Stepmother laughed at Cinderella.
"You?" she said.
"It can't be your shoe.
You did not go to the balls."
The messenger looked at Cinderella.
She was dressed in rags but . . .
The messenger had orders from the prince.
Every lady must try on the shoe.
Cinderella took a deep breath.
Slowly she slid her foot into the glass shoe.
Her stepsisters gasped. "It fits?"
The messenger blinked.
"It's you!" he cried. "You are the princess!"
Stepmother stomped over to Cinderella.
"Impossible!" she snapped.
"You never left this house!"
Cinderella reached into her pocket.
She took out the other shoe and put it on.
Suddenly her fairy godmother appeared.
Godmother waved her wand. Poof!
Cinderella was the beautiful princess again.
Gert and Trudy each gave a curtsy.
"We are very sorry," they said.
Stepmother folded her arms. "Hmph!"
The messenger was smiling.
"You must come with me.
The prince will be so happy!"
Soon Cinderella was back at the palace.
Three days later she married the handsome prince.
Cinderella was really a princess now.
But she was still very kind.
So Cinderella invited her stepsisters to live with her.
She even invited Stepmother.
And they all lived happily ever after.