The Glass Slipper

NARRATOR:
A LONG TIME AGO

IN A SMALL PRINCIPALITY

SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE

OF A HAPPY EUROPE,

THERE WAS A RICH OLD DUKE

WHO LIVED HAPPILY IN A FINE PALACE,

AND A NUMBER OF LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

WHO LIVED HAPPILY

ON THE FASHIONABLE HILL

AND EVERYBODY ELSE WHO LIVED

HAPPILY IN THE VILLAGE.

NOW IT CAME TO PASS

THAT IN THE SPRING,

THREE DAYS OF FESTIVAL WERE DECLARED.

THEY WERE CELEBRATING

THE RETURN OF PRINCE CHARLES,

THE ONLY SON OF THE REIGNING DUKE.

MOST OF THE TOWNSPEOPLE

HAD NEVER SEEN PRINCE CHARLES.

HE HAD BEEN AWAY FOR MANY YEARS,

GETTING HIS EDUCATION

IN THE FINEST UNIVERSITIES,

CAFES, AND BOUDOIRS OF PARIS,

LONDON, AND VIENNA.

WOMAN:
NO, NOT THAT WAY!

[LAUGHTER]

WOMAN:
OH, LOOK!

NOW IT'S BEAUTIFUL.

SECOND WOMAN:
YES, LIKE THAT.

BUT A LITTLE HIGHER, WILLIE.

HIGHER?

I'LL BREAK MY NECK!

WELL, THAT'S WHA WE'RE WAITING FOR!

[LAUGHTER]

WILLIE:
WELL,

WHERE'S THE HAMMER?

SECOND WOMAN:
OH, IT'S, UH...

OH, OVER THERE!

EDWINA, HOLD THIS, PLEASE.

TIE IT TO THE OTHER ONE.

LOOK WHO'S HERE.

WELL, WHAT DO YOU WANT?

I WANT TO--TO HELP.

I CLEAN UP, EH?

I'LL PICK UP THE ONES THAT DROP,

SO THAT EVERYTHING

BE NICE AND CLEAN.

SHE'S GOING TO MAKE

EVERYTHING NICE AND CLEAN.

I'LL SWEEP THE TORN LEAVES

AND THE LITTLE STRINGS.

SEE?

STAY AWAY FROM ME,

YOU DIRTY THING!

OH, I'M NOT DIRTY!

JUST CINDERS. LOOK!

PLEASE, LOOK!

OH, MAKE HER GO AWAY, WILLIE.

MY MOTHER SAYS:

I MUSTN'T SPEAK TO HER.

GO AWAY, CINDERS.

MY NAME IS ELLA, AND I'M NOT DIRTY.

I'VE JUST BEEN CARRYING OUT THE ASHES.

JUST CINDERS AND ASHES.

MAYBE A LITTLE SOOT,

BUT I--

ELLA CINDER!

DIRTY CINDER!

ELLA CINDER!

WILLIE:
GOOD-BYE, CINDERELLA.

CINDERELLA!

CINDERELLA!

STOP IT!

NOW LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE,

YOU UGLY THING!

I AM NOT UGLY!

YOU ARE UGLY!

YOU SMELL OF BUTTER!

YOU HAVE A BIG FAT BOPU.

AND YOU HAVE A VOICE LIKE A PIG!

AND YOU--YOU--

YOU--

NARRATOR:

SO, YOU SEE HOW IT WAS.

OH, WELL, THEY CAN

SCARCELY BE BLAMED,

FOR SHE WAS NOT PRECISELY

AN AMIABLE CHILD.

THE GROWN-UPS OF THE TOWN

AGREED WITH THEIR SONS AND DAUGHTERS.

THEY'RE SAYING, "TSK, TSK.

DREADFUL, DREADFUL.

"THE GIRL'S A DISGRACE.

"SHE GROWS WORSE EVERY DAY.

LOOK AT HER HAIR."

IT WAS THE OLD STORY

OF THE REJECTED BECOMING

ALL THE MORE REJECTED

BECAUSE THEY BEHAVED BADLY

BECAUSE THEY'D BEEN REJECTED--

ONE OF THOSE, UH, CIRCLES.

