Have you ever wondered about how God helps you in your life? Here's a little fairy tale about a good young woman who was misunderstood, and how her 'guardian' watched out for her.
The 'Real' Story of
Cinderella
Once upon a time, there was a young girl who lived with people who didn't love her. This young girl was very lovely indeed. But the family with whom she lived disliked her so much that they called her Cinderella. The name was given to her because she was almost always covered with soot and cinders from the chimney that she was required to clean every day. Cinderella worked hard and did the best that she could to please everyone. Her consideration of others was not returned.
She would not allow herself to feel the pain of rejection that she had hidden deep inside. Instead, she'd smile and try to be very careful not to hurt the feelings of other people, regardless of how their words or actions hurt her. Unfortunately, the more she remained silent about the abuse that she received, the more people thought that they had a right to abuse her. And, the more she kept her feelings to herself as she was abused, the more she believed that she deserved the abuse that she received.
Cinderella had no friends. She kept to herself most of the time. She whiled away her time working and doing chores. In her free moments alone, she would try to think of things that she could do for people to make up for the harm she believed that she caused them which made them treat her so callously.
Cinderella had daydreamed about a special man who would treat her like a princess and protect her from all the ugliness around her. Her dream man always treated her with respect and gentleness. He would surprise her with little things now and then, like a lovely poem about his love for her, flowers occasionally, and a special little gift that was a sweet surprise. She loved her handsome man with all her heart.
Unfortunately, Cinderella lived in the real world, where the handsome man was not to be found. Nor were there any others around in the real world who could come close to the image of her dream man.
One day, Cinderella met a young man who was so much like the dream man that her heart almost fell at her feet when she saw him. He looked at her and saw beyond the sooty dress to the lovely young woman that it clothed. His heart responded, too.
He asked her if she would like to accompany him to a picnic in the grove beyond the edge of town. She was so thrilled that she accepted on the spot before she had time to even think. When the time came for them to go on the picnic, she was dismayed to find that she had only the one dirty dress to wear. She tried to launder it, but to no avail. The stains just wouldn't come out.
She and the young man went on the picnic and had a good time. He said that he'd like to do it again and she agreed. Cinderella waited and waited, but she didn't hear from the young man again for a long while. One day, she saw him on the street with a friend. She ran to say hello to him, but then she stopped short. She saw the look of dismay in his eyes when she approached him, so she turned the other way.
She walked home alone, feeling dejected and sad. "Maybe my clothes embarrassed him. Maybe I offended him the last time that we saw each other. Oh, well," she thought, "it was too good to be true, anyway."
She spent her time thinking of the young man, wondering what she had done to hurt him. She couldn't find an answer. She cried herself to sleep each night for a long time. She finally told herself that it was stupid to behave that way. After all, she was no prize. How could she have really expected him to call on her again. What a foolish girl she was.
As she was cleaning one day, she overheard her family talking about her and the picnic that she went on with the young man. She couldn't believe her ears. They were saying that she was seen all over town cavorting with men each night. Why, they knew good and well that she never left the house except to buy groceries and other household goods. How could they say such a thing about her? Her heart broke.
Several years later, the king of the province declared that all the townspeople were invited to attend a royal ball in honor of his son, who had come of age. The king planned a great birthday feast for the young prince and everyone was all abuzz with excitement about attending the ball. All except Cinderella.
Cinderella knew that there was no way that she could attend a royal ball. She didn't have a suitable dress to wear, and she feared that somehow she might inadvertently offend someone, as she usually did.
Several weeks before the ball, her family began preparing to attend. They began purchasing new clothes and jewelry and colognes to wear. Invariably, each afternoon there was a dispute as to who would look the best at the ball. Cinderella listened forlornly to the chatter and did what she could to try to hide her dismay at not being able to attend the ball.
A week before the ball, something strange happened to Cinderella. A handsome man suddenly appeared in her dingy room. He looked like a ghost. She was frightened.
He said to her, "Don't be afraid, Cinderella. I'm your guardian. I'm here to see to it that you attend the ball."
