As no one was now at home, Cinderella went to her mother's grave beneath the hazel-tree.
She cried - "Shiver and quiver, little tree, silver and gold throw down over me."
Then the bird threw a gold and silver dress down to her, and slippers embroidered with silk and silver.
She put on the dress with all speed, and went to the wedding. Her step-sisters and the step-mother however did not know her. They thought she must be a foreign princess. For she looked so beautiful in the golden dress.
They never once thought of Cinderella. They believed, that she was sitting at home in the dirt, picking lentils out of the ashes.
The prince approached Cinderella He took her by the hand and danced with her. The prince would dance with no other maiden. He never let loose of Cinderella's hand. And if any one else came to invite her, the prince said, "This is my partner."
Cinderella danced till it was evening, and then she wanted to go home.
But the king's son said, "I will go with you and bear you
company."
He wished to see to whom the beautiful maiden belonged.
But Cinderella
escaped from him, and sprang into the pigeon-house.
The king's son waited until her father came, and then he told him, that the unknown maiden had leapt into the pigeon-house.
The old man thought, "Can it be Cinderella."
And
they had to bring him an axe and a pickaxe,
that he might hew the pigeon-house
to pieces.
But no one was inside it.
Cinderella had jumped quickly down from the back of the pigeon-house. She had run to the little hazel-tree. There she had taken off her beautiful clothes and laid them on the grave.
The bird had taken them away again, and then she had seated herself in the kitchen, amongst the ashes in her gray gown.
And when the others got home, Cinderella lay in her dirty clothes among the ashes. A dim little oil-lamp was burning on the mantle-piece.
Next day festival began afresh.
After Cinderella's parents and the
step-sisters had gone once more,
Cinderella went to the hazel-tree and said :
"Shiver and quiver, my little tree, silver and gold throw down over me."
Then the bird threw down a much more beautiful dress than on the preceding day.
And when Cinderella appeared at the wedding in this dress, every one was astonished at her beauty.
The king's son had waited until Cinderella came, and instantly took her by the hand. The prince danced with no one but her.
When others came and invited her, he said, "This is my partner."
When evening came, Cinderella wished to leave, and the king's son followed her.
The Prince wanted to see into which house she went. But Cinderella sprang away from him, and into the garden behind the house.
Therein stood a beautiful tall tree, on which hung the most magnificent pears.
She clambered so nimbly between the branches like a squirrel. So that the king's son did not know, where she was gone.
The Prince waited until
her father came, and said to him,
"The unknown maiden has escaped from me,
and
I believe she has climbed up the pear-tree."
The father thought, can it be Cinderella. And he had an axe brought and he cut the tree down, but no one was on it.
Cinderella had jumped down on the other side of the tree. She had taken the beautiful dress to the bird on the little hazel-tree, and put on her gray gown.
And when the others got into the kitchen, Cinderella lay there among the ashes, as usual.
On the third day, when the parents and sisters had gone away, Cinderella went once more to her mother's grave.
She said to the little tree
"Shiver and quiver, my little tree, silver and gold throw down over me."
And now the bird threw down to her a dress.
It was more splendid and magnificent, than any she had yet had, and the slippers were golden.
And when she went to the festival in the dress, no one knew how to speak for astonishment.
The
king's son danced with her only.
And if any one invited her to dance,
he said "This is my partner."
When evening came, Cinderella wished to leave.
The king's son was anxious to go with her, but she escaped from him so quickly, that he could not follow her.
The king's son, however, had employed a ruse, and had caused the whole staircase to be smeared with pitch, and there, when she ran down, had the maiden's left slipper remained stuck.
The king's son picked it up, and it was small and dainty, and all golden.