Cinderella Junior Novelization Read online

  “Yes, Anastasia,” said Cinderella, leaving with another pile of clothes. She headed into her stepmother’s room with one last tray.

  “Good morning, Stepmother,” she said.

  “Pick up the laundry and get on with your duties,” said Lady Tremaine.

  “Yes, Stepmother,” replied Cinderella, leaving the room. In one hand she carried a large basket of Drizella’s clothes. In the other hand she carried a box of Anastasia’s clothes. And on her head she carried a bundle of Lady Tremaine’s laundry. She started down the stairs.

  Meanwhile, Lucifer had followed Cinderella to every room. He was still looking for Gus. Then it happened. It was exactly what Lucifer was waiting for…the mouse had been discovered!

  “Ahhhhhhh!” screamed Anastasia. Gus ran through her room and slipped under the door. Lucifer was waiting there to catch him.

  Cinderella ran back up the stairs. Anastasia charged out of her room. “You did it! You did it on purpose!” she yelled, waving her finger in Cinderella’s face. “Mother!” Anastasia ran into her mother’s room.

  Drizella came out to see what all the commotion was about. “Now what did you do?” she asked Cinderella. Then she followed her sister into their mother’s room.

  “She put it there…a big ugly mouse under my teacup,” Drizella told her mother. Cinderella was shocked when she heard. She looked accusingly down at Lucifer.

  “All right, Lucifer,” she said. “What did you do with him?”

  Lucifer shrugged and played dumb. But Cinderella wasn’t a fool. She picked Lucifer up by his neck. Gus lay curled in a ball underneath Lucifer’s foot.

  “Oh, poor little Gus,” she said. Gus took advantage of his freedom and scurried away into a hole in the wall.

  Just then, Lady Tremaine called for Cinderella. Cinderella walked to the room with Lucifer happily slinking around her feet. He knew Cinderella was going to get in big trouble. The stepsisters stood outside the door and looked at Cinderella with evil grins. They also knew she was going to pay for what had happened.

  Cinderella entered the room and closed the door behind her. The room was dark and cold, just like the woman who slept in it. Cinderella stood awaiting her fate as evil eyes glared at her.

  “Now, it seems we have time on our hands,” began Lady Tremaine. Cinderella tried to explain but was quickly shushed by her stepmother. “Time for vicious practical jokes,” Lady Tremaine continued. “Perhaps we could put that time to better use.”

  She began to give Cinderella a long list of additional chores. She even ordered Cinderella to give Lucifer a bath.

  Cinderella and Lucifer sighed. Neither of them was looking forward to that.

  Not too far away, the royal palace grounds seemed peaceful and calm. White doves flocked to a window ledge singing a sweet song. But they were quickly disrupted when a crown came crashing through the window!

  Inside the palace, things were not so peaceful and calm. Broken statues and vases were scattered across the dark hardwood floors. The King was mad, and he wasn’t holding back his anger. He was short and plump, with a long white mustache that curled up on the ends. He also had quite a temper. He was loud, demanding, and over-the-top, yet he was also a bit of a softy. He longed for the day when the sound of children’s laughter would fill the castle. He wanted grandchildren and he wanted them immediately. The only way for that to happen was for his son, the Prince, to find a bride and get married.

  “My son has been avoiding his responsibilities long enough!” he yelled, banging his fist on a long marble desk. “It’s high time he married and settled down!”

  “Of course, Your Majesty,” responded the Grand Duke, peering out from behind a large shield hanging on the wall. He was trying to avoid being hit by flying objects. He was the King’s most trusted advisor, and even though he supported the King in every way, he felt marriage was sacred and shouldn’t be forced upon anyone—not even the Prince. “But we must be patient!”

  “I am patient!” hollered the King. Quickly his demeanor changed. He sank into his big chair and became melancholy. “I’m not getting any younger, you know. I want to see my grandchildren before I turn over the kingdom to the Prince.”

  “I understand, sire,” the Duke replied quickly—and solicitously.

