[Original Size] -- [Medium-Size]
The men were enchanted. The ladies said, "Well, a
More brazen-faced thing—!" meaning poor Cinderella.
(The dissension of belles,
As experience tells,
Is one of the oldest of horrida bella.)
The Prince claimed her hand for the very next dance;
Cinderella consented, but gave him a glance
That set his heart dancing with passion and pleasure
Much faster by far than his feet danced the measure.
"Now 's your chance,
Miss, to dance.
Hark! they play the 'Mabel.'
Who'd be false
To such a waltz,
If to spin he's able?
"Faster they
Ought to play-
Can't they do it quicker?
No, that ass
The double-bass,
He's far gone in liquor.
"O'er the floor
One round more
Will not tire, I trust, you."
"Only one—
And now it's done
I'll sit down." "Oh, must you:"
For dance after dance his delight to enhance
The Prince asks her hand; no one else has a chance!
While young ladies and old, "left out in the cold,"
Shake their heads at such doings, and say that it's "bold!
But the Prince doesn't care for any one there
But his own darling partner, so gentle and fair
(Which is more than his conduct is—so they declare).
At last Cinderella looked up at the clock,
One minute to twelve! What a terrible shock!
In two seconds more she is out at the door,-
She has no time to wait, but runs to the gate-
It's well no one sees her, because she's too late:
The clock has struck twelve. The enchantment is o'er
The guards who were stationed each side of the portal,
When questioned, said they
Had seen none pass that way
Except—yes! one scullery-maid, a poor mortal,
All rag, patch, and tatter, but didn't look at her.
The porter declared he knew nought of the matter;
At the door as he sat he'd seen nothing thereat
But a pumpkin, a lizard, some mice, and a rat.
The Prince, who'd rushed out to look after his partner
And hand her downstairs
To her carriage, declares
He can't make it out—"It is quite a disheart'ner!"
However, next night he feels it's all right
When he sees her again at his palace alight.
Once more by his side through the hall she will glide—
And if he's a chance,
In the midst of the dance
He '11 ask her permission to make her his bride.
Cinderella, taught wisdom by yesterday's scrape,
Though enjoying the ball,
Watched the clock on the wall,
And in plenty of time from the room made escape.
But the Prince, looking out very sharply, no doubt,
Saw what his mysterious guest was about-
So sent for a follower trusty and tried,
And said he was yearning the name to be learning
Of the lady just gone to her carriage outside;
And so he must ride
A little way on—say just down the next turning-
And follow the coach, let whatever betide!
The Prince then conducted the fair to her coach-
But in vain did his vassal await its approach
To ride in its track, so at last he came back.
At the news of his failure his master looked black,
And instead of a money-bag gave him the sack.
The next night came round—once more the Prince found
His love at the ball—and his heart gave a bound!
In the midst of the hop the question to pop
He determined—and nought his intention should stop.
How sweet are first love's tender words
As on the ear they fall!
More musical than song of birds-
More sweet than whey, more soft than curds,
So welcome to us all.
And, ah! to Cinderella's ear,
Who'd heard so little love,
How were the Prince's accents dear,
Which her fond heart could plainly hear
All other sounds above!
Her aunt's directions to her niece
Young Cupid makes her shelve;
When suddenly her joy must cease-
The clock upon the mantelpiece
Is on the stroke of twelve.
One! run-
Two! through-
Three! the-
Four! door.
Five! look alive!—If you do not contrive
To be out of the place ere the clock strikes twice six,
I guess, Miss, you 'll be in a tall sort of a fix.
She is off and away without any delay,
Ere the Prince can get rid of his fear and. dismay:
Off down the stairs
Like a mad thing she tears-
When one of her slippers, small blame for that same,
Slipt off altogether, quite true to its name;
So the Prince when he came
To the top of the staircase his love to pursue,
Found that she was a slipper—but left him a shoe.
What was he to do? He put two and two
Together at once, "calculating" like Babbage;
And as Taylor would say
In adapting a play,
Remarked, "If that's choux, I will make it my cabbage;
The guards were all questioned, but nought could he glean;
They had carefully watched, but had nobody seen
Except one poor beggar girl, ragged and mean.
£; Who," so one observed, "from her beautiful colour, he
Thought had been scrubbing the pans in the scullery."
The very next day, in the usual way,
His nobles he sent, with a herald, to say,
That the fortunate fair
Who could easily wear
The slipper which they on a cushion then carried
Would be by the Prince instantaneously married.
"Pooh!" say the ladies, as each trial made is,
"Only fit for Chang's lady, that shoe, we 're afraid, is.
You'd better convince that foolish young Prince,
If he waits till it's fitted—the fact not to mince-
He 'll finish at last by not marrying at all;
The slipper is really too foolishly small!"
But in spite of their sneers, they were all half in tears,
And to get on the slipper bad given their ears;
Indeed, there were those who cut off their toes
To try and contrive it—or so the tale goes.
Cinderella's two sisters were fiery as blisters,
And abused the young Prince and his learned ministers,
Altogether, as Toole would observe, "just a-goin' it!"
Because, if you please,
When each tried to squeeze
The shoe on, she scarcely could get her big toe in it.
When they 'd done, Cinderella sat down in the chair:
Oh, didn't they stare with contemptuous air!
While each to the other said, "Well, I declare!"
But when the lords put
The shoe on her foot,
Without any ado it slipt into the shoe—
[Original Size] -- [Medium-Size]
Said the Prince in a trice, "I 'll wed none, love, but you!"
What more? The good fairy returned on the scene,
And, instead of the garb which was really not clean,
At a touch of her wand, in a dress of rare sheen
Presented her niece to the Prince who had been
So faithful and fond, and who made her his Queen.
[From the "Post" you will all the particulars glean
Of the marriage performed the two parties between
By a Bishop, assisted by Canon and Dean.]
Her sisters were very near dying of spleen,
And thought their aunt's conduct remarkably mean,
But lived as neglected old maids, spare and lean
(Though they'd never acknowledge to more than nineteen).
So there's no more to tell a-
-Bout sweet Cinderella,
Whose life was quite happy—in fact, "all serene!"