"But I can't," she protested. "I don't have a thing to wear. Look at me. My dress is tattered and filthy. And besides, I don't seem to make people comfortable when I'm around. I'd rather not spoil the evening for the good people who will be attending the ball."
As Cinderella cried, believing that the man's appearance was a cruel hoax played on her, he sat down and held her hands in his. "You're going to attend the ball, Cinderella. I assure you of this. This is not a hoax. I'm really here, and I'm really your guardian. I've been watching out for you all of your life, and you will attend the ball. It's very important that you do. I'll see to it that you're properly prepared to attend the ball, and you'll have a wonderful time, believe me."
Cinderella's tears were flowing down her cheeks like little rivers by now. She didn't believe the man. But, soon she saw that he told the truth. He began helping her to learn to comb her hair in a pleasing way. He showed her how to walk with dignity. He even bought her a beautiful gown to wear to the ball. She was thrilled.
The evening before the ball, the man who was her guardian appeared at her door with the young man that she had met long ago. Her guardian said, "This young man will escort you to the ball. You'll both have a wonderful time."
When the young man saw who he was going to escort to the ball, he became very upset. "I can't go with her!" he exclaimed. "Why, she's nothing but a tramp! Stories have it that she spends her time cavorting with men in the evenings. I'm too good for her. I'll have nothing to do with her, ever again."
With that, the young man stormed out the door and down the street. The guardian sat down and looked at Cinderella, whose face was pale with shock. "I knew it was a hoax," she dejectedly thought to herself. "Why can't I get it through my head that I'm not good enough to go anywhere?"
The guardian looked at her with compassion. "Don't think this is a hoax, please, Cinderella," he said softly. "You will attend the ball. It is very important to you, to me and to that young man that you attend the ball. You'll see what I mean. Now, let's get ready."
The next evening, forlorn and depressed, Cinderella put her new clothes on as her guardian requested her to do. Her heart wasn't in it, but for some reason she couldn't let her guardian down. He had been so kind and so sincere, how could she hurt him by refusing to wear the new clothes that he had bought for her and reject his invitation to the ball?
He escorted her to the ball himself. They danced and ate and mingled with other people. The comments that she heard sounded strange to her ears. People were actually saying how beautiful she was and what a wonderful dance couple she and her guardian made. But, for some reason, she still felt a bit unhappy. When was the shoe going to drop? When would her lovely evening turn to dust?
The time for the official announcement of the royal prince's birthday was about to arrive. Everyone gathered close to the throne to listen. The pages blew the ceremonial trumpets and the king entered the ballroom. He welcomed everyone to the ball, and then he introduced his son.
Everyone applauded. Cinderella looked toward the prince and was shocked beyond belief. Because who was standing there, being introduced as the prince of the province? None other than her guardian!
He spoke a few words of greeting to the guests, thanked them for coming and proceeded to cut his birthday cake. After the ceremony, he brought a piece of cake over to where Cinderella sat alone in the corner of the ballroom.
"Don't feel so forlorn, Cinderella." he said with compassion. "He's here."
"Who?" she asked with great surprise.
"The man of your dreams. The one I wanted you to be with," he said. "I had hoped he would have escorted you here tonight, but that didn't work out. But that doesn't matter. He'll be with you shortly."
She was nonplussed with what the prince had said. She wondered what he had meant. Did he see her dreams as well as read her thoughts? She became afraid.
A little while later, the prince came back with the very same young man who had run away from Cinderella the night before. The young man now looked at Cinderella with astonishment.
"You're her!" he exclaimed. "You really are her. I didn't believe it when the prince told me that I'd meet you here. I'm so sorry I treated you the way I did before. Can you ever forgive me?"
"Why, y-yes," she stammered. "What do you mean, I'm her? Who am I?"
"You are the girl of my dreams. I never believed it could be true, but here you are. I've dreamed of you for many years, never believing that we'd meet. I'm very much in love with you," he said sincerely.
Then Cinderella got the surprise of all surprises. As she looked at the young man, she realized that he was, indeed, the man that she had dreamed of for so many years. Her heart melted.
The prince saw to it that Cinderella was taken from the miserable family that abused her so much and officiated at the wedding of Cinderella and the young man. They lived happily ever after in the palace of the king, where the prince remained their close friend.
