Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper

Once there was a gentleman who married, for his second wife, the proudest and most haughty woman that was ever seen. She had, by a former husband, two daughters of her own humor, who were, indeed, exactly like her in all things. He had likewise, by another wife, a young daughter, but of unparalleled goodness and sweetness of temper, which she took from her mother, who was the best creature in the world.

昔あるところに、後妻としてこれまで見たこともないほど高慢で気位の高い女を娶った紳士がいた。その女には前の夫との間に、自分とそっくりな気質の二人の娘がおり、実際あらゆる面で母親に生き写しであった。一方、彼にも先妻との間に幼い娘がいたが、並外れた善良さと優しい気質の持ち主で、それは世の中で一番素晴らしい人であった実の母親から受け継いだものだった。

No sooner were the ceremonies of the wedding over but the mother-in-law began to show herself in her true colors. She could not bear the good qualities of this pretty girl, and the less because they made her own daughters appear the more odious. She employed her in the meanest work of the house: she scoured the dishes, tables, etc., and scrubbed madam’s chamber, and those of misses, her daughters; she lay up in a sorry garret, upon a wretched straw bed, while her sisters lay in fine rooms, with floors all inlaid, upon beds of the very newest fashion, and where they had looking-glasses so large that they might see themselves at their full length from head to foot.

結婚式が終わるやいなや、継母はその本性を現し始めた。彼女はこの愛らしい娘の美点に耐えられなかった。娘の美点のせいで自分の娘たちが一層憎らしく見えたからである。継母は彼女に家の中で最も卑しい仕事を言いつけた。皿やテーブルなどを磨かせ、奥様である自分や、お嬢様方である娘たちの部屋を掃除させた。二人の姉たちが寄せ木張りの床に最新流行のベッド、頭から足先まで全身を映せる大きな姿見のある素晴らしい部屋で寝起きする一方で、娘は粗末なわら布団を敷いた哀れな屋根裏部屋に寝かされていた。

The poor girl bore all patiently, and dared not tell her father, who would have rattled her off; for his wife governed him entirely. When she had done her work, she used to go into the chimney-corner, and sit down among cinders and ashes, which made her commonly be called Cinderwench; but the youngest, who was not so rude and uncivil as the eldest, called her Cinderella. However, Cinderella, notwithstanding her mean apparel, was a hundred times handsomer than her sisters, though they were always dressed very richly.

可哀そうな娘はすべてをじっと耐え、父親に言いつける勇気もなかった。父親に話しても叱り飛ばされるだけだったからである。父親は完全に妻の言いなりになっていたのだ。仕事が終わると、娘は暖炉の隅へ行って灰の中に座り込むのが常だったので、みんなからはよく「灰かぶり」と呼ばれていた。だが、上の姉ほど無礼でも不作法でもなかった下の姉は、彼女のことを「シンデレラ」と呼んだ。しかしシンデレラは、みすぼらしい身なりをしているにもかかわらず、いつも非常に豪華に着飾っている姉たちより百倍も美しかった。