  The King walked the Duke around the enormous room. He pointed to the gigantic pictures on the walls. They were like a shrine to his beloved son. One picture was of the Prince as a happy baby, sitting on the King’s lap. Another was of the King giving a toddler Prince a piggyback ride. The third picture was of an older Prince riding his horse, with his father in the distance. The last picture was the biggest. It was a huge portrait of the Prince on his majestic white horse—but without his father. The Prince was grown now, and the King was proud of him—but he also missed the days when the Prince had still been his little boy.

  “I’m lonely in this desolate palace,” the King said, whimpering. “I want to hear the pitter-patter of little feet again.” He rested his head on the Grand Duke’s chest and sobbed.

  “Now, now, Your Majesty.” The Grand Duke began patting the King’s head. “Perhaps if we just left him alone…”

  “Left him alone!” the King bellowed.

  The Duke went flying behind a desk. From this safe position, he tried to explain that it was best not to interfere when it came to matters of the heart.

  But the King wouldn’t listen. The Prince would soon return from a long trip, and the King had an idea. “What could be more natural than a ball to celebrate his return?” asked the King. “And if all the eligible maidens in my kingdom just happen to be there, why, he is bound to show interest in one of them, isn’t he?”

  The Duke was scared, and quivered in his chair as he listened to the King rant. The King grabbed the Duke by his shirt and demanded an answer.

  “ISN’T HE?” he asked again. “Ye-ye-ye-yes, sire,” responded the Duke, trembling.

  Then the King smiled as he described the perfect ball. Romantic lighting and music would set the tone for a beautiful evening that was bound to make his son fall in love! He chuckled with delight. “It can’t possibly fail!” he declared. The Duke wanted to please the King. “Very well, sire, I will arrange the ball for—” “Tonight!” the King ordered. “Tonight?” repeated the Duke.

  “Tonight!” shouted the King in the Duke’s face. “And see that every eligible maid is there! Understand?”

  “Yes, Your Majesty,” said the Duke, defeated, as the King walked away.

  Back at the chateau, Drizella and Anastasia were in the middle of their music lesson. They wore fancy dresses and had giant bows in their hair. Though they were neat and primped, they were awkward and obnoxious. Drizella sang while Anastasia played the flute. Both girls were completely off-key. Lady Tremaine happily accompanied her tone-deaf daughters on a large black grand piano.

  All through the lesson, the girls tried to outdo each other. With every note, Drizella sang louder and more off-key as Anastasia blew harder into her flute.

  Lucifer sat on a velvet bench in the same room. He was so pained by the horrific noise that he covered his ears with his paws. Still miserable, he tried hiding under a big, fluffy red pillow. Finally, he couldn’t take the noise any longer. He jumped off the bench and ran out, slamming the door behind him. He shook his head and tried to recover. Then he walked toward the stairs and heard someone singing the same song the sisters were singing…but who could it be?

  It was Cinderella—and her voice was beautiful. She was at the bottom of the staircase scrubbing the black-and-green marble floors in the grand entrance. She dipped her rag into a bubble-filled washbasin. A giant bubble rose and landed on her finger. She looked at her reflection in the bubble, fluffed her hair, and continued to sing sweetly as she scrubbed the entire floor.

  Instead of enjoying the sound of Cinderella’s lovely voice, Lucifer saw an opportunity to wreak havoc. He spotted a huge pile of dirt in a dustpan. He then glared at Cinderella.

  After stepping in the pile of dirt, Lucifer paraded around on Cinderella’s sparkling clean floor. Then he resumed his position on the stairs.

  The cat smugly looked up at Cinderella.

  Cinderella caught his eye. She saw him surrounded by dirty paw prints.

  “Oh, Lucifer!” she cried. Then she turned around and saw the filthy floor—the floor she had just scrubbed on her hands and knees. It was covered with paw prints. “You mean old thing!” she yelled. She went after him with her broom. “I’m just going to have to teach you a lesson—”

  Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

  “Open in the name of the King!” shouted a man from outside.

  Jaq and Gus curiously peeked out of a mouse hole as Cinderella opened the door.

  “An urgent message from His Imperial Majesty,” said the messenger, handing Cinderella a letter. She thanked him, curtsied politely, and shut the door. The mice ran toward her for a closer look.

  “Uh, what’s it say?” asked Gus.