...Thy Kingdom Come...
Patty
The 'Real' Story of
Cinderella
Once upon a time, there was a young girl who lived with people who didn't love her. This young girl was very lovely indeed. But the family with whom she lived disliked her so much that they called her Cinderella. The name was given to her because she was almost always covered with soot and cinders from the chimney that she was required to clean every day. Cinderella worked hard and did the best that she could to please everyone. Her consideration of others was not returned.
She would not allow herself to feel the pain of rejection that she had hidden deep inside. Instead, she'd smile and try to be very careful not to hurt the feelings of other people, regardless of how their words or actions hurt her. Unfortunately, the more she remained silent about the abuse that she received, the more people thought that they had a right to abuse her. And, the more she kept her feelings to herself as she was abused, the more she believed that she deserved the abuse that she received.
Cinderella had no friends. She kept to herself most of the time. She whiled away her time working and doing chores. In her free moments alone, she would try to think of things that she could do for people to make up for the harm she believed that she caused them which made them treat her so callously.
Cinderella had daydreamed about a special man who would treat her like a princess and protect her from all the ugliness around her. Her dream man always treated her with respect and gentleness. He would surprise her with little things now and then, like a lovely poem about his love for her, flowers occasionally, and a special little gift that was a sweet surprise. She loved her handsome man with all her heart.
Unfortunately, Cinderella lived in the real world, where the handsome man was not to be found. Nor were there any others around in the real world who could come close to the image of her dream man.
One day, Cinderella met a young man who was so much like the dream man that her heart almost fell at her feet when she saw him. He looked at her and saw beyond the sooty dress to the lovely young woman that it clothed. His heart responded, too.
He asked her if she would like to accompany him to a picnic in the grove beyond the edge of town. She was so thrilled that she accepted on the spot before she had time to even think. When the time came for them to go on the picnic, she was dismayed to find that she had only the one dirty dress to wear. She tried to launder it, but to no avail. The stains just wouldn't come out.
She and the young man went on the picnic and had a good time. He said that he'd like to do it again and she agreed. Cinderella waited and waited, but she didn't hear from the young man again for a long while. One day, she saw him on the street with a friend. She ran to say hello to him, but then she stopped short. She saw the look of dismay in his eyes when she approached him, so she turned the other way.
She walked home alone, feeling dejected and sad. "Maybe my clothes embarrassed him. Maybe I offended him the last time that we saw each other. Oh, well," she thought, "it was too good to be true, anyway."
She spent her time thinking of the young man, wondering what she had done to hurt him. She couldn't find an answer. She cried herself to sleep each night for a long time. She finally told herself that it was stupid to behave that way. After all, she was no prize. How could she have really expected him to call on her again. What a foolish girl she was.
As she was cleaning one day, she overheard her family talking about her and the picnic that she went on with the young man. She couldn't believe her ears. They were saying that she was seen all over town cavorting with men each night. Why, they knew good and well that she never left the house except to buy groceries and other household goods. How could they say such a thing about her? Her heart broke.
Several years later, the king of the province declared that all the townspeople were invited to attend a royal ball in honor of his son, who had come of age. The king planned a great birthday feast for the young prince and everyone was all abuzz with excitement about attending the ball. All except Cinderella.
Cinderella knew that there was no way that she could attend a royal ball. She didn't have a suitable dress to wear, and she feared that somehow she might inadvertently offend someone, as she usually did.
Several weeks before the ball, her family began preparing to attend. They began purchasing new clothes and jewelry and colognes to wear. Invariably, each afternoon there was a dispute as to who would look the best at the ball. Cinderella listened forlornly to the chatter and did what she could to try to hide her dismay at not being able to attend the ball.
A week before the ball, something strange happened to Cinderella. A handsome man suddenly appeared in her dingy room. He looked like a ghost. She was frightened.
He said to her, "Don't be afraid, Cinderella. I'm your guardian. I'm here to see to it that you attend the ball."
"But I can't," she protested. "I don't have a thing to wear. Look at me. My dress is tattered and filthy. And besides, I don't seem to make people comfortable when I'm around. I'd rather not spoil the evening for the good people who will be attending the ball."
