The following version of this story was used to create this guide: Mansfield, Katherine. "Her First Ball." Katherine Mansfield Society Online. https://www.katherinemansfieldsociety.org/assets/KM-Stories/HER-FIRST-BALL1921.pdf.

Note that parenthetical citations refer to the page number on which the quotation appears.

Leila is in a cab with her cousins Meg, Laura, Jose, and Laurie, on the way to her first ball. In the car, they all discuss how surprising it is that Leila has never been to a dance before. Leila envies the relationships between the Sheridans siblings because she is an only child. At the dance hall, Leila is overwhelmed and impressed by the bustling atmosphere in the ladies' room, where girls are preparing themselves for the dances.

Programs for the dances are passed around and Leila observes her surroundings. She takes in the beauty of the hall. The men and women separate to two sides of the room. The men eventually walk over to the women and they all begin exchanging programs. A few people take Leila's program, including an older fat man. The dances begin.

Leila is enjoying herself on the dance floor. Her first two partners ask her if she was at previous dances, and she explains that this is her first ball. Neither partner seems interested to discuss the matter further. When Leila separates from her second partner, the fat man is waiting to dance with her.

On the dance floor, the older fat man tells Leila that she will not be impressed by the beauty of the ball forever. He tells her soon she will grow old and will be watching the younger people dance instead. The man's words upset Leila and she stops dancing. A young man with curly hair eventually approaches her and she dances with him, once again in awe of the beauty of her surroundings. She passes the fat man as she dances and takes no notice of him.