Adal: “Oh Lordy, girls, my life is
just too crazy
right now!”
Anne Laure: “Aw, really? What all is going on?
Didn’t you
just graduate?”
Adal: “Yes! I just graduated with my masters from
Bis Bald
University in Germany with a degree in Human Relations.”
Kim: “Congratulations, girl! I am proud of you!
You have
worked hard for that degree.”
Anna Laure: “That's awesome, Adal! What are your
plans
now?”
Adal: “Thank you girls, y’all are too sweet!
Anyways, I
start my new job working at a marketing company in two weeks. So, I
just
put in my two weeks notice today here at the airlines. I am so sad to
leave
you girls, but I am excited for my new job. I definitely think it is
time to
move on.”
Kim: “Adal, we will definitely miss you and your
crazy
personality, but moving on is for the best sometimes. You'll be great
at your
new job.”
Anne Laure: “Yes! You've been working for the
airlines for
way too long. It's time for you to end this chapter of your life and
start the
new one. Girl, you know I am nosey so the big question is: do you have
a new man in
your life
too?”
Adal: “Oh Anne Laure, you never cease to make me
laugh. The
answer to your question though is yes! I met him at the interview for
my new job. We instantly clicked and have been together ever
since. His
name is Justin and you girls would love him.”
(Adal is smiling from ear to ear with happiness.)
Anna Laure: “Aw, how cute! Well, yes, we have to meet
him. Your best friends have to approve!”
Kim: “That is definitely right! I am glad
everything is
working out for you right now! Anyways, enough of all
this
small talk; let’s get back to our stories. Adal, it is your turn! Tell
us about
your Cinderella story from Germany.”
Adal: “Oh Lordy, I hope I can remember it. I haven't heard this story
since I was five.”
Adal: “Once upon a time, there was a lovely girl
named
Cinderella who was very close with her sick mother. On her final day,
Cinderella’s mother called her to her bed side and said, “Dear child,
if
you
remain pious and good, and then our dear God will always protect you,
and I
will look down on you from heaven and be near you." Having said
this, Cinderella’s
mother closed her eyes and passed away. Cinderella was devastated, but
it was
not long until her father remarried and she soon had two stepsisters.
The
stepsisters were very pretty with fair faces, but their hearts were
dark and
cold. They always bullied Cinderella and even took her beautiful
clothes away
from her and gave her a dirty old dress and wooden shoes.
However, each
day
Cinderella would do the chores and try her best to escape from the
household. She
would go out to her mother’s grave and cry and cry. She remained pious
and good
and knew her mother was watching over her, but she was just so unhappy.
Just a
poor little girl! I always felt so sorry for Cinderella! Anyways, back
to the
story! One day, the stepsisters and Cinderella heard talk of the king’s
festival for his son to choose a bride. Every young girl in the land
was
invited, so the stepsisters were in a rush getting all dolled up for
the
festival. However, Cinderella’s stepmother told her she could not go,
even
though she cleaned the entire chimney like her stepmother told her to.
What a
tricky woman! Finally, the stepsisters left for the festival and
Cinderella
went out to her mother’s grave and wept. She cried out, “Shake
and
quiver, little tree, throw gold and silver down to me.” And what do you
know,
all of a sudden a little bird threw down a gold and silver dress and
beautiful, golden
slippers to Cinderella. She quickly put on the dress and made her
way to
the festival. The prince and Cinderella danced all night long and to
her
amazement her stepsisters never recognized her. She instantly fell in
love with
the prince and wanted to be with him all night but when he asked to
escort her
home she became nervous and scared and jumped out the window and landed
in the pigeon coop out in the yard of the palace to
escape the
festival and ran back home. The king held a party every night for three
nights in a row, and the same pattern of events unfolded every time.
The
little
bird would give Cinderella a magnificent dress, she would go to the
festival,
dance with the prince, and then run away before he could figure out who
she
was. However, on the last night the prince set a trap for Cinderella.
He had
the entire stairway smeared with honey and when she ran down the
stairs, her
left golden slipper got stuck. The next morning the prince came to
Cinderella’s house
looking for a foot that fit the slipper.
Her evil stepsisters
tried
the
golden slipper on, but their feet were much too big. Lastly, Cinderella
tried
the slipper on and it fit her perfectly. The prince had finally
found his
wife and
they soon hosted a wedding. There you go, girls! That is my story! It
is
similar
to Anne Laure’s, but there are a couple of details that are different.”
Anne Laure: “Oh the memories of childhood that these
stories
have brought back! We have to do this more often. However, for now,
this lunch
has got to come to a close. It was so great seeing you girls, but I
have to go
look at some nursery furniture!”
Adal: “Okay then! It was so good to see you
two!
Hopefully, you will both be receiving wedding invites in the mail
soon!”
Kim: “Can’t wait! Bye!
Author's Note:Like my first story, I kept this
story similar to the original. In this story, I talked more about
Cinderella's mother's death, because her mother's grave was a place she
could escape and get away from her evil stepsisters and stepmother.
There were a couple of details I changed, however. In the original
story, there are three nights that Cinderella goes to the festival. To
cut down on length, I only included one night of detail at the festival
and just barely touched on the third night. I also left out the pigeons
as characters. In the original story, the pigeons sing out to the
prince when he has picked the evil stepsisters for his bride. The
pigeons also helped Cinderella pick the "lentils out of the ashes." I
also left this minor detail out. Instead of picking lentils out of the
ashes, I just said that Cinderella's stepmother ordered her to clean
the chimney. In return, my second story is very similar to the
first; however there are several major details that make the German
version different from the French version. For instance, instead of
Cinderella
losing her shoe by accident, in this story, it was
intentional because the prince put honey on the stairs to catch her.
Another major difference is that in the French version Cinderella's
mother was never mentioned. In the German version, there is not a fairy
godmother, instead the magic comes from Cinderella's mother's grave.
Bibliography
Information: "Cinderella," from Aschenputtel, Kinder-und
Hausmarchen (Children's and Household Tales-Grimms' Fairy Tales), by
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm (1857). Web Address: German Version.
Image
Information: Image of Graduation. Web Source: Stock. Image Information: Image of
Cleaning. Web Source: Storybook.
Image Information: Image of
Stepsisters. Web Source: Entertainment.
