Cinderella

A gentleman's second wife brings two daughters to his household. After his death, the widow mistreats his only daughter from his first marriage, dressing her in rags and forcing her to labor as a servant in her own home. Yet the girl, called Cinderella for the cinders in which she sits, bears her suffering with meekness and patience. When the king proclaims a grand ball so his son might choose a bride, the stepmother forbids Cinderella to attend. But a fairy godmother, moved by Cinderella's gentle heart, appears and transforms her rags into a magnificent gown, her bare feet into glass slippers, and a pumpkin into a coach. At the ball, the prince is captivated by the mysterious maiden's grace and beauty. He dances with her all evening. As midnight approaches, Cinderella flees, losing one glass slipper on the palace steps. The prince, determined to find her, has the slipper brought throughout the kingdom. The stepmother's daughters attempt to force their feet into the shoe; it fits none but Cinderella. Revealed at last, Cinderella forgives her stepmother and stepsisters without a moment's hesitation. She marries the prince, not through ambition but through her fundamental meekness—her refusal to let cruelty corrupt her gentle spirit. Her stepmother and stepsisters, moved by her forgiveness, ask pardon, and she grants it freely. Cinderella becomes a just and beloved queen, ruling with the same gentleness that sustained her through hardship. Her meekness—her refusal to answer cruelty with cruelty—proved stronger than her stepmother's malice and elevated her to a throne.