Part 3

On the following morning there was a great noise of trumpets and drums, and a procession passed through the town, at the head of which rode the King’s son. Behind him came a herald, bearing a velvet cushion, upon which rested a little glass slipper. The herald blew a blast upon the trumpet, and then read a proclamation saying that the King’s son would wed any lady in the land who could fit the slipper upon her foot, if she could produce another to match it.

Of course, the sisters tried to squeeze their feet into the slipper, but it was of no use--they were much too large. Then Cinderella shyly begged that she might try. How the sisters laughed with scorn when the Prince knelt to fit the slipper on the cinder maid’s foot; but what was their surprise when it slipped on with the greatest ease, and the next moment Cinderella produced the other from her pocket! Once more she stood in the slippers, and once more the sisters saw before them the lovely Princess who was to be the Prince’s bride. For at the touch of the magic shoes the little gray frock disappeared forever, and in place of it she wore the beautiful robe the fairy Godmother had given to her.

The sisters hung their heads with sorrow and vexation; but kind little Cinderella put her arms round their necks, kissed them, and forgave them for all their unkindness, so that they could not help but love her.

The Prince could not bear to part from his little love again, so he carried her back to the palace in his grand coach, and they were married that very day. Cinderella’s stepsisters were present at the feast, but in the place of honor sat the fairy Godmother.

So the poor little cinder maid married the Prince, and in time they came to be King and Queen, and lived happily ever after.

FANNY’S TELEPHONE ORDER.

Little Fanny Desmond was a dear child, and, like a good many other little children, she liked to do whatever she saw the grown people do.

She would listen with great interest when she saw her mother use the telephone. She was especially surprised when her mother ordered things, and later in the day they would be brought to the house.

“I wish I had a telephone of my own,” she said to her papa. “Mama just puts her mouth up to that funny thing, and gets whatever she asks for. Yesterday she asked somebody to send us ice-cream for dinner, and sure enough, it came.”

Papa laughed. “It does seem a very convenient thing,” he said. “I will try to arrange one for you.” So papa took a horn which had been put away in a closet and hung it up where Fanny could talk into it. “There, that shall be your own private telephone,” he said.

“Now, shall I get whatever I ask for?” said Fanny.

“Not if you ask for impossible things,” replied her papa.

“But what are impossible things?” asked Fanny.

“Well,” laughed papa, “I think if you should ask for the moon you would not get it.”

“But I don’t want the moon,” said Fanny.

“Ask for something before I go down-town,” said papa.

Fanny thought a moment, and then spoke up quite distinctly:

“Please send me some peppermints, and some new shoes for my doll, and a bunch of pansies for my mama, and a new bicycle for my papa, and--and--that’s all this time. Good-bye.”

“That’s a very good order,” said her papa, “but kiss me good-bye, for I must be off.”

About half an hour later the front door-bell rang. Very soon the maid appeared with a package directed to Miss Fanny Desmond. In great excitement, Fanny opened it. It was a box of peppermints. The child’s delight was great, but when, in another half hour, there came a bundle which proved to be a new pair of shoes for her doll, she was too happy for words. But that surprise was hardly over when another package was brought her. She opened it in great excitement, and behold there was a bunch of beautiful pansies.

“They are for you, mama,” she cried, “and now everything has come but papa’s new bicycle.”

Just then she looked out of the window, and there was her papa coming up the drive on a fine new wheel. She rushed down to meet him, exclaiming, as she threw herself into his arms:

“Oh, papa, papa, I did get everything; my telephone is beautiful, and the man at the other end is just lovely!”

“Ah,” said papa, “I am delighted he is so satisfactory.”

THE RAINDROPS’ NEW DRESSES.

“We’re so tired of these gray dresses!” Cried the little drops of rain, As they came down helter-skelter From the Nimbus cloud fast train.

And they bobbed against each other In a spiteful sort of way, Just like children when bad temper Gets the upper hand some day.

Then the Sun peeped out a minute. “Dears, be good and do not fight, I have ordered you new dresses, Dainty robes of purest white.”