  “I don’t know,” replied Cinderella. She examined the letter, then looked upstairs as the music started again. “He says it’s urgent.”

  Cinderella and the mice winced as they heard Anastasia and Drizella hit an exceptionally bad note. “Maybe I should interrupt the…‘music lesson’?” she said, giggling. The mice giggled, too, and watched Cinderella head up the stairs.

  Meanwhile, Drizella continued to get every note wrong. Anastasia played her flute and got her finger stuck in one of the holes. She tried to wiggle it out while still playing and ended up hitting Drizella under her chin. Drizella was furious. She grabbed the flute and hit Anastasia over the head with it. Anastasia hit her back, and a fight ensued.

  “Girls, girls!” Lady Tremaine admonished. She stopped playing the piano and waved a finger at her daughters. “Remember, above all…self-control.”

  Cinderella knocked on the door and entered the grand room. Lady Tremaine was furious. She stood up from her piano bench. Her dress was formal and she was wearing a big green brooch, but her evil eyes were her most noticeable accessory.

  “Cinderella, I warned you never to interrupt our—” she began testily. “But this just arrived from the palace,” interjected Cinderella, holding up the letter.

  “From the palace?” screamed the stepsisters. They ran to Cinderella, snatched the envelope from her hand, and ripped it open. But Lady Tremaine calmly took it from them. Her eyes lit up as she began to read the letter out loud. There was going to be a ball in honor of the Prince, and every eligible maiden in the kingdom was required to attend.

  “A ball!” cheered the stepsisters. They squirmed with excitement and batted their eyelashes.

  Cinderella was equally excited. “Why, that means I can go, too!” she exclaimed. Anastasia and Drizella laughed. There they stood in their fine gowns while Cinderella wore dirty and tattered clothes, holding a broom in her hand. They mocked Cinderella for her ridiculous idea, but Cinderella held her head high. She stood proudly and walked deeper into the room to confront the ladies.

  “I’m still a member of the family,” she said, trying to assert herself.

  Gus and Jaq had been watching through a mouse hole the whole time. They were proud of Cinderella for standing up for herself.

  Lady Tremaine hadn’t been expecting her stepdaughter’s bold statement. The wheels in her scheming brain turned as she thought of a response. She had a plan.

  “Well, I see no reason why you can’t go…,” began Lady Tremaine. The stepsisters were shocked. “If you get all your work done.”

  “Oh, I will…I promise!” said Cinderella joyously.

  “And if you can find something suitable to wear,” finished Lady Tremaine.

  “I’m sure I can!” replied Cinderella. “Oh, thank you, Stepmother!” She ran out of the room, closing the door behind her. Gus and Jaq followed.

  Drizella and Anastasia rushed to their mother. They were angry and confused. Why on earth would she let Cinderella go to the ball?

  “Mother, do you realize what you just said?” asked Drizella.

  “Of course,” said Lady Tremaine with a sinister smile. “I said if.”

  “Oh!” replied Drizella, nodding. “IF!”

  Lady Tremaine, Anastasia, and Drizella all cackled. They were about to make Cinderella’s life more miserable than ever.

  Cinderella could hardly contain herself. She rushed back to her room in search of something to wear to the ball. She opened a big old trunk. The trunk was dusty, but the items in it were dear to her. She pulled out a pink-and-white dress. It had puffy pink sleeves with white ruffled edges. The bottom of the dress was white, with more ruffled edges. Cinderella twirled around the room holding it up to her chest. Four girl mice sat on the top of the trunk watching her spin as two little birds flapped their wings with joy.

  “Isn’t it lovely?” Cinderella asked her friends. “It was my mother’s.”

  “It’s old!” said Suzy the mouse.

  With the help of the two birds, Cinderella lifted the dress onto a dressmaker’s dummy she had in her room. “Well, maybe it is a little old-fashioned, but I’ll fix that,” she replied. She fluffed the dress as Gus and Jaq entered the room. A sewing book was in her workbasket. Cinderella kneeled down and flipped through the pages. She was determined to find something in there for inspiration. The mice and birds surrounded her, brimming with anticipation.

