The wicked stepmother

Once upon a time, in a small village tucked away in the hills, there lived a young girl named Ella. She was kind-hearted, gentle, and always had a smile on her face. Ella had lost her mother when she was just a child, and her father remarried a few years later. Her stepmother, Margaret, had two daughters of her own, Charlotte and Isabella.

Ella had always hoped that her stepmother would love her as her own, but she was wrong. Margaret had always been cruel to her stepdaughter. She would make Ella do all the chores in the house, from cleaning to cooking, while her daughters sat around and did nothing.

One day, the village was abuzz with the news that the Prince was throwing a grand ball at the palace, and every girl in the kingdom was invited. Ella's stepsisters were overjoyed at the thought of meeting the Prince and becoming the future queen. They spent hours getting ready, trying on different dresses, and putting on their finest jewelry.

Ella watched them with envy, but she knew that she could not attend the ball. Margaret had forbidden her from going, saying that she was too poor and too plain to attend such a grand event.

As the night of the ball drew closer, Ella watched as her stepsisters left the house in their carriage, leaving her behind. She sat in her room, tears streaming down her face, feeling sorry for herself. Suddenly, there was a knock on her door.

It was an old woman, dressed in rags, who had come asking for some food. Ella had very little, but she offered to share what she had with the old woman. The woman thanked her and, before leaving, gave Ella a small bag of magic dust, telling her that it would help her attend the ball.

Ella was skeptical at first, but she decided to take a chance. She sprinkled the magic dust over her old dress and, to her amazement, it turned into a beautiful gown. Her mousy brown hair turned into golden curls, and her dull brown eyes sparkled like diamonds.

She set out towards the palace, but as she was walking, her stepmother saw her and recognized her despite her transformation. Margaret was furious and decided to stop Ella from going to the ball. She locked Ella in her room and went to the ball with her daughters, hoping that one of them would catch the Prince's eye.

But the Prince was not interested in either Charlotte or Isabella. He was enchanted by a mysterious girl in a beautiful gown who had captured his heart with her gentle demeanor and sweet smile. He danced with her all night, and they talked and laughed as if they had known each other for years.

But as the night drew to a close, the Prince realized that he did not know who she was, and she had vanished into the crowd. All he had was a glass slipper that had fallen off her foot as she was running away. The Prince was determined to find the owner of the slipper and marry her, for he had fallen in love with her at first sight.

The next day, the Prince's guards went from house to house, trying to find the girl whose foot would fit the glass slipper. When they arrived at Ella's house, Margaret and her daughters tried to make the slipper fit their feet, but it was too small.

Ella watched from a distance, heartbroken. She knew that the slipper was hers, but she also knew that her stepmother would never allow her to marry the Prince. As the guards were about to leave, Ella stepped forward and asked if she could try on the slipper.

Margaret tried to stop her, but the guards allowed her to try on the slipper. It fit