Once upon a time in a faraway land there was a young boy named Jimin. When he was a child, his mother died. His father found a new wife who had two daughters the same age as Jimin.
But after Jimin's father died, the Stepmother was very cold and cruel to Jimin. The kind boy was forced to work as a servant in his own house.
Still, Jimin was always cheerful. Sure, that one day his dreams of happiness would come true, he started each day with a song.
Jimin was always busy cooking, cleaning, and serving his stepmother, Lady Tremaine, and his stepsisters, Drizella and Anastasia. One day while Jimin was doing his chores, he heard a knock at the door.
"Open in the name of King Namjoon," a man shouted. It was the King's messenger. He handed Jimin a letter.
The Stepmother was giving Anastasia and Drizella music lessons.
Jimin knocked at the door. "I warned you never to interrupt!" barked Lady Tremaine. Then Jimin showed her the letter. It was an invitation to a Royal Ball for Prince Hoseok!
"By royal command, every eligible youth and maiden is to attend," the Stepmother read.
"That means I can go!" Jimin cried happily.
"You!" Anastasia shrieked.
"I can see no reason why you can't go to the ball," the Stepmother said in a silky voice. "If you get all your work done…and if you can find something suitable to wear."
"Oh, I will," promised Jimin, hurrying away.
"Do you realize what you just said?" a horrified Drizella asked her mother.
But Lady Tremaine had a plan. "Of course. I said if," answered the evil woman.
"Ohhh…if," Drizella repeated. Anastasia giggled.
Jimin went up to his room in the attic and found an old suit in a trunk.
"It was my father's," he told his animal friends, as he twirled around.
"It's a little old-fashioned," admitted Jimin. "But I can fix that." He took out a book and found a picture of another suit. He had just started making plans when he hared a shrill cry. "Jimin!"
"My suit will just have to wait," he said patiently. "I'm coming," he called, as he headed down the stairs.
"Now let me see," Jimin's stepmother said, "there's the large carpet in the main hall, clean it! Oh yes, and the tapestries and the draperies-"
"But I just finished," Jimin said.
"Do them again!" ordered the cruel woman. The Stepmother planned to keep Jimin so busy that he would never have time to work on a suit for the ball.
The plan worked. Lady Tremaine and her two daughters kept Jimin so busy that the sweet boy didn't have a moment to work on his suit.
"Poor Jimine," a mouse named Yoongi said to his new friend Jungkook. "Work, work, work. He'll never get his suit done."
"Hey! We can do it!" exclaimed one of the mice. "We can fix the suit for Jimine."
All the animals thought it was a wonderful idea.
Yoongi and Jungkook scurried to find some new trimmings for the suit.
Anastasia and Drizella were throwing things away. "I wouldn't be caught dead in that sash," Anastasia said, while Drizella kicked aside her old choker.
So the two mice scooped up the discarded items.
Yoongi and Jungkook had to sneak past Lucifer the cat. It wasn't easy, but they did it!
The other mice were proud of Yoongi and Jungkook. All of the animals began to work on Jimin's suit.
The mice and the birds measured and cut and sewed.
They all sang as they worked. They couldn't wait to surprise their friend Jimine.
But would they finish in time?
Soon it was eight o' clock. "The carriage is here," Jimin told his stepmother.
"Why Jimin, you're not ready," said his stepmother, sounding surprised. "Aren't you going, child?"
"No, I'm not going." Jimin hadn't had a chance to work on his suit all day.
"There will be other balls," his stepmother told him smugly, knowing she had kept Jimin from going to this one.
Jimin told himself the ball would be frightfully dull, but in his heart, he knew it would be completely wonderful.
Slowly, Jimin walked up the stairs to his attic room. When he entered his room, he couldn't believe his eyes.
"Surprise! Surprise!" shouted the mice and birds.
"Happy birthday!" cried a confused Jungkook.
The mice and birds had finished his suit. He could now go to the ball!
"Oh, how can I ever-oh, thank you so much," the delighted boy cried.
Jimin dressed quickly and raced down the stars calling, "Wait! Please! Wait for me!"
Lady Tremaine was shocked. Now she would have to let Jimin go to the ball-or would she?
