over with gold.  She then looked into her mouse-trap, where she found six mice all alive and brisk.  She told Cinderella to lift up the door of the trap very gently; and as the mice passed out, she touched them one by one with her wand, and each immediately became a beautiful horse of a fine dapple gray mouse colour.  “Here, my child,” said the godmother, “is a coach and horses too, as handsome as your sisters’, but what shall we do for a postillion?” “I will run,” replied Cinderella, “and see if there be not a rat in the trap.  If I find one, he will do very well for a postillion.”  “Well thought of, my child,” said her godmother; “make what haste you can.”

Cinderella brought the rat trap, which, to her great joy, contained three of the largest rats ever seen.  The fairy chose the one which had the longest beard; and touching him with her wand, he was instantly turned into a handsome postillion, with the finest pair of whiskers imaginable.  She next said to Cinderella:  “Go again into the garden, and you will find six lizards behind the watering-pot; bring them hither.”  This was no sooner done, than with a stroke from the fairy’s wand they were changed into six footmen, who all jumped up behind the coach in their laced liveries, and stood side by side as cleverly as if they had been used to nothing else the whole of their lives.  The fairy then said to Cinderella:  “Well, my dear, is not this such an equipage as you could wish for to take you to the ball?  Are you not delighted with it?” “Y-e-s,” replied Cinderella with hesitation, “but must I go thither in these filthy rags?” Her godmother touched her with the wand, and her rags instantly became the most magnificent apparel, ornamented with the most costly jewels in the whole world.  To these she added a beautiful pair of glass slippers, and bade her set out for the palace.  The fairy, however, before she took leave of Cinderella, strictly charged her on no account whatever to stay at the ball after the clock had struck twelve, telling her that, should she stay but a single moment after that time, her coach would again become a pumpkin, her horses mice, her footmen lizards, and her fine clothes be changed to filthy rags.  Cinderella did not fail to promise all her godmother desired of her; and almost wild with joy drove away to the palace.  As soon as she arrived, the king’s son, who had been informed that a great princess, whom nobody knew, was come to the ball, presented himself at the door of her carriage, helped her out, and conducted her to the ball room.  Cinderella no sooner appeared than every one was silent; both the dancing and the music stopped, and every body was employed in gazing at the uncommon beauty of this unknown stranger.  Nothing was heard but whispers of “How handsome she is!” The king himself, old as he was, could not keep his eyes from her, and continually repeated to the queen, that it was a long time since he had seen so lovely a creature.  The ladies endeavoured to find out how her clothes were made, that they might get some of the same pattern for themselves by the next day, should they be lucky enough to meet with such handsome materials, and such good work-people to make them.