Once upon a time, there lived a young maiden named Lucinda. Lucinda's family was very rich, and she lived the life of the spoiled. She was her father's favorite, and her older sister, Florinda, was her mother's favorite.
The day of Lucinda's thirteenth birthday was destined to be great. Her father was hosting a ball for her, and she was positive that it would be a grand event. She felt just like a princess as she put on her gown. She had never seen a dress so beautiful in all of her life!
Lucinda couldn't believe her eyes when she entered the ballroom. It seemed that everyone in the kingdom was in attendance. The festivities officially began when her father presented her to the attendees. She danced with only the most handsome young lads as the most amazing orchestra in the area played in the background. Ignoring the jealous glances of her sister, Lucinda bathed in the spotlight; she was an excellent hostess.
After the last of the guests had departed, Lucinda returned to her room unaware of the fact that things were about to take a turn for the worst. She woke up the next morning to discover that her father had become very ill overnight. Florinda blamed Lucinda, saying that their father would be fine if she hadn't have caused so much stress for him with the party. Their father fought for his life over the next two days, and Lucinda refused to leave his side. She ran to her mother at once when he died, and she wouldn't see or talk to anyone for weeks afterwards.
Just as things finally seemed to return to normal, Lucinda's mother announced that she was engaged to a rich man, and that they would be married in two weeks' time. The day of the wedding came and went. Lucinda's family moved in with her new step-father and his young daughter, Cinderella. Florinda and Lucinda were distraught at the fact that Cinderella was prettier than they were, and they hated her from the moment they met her. Jealous of all the attention that Cinderella received from their peers, the sisters lamented to their mother that Cinderella was too pompous for her own good. In response to their complaints, their mother told Cinderella that she was to work in the kitchen and earn her keep. Since her father was away most of the time, Cinderella had no choice but to obey her step-mother. Even though she wore the clothing of a peasant, Cinderella was still more popular than her step-sisters, and it was obvious that the teachers doted on her. This enraged her step-sisters, who couldn't stand to have anyone in the spotlight but them.
Lucinda was overjoyed the day that Florinda and Cinderella graduated. She hoped that she would finally be in the spotlight; and knew that her last two years of school would be the best years of her life since she wouldn't be in the shadows of her older sister and step-sister. She was sadly mistaken, however, for Cinderella was still remembered well by the remaining students. She took delight in the idolization of younger students, but hated when older students and teachers would compare her to Cinderella. Among the many comments that Lucinda received on a daily basis were "Why couldn't you be more like your step-sister?" and "Cinderella wouldn't have done that!", and this angered Lucinda to no end. She was more than happy to finish school and try to become more of her own person.
A three-day festival was announced for all of the girls in the kingdom. It was rumored that the prince was in search of a bride, and Lucinda hoped more than anything that she would be his choice. It was obvious to Lucinda that her mother put more time, money, and effort into Florinda's attire for the event than she did for Lucinda. Even so, Lucinda's dress was absolutely stunning. Lucinda was sure the prince would choose her. Florinda discovered Cinderella working on a gown of her own late one night, and her displeasure in this fact quickly spread to Lucinda. The sisters were distraught at the thought of the beautiful Cinderella stealing their spotlight. When Cinderella presented herself to her step-mother and step-sisters, Florinda and Lucinda noticed that she had used several of their unwanted things. They promptly tore her attire apart, elucidating to their mother that she had stolen their possesions. Furious with her step-daughter, their mother assigned her a series of tasks, assuring that she would never make it to the night's festivities.
Florinda was among the first to dance with the prince. Even though she was jealous of her sister, Lucinda was content to dance with other handsome young gentlemen. When her time came to share a waltz with the prince, she went happily, savoring every minute. She hadn't felt so much like a princess since the night of her thirteenth birthday. How she wished that her father could have been there to see his little girl dancing with the prince.
No one could figure out who the gorgeous young maiden that the prince spent most of the evening with was. The next night, he danced with no one but her, much to the disapproval of the rest of the girls in attendance. In addition to his refusal to dance with any other girl, the prince would let no other man dance with her. Worried that she would run away as she had the past two nights, the prince had the back stariway leading from the castle covered with pitch on the evening of the third and final ball. Again, she fled, and when he retreated to catch her, all he found was one of her golden slippers.
The next day, the sisters argued over which of them the prince liked more. Lucinda noticed that Cinderella seemed happier than usual; she even whistled as she went about her chores! Startled by a loud knock on the door, Lucinda glanced outside and saw that the prince and his father were at her house. Her mother and Florinda ran upstairs to make sure that Florinda looked her best. Lucinda opened the door and greeted the men as her mother returned to the room, assured that Florinda looked wonderful. They presented a golden slipper, declaring that the foot that fit into it would be the foot of the prince's new bride. The sisters took delight in this, for they felt that they had pretty feet.
Florinda and her mother went to Florinda's room to see if the slipper would fit, and Florinda cried out in agony when she found that it was too small. Her mother handed her a knife and told her that she was to cut off her big toe, for it was the only part of her foot that wouldn't fit. She declared that a princess would have no need to walk, for the prince would assign men to carry her. Florinda swallowed the pain and obeyed, but when she went out with the prince, he discovered the blood in the shoe, and returned to the house so that Lucinda could try on the slipper.
Lucinda went with her mother to put on the slipper, and she couldn't believe that it didn't fit. Her heel hung out of the back of the slipper! Taking the knife from her mother, Lucinda was horrified when her mother told her to cut her heel off. Her mother told her that she would have no need for walking when she was a princess, and she finally obeyed. She went with the prince, but he saw the blood trickeling from the shoe, and once again returned.
He asked if there were any other ladies in the house. The reply he received was that the only other maiden in the house was a kitchen slave, and that she wasn't at the festival. The prince wasn't convinced, and soon he was in the kitchen asking Cinderella to see if the slipper fit. It fit like a glove, and soon the prince and Cinderella were riding off to the castle to be married. Florinda and Lucinda followed closely behind, hoping that they could gain the favor of Cinderella and live the rest of their lives in the castle. As Cinderella stood up with the prince to say their vows, birds flew down and pecked out the eyes of her two step-sisters. Lucinda and Florinda stumbled away, bumping into many of the wedding guests as they went. Their mother took them back, and she took care of them for the rest of her life. Sadly, they did not live happily ever after.