As always I awoke to the sound of my sisters gossiping and the chickens clucking just outside of the kitchen door. Then that dumb dog, Bruno, started whining in his sleep. By the time Cinderella walked in with Lucifer at her heels, Bruno had begun pawing at the ground.

Cinderella woke him up and asked if he was chasing Lucifer again. When he bobbed his head yes and yes to catching him, she scolded, "That's bad." She went on about needing a nice, warm bed when Lucifer scratched Bruno and then acted like he was the victim. I wish that Bruno really would catch Lucifer because that cat was a menace to us all. He acted as if he was king of the world. Cinderella did wisely when she got mad at him as well when setting his bowl of milk down. Huffily, she said, "Your Highness."

"Serves him right," whispered my sisters all around me and I completely agreed.

While "his highness" was drinking his breakfast I spied Jaq, the head of the filthy mice, popping of a hole in the wall. My sisters and I all grinned, we knew that this would be hilarious, either something would happen to the mice or Lucifer would get really mad. It was a win-win situation for those of us watching. We weren't disappointed, the mice were chased all over creation and Lucifer received a nice whack on the head from a broom.

By the time Cinderella came back to the kitchen, the new fat mouse cowered in a real cup. Thankfully, the members of the household wanted actual cups to hold their steaming hot tea.

After Cinderella slipped out the door to deliver the trays to her step family, we all settled down for a nap because of being rudely awakened by THAT dog.

Sometime later, Cinderella slid into the kitchen again and looked mad and sad which looked funny on her because she was always happy. From the muttering under her breath we gathered that something had happened between the new fat mouse and Lucifer. There was something about breaking china, scaring Anastasia, and more work that she had to do because of those two incidents.

She started to pour water into the washbowl and hurriedly dunked me under the surface. It felt horrible; ice cold and she quickly scrubbed all over my body and then toweled me down with a rough, holey towel.

Slowly, she regained herself and by the time she had the dishes done, she was filled to the brim with her usual Cinderellyness. Then she poured water into me and carried me upstairs, where I heard the noise we had all learned to dread. The step sisters are having a music lesson right then. It sounded like a dying bird and just plain screeching.

That must have been the torture that humans talk about because between her singing and the way I was handled during the lesson, there couldn't be anything worse in the whole world.

After I had endured far longer than anybody should have to and the sisters had started fighting, a knock came at the door. I think that if somebody had walked in announcing that they wanted to break me, I would have accepted it because nothing could have been worse than that. Instead Cinderella slipped into the room bearing a letter. It was a proclamation from the King himself. Oh, I wish I could serve there. To have royalty hold me, it would be so wonderful.

But no it's for every maiden in the kingdom and when people say something like that they mean human maiden. Just because humans have feet and hands and can walk around doesn't mean they should get to have all the fun. Us household items should be allowed to go to. Only shoes get to go to balls. I would give anything to become a shoe. Why didn't my creator make me a shoe instead of a wine glass? How very cruel of him.

Anyway, Cinderella stood up for herself and said that she could go to because of the whole every maiden thing. Evil step mother agreed, that if Cinderella could get all of her work done and find suitable clothes she could go. When Cinderella ran from the room all happily, the step mother grinned evilly at her daughters as soon as they started to complain about Cinderella going to the ball.

Drizella said all outraged, "Mother, do you realize what you just said?"

The step mother smiled, "Of course. I said, 'If'."

When that finally dawned in the girls' brains they smiles as they said, "oh, *IF*." Then they raced from the room to go start to get ready.

Eventually Cinderella came and fetched me. When she placed me on the washboard, I was pestered with questions. Apparently the news had already travelled around the house. What happened? Why did the King's messenger come here? Why's Cinderella so happy?

When they finally stopped talking long enough for me to talk I told them the whole story. They sighed at the word ball and were properly outraged at the step mother's laugh. But deep inside all of us, we knew that Cinderella wouldn't be able to go to the ball. They would have her working until they left; she would never have proper enough clothes to wear.

There was nothing to do, but wait. I'm not a very good waiter and watching Cinderella dancing in and out of the kitchen was too much. Then for reasons unknown to me, she placed us on a table in the hall, right next to the door that lead to the garden. We could watch the hustle and bustle of dance preparation or watch leaves swish in a calm wind. All throughout the house the one constant word that vibrated through the walls was, "CINDERELLA!"

Hours later, they were ready to leave, all three of them dressed in finery had started their duck waddle out the door. Quick as a flash, Cinderella came running down the stairs in a pretty pink dress. Anastasia and Drizella had looks of surprise mixed with outrage race across their face. Then the step mother said snootily, "My pretty beads, don't you thinks so, Drizella?"

Like the stuck pig she was, Drizella lifted her nose to the air and said, "no, I don't. . .," then realizing they were hers, she cried, "Those are mine." Anastasia also noticed a ribbon of hers. The two went to work and soon Cinderella's lovely dress was in tatters.