Her godmother, who saw her in tears, asked what ailed her.
"I wish—I w-i-s-h," sobbed poor Cinderella, without being able to say another word.
The godmother, who was a fairy, said to her, "You wish to go to the ball, Cinderella; is not this the truth?"
"Alas! yes," replied the poor child, sobbing still more than before.
"Well, well, be a good girl," said the godmother, "and you shall go."
She then led Cinderella to her bed-chamber, and said to her, "Run into the garden and bring me a pumpion."
Cinderella flew like lightning, and brought the finest she could lay hold of. Her godmother scooped out the inside, leaving nothing but the rind; she then struck it with her wand, and the pumpion instantly became a fine coach gilded all over with gold. She next looked into her mouse-trap, where she found six mice all alive and brisk. She told Cinderella to lift up the door of the trap very gently; and as the mice passed out, she touched them one by one with her wand, and each immediately became a beautiful horse of a fine dapple grey mouse-colour.
"Here, my child," said the godmother, "is a coach and horse, too, as handsome as your sisters; but what shall we do for a postilion?"
"I will run," replied Cinderella, "and see if there be not a rat in the rat-trap. If I find one, he will do very well for a postilion."