This story has been told again and again, with so many variations and new settings that it's hard to keep track. So before you go and ingest yet another variation – listen to and/or read this one so you know what really happened. (e.g. She wasn't an orphan.) This Cinderella on-line script matches what you hear. This is a great way to learn English and to learn how to read.
Narrator
Mother
Father
Evil Sister 1
Evil Sister 2
Cinderella
Pages
Step-Mother
Prince
Pigeons
SFX: Grimmly Speaking theme music
NARRATOR
The wife of a rich man fell sick and called her only child to her bed.
MOTHER
Dear child, be good and pious, and then the good lord will always protect you. I will look down upon you from heaven and in this way be near you.
NARRATOR
The mother then closed her eyes and died. Day after day the maiden went to her mother's grave and wept. She missed her mother and her father was slowly becoming more and more demented.
SFX: weeping
NARRATOR
She remained pious and good. By the following spring, her father had wed again.
FATHER
A toast to my new wife, who brings into this house two beautiful daughters.
SFX: glasses clinking
NARRATOR
It was true that her step-sisters were beautiful, but their hearts were black and vile. Now began a bad time for the man's true daughter. When he was called away on business, the step-sisters took away her pretty clothes and gave her an old dress and wooden shoes to wear.
EVIL SISTER 1 & 2
Just look at the proud princess now!
SFX: laughter
NARRATOR
She worked from morning 'til night carrying water, lighting the fires, and doing all the cooking and washing. Her step-sisters were mean to her every chance they could get. They made fun of her –
SFX: nyah nyah ny nyah nyah
NARRATOR
– and gave her no bed so she had to sleep in the cinders by the hearth. Because of this, she always looked dusty and dirty; so they called her Cinderella. One day her father was going to the fair. He asked the step-sisters what they would like.
EVIL SISTER 1
Beautiful dresses!
EVIL SISTER 2
Pearls and jewels!
NARRATOR
And when he asked Cinderella what she might find dear, she said –
CINDERELLA
Father, on your way back home, break off the first branch that knocks your hat off and then bring that branch to me.
NARRATOR
And so he brought home dresses, pearls and jewels for the step-sisters and a small spray from a hazel tree for Cinderella. She went to her mother's grave and planted the spray ever so carefully. Her tears watered this tender plant and in time it grew into a handsome hazel tree.
SFX: trumpets
PAGES
Hark ye, hark ye, the King has announced a three day festival. All the beautiful young girls of the country are invited so that the Prince may choose a wife. Hark ye, hark ye the King has spoken.
SFX: trumpets
NARRATOR
The step-sisters became giddy and gleeful at this news and called to Cinderella.
EVIL SISTER 1
Cinderella, comb our hair for us!
EVIL SISTER 2
Brush our shoes and fasten our buckles!
EVIL SISTER 1 & 2
We're going to the King's palace!
NARRATOR
Cinderella begged her step-mother to let her go.
STEP-MOTHER
You? You go? All covered in dust and dirt? You have no clothes or shoes. How can you go to the festival?
CINDERELLA
Oh please, oh please let me go.
STEP-MOTHER
Hmph. Let's see –
SFX: beans being poured
STEP-MOTHER
I have just emptied one dish of dried beans into the ashes. If you have picked them all out in two hours, you may go with us.
NARRATOR
When her step-mother left the room, Cinderella ran to the window and called –
CINDERELLA
You tame pigeons, you turtle doves, and all you birds beneath the sky, come in here and help me pick up these beans.
SFX: birds
NARRATOR
All the birds came down and crowded the floor. After only an hour had passed, they were all finished picking up the beans and putting them in a dish for Cinderella to give to her step-mother. Then out they flew.
SFX: birds
NARRATOR
Her step-mother was not amused.
SFX: beans being poured
NARRATOR
This time she emptied two dishes of beans into the ashes and told Cinderella she had only one hour to pick them all out. When her step-mother left the room, Cinderella again ran to the window and called –
CINDERELLA
You tame pigeons, you turtle doves, and all you birds beneath the sky, come in here and help me pick up these beans.
