FAIRY TALES

52 FAIRY TALES
Cinderella
Once upon a time, there was a pretty girl named Cinderella who lived with her wicked stepmother and two selfish stepsisters. They made her do all the housework from morning till night.
One day an invitation came from the palace. The King wanted all the young ladies of the land to come to the royal ball. His son, the Prince, would choose his bride at the ball.
Cinderella watched sadly as her stepsisters put on their finest gowns and left for the ball.
Suddenly a kind fairy appeared. She changed some mice into horses and a pumpkin into a coach. Then she changed Cinderella’s ragged dress into a beautiful gown. On her feet she now wore a pair of glass shoes.
“You must leave the palace before midnight when the magic will end,” the fairy warned Cinderella as she stepped into her coach.
At the ball, Cinderella was so beautiful that the Prince danced with her all night. When the clock struck midnight, Cinderella rushed out of the ballroom. As she ran down the stairs, her glass shoe dropped. She had no time to pick it up. Anyway she sped in her coach. When the last bell of midnight rang, Cinderella was back in her old clothes again.
The next day, the Prince sent out a search party. “I will marry the girl who owns the glass shoe,” he declared.
When the search party reached Cinderella’s house, the stepsisters took turns trying to squeeze their big feet into the glass shoe.
Just then, Cinderella came into the room and asked to try on the shoe. The glass shoes fitted her perfectly!
Cinderella was led to the palace right away where she and the Prince were soon married.
Aladdin and the Magic Lamp
There once was a poor boy named Aladdin. One day a magician promised him a reward of gold and jewels if he could do a special job. Aladdin agreed.
The magician led Aladdin into a cave. He told the boy to crawl inside to get an old lamp. He gave him a ring in case of danger.
Aladdin found the lamp but the magician would not let Aladdin out until he gave him the lamp. The magician pushed a rock over the cave entrance to trap Aladdin inside.
Aladdin remembered the ring and he rubbed it. When the genie of the ring appeared, Aladdin asked to be taken back to his home. In a flash he was there!
Aladdin had kept the lamp. When he rubbed it, out came another genie! Aladdin wished for a palace and bags full of gold. Later he fell in love with the King’s daughter, the princess. They were soon married.
One day the magician learned that Aladdin had the magic lamp. To steal the lamp, he pretended to be the lamp seller. He went to Aladdin’s palace, calling, “Old lamps for new lamps!” The princess did not know that Aladdin’s lamp was magician, so she traded it for a new one!
The magician hurried away and called up the genie of the lamp. “Send Aladdin’s palace and the princess far away,” he ordered. His evil wish was granted.
Aladdin was shocked to find his palace and his wife missing! He asked the genie of the ring to take him to the magic lamp.
Aladdin soon found himself in the magician’s house. While the magician slept, he grabbed the magic lamp. He quickly called upon the genie of the lamp to send the magician to a far-off land from which he could never return. Next Aladdin asked for his wife and his palace to be returned.
The princess was overjoyed to see Aladdin, and from that day on they lived happily ever after.
Little Red Ridding Hood
Once upon a time, there was a little girl who lived with her mother in the woods. The girl was called Little Red Ridding Hood because she wore a cloak with a red hood whenever she went out.
One day she decided to visit her grandmother who was ill. “Remember, don’t stop to talk to strangers, and stay on the path!” her mother said.
But before long, Little Red Ridding Hood stopped to pick some flowers. Suddenly a big wolf jumped out from behind her. He asked her where she was going.
“I…I…I’m going to visit my grandmother,” said Little Red Ridding Hood.
The wolf took a shortcut to grandmother’s house. He knocked on the door and said in Little Red Ridding Hood’s voice, “Grandmother, I’ve brought you some treats!”
“Push the latch and come right in, dear!” said the old woman. When she saw the wolf, she jumped out of bed and ran to hide in a cupboard.
The wolf put on grandmother’s nightcap and glasses. Soon, Little Red Ridding Hood was at the door.
“Just push the latch and come right in, dear!” said the wolf, imitating the grandmother’s voice.
Little Red Ridding Hood looked at her grandmother and said, “Grandmother, what big eyes and ears you have!”
“All he better