"That choker, it gives it just the right touch, don't you think so, Drizella?" the Stepmother observed.
Drizella saw that Jimin was wearing her old choker. "Thief!" Drizella cried.
Then Anastasia noticed her old sash around the waist of Jimin's suit.
The two girls tore at Jimin's suit. By the time they were finished, the suit was in rags and Jimin was in tears.
"Good night," the Stepmother said, as she left for the ball with her horrible daughters.
Jimin ran outside to the garden. His animal friends felt terrible, but there was nothing they could do to help their poor Jimine.
It seemed as if his dreams would never come true. "It's just no use. There's nothing left to believe in," Jimin sobbed.
"Nothing?" asked a voice. "Now you don't mean that. If you'd lost all your faith, I couldn't be here, and here I am."
It was Jimin's fairy godfather Taehyung, and he was going to help Jimin go to the ball.
With a wave of his wand and a few magic words…
…a pumpkin became an elegant coach…
…four mice were changed into four horses…
…a horse was turned into a coachman…
…and Ddosun the dog became the footman.
Taehyung was pleased. "Well, hop in, my dear, we can't waste time."
But Jimin wasn't quite ready. "Don't you think my suit," he began.
Taehyung looked at Jimin. "Goodness! You can't go to the ball in that!" he waved his wand one last time, and Jimin was wearing a beautiful silver suit.
Jimin loved his suit. "And look-glass shoes. Why, it's like a dream-a beautiful dream come true."
Then Taehyung told him that like all dreams, this one would end. The spell would be broken at midnight.
Jimin was very happy as he rode to the ball.
But at the castle, King Namjoon was not so happy. His son, Prince Hoseok, hadn't fallen in love yet.
The Grand Duke, Jin, told Namjoon that falling in love at the ball would be like a fairy tale-and it would never happen!
Just then Jimin arrived at the ball. When Hoseok saw him, he asked him to dance.
Namjoon and Jin were amazed as they watched the couple dance. It looked as if Hoseok was falling in love with Jimin!
Drizella and Anastasia were very jealous of the new boy. Their mother thought there was something familiar about him, though.
Jimin didn't notice them. He didn't know that the handsome man he was dancing with was Prince Hoseok. But he did know he was falling in love!
The couple went for a walk. They laughed and talked. Time seemed to fly by-and all too soon, Jimin noticed it was almost midnight!
"I have to go!" he apologized, and he hurried away.
Hoseok didn't even know his name. "Wait!" he called.
But Jimin couldn't wait. As he rushed down the steps of the castle, he lost one of his glass shoes. Still, he didn't stop.
Hoseok told Jin he would marry the youth whose foot fit the shoe. He was the boy of his dreams.
Meanwhile, Jimin was sitting by the side of the road. Everything had been changed back. But Jimin still had one glass shoe-and memories of a magical night.
It wasn't long before everyone knew Prince Hoseok was looking for his mystery youth. Grand Duke Jin was going from house to house to find him.
The news made Jimin happy-too happy for the Stepmother's liking.
So the Stepmother locked Jimin in his attic room.
"You can't keep me in here. Please," sobbed Jimin.
The Stepmother put the key in her pocket. Yoongi and Gus wanted to help. They took the key from the Stepmother.
The two brave mice worked hard to bring the key up to Jimin. But would they reach him in time?
By now Jin and a footman had arrived at Jimin's house.
Drizella tried on the shoe, despite the fact that it obviously belonged to a man. When it didn't fit (it was a very small size), she blamed the poor footman! "Get away from me!" she shouted.
The slipper didn't fit Anastasia, either. (It was a very small size, even though it was a man's).
"Are there any other lady's or gentlemen of the house?" Jin asked.
"There is no one else," replied Lady Tremaine.
Just then they heard Jimin calling, "Your Grace! Your Grace!" The mice had freed Jimin!
The jealous stepmother didn't want to let Jimin try on the show. So she tripped the footman, and the shoe broke!
Luckily, Jimin had the other shoe in his pocket. Jin was delighted.
And so was Hoseok. He had found the boy of his dreams. But no one was happier that Jimin. All of his dreams had come true.
Jimin and Hoseok lived happily ever after.
THE END