We all know and love
the story of Cinderella. But Sadly it wasn’t really what really
happened. I mean the version was written by some person who heard it
told so many different ways that he probably decided to come up with
his own. But let’s not lead you astray from the real story of a
young girl named Ella. So get all settled and comfortable because
this story is anything but comfortable.
Ella, Unsure of her
last name was dearly loved by her parents. Her mom was well known in
the small town they lived in. She was kind, fair and of course
beautiful. Ella was her prize and joy, for she was 3 times her mom’s
beauty so her mom always wanted to show her off. But she would always
remind Ella that “Beauty has nothing to do with looks, it has
everything to do with who you are as a person and how you make others
feel about themselves.” She hoped that teaching Ella to be kind to
others and helping others and not worrying only about herself, she
would be make the world a better place. Everyone loved Brielle for
she possessed everything a good queen possessed and more though she
was the wife of an apothecary. She also was an amazing
seamstress/dressmaker. The royal family would often order new attire
from her as no one’s gowns were as exquisitely beautifully made as
hers. Ella loved watching her mom create gowns. When she turned 6 her
mom started teaching her the basic hemming and stitching. By the time
she was 10 Ella made her first gown for her doll Agatha who was her
most treasured doll. She lived such a happy carefree life. Her
parents adored her as well as the villagers. It seemed like nothing
could ruin her happiness or steal her joy.
But her happiness
was short lived. On her 12th birthday her mother heard of a family
who didn’t have much as they had just moved and their father had
just died a few months prior to their move. So she loaded a basket
full of goodies and took it to the family. She never returned. No one
knew what happened and when Ella and her father discovered her
disappearance they went to the family. But the family was gone. No
sign of any family living there. The search for Brielle went on for
weeks until they gave up and assumed she was truly gone. Ella saw the
joy in her father’s eyes disappear but he never let his love for
her disappear.
A month before her
13h birthday her father traveled two towns over on a
business matter as he had sold his store and took up merchant trips
to avoid being home in the house he built and lived with Brielle. He
left her in the care of the new store owner who used to be an
apprentice under him. He was gone for a month and when he came back
he was not alone. He had married a widow who was strikingly beautiful
but jealousy and hatred took over creating an evil stepmother. Her
daughters Carissa and Evian weren’t ugly or stupid they just allow
what their mom say about them affect them negatively and therefore
created something in them that wasn’t them but they believed it was
them.
Ella as much as she
had a father and loved him dearly his trips became longer and longer
where he was gone for months on end leaving her to be poorly treated
by her new step family. Before he was off on his travels he would ask
each girl what they wanted him to bring back. Her step sisters would
always ask for clothing of the latest fashion or jewelry while Ella
always said the first thing that reminded her father of his daughter.
He left for 4 months and when the 4 months were over and he was due
home Ella would sit by the window in the sitting room looking out for
the first glance of her father. But a day went by and he never
returned, a week, two weeks and there was no sign of her father. Word
came to them that his ship was attacked by pirates who never left any
prisoners alive. She wept for her father for many weeks on end.
Because her father
had been providing them with a daily income from his travel and her
stepmother had no talents to support them they soon became lacking in
money. When she noticed how skilled Ella became in sewing she forced
Ella to make her and her daughters dresses which they would parade
through town. People would notice and ask about the dresses. To which
they created would force her to create dresses to support them. On
top of that they forced her to clean their messes and cook for them.
As badly as she was
treated Ella remembered her mother’s words “Beauty has nothing to
do with looks, it has everything to do with who you are as a person
and how you make others feel about themselves. Kill them with
kindness and in return you’ll feel unspeakable joy arising.” As
much as that didn’t make sense at the time, she knew her mother was
trying to tell her that always be kind to others for in doing so
you’ll always find joy. She found joy in creating her dresses they
made her feel close to her mother. They used to spend hours sitting,
sewing and talking. She dearly missed that but felt comforted by
creating dresses.
George was a spoiled
Prince who had everything handed to him. As he grew older he got
tired of the spoiling and the pampering as they never let him do what
he really wanted to do. They kept him indoors or in the garden. He
was never allowed to go into the village and mingle with the
villagers until he was prepping to take over the throne. By then he
was allowed to go once a month and he had to have soldiers protecting
him at all times during the village visits. One day he couldn’t
stand it no more and he snuck out while everyone in the castle was
asleep. He wondered past the village into the woods to just breathe
and collect his thoughts. This became a routine of his.
Ella was just yelled
at and slapped for being late for prepping the evening meal because
she was dilly dallying on her chores. She tried holding back the
tears. When they had eaten and had gone to bed she ran out of the
house away from the village finding herself in the woods. Where there
she wept like she had never wept before. She couldn’t take it any
longer, life was so difficult, no matter how hard she tried nothing
was perfect in her stepmother’s eyes. She missed her mother, missed
her dad, her friends everything that once was perfect and happy.