AND THERE IT WAS AGAIN,

THE HEAT OF TEARS BURNING

BEHIND THE EYES.

AND SO SHE CAME HOME.

THIS PRIMPING IS IN PREPARATION

FOR THE ARRIVAL OF THE PRINCE,

FOR HE MAY GLANCE THEIR WAY

WHEN HE RIDES DOWN THE STREET.

THESE ARE ELLA'S STEPSISTERS.

THIS IS BIRDENA--

VIVACIOUS, DAZZLING,

BEAUTIFUL AS A ROSE,

AND POISONOUS AS A TOADSTOOL.

AND THIS IS SERAFINA--LANGUID, SEDUCTIVE,

EFFORTLESSLY ALLURING,

AND COLD AS A COBRA.

AND THIS IS ELLA'S STEPMOTHER,

THE WIDOW SONDER.

"STRAIGHTEN UP, ELLA.

"DO THIS, ELLA.

"DO THAT, ELLA.

"PICK UP THE THINGS

YOUR SISTERS DROPPED, ELLA.

"THESE ARE THE PREROGATIVES

OF BEAUTY, ELLA.

"COME, BIRDENA.

"COME, SERAFINA.

"I AM THE MOTHER OF THE PRETTIEST GIRLS

IN THE VILLAGE.

"NOT YOU, ELLA!

"STAY BACK HERE, ELLA.

"DON'T STAND WITH US.

"THE PRINCE MAY

THINK WE KNOW YOU."

[FANFARE]

CROWD:

LONG LIVE THE PRINCE!

MAN:

LONG LIVE PRINCE CHARLES!

DID YOU SEE HIM:

LOOK RIGHT THIS WAY?

HE DID, INDEED, LOOK THIS WAY.

HE LOOKED RIGHT AT ME.

AT YOU?

HE DISTINCTLY LOOKED

RIGHT AT ME.

NO, HE DIDN'T!

I SAW HIM.

OH, YOU DID NOT SEE HIM.

YOU WERE WAY BACK HERE.

I DID, TOO.

I SAW HIM.

NO, YOU DIDN'T.

I DID!

VERY WELL. WHAT DID

HE LOOK LIKE?

HE...

WELL, HE LOOKED--

HE LOOKED LIKE:

A HANDSOME PRINCE

ON A BEAUTIFUL:

WHITE HORSE.

YOU SEE?

THE HORSE WAS BLACK,

BLACK AS NIGHT.

SHE DIDN'T SEE HIM AT ALL.

I DID!

WHAT COLOR WAS HIS HAIR?

IT WAS BLACK,

BLACK AS NIGHT.

WELL, YOU SEE?

WHAT A FIB.

WHO--WHO CARES ABOU AN OLD PRINCE, ANYWAY?

I HATE HIM! I DON'T CARE.

I HATE HIM!

WHAT AN UNPLEASAN GIRL YOU ARE.

I DON'T CARE!

NARRATOR:

THE LITTLE SPIRIT IS STILL DEFIAN AND DEFENSIVE,

STILL UNBROKEN.

BUT GIVE THEM TIME.

THEY'LL BREAK IT.

A FEW MORE YEARS,

AND SHE WILL STOP FIGHTING BACK

AND WILL NO LONGER

FEEL ANY PAIN.

THE OTHERS WILL THEN

HAVE THE CONVENIENCE

OF AN UNPAID SPINSTER SLAVEY

IN THE HOUSE--

WILLING, DOCILE,

GRATEFUL FOR CRUMBS.

A FEW MORE YEARS,

AND ALL WILL BE PEACEFUL.

HERE WAS HER OWN PLACE,

A PLACE ALL BY ITSELF.

THE SWEET BROOK GLITTERED,

THE FOREST WAS COOL,

AND A MEADOWLARK WAS

CONFIDING ITS HEARTBREAK

TO THE QUIET AIR.

[ELLA CRYING]

WHY ARE YOU CRYING?

WHAT'S THE MATTER,

YOU SWEET, PRETTY CREATURE?

YOU'RE MAKING FUN OF ME.

I'M NOT SWEET AND PRETTY.

