "I will go and see if there be not a rat in the rat-trap; we will make a coachman of him." "Thou art right," said her godmother. "Go and see." Cinderella brought her the rat-trap, in which there were three great rats. The Fairy selected one from the three, on account of its ample beard, and having touched it, it was changed into a fat coachman, who had the finest moustaches that ever were seen. She then said, "Go into the garden, thou wilt find there, behind the watering-pot, six lizards26, bring them to me." She had no sooner brought them than the godmother transformed them into six footmen, who immediately jumped up behind the coach, with their liveries all covered with lace, and hung on to it as if they had done nothing else all their lives. The Fairy then said to Cinderella, "Well, there is something to go to the ball in. Art thou not well pleased?" "Yes; but am I to go in these dirty clothes?" Her godmother only touched her with her wand, and in the same instant her dress was changed to cloth of gold and silver, covered with jewels. She then gave her a pair of glass slippers27, the prettiest in the world. When she was thus attired, she got into the coach; but her godmother advised her, above all things, not to stay out past midnight—warning her, that if she remained at the ball one minute longer, her coach would again become a pumpkin; her horses, mice; her footmen, lizards; and her clothes resume their old appearance. She promised her godmother she would not fail to leave the ball before midnight, and departed, out of her senses with joy.
The King's son, who was informed that a grand Princess had arrived whom nobody knew, ran to receive her. He handed her out of the coach and led her into the hall, where [Pg 25] the company was assembled. There was immediately a dead silence; they stopped dancing, and the fiddlers ceased to play, so engrossed29 was every one in the contemplation of the great attractions of the unknown lady. Nothing was heard but a low murmur30 of "Oh! how lovely she is!" The King himself, old as he was, could not take his eyes from her, and observed to the Queen, that it was a long time since he had seen so beautiful and so amiable31 a person. All the ladies were intently occupied in examining her head-dress and her clothes, that they might have some like them the very next day, provided they could find materials as beautiful, and workpeople sufficiently32 clever to make them up.
The King's son conducted her to the most honourable33 seat, and then led her out to dance. She danced with so much grace that their admiration34 of her was increased. A very grand supper was served, of which the Prince ate not a morsel35, so absorbed was he in contemplation of her. She seated herself beside her sisters, and showed them a thousand civilities. She shared with them the oranges and citrons which the Prince had given to her; at which they were much surprised, for she appeared a perfect stranger to them. Whilst they were in conversation together, Cinderella heard the clock strike three-quarters past eleven. She immediately made a profound curtsey to the company, and departed as quickly as she could. As soon as she had reached home, she went to find her godmother; and after having thanked her, said she much wished to go to the ball again the next day, because the King's son had invited her. While she was occupied in telling her godmother all that had passed at the ball, the two sisters knocked at the door. Cinderella went and opened it—"How late you are!" said she to them, yawning, rubbing her eyes, and stretching herself as if she had but just awoke. She had not, however, been inclined to sleep since she had left them. "Hadst thou been at the ball," said one of her sisters to her, "thou wouldst not have been weary of it. There came to it the most beautiful Princess—the most beautiful that ever was seen. She paid us a thousand attentions. She gave us oranges and citrons." Cinderella was beside herself with delight. She asked them the name of the Princess; but they replied that nobody knew her; that the King's son was much puzzled about it, and that he would give everything in [Pg 26] the world to know who she was. Cinderella smiled and said, "She was very handsome, then? Heavens! how fortunate you are!—Could not I get a sight of her? Alas! Mademoiselle Javotte, lend me the yellow gown you wear every day?" "Truly," said Mademoiselle Javotte, "I like that! Lend one's gown to a dirty Cindertail like you!—I must be very mad indeed!" Cinderella fully6 expected this refusal, and was delighted at it, for she would have been greatly embarrassed if her sister had lent her her gown.