SFX: birds
NARRATOR
All the birds again came in through the window just like before. Less than an hour had passed and the job was all finished. But Cinderella's step-mother was still not pleased and went back on her word.
STEP-MOTHER
No, Cinderella. You cannot come with us. You have no clothes and you don't know how to dance. You'll only be laughed at and we'd be ashamed of you.
NARRATOR
Being cruel and heartless, the step-mother and step-sisters left Cinderella behind while they all rode to the festival in a fancy carriage. Cinderella went to the hazel tree, sat beneath it, and spoke to a little white bird.
CINDERELLA
Shiver and quiver, little tree. Silver and gold throw down over me.
SFX: magic sound
NARRATOR
The little bird threw down a gold and silver dress and fine slippers embroidered with silk and silver. She put them on and off she went to the festival.
SFX: festival music
NARRATOR
When Cinderella arrived, not a soul knew who she was. The Prince danced with her all night and wouldn't let any one else near her. As he was escorting her home, she escaped from the Prince –
SFX: footsteps running
NARRATOR
– and jumped into the pigeon shack behind her father's house.
SFX: door slamming
NARRATOR
The Prince waited in the dark. After a bit, the father arrived.
PRINCE
Excuse me sir, but the maiden that I was walking with has jumped into your pigeon house.
NARRATOR
The father went and got his ax. He broke the door down –
SFX: ax chopping
NARRATOR
– but there was no one inside. Cinderella had jumped out the back of the pigeon shack –
SFX: jump down and footsteps running
NARRATOR
– and gone back to her mother's grave.
SFX: magic sound
NARRATOR
She then took off her clothes of silver and gold and the little white bird carried them away. Cinderella then raced home.
SFX: footsteps running
NARRATOR
Now, the father was suspicious that the maiden in question might be his serving wench. For you see, he no longer recognized Cinderella as his daughter, just as a servant of the house. So he took the Prince into his house and into the kitchen.
SFX: footsteps and mumbling “Ye'd better come this way.”
SFX: door opening
NARRATOR
They found Cinderella sleeping in her dirty clothes amongst the ashes. In the low fire light and dusty air, the Prince did not believe she was the maiden with whom he had danced the night away.
SFX: Prince sighs “oh well”
NARRATOR
The next day the festival began again.
SFX: trumpets
NARRATOR
Her step-mother and step-sisters set out for the second party.
EVIL SISTER 2
Goodbye.
STEP-MOTHER
Goodbye, Cinderella.
EVIL SISTER 1
Yes, goodbye.
NARRATOR
When they left, Cinderella ran back to the hazel tree –
SFX: footsteps running
NARRATOR
– and was given a dress even more beautiful than the one before.
SFX: festival music
NARRATOR
She and the Prince danced this night away also. The Prince once again wanted to walk her all the way to her door, but as they neared her house she pushed him hard –
SFX: oomph! and fall to the ground
NARRATOR
– and climbed up a tree in the garden. Again her father arrived and the Prince said –
PRINCE
That same maiden as before has escaped from me. I believe she has climbed up this pear tree.
NARRATOR
The father, thinking the Prince had perhaps been a little bit too merry that night, went and got his ax again. He cut down the tree –
SFX: tree crashing down
NARRATOR
– but there was no one in it. While he was chopping the tree, Cinderella had jumped down from it to the other side of the fence.
SFX: jump down and footsteps running
NARRATOR
She then raced back to her mother's grave –
SFX: magic sound
NARRATOR
– gave her fine dress to the little white bird, and returned fast as the wind to her home.
SFX: footsteps running
NARRATOR
The father once more suspected it was his serving wench and so again he took the Prince to his kitchen. But when they found her asleep in her dirty clothes amongst the ashes by the hearth, the Prince still did not recognize her as the maiden in question in the low fire light and dusty air.
SFX: Prince sighs “ah, for cryin' out loud –”
NARRATOR
The next day was the last day of the festival.
SFX: trumpets
NARRATOR
This time the little white bird gave her an even more magnificent dress and the slippers were a brilliant gold. She and the Prince once more danced the entire evening away together.
