One day there was great excitement in the house. A royal invitation had arrived. The king and queen of the land had decided to hold a ball, in the hope that they would find a perfect groom for their beautiful daughter. Cinder had never been to a ball before, but the Ugly Brothers soon put an end to his daydreams.
"Don't think that you're coming with us Cinder!" they snorted. "You're just a servant. Besides, your clothes are all dirty and ragged."
Cinder had scarely any time to feel sorry for himself. The Ugly Brothers forced him to work harder than ever in the weeks before the ball, making their new outfits. Cinder sewed and stitched, ironed and starched until his fingers raw and his eyes were red with tiredness. All the time, the Ugly Brothers quarelled with each other about which of them was the more handsome and which one of them the Princess would choose as her groom. At last is was the day of the ball. The Ugly Brothers gave Cinder no peace. He polishes their shoes, and helped them dress. When the carriage arrived to take them to the palace, they climbed in without so much as a thank you. Cinder watched them leave, then went inside and sat by the fire. He felt lonely and sad. "I wish I could go to the ball," he whispered, "And so you shall," said a voice. Cinder looked up. There, standing by the door, was a man dressed in a golden tuxedo and carrying a gold wand. "Who are you?" gasped Cinder. "I am your Fairy Godfather," came the reply. "And I'm here to make your wish come true. But I