童话故事：真实的一个灰姑娘人生(11)

“I can’t thank you enough for helping me tonight,” Cinderella said as she gratefully petted the mice. “I’ll remember it forever!”
When her stepmother and stepsisters returned a few hours later, all they talked about was the mysterious woman the prince danced with at the ball. As Cinderella helped them get ready for bed, they tried to guess who the mysterious woman was and where she came from, never realizing she was right in front of them.
The next morning, the kingdom awoke to wonderful news. After dancing with all the young women in the land, the prince had chosen his bride. There was only one problem: No one knew who she was or where she came from. The only clue the prince had was the small glass slipper she had left behind.
So the prince set off on a quest around the kingdom searching for the woman he had met at the ball. He searched for weeks, trying the slipper on the feet of princesses, duchesses, and all the daughters of the aristocratic families, but there still was no match in sight. He then had all the young women in the land without a title or royal lineage try on the glass slipper. Because it was meant for such a small and delicate foot, none of the women’s feet fit.