BUT IT'S ONLY ASHES.

WHAT'S WRONG WITH ASHES?

VERY GOOD FOR THE CHICKENS.

WHAT'S YOUR NAME?

ELLA.

BUT THEY WON'T EVEN

CALL ME BY MY NAME.

THEY CALL ME--

EDWARD AND WILLIE

AND ALL THE OTHERS--

BECAUSE OF THE ASHES,

THEY CALL ME CINDERELLA.

CINDERELLA?

CINDER ELLA,

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL WORD.

I LIKE IT VERY MUCH.

THERE ARE OTHER WORDS

I LIKE VERY MUCH,

LIKE WINDOWSILL...

AND ELBOW.

ELBOW.

AND I LIKE:

APPLE DUMPLING, TOO.

IT'S A COMICAL WORD.

APPLE DUMPLING.

PICKLE RELISH.

THAT HAS A NICE SNAP TO IT.

WHAT'S THE MATTER

WITH YOUR HAIR?

I CUT IT OFF.

I--I GOT ANGRY AT IT.

ONE DAY, I HATED MYSELF SO,

I WANTED TO BE DEAD.

BUT I CUT MY HAIR OFF INSTEAD.

AND I FELT MUCH BETTER AFTER.

IT'S GROWING NOW.

SPLENDID.

NO USE COMBING I OR ANYTHING.

IT DOES PRESEN A PROBLEM.

WHAT'S YOUR NAME?

MRS. TOQUET.

OH, YOU'RE THE CRAZY LA--

I MEAN...YOU'RE THE ONE

WHO LIVES ALL BY YOURSELF?

THEY SAY YOU NEVER COME

INTO THE VILLAGE DURING DAYTIME.

THAT'S RIGHT.

WHY?

BECAUSE I ALWAYS

GO THERE AT NIGHT.

YOU--YOUR SHOES

ARE GETTING WET.

YES. IT'S THE WATER.

OH.

DO YOU LIVE:

IN THE VILLAGE?

YES.

WITH BIRDENA, SERAFINA,

AND MY STEPMOTHER.

OH. HOW ARE THEY?

OH, YOU KNOW THEM?

NO. IF I KNEW THEM,

I WOULDN'T HAVE TO ASK.

OH.

WELL, THEY'RE

VERY WELL, THANK YOU.

THEY'RE VERY BUSY NOW.

THEY'RE GETTING READY

TO GO TO THE BALL--

DAY AFTER TOMORROW

AT THE PALACE.

THEY ARE GOING:

TO MEET THE PRINCE.

YOU SEE, BIRDENA

AND SERAFINA:

ARE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRLS

IN THE WHOLE VILLAGE.

THEY CAN SEW VERY WELL,

AND THEY HAVE FINE MANNERS

AND BEAUTIFUL CLOTHES.

THEY ARE JUST EVERYTHING

THAT GIRLS SHOULD BE.

AND YOU? WHERE ARE

YOUR PRETTY CLOTHES?

OH, I DON'T CARE

WHAT I LOOK LIKE.

THAT'S NO REASON

FOR FRIGHTENING PEOPLE.

IT DOESN'T MATTER.

NOBODY LIKES ME ANYWAY.

I LIKE YOU.

YOU DON'T.

I DON'T NEED ANYBODY

TO LIKE ME.

I DON'T CARE.

I DON'T CARE ONE BIT,

BECAUSE, ONE DAY, I'M GOING

TO LIVE IN THE PALACE.

OH?

IN THE DUCAL PALACE?

THAT'S RIGHT.

A VERY PLEASANT PLAN.

WHO ARRANGED IT?

WELL...

ONE DAY, THERE'S AN OLD LADY

WHO CAME TO SEE MY MOTHER.

SHE WAS A TELLER

OF FORTUNES, THEY SAY.

AND SHE TOLD MY MOTHER

THAT SOME DAY:

HER CHILD WOULD LIVE

IN THE PALACE.

AND I WAS BORN:

THREE HOURS LATER.

MY MOTHER USED TO TELL ME

THIS STORY VERY OFTEN

WHEN I WAS A LITTLE GIRL.

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