24tale : Many years ago, in a small country, there lived a kind and beautiful girl named Cinderella. She lived with her stepmother and two stepsisters. Cinderella’s mother had passed away years before, and her father had remarried another woman. Sadly, her father also died soon after, leaving Cinderella all alone.
In her own family home, the little girl worked like a servant, obeying her stepmother’s and stepsisters’ orders. She was far more beautiful than her stepsisters, Anastasia and Grizella, which made them very jealous. But all the sadness and mistreatment never made her lose hope.
Every morning, Cinderella woke up believing that one day she too would find happiness. She was very kind to the animals around the house, and they all loved her — except for the cat belonging to Anastasia and Grizella, who, like its owners, was mean and enjoyed bothering her.
One morning, while Cinderella was cleaning the house, the doorbell rang. When she opened the door, she found an invitation from the ruler of the town. She handed it to her stepmother. The invitation was for a grand ball to be held in honor of the ruler’s son, and all the beautiful and respectable young women of the city were invited. Cinderella’s stepsisters were thrilled.
Cinderella asked her stepmother if she could go too. Her stepmother agreed on one condition: she could come only if she finished all her chores and managed to prepare a suitable dress to wear. Excited, Cinderella went to her room and took her mother’s old dress from a chest, ready to fix it up. But just then, her stepsisters called her to do their tasks, leaving her no time to work on her own gown.
By sunset, Cinderella had finished preparing her stepsisters’ dresses but hadn’t touched her own. The little mice, who loved her dearly, had noticed the stepmother’s cruel plan from the start. With the help of some small birds, they prepared Cinderella’s dress for her.
When Cinderella returned to her room, tired and sad, she was overjoyed to find the gown ready. She quickly put it on and came to join the others by the carriage. But her jealous stepsisters tore her dress apart, making excuses, and went to the ball without her.
Cinderella was heartbroken. She cried, thinking, I have no chance left. No matter what I do, I fail. At that moment, she heard a gentle voice: “My dear, you still have one thing left — your hope. If you didn’t have hope, I wouldn’t be here.” Cinderella looked up and saw a kind fairy godmother, the kind she thought existed only in bedtime stories.
The fairy said, “We must hurry; we don’t have much time.” With her magic wand, she touched a pumpkin in the garden, and it turned into a beautiful carriage. She then transformed four friendly mice into four elegant horses, and the family’s kind dog into Cinderella’s coachman. Finally, the fairy waved her wand around Cinderella, dressing her in a stunning gown. When Cinderella looked at her feet, she was amazed — she was wearing glass slippers.
“It feels like a dream,” Cinderella whispered. The fairy godmother smiled. “It is like a dream, but like all dreams, it won’t last long. You must return before midnight, or everything will turn back to the way it was.”
Cinderella thanked the fairy and set off for the castle. When she arrived, everyone was astonished by her beauty and whispered, “Who is this mysterious girl?” The prince saw her and was immediately drawn to her. He asked her to dance, and they sang and laughed together. The prince liked her because he could tell she was a kind-hearted girl.
Time passed quickly, and suddenly, Cinderella heard the clock strike midnight. Alarmed, she ran down the stairs. One of her slippers slipped off, but she didn’t stop. She jumped into the carriage and sped away. As the final bell rang, everything returned to its original state. But Cinderella was happy she had been able to attend the ball at all.
The next morning, the ruler announced that his men should find the girl whose foot fit the glass slipper, for the prince had declared he would marry no one else. The king’s men tried the shoe on every young woman in the land, but it fit no one — until they reached Cinderella’s home. Her stepsisters tried in vain to force the shoe on their feet. Cinderella politely asked if she might try.
Her sisters laughed, saying, “Impossible! She’s just the servant here.” But when the royal official saw her beauty, he allowed it. The slipper fit perfectly. Cinderella was taken to the castle, and soon a grand wedding was held. After all her years of hardship, she finally found her happiness and lived happily ever after.
Questions for Parents to Ask After Reading
1. Why do you think Cinderella stayed kind and hopeful, even when life was hard?
Because she believed that good things could still happen and that kindness is always better than being mean, even if people treat you badly.
2. What lesson can we learn from the animals helping Cinderella?
That kindness often comes back to us — when we care for others, they want to help us in return.
3. Why did the prince choose Cinderella over all the other girls?
Not just because she was beautiful, but because she was kind, gentle, and had a good heart.
perfect bedtime story
thanks