I don't own The Three Stooges or the Cinderella fairytale

This story was an inspiration after watching the movie 'Snow White and the Three Stooges.' I wished to experiment with a fairytale and thought, why not the Cinderella tale? This story will follow events from the fairy tale, some in a different manner than others such as being set in the 20th century and the 'Cinderella' character having a different name and a bit older.

Enjoy!

In a large modernist home lived a middle class elderly woman with her domestic servant. It was quite the complicated tale that this elderly woman had gotten herself with this servant. She once was a highly respected woman of society with a rich husband and beautiful daughters. Then, that respect was wrenched away from her due to her first husband's untimely death to tuberculosis and his assets going along with him. Then came a second marriage to another rich man into the picture but he carried a burden with him; a young daughter from his late wife who had died from pneumonia. It wasn't long until her second husband had also died and left that burden here with her but she had turned that into her advantage. When both of her daughters got older and went to school, this burden was here with her addressing to her needs and wants and tending to her, which was exactly what she wanted.

"LILY!" the elderly woman's shrill voice range out through the room as she wildly rang the bell in the air.

A woman with dark curls walked into a room. "Yes stepmother?" she asked her.

"Ah, ah, ah," the elderly woman held a finger in the air, "it's Madame Dalton." She refused to have this burden refer to her as a 'stepmother' and even her to refer to her as a 'stepdaughter.' "I hope you did not forget your place as the servant of this home, did you?" she asked as a raised a slim eyebrow at the young woman before her.

The woman named Lily took a deep breath and felt foolish for being out of line with her words. "My apologies Madame Dalton."

Madame Dalton's lips titled into a smirk. "Much better," she said as her green eyes bore into her servant, "I do require a list of duties that need to do done. My dear daughters are coming home for their break from school next week and I want this house to be in pristine condition."

The last time Lily remembered her stepsisters, if she were to call them that, coming over they had refused to eat the dinner that she made for them and everything that she had cleaned had turned into a mess. However, she knew where her place stood in the family and she was willing to do as she was told. What Lily considered to be pristine condition was to clean everything inside and outside the house from the roof to the miniature glass menageries that remained locked up in the cupboard. "Yes Madame Dalton," she nodded her head.

"And my daughters have specifically asked for their favorite dinners to be made," Madame Dalton continued. "Last time was a disappointment, don't let that happen again."

It took all of Lily's will to not roll her eyes at that comment. It wasn't easy being the kitchen all day cooking two entirely different meals and desserts because Madame Dalton's daughters had requested it. After the personal chef had quit that duty had fallen upon Lily and since she was doing such a 'great job' at it, Madame Dalton refused to get another chef. However, Lily knew what the motives were behind that. Madame Dalton was a rich woman from her father's money and she didn't want to waste a single cent paying other servants when she had one right at home for years. It would be easy to quit Lily thought but then where would she go? She had no other family and no other place to stay.

"I require my tea now," Madame Dalton broke her away from her thoughts as Lily turned on her heel and went ahead to make that tea.

Over in the kitchen, Lily turned on the stove and placed the teapot on top and awaited for the water to boil over. How tempting it was to put in salt instead of sugar or something even more malicious. However, Lily couldn't bare to do it. She would either risk her sanity and punishments in this house or jail time and she knew that was something that her father wouldn't have wanted. Twenty years had passed since his death and twenty years she had to endure this home, but she knew that she was stuck here. When Madame Dalton would be gone, she would be serving one of her stepsisters. She shuddered at the thought, for they were just as terrible as Madame Dalton, but this was her fate and she was just going to have to make the best of it.

When the teapot whistled, Lily poured the hot water onto a tea bag and let it seep from a couple of minutes before brining it over to Madame Dalton.

Without uttering a thank you, Madame Dalton took the tea and sipped it. "Just the right amount of sugar," she said to Lily, "I have composed a list for you to go to the market today. Make sure you buy the fresh produce and I mean the fresh ones. I don't want to find any rotten tomatoes to use in that pasta sauce."

It was all that the market had that day Lily wanted to say but why argue when there was no reasoning with this woman? "I will see what they have," she said to her.

"Don't try the Howards & Fine produce," Madame Dalton threw her arm in the air, "they have the worst produce. I can't imagine what farm they bring it from! Try the one from across the street."

"But they're produce is a bit expensive-" Lily was about to say but Madame Dalton quickly interrupted her.

"Hold your tongue girl!" she snapped at her, "do as your told! Now run along."

Lily clutched the grocery list in her grip and headed out the door. At least this would be a good excuse to get out of the house for a while. Putting on her outdoor shoes and a hat, she headed out the door and into the fresh afternoon air.