As Cinderella cried, believing that the man's appearance was a cruel hoax played on her, he sat down and held her hands in his. "You're going to attend the ball, Cinderella. I assure you of this. This is not a hoax. I'm really here, and I'm really your guardian. I've been watching out for you all of your life, and you will attend the ball. It's very important that you do. I'll see to it that you're properly prepared to attend the ball, and you'll have a wonderful time, believe me."
Cinderella's tears were flowing down her cheeks like little rivers by now. She didn't believe the man. But, soon she saw that he told the truth. He began helping her to learn to comb her hair in a pleasing way. He showed her how to walk with dignity. He even bought her a beautiful gown to wear to the ball. She was thrilled.
The evening before the ball, the man who was her guardian appeared at her door with the young man that she had met long ago. Her guardian said, "This young man will escort you to the ball. You'll both have a wonderful time."
When the young man saw who he was going to escort to the ball, he became very upset. "I can't go with her!" he exclaimed. "Why, she's nothing but a tramp! Stories have it that she spends her time cavorting with men in the evenings. I'm too good for her. I'll have nothing to do with her, ever again."
With that, the young man stormed out the door and down the street. The guardian sat down and looked at Cinderella, whose face was pale with shock. "I knew it was a hoax," she dejectedly thought to herself. "Why can't I get it through my head that I'm not good enough to go anywhere?"
The guardian looked at her with compassion. "Don't think this is a hoax, please, Cinderella," he said softly. "You will attend the ball. It is very important to you, to me and to that young man that you attend the ball. You'll see what I mean. Now, let's get ready."
The next evening, forlorn and depressed, Cinderella put her new clothes on as her guardian requested her to do. Her heart wasn't in it, but for some reason she couldn't let her guardian down. He had been so kind and so sincere, how could she hurt him by refusing to wear the new clothes that he had bought for her and reject his invitation to the ball?
He escorted her to the ball himself. They danced and ate and mingled with other people. The comments that she heard sounded strange to her ears. People were actually saying how beautiful she was and what a wonderful dance couple she and her guardian made. But, for some reason, she still felt a bit unhappy. When was the shoe going to drop? When would her lovely evening turn to dust?
The time for the official announcement of the royal prince's birthday was about to arrive. Everyone gathered close to the throne to listen. The pages blew the ceremonial trumpets and the king entered the ballroom. He welcomed everyone to the ball, and then he introduced his son.
Everyone applauded. Cinderella looked toward the prince and was shocked beyond belief. Because who was standing there, being introduced as the prince of the province? None other than her guardian!
He spoke a few words of greeting to the guests, thanked them for coming and proceeded to cut his birthday cake. After the ceremony, he brought a piece of cake over to where Cinderella sat alone in the corner of the ballroom.
"Don't feel so forlorn, Cinderella." he said with compassion. "He's here."
"Who?" she asked with great surprise.
"The man of your dreams. The one I wanted you to be with," he said. "I had hoped he would have escorted you here tonight, but that didn't work out. But that doesn't matter. He'll be with you shortly."
She was nonplussed with what the prince had said. She wondered what he had meant. Did he see her dreams as well as read her thoughts? She became afraid.
A little while later, the prince came back with the very same young man who had run away from Cinderella the night before. The young man now looked at Cinderella with astonishment.
"You're her!" he exclaimed. "You really are her. I didn't believe it when the prince told me that I'd meet you here. I'm so sorry I treated you the way I did before. Can you ever forgive me?"
"Why, y-yes," she stammered. "What do you mean, I'm her? Who am I?"
"You are the girl of my dreams. I never believed it could be true, but here you are. I've dreamed of you for many years, never believing that we'd meet. I'm very much in love with you," he said sincerely.
Then Cinderella got the surprise of all surprises. As she looked at the young man, she realized that he was, indeed, the man that she had dreamed of for so many years. Her heart melted.
The prince saw to it that Cinderella was taken from the miserable family that abused her so much and officiated at the wedding of Cinderella and the young man. They lived happily ever after in the palace of the king, where the prince remained their close friend.
...Thy Kingdom Come...
Patty