SFX: festival music
NARRATOR
This time, Cinderella escaped from the party so quickly that the Prince didn't even have a chance to follow her.
SFX: footsteps running
NARRATOR
Ah, but he was prepared. He had arranged for the entire back staircase to be coated with sticky pitch and one of Cinderella's slippers got stuck in it -
SFX: suction pop sound
NARRATOR
– as she ran down the steps.
PRINCE
Ya! At last I have something to help me find the maiden. The one who shall be my wife is the one whom this slipper fits. And I know just the house I'll start with.
NARRATOR
Word of the Prince's plan spread throughout the festival crowd.
SFX: crowd sounds
NARRATOR
Cinderella's step-mother and step-sisters began chattering away.
STEP-MOTHER
Did you hear that, my daughters? You still have a chance to marry the Prince.
EVIL SISTER 1
Yes, I have pretty feet.
EVIL SISTER 2
And I have pretty feet, too!
STEP-MOTHER
We must hurry home at once.
NARRATOR
Soon the Prince arrived at their door.
STEP-MOTHER
Let my first daughter try on the slipper, your grace.
NARRATOR
The Prince handed over the slipper and the step-mother carried it into the next room to her eldest daughter.
EVIL SISTER 1
It doesn't fit! I can't get my big toe into it. Whatever shall I do?
STEP-MOTHER
Cut your toe off. When you are Queen you shall have no more need to go on foot.
NARRATOR
Convinced her mother was right, the girl cut off her toe, put on the shoe, and swallowed her pain. The Prince fell for this deception.
PRINCE
Come. We shall ride back to the palace on my horse.
SFX: horse walking
NARRATOR
But as they passed Cinderella's hazel tree, two pigeons began to cry.
PIGEONS
Turn and peep, turn and peep. There's blood within the shoe. The shoe it is too small for her, your true bride still waits for you.
PRINCE
They are right! You are a false bride. We must return at once to your house.
SFX: horse galloping
STEP-MOTHER
Let my other daughter try on the slipper, your grace.
NARRATOR
The Prince presented the slipper again and the step-mother carried it into the next room to her youngest daughter.
EVIL SISTER 2
It doesn't fit! My heel is too large. Whatever shall I do?
STEP-MOTHER
Cut your heel off. When you are Queen you shall have no more need to go on foot.
NARRATOR
Convinced her mother was right, the girl cut off her heel, put on the shoe, and swallowed her pain. The Prince was fooled once more.
PRINCE
Come. We shall ride back to the palace on my horse.
SFX: horse turning and walking
NARRATOR
But as they passed the hazel tree, the two pigeons began to cry once more.
PIGEONS
Turn and peep, turn and peep. There's blood within the shoe. The shoe it is too small for her, your true bride still waits for you.
PRINCE
They are right! You are also a false bride. We must return at once to your house.
SFX: horse galloping approach
NARRATOR
When they arrived, the Prince went to speak with the father.
PRINCE
Have you no other daughters?
NARRATOR
The father became confused and told the Prince that there was only a little kitchen wench that his late wife had left behind after she died. She couldn't possibly be the bride he was seeking.
PRINCE
Bring her to me. I must see her.
STEP-MOTHER
Oh no, she is much too dirty. She cannot show herself.
PRINCE
Bring her now!
NARRATOR
Cinderella heard the Prince's demand and quickly washed her hands and face clean. When she was handed the slipper, she put it on and it fit perfectly.
PRINCE
Come! We shall ride back to the palace on my horse.
SFX: horse walking
NARRATOR
On their way to the palace, two white doves flew down –
SFX: doves cooing
NARRATOR
– and set themselves upon Cinderella's shoulders. When the wedding was celebrated –
SFX: wedding music
NARRATOR
– the two step-sisters came. They wanted to get into Cinderella's good graces and share in her good fortune. But, as the step-sisters sat down to watch the ceremony, the two white doves flew to them –
SFX: birds fluttering
NARRATOR
– and pecked their eyes out.
SFX: cries of pain
NARRATOR
This was their punishment for being wicked and trying to deceive the world.
