Cinderello

Chapter 5: The glass slipper

Cinderello ran home as fast as he could. He arrived just before his stepbrothers.

"How was the Ball?" Cinderello asked.
"It was was very grand," said Griseldo. "Far too grand for the likes of you."

"I'm sure the Princess is in love with me." added Gimoaldo.
Cinderello smiled, but he said nothing.

The next morning, the entire street was woken by the shout of a town crier, who was followed by a messenger.
By the order of her royal highness, the Princess, every boy in the kingdom must try on this glass slipper. The Princess will marry its true owner.

Cinderello's stepfather flung open the front door and grabbed the messenger.

"One of my boys will fit this shoe," he said proudly, "and then I'll be king."

Griseldo couldn't even fit his big toe in the shoe. He pushed until his foot was bright red.

"You stupid boy! Give it to me!" shouted Gimoaldo, and snatched the glass slipper from his brother.
Gimoaldo rammed half his foot in the shoe, but then it got stuck.

"Squeeze, Gimoaldo," shrieked his father. "You're not trying hard enough."
"I'm trying as hard as I can, Papá," said Gimoaldo, with a grunt. "Ow!"

"You useless child," cried his father. He wrenched the slipper off Gimoaldo's foot and flung it at the messenger. "Off you go then." he snapped.

The messenger cleared her throat. "Excuse me, señor, what about this boy?" she said, "but my strict orders are that every young man is to try on the shoe." She looked directly at Cinderello.

"What?" said Gimoaldo. "He's just a servant. You needn't bother with him."

Cinderello's mother coughed. "Actually..." she began.
"Shut up you stupid woman," interrupted the stepfather. "...Cinderello has as much right to try on the slipper as any one," she went on, bravely.

"Oh Mamá!" said Cinderello. He walked over to the messenger and slipped on the shoe. It was a perfect fit.

"No!" shrieked Griseldo and Gimoaldo.
"He can't be a bullfighting prince," shouted their father. "I won't allow it. This is all your fault."

"Get out!" he screamed at the messenger. "I want you to pretend this never happened."

With one swift movement, the messenger swept off her hat and cloak. Everyone in the room gasped. It was the Princess.
"You!" cried Griseldo, Gimoaldo and their father.
The Princess strode over to Cinderello.
"I would have searched my kingdom for you," she said. "Will you marry me?"
Cinderello smiled. "Oh yes!" he replied.

At that moment, there was a puff of smoke and Feliciano flew into room.
He held his wand above his head and a starry mist swirled around them all "Time for a little more magic," he declared.
Feliciano flicked his wand and gave Cinderello a torero suit even more beautiful than the one he had worn to the Ball.
"¡Gracias!" Cinderello said to Feliciano.

"My bullfighting prince!" said the Princess, and swept Cinderello off to her palace. Cinderello and the Princess were married the very next day...
...and lived happily ever after. Griseldo and Gimoaldo not so happy.
"We wanted to marry the Princess." they whimpered.
Their father never stopped scolding them. "It's all your fault for having such big feet," he told them.

—The End—