  “Uh-huh, this one!” she said, leaning the open book up against the trunk. The mice came in for a closer look and agreed that the dress she had chosen was lovely. Cinderella examined the dress in the book. She would have to shorten the sleeves of her mother’s dress, add a sash and a ruffle, and get something for the collar. It would take time, but it was doable—and the final product would be a beautiful and elegant dress, perfect for a royal ball.

  Cinderella’s dressmaking plans were quickly cut short.

  “Cinderella!” yelled one stepsister.

  “Oh, now what do they want?” said Cinderella, frustrated.

  “Cinderella!” called the other stepsister and Lady Tremaine.

  Over and over, they called her name.

  Poor Cinderella stood up and walked over to her dress on the dummy. “Oh, well, guess my dress will just have to wait,” she said sadly. All three voices called for Cinderella again and again. “All right, all right, I’m coming!” she replied. With a heavy heart, she left her room.

  Jaq and Gus followed her to the door.

  “Poor Cinderelly,” said Jaq. He hated that her stepmother and stepsisters kept her so busy. He looked up at her dress and knew she would never have time to fix it before the ball. All the mice realized this, and they shook their heads in disappointment.

  Suzy looked at the dress and then the sewing book. She had an idea. “We can do it!” she said. The mice jumped for joy. They could fix the dress—it was a great idea! Birds flew into the room and offered their help as well. They all quickly got to work. They grabbed spools of thread, scissors, a needle, and a tape measure.

  While the birds and the other mice started on the dress, Jaq and Gus set out to find some special trimmings. They ran through the walls of the chateau, sliding down wooden planks and swinging across spiderwebs. They popped their heads through a wall where they heard lots of activity. Anastasia and Drizella were throwing clothes at Cinderella. They ordered her to mend, iron, and sew everything in the pile. The pile was so big Cinderella could hardly hold it.

  Lady Tremaine entered with her own demands. “When you’re through and before you begin your regular chores,” she began, “I have a few little things.”

  “Very well,” replied Cinderella obediently. She left the room with the huge pile of clothes.

  Lady Tremaine’s wicked plan had been set in motion. She knew there was no way Cinderella could fulfill all their demands and still have time to find something to wear.

  Meanwhile, Anastasia and Drizella were still yelling and screaming. The spoiled girls complained that their clothes and accessories were just not good enough.

  “This sash—well, I wouldn’t be seen dead in it!” Anastasia yelled, throwing a gorgeous pink sash to the ground.

  “These beads…I’m sick of looking at them. TRASH!” declared Drizella, throwing a lovely blue beaded necklace on the floor.

  They huffed and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind them.

  Jaq and Gus were thrilled! The sash and necklace would make Cinderella’s dress perfect. The trimmings they were looking for were only a few steps away. But those steps would not be easy. Lucifer was asleep right in their path. They tiptoed under the footstool holding the snoozing cat. They grabbed the long pink sash and ran back under the footstool, but Lucifer woke up. Luckily, the mice were too quick, and they pulled the long sash down into the mouse hole, infuriating the cat. Gus and Jaq popped through another hole. This time they had their eyes on the necklace. But Lucifer ran over and sat on it.

  Jaq whispered into Gus’s ear and they cooked up one of their sneaky plans. Jaq jumped out of the mouse hole and tiptoed across the floor. He sneaked past Lucifer and walked right into a pile of the stepsisters’ clothes. He hummed a tune and plucked buttons off a shirt, trying to get Lucifer’s attention. His plan was to distract Lucifer so Gus could grab the beads.

  Lucifer was about to pounce on Jaq. Then he realized that he was no longer sitting on the beads—and Gus was headed straight for them! The sly cat ran back to the beads and sat right on top of them again. This time he slid his body toward Jaq, dragging the necklace along with him. But Jaq continued to tease the cat. Finally, Lucifer couldn’t resist the chase any longer, and he jumped into the pile of clothes after Jaq.

  Gus grabbed the beads, but he was not very light on his feet. He ran into the wall. The necklace broke and the beads scattered. Lucifer stopped chasing Jaq and turned his attention to Gus. Luckily, Lucifer got stuck in the sleeve of one of the dresses. The tight squeeze slowed the cat down and enabled Jaq to help Gus gather all the beads one by one and escape through the mouse hole.