Then first came two white doves flying in at the kitchen window; and next came two turtle-doves; and after them all the little birds under heaven came chirping and fluttering in, and flew down into the ashes; and the little doves stooped their heads down and set to work, pick, pick, pick; and then the others began to pick, pick, pick; and picked out all the good grain and put it in a dish, and left the ashes.  At the end of one hour the work was done, and all flew out again at the windows.  Then Cinderella brought the dish to her mother, overjoyed at the thought that now she should go to the feast.  But she said, “No, no!  Girl, you have no clothes and cannot dance, you shall not go.”  And when Cinderella begged very hard to go, she said, “If you can in one hour’s time pick two of these dishes of peas out of the ashes, you shall go too.”  And thus she thought she should at last get rid of her.  So she shook two dishes of peas into the ashes; but the little maiden went out into the garden at the back of the house, and cried as before—­

      “Hither, hither, through the sky. 
      Turtle-doves and linnets, fly! 
      Blackbird, thrush, and chaffinch gay,
      Hither, hither, haste away! 
      One and all, come help me quick,
      Haste ye, haste ye—­pick, pick, pick!”

Then first came two white doves in at the kitchen window; and next came the turtle-doves; and after them all the little birds under heaven came chirping and hopping about, and flew down about the ashes; and the little doves put their heads down and set to work, pick, pick, pick; and then the others began to pick, pick, pick; and they put all the good grain into the dishes, and left all the ashes, Before half-an-hour’s time all was done, and out they flew again.  And then Cinderella took the dishes to her mother, rejoicing to think that she should now go to the ball.  But her mother said, “It is all of no use, you cannot go, you have no clothes, and cannot dance, and you would only put us to shame:”  and off she went with her two daughters to the feast.

Now when all were gone, and nobody left at home, Cinderella went sorrowfully and sat down under the hazel-tree, and cried out—­

      “Shake, shake, hazel tree,
      Gold and silver over me!”

Then her friend the bird flew out of the tree and brought a gold and silver dress for her, and slippers of spangled silk; and she put them on, and followed her sisters to the feast.  But they did not know her, and thought it must be some strange princess, she looked so fine and beautiful in her rich clothes; and they never once thought of Cinderella, but took for granted that she was safe at home in the dirt.

[Illustration:  Painted by Jennie Harbour Cinderella]

[Illustration]