George heard a
sound...it sounded like crying...But no one was ever in the woods at
this time of night. Curiosity got ahold of him and he found himself
falling the sound to where it lead him to a girl sitting on a log
crying. He hated tears, his little sisters were always in tears being
reprimanded by their father being told that tears made them feel
week. But seeing as she was weeping and beautiful he would admit, he
was moved by her tears. He walked up to her and asked if she was
alright.
Ella through her
tears couldn’t believe how stupid this random stranger was by
asking if she was alright when she was certain he heard her crying.
She wiped her tears with hem of her skirt and told him she was
alright and cringed when she lied, there was rarely a time she lied
to someone less a stranger. It made her start crying and an hour
later she realized that she had told a complete stranger her entire
life story. It must have been an emotional night for him as well for
he told her how awful it was being pampered and not allowed having
real friends or going anywhere. How he wished sometimes he wasn’t a
prince. Ella was shocked to find out she was talking to the prince,
the prince her stepsisters mentioned always wanting to me and one day
marry. The same prince her stepmom had been prepping her daughters to
impressed in hopes that he might love (though she knew nothing of
love) and marry her instead of a princess, duchess or a lady of the
royal court.
As George was
listening he realized how lucky he had it to live in a castle and be
waited on hands and feet. For this poor girl lost both of her parents
and was being treated as a slave in her own home. It then got him an
idea, it was getting close to his birthday and he thought it was a
wonderful idea to invite the entire kingdom to attend his
celebration. He was about to express his birthday idea when he
noticed she was gone, without a goodbye.
Ella noticed it was
getting light and knew she couldn’t be late to start on her chores,
if she was behind on chores she would be late in waking up her step
family and knew her stepmother didn’t like to be awoken late. The
rest of the day went on as usually. Being yelled constantly for
little mistakes or things that didn’t met her stepmother’s
approval. The next day when she went to get the mail she saw an
invitation from the palace. She gave the invitation to her stepmother
and stayed in the room while she opened knowing she might get in
trouble but wanted to hear what it was about. The prince was having a
birthday celebration in honor of him turning 18 and everyone was
required to take a day off work and attend. Ella knew that she was
going to have extra work making new gowns and suits for the ball that
even if she wanted to take the day off to attend it was quite
impossible. Her stepmother was thinking the same thing except of
easing her burden added to it.
On the day of the
celebration Ella was too exhausted to want to attend. She had sewn 34
dresses, 23 suits 46 skirts and practically redid her step family’s
wardrobe. She was happy that she didn’t have to do any chores the
day of the celebration but knew if they didn’t get done today her
stepmother would find someway to add more chores tomorrow. So she did
her chores and extra. She watched her step family ride off in the
carriage the palace provided for them before heading to bed.
She awoken the next
morning to screams in the house followed by her name being yelled.
She got up and found her step sisters standing on top of the table
and her step mother sweeping at something? She saw something furry
skitter past them and towards her. It was a mouse, their cat was
nowhere to be found. She decided she was going to let them deal with
that and got breakfast ready knowing they never were mad when
stuffing their face. Her stepsister at breakfast talked about the
prince’s birthday and how the prince disappeared the entire evening
but they danced with 2 dukes so they barely noticed his
disappearance.
three
year later
She
went out to get the mail and once again there was an invitation from
the palace. Inviting all eligible lady to a ball in the prince’s
honor, there had been 8 balls, celebration in the prince’s honor
all of which he was always missing. But this one was different. This
one the prince was to find a wife for he was to be crown king 3
months later. Ella had never attended any of the balls as she was too
exhausted from sewing new dresses and suits for them all.
As she
watched her step family get in the carriages to leave she felt really
sad. Sad enough that tears were running down her face. She ran into
the woods to the place where she had first met the prince and cried.
Cried so much she didn’t see her fairy godmother appear but got
startled by her instead. When she asked what was matter she told her
how she wish she could go to the ball but she hadn’t had time or
energy to make herself a dress. Her fairy godmother told her that she
was here to make her dreams come true. First had her gather the
biggest berry she could find and turned it into the most beautiful
coach Ella had ever seen. After Ella gathered field mice, deer,
porcupine and watched them all transform into a coachmen driver and
footman. Then her stepmother gave her a cup and told her to drink it.
It gave her the energy she needed to dance. She then transformed
Ella’s outfit to a dress that made the queen jealous of. And with a
pat on her head and telling her not to stay past midnight for when it
strikes 12 everything would be just as it was before and sent her off
to the palace.
