Cinderella

Cinderella, illustrated by Charles Robinson

Like most of the fairy tales presented in this blog, Cinderella comes from The Big Book of Fairy Tales, published in 1911 by Blackie & Son.

Charles Robinson made a set of black and white drawings, including the title (above) and decorated letter (below). There's also a special treat - a full-page color illustration (later).

The story is well-known, probably the most well-known story in the world. It starts with the girl losing her mother. Her father remarries and gets out of the picture (Cinderella is a fine example of the theme of the absent father). His new wife already has two daughters. So his daughter gets a stepmother and two stepsisters at once.

But she loses much more. Her peace of mind. Her dignity. Even her name. All the dirty works are reserved for her. Nothing is too hard or too early for her. She has to sleep by the heath and is covered by ashes.

Yet she somehow manages to stay optimistic. Her positive attitude improves even further when the king of the country announces a dance-ball. His son is old enough to find a wife, the future queen. Every young girl from the kingdom is invited.

Cinderella wants to go as well. Her stepsisters will go.

But her stepmother doesn't allow her. She has no proper dress. She is too dirty. She is Cinderella.

When everybody leaves and Cinderella stays alone at home, a fairy godmother appears.

She can help Cinderella. She can get her a dress. A lovely dress, the most beautiful dress in the kingdom.

She can also arrange the carriage. The future queen can' come to the ball on foot, right?

Speaking of feet, something has to be done with Cinderella's shoes.

They have to be small because her feet are small. They have to look pretty, too.

Well, this is not enough. To be really special, they have to be made of special material.

So Cinderella gets a pair of glass slippers.

Right after that, Cinderella goes to the ball. Her appearance is breathtaking. The prince wants to dance only with her. She has to sit with him by the table. And then, she has to dance again.

But her time is limited. The magic will stop working at midnight.

Cinderella enjoys the evening, and it looks like everybody admires her. Including her stepmother and her stepsisters, who didn't recognize her.

The clock is ticking, and Cinderella has to leave the party.

It's always the best to leave when the mood is still high.

The prince doesn't want her to leave. He wants to spend more time with her. He wants to learn more about her. He doesn't even know her name!

But Cinderella has to leave.

She runs out and loses one of her slippers.

The prince is devastated. He believes he has found his wife, the future queen, but doesn't know where she lives or what is her name.

The lost slipper is his only clue.

The slipper looks very unique. It's small. Extremely small. And it's made of glass.

It's highly doubtful to find two pairs of such slippers in the kingdom. Or two girls whose feet could fit into such tiny slippers.

So his king announces that every girl in the kingdom shall try the slipper, lost at the staircase of the castle. The one whose foot fits in will be the prince's wife, the future queen.

A huge delegation starts looking for the right girl with the right foot. A lot of girls try to put the slipper on, but none of them succeed.

Finally, the delegation with the glass slipper comes to Cinderella's home.

Her stepsister wants to try the slipper, too.

They fail, just like everybody else.

The delegation is ready to leave, when somebody asks if there is another girl in the house.

Cinderella's stepmother's answer is loud and clear. No, there is no girl. Just Cinderella.

Despite the protests of her stepmother and her stepsisters, Cinderella gets a chance to try the slipper. It fits perfectly!

Not just that - she also has another glass slipper to make a pair.

The mystery is solved. The spectacular girl at the ball was Cinderella.

She is about to marry the prince and become the future queen.

Life is not always good, but occasionally we experience a happy ending!