At the king’s ball, the prince was very bored.  

He felt like he had danced with every young lady in the kingdom. All of the ladies were wearing beautiful dresses, but none of the ladies were interesting. None of them understood his jokes.

The prince had just finished dancing with one of Cinderella's stepsisters when the room suddenly fell silent.

Everybody turned to look as the most beautiful girl walked through the door.

She had long red hair and kind green eyes. Her dress was silver. Her shoes sparkled, like they were made of glass.

It was Cinderella, but nobody recognised her. Not even her stepmother and stepsisters!

The prince's mouth dropped open. He had never seen a woman as beautiful as Cinderella.

He asked her to dance. They danced together all evening. The prince thought Cinderella was beautiful, but also kind, clever and funny. She laughed at his jokes, and he laughed at hers.

Cinderella was having such a wonderful time that she didn't notice that it was so late. The clock began to chime midnight.

Dong… dong… dong…

"Oh no! I have to leave!" gasped Cinderella, and she ran out of the ballroom.

"Don't go! I don't even know your name!" shouted the prince. But Cinderella was already gone.

Cinderella fled from the palace so fast that she lost one of her glass shoes on the stairs.

When she got to the bottom of the stairs — DONG! — The clock finished chiming midnight.

Cinderella's beautiful dress turned back into rags, and her golden carriage turned back into a pumpkin.

"Drat," said Cinderella.

Just then, she saw the prince running towards her, holding the glass shoe she had dropped.

She did not want him to see her dressed in her dirty old rags. She felt ashamed, but there was nowhere to hide!

"Excuse me, miss," he said, panting. "Did you see where that beautiful girl went? This is her shoe! I must find her!"

The prince didn’t recognise Cinderella without her beautiful clothes!

Cinderella shook her head. The prince ran off to continue his search. Cinderella walked all the way home.