The next day the two sisters went to the ball, and Cinderella also, but still more splendidly dressed than before. The King's son never left her side, or ceased saying tender things to her. The young lady was much amused, and forgot what her godmother had advised her, so that she heard the clock begin to strike twelve when she did not even think it was eleven. She rose and fled as lightly as a fawn36. The Prince followed her, but could not overtake her. She dropped one of her glass slippers, which the Prince carefully picked up. Cinderella reached home almost breathless, without coach or footmen, and in her shabby clothes, nothing having remained of all her finery, except one of her little slippers, the fellow of that she had let fall. The guards at the palace gate were asked if they had not seen a Princess go out; they answered that they had seen no one pass but a poorly-dressed girl, who had more the air of a peasant than of a lady. When the two sisters returned from the ball, Cinderella asked them if they had been as much entertained as before, and if the beautiful lady had been present. They said yes, but that she had fled as soon as it had struck twelve, and so precipitately37 that she had let fall one of her little glass slippers, the prettiest in the world; that the King's son had picked it up; that he had done nothing but gaze upon it during the remainder of the evening; and that, undoubtedly38, he was very much in love with the beautiful person to whom the little slipper28 belonged. They spoke39 the truth; for a few days afterwards the King's son caused it to be proclaimed by sound of trumpet40 that he would marry her whose foot would exactly match with the slipper. They began by trying it on the Princesses, then on the Duchesses, and so on throughout all the Court; but in vain. It was taken to the two sisters, who did their utmost to force one of their feet into the slipper, but they could not [Pg 27] manage to do so. Cinderella, who witnessed their efforts and recognised the slipper, said, laughingly, "Let me see if it will not fit me." Her sisters began to laugh and ridicule41 her. The gentleman who had been entrusted42 to try the slipper, having attentively43 looked at Cinderella and found her to be very handsome, said that it was a very proper request, and that he had been ordered to try the slipper on all girls without exception. He made Cinderella sit down, and putting the slipper to her little foot, he saw it go on easily and fit like wax. Great was the astonishment44 of the two sisters, but it was still greater when Cinderella took the other little slipper out of her pocket and put it on her other foot. At that moment the godmother arrived, who having given a tap with her wand to Cinderella's clothes, they became still more magnificent than all the others she had appeared in. The two sisters then recognised in her the beautiful person they had seen at the ball. They threw themselves at her feet to crave45 her forgiveness for all the ill-treatment she had suffered from them. Cinderella raised and embracing them, said that she forgave them with all her heart, and begged them to love her dearly for the future. They conducted her to the young Prince, dressed just as she was. He found her handsomer than ever, and a few days afterwards he married her. Cinderella, who was as kind as she was beautiful, gave her sisters apartments in the palace, and married them the very same day to two great lords of the court.
Beauty in woman is a treasure rare
Which we are never weary of admiring;
But a sweet temper is a gift more fair
And better worth the youthful maid's desiring.
That was the boon46 bestowed47 on Cinderella
By her wise Godmother—her truest glory.
The rest was "nought48 but leather and prunella."
Such is the moral of this little story—
Beauties, that charm becomes you more than dress,
And wins a heart with far greater facility.
In short, in all things to ensure success,
The real Fairy gift is Amiability49!
Also
Talent, courage, wit, and worth
Are rare gifts to own on earth.
But if you want to thrive at court—
So, at least, the wise report—
You will find you need some others,
Such as god-fathers or mothers.
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收听单词发音
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1
haughtiest
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| haughty（傲慢的，骄傲的）的最高级形式 | |
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2
abide
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| vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受 | |
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3
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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4
loft
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| n.阁楼，顶楼 | |
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mattress
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| n.床垫，床褥 | |
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6
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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7
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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8
cinders
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| n.煤渣( cinder的名词复数 )；炭渣；煤渣路；煤渣跑道 | |
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9
attired
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| adj.穿着整齐的v.使穿上衣服，使穿上盛装( attire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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10
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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11
mortification
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| n.耻辱，屈辱 | |
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12
linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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13
ruffles
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| 褶裥花边( ruffle的名词复数 ) | |
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14
eldest
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| adj.最年长的，最年老的 | |
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15
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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16
maker
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| n.制造者，制造商 | |
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17
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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18
awry
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| adj.扭曲的，错的 | |
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19
ailed
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| v.生病( ail的过去式和过去分词 )；感到不舒服；处境困难；境况不佳 | |
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20
sobbed
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| 哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说 | |
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21
wilt
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| v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱 | |
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22
pumpkin
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| n.南瓜 | |
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23
scooped
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| v.抢先报道( scoop的过去式和过去分词 )；（敏捷地）抱起；抢先获得；用铲[勺]等挖（洞等） | |
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24
gilt
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| adj.镀金的；n.金边证券 | |
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25
thereby
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| adv.因此，从而 | |
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26
lizards
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| n.蜥蜴( lizard的名词复数 ) | |
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27
slippers
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| n. 拖鞋 | |
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28
slipper
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| n.拖鞋 | |
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29
engrossed
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| adj.全神贯注的 | |
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30
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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31
amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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32
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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33
honourable
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| adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的 | |
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34
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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35
morsel
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| n.一口，一点点 | |
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36
fawn
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| n.未满周岁的小鹿；v.巴结，奉承 | |
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37
precipitately
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| adv.猛进地 | |
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38
undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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39
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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40
trumpet
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| n.喇叭，喇叭声；v.吹喇叭，吹嘘 | |
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41
ridicule
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| v.讥讽，挖苦；n.嘲弄 | |
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42
entrusted
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| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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43
attentively
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| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
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44
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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45
crave
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| vt.渴望得到，迫切需要，恳求，请求 | |
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46
boon
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| n.恩赐，恩物，恩惠 | |
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47
bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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48
nought
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| n.／adj.无，零 | |
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49
amiability
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| n.和蔼可亲的，亲切的，友善的 | |
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