She
arrived at the palace and hurried into the ballroom. Every head
turned and all eyes seemed to be on her as she walked down the stairs
onto the dance floor. She couldn’t understand why they were all
staring at her. Her step family looked as if as they had never seen
her before as well as everyone she ever made
“Who
was this girl?” George didn’t think he had ever seen her around.
He walked down from his throne to ask her to dance with him but she
was already being asked by another gentleman. He watched as she was
being asked by almost all the eligible gentlemen. He was determine to
dance with her, so when he saw she was standing by talking he went
and asked her to dance. Oh he could have danced the rest of the night
away with her. But he wanted to just spend time with her and get to
know her. So he asked if she wanted to walk in his garden with him
The
prince was enchanting. He was more wonderful than the night they
talked 3 years ago. His heart was caring, pure and everything her
mother had taught her. She wished she could spend all evening talking
to him but she knew that the clock would soon strike midnight and
this wonderful evening would be just a memory she would hold close to
her heart. And just like that the clock started ringing to signal it
was close to midnight..She looked at the prince and told him she had
to leave and she took off running. She could hear him calling for her
to come back. She could hear him running after her. As she ran down
the steps she misplace a step causing her to lose a shoe. She
couldn’t turn back and grab it as the clock was ticking. So she ran
to her carriage, where her carriage took her back to her home.
Arriving safely and before her step family. She climb into bed hoping
when she woke up again this all wouldn’t be a dream.
Back at
the ball while the guests were still dancing and chatting far into
the night. George approached his father and told him of his wonder
evening, though he knew his dad wanted him to pick his bride right
then and there, George had picked his bride years ago and had a
feeling in his gut that the girl he danced with was the same girl he
had met in the woods. So when his father asked if he had picked a
bride George told him that she had gotten away and left behind only a
small glass slipper. George told his father that he would marry the
girl that the glass slipper fit.
Ella
was surprised when her step family let her sleep in. When she arose
she was shocked to see the sun was shining brightly as if it was mid
morning. Her step family though they didn’t wake her were in a
tizzy. Word got out that the prince had chosen his bride. The
mysterious girl from the ball and the royal shoe fitter was coming to
every lady in the kingdom to have all the ladies try on this glass
slipper. Ella was pretty excited hearing about this. She thought that
she was dreaming. She went on with her day making it as normal as it
was after all the others balls had been. She was coming back from
town when she saw the royal carriage that brought the royal shoe
fitter in. Her younger stepsister had just tried fitting it on when
she walked in the room. Her step mother tried blocking so that she
couldn’t after the shoe could fit her younger stepsister but
correction from the royal guard stopped her.
She sat
down in the chair that her step sisters had been sitting on. Looked
at the glass slipper wondering how it hadn’t turn into her regular
shoes as her other had. But then remember that both of her shoes
showed up. Believing it was her fairy god mother’s last chance at
helping her she put her fit in the slipper where it slide in as if it
was made for her.
The
whole room was silent and speechless, well mostly her step family. In
a flash she was being led out of the only place she knew and into the
carriage that lead them towards the castle. All while her step family
stood there still gaping and speechless.
George
was pacing the floor of the throne room anxiously hoping that the
shoe fitting wasn’t a stupid idea and didn’t bring back a pretty
girl. When the royal announcer announced that they found the girl
that fit the shoe George was excited but stayed in his spot waiting.
When he saw Ella he knew she was the girl he danced with at the ball
and when she spoke knew she was the girl from the woods.
Well
you could say that they lived happily ever after. Ella as much as her
life changed didn’t want too much of her life to change. She felt
compassion on her step family and had her step sisters married richly
and taught her stepmother the fine trade of sewing. She wouldn’t
allow any of her servants or step mother make her clothes for sewing
made her feel close to her mom. Oh were you wondering if her parents
ever died? Well turns out that her parents didn’t die. Her mom when
she helped that family she fell ill after catching the sickness they
had. Was left to die because the family all died except for one
child. Someone discovered them and since they were both at the point
of death couldn’t remember anything from their past lives. Her
father heard that his wife was alive and not wanting to get Ella's
hopes up went in searching for his wife as while filing divorce
papers from her step mother. His ship got lost at sea but he survived
and found his way onto this island where no one spoke his language.
Took him 4 years to learn the language and by then he had lost hope
of being reunited with his family. But something kept him going.
Ella’s faith that her parents were still with her. They were
reunited and though Ella tried talking them into living in the castle
with George and her they declined and went to live in the cottage
house. Ella was finally happy again.
What I love most of about this Godly man and my second dad is that he never lost faith in times where there was reasons to lose faith. Because of that he continues to be blessed abundantly. Something Gandalf never had: A God who cares for the happiness of his children. Blesses them abundantly beyond measure.
