#1
“So Cinderella lived happily ever after.”
Hailey closed the fairy tale book that she was reading, pouting.
“Phooey! Snow White, Little Mermaid, Thumbelina, Cinderella . . . all princesses are good-natured and pretty. I guess whoever is pretty and good-hearted can be a princess. Humph!”
Hailey skimmed through the bookshelf that has fairy tale books, and she got up and looked in the mirror on the wall. Covering her left cheek with her little hand, she said,
“If only I didn’t have this.”
What Hailey was covering was a reddish burnt mark on her face. Her pale skin made the burnt mark more noticeable. She got the burnt mark on her face and shoulder in an accident when she was little. Now the mark has faded away a lot, but it seriously bothered the seven-year-old.
The door opened, and her mom walked in.
“Hailey, it’s bedtime.”
Mom put Hailey down on the bed and covered her with her fluffy Cinderella blanket.
“Mom, Cinderella!”
Hailey pointed at the book on the desk.
“Again? You read Cinderella yesterday and the day before yesterday!”
Hailey covered half of her face with the blanket and smiled big.
“Cinderella is . . . my favorite!”
“Sweetie, you like Cinderella that much?”
Mom asked Hailey, who’d been into Cinderella and caring about her look lately.
“Yeah, because . . . Cinderella is pretty, and lives in a big beautiful palace later.”
Hailey really wanted to become Cinderella in the fairy tale.
“In Mommy’s eyes, Hailey is the prettiest princess in the world.”
“Phooey, I look pretty when I do this!”
said Hailey, covering her burnt mark.
“No, to Mommy, Hailey is the prettiest princess in the world.”
It made Hailey feel happy, but the words, “in Mommy’s eyes,” lingered in her mind.
“Hurry. Read it to me.”
After stroking Hailey’s head, Mom opened the book and read it line by line.
“Cinderella’s mother passed away when Cinderella was still little, and her dad brought a stepmother and her two daughters. The stepmother and her two daughters were mean to Cinderella when her dad was not around. One day, her father passed away . . .”
#2
Hailey fell into the dreamland, listening to her mom’s voice. It was right then! With a loud bang, a beautiful angel appeared. Surprised, Hailey jumped out of bed.
“Who . . . who are you?”
“I’m an angel. I’ve come to grant your wish.”
“An angel? You’re going to grant my wish?”
“Yes I am! Tell me anything you want.”
“Waaaaaah!”
Hailey was so happy. It felt like she was dreaming.
“My wish is . . . to become Cinderella. The pretty Cinderella in the fairy tale. Make me Cinderella please!”
Hailey put her hands together and looked at the angel with earnest eyes.
“Yes, I will turn you into beautiful Cinderella.”
The angel embraced Hailey with her big wings, then her bed she was sitting on disappeared.
‘What? Where am I?’
Hailey felt a hard, cold floor, which made her stand up. She looked around.
The ceiling with spider webs, round windows, a fireplace . . . Hailey covered her mouth with her two hands. She was in Cinderella’s room in the fairy tale. She got up on her feet, looked around the room slowly, and stood in front of the mirror on the wall.
“Wow, I am Cinderella! I can’t believe this!”
So excited, she jumped up and down. The burnt mark on her left cheek was gone. She was so pretty, even prettier than the Cinderella from the fairy tale. She was over the moon. Although she was in shaggy clothes, she couldn’t stop smiling because she was so
happy. It was right then!
Boom boom!
“Cinderella! Cinderella! Are you still sleeping? Come downstairs right now and fix something for breakfast!”
It was the stepmom’s voice.
“Yes, Mom! I’m coming.”
Hailey who became Cinderella quickly went downstairs to the kitchen. But she had no idea what to do and how to do. While she was floundering, she heard a furious voice from behind her.
“What are you doing now? There’s nothing you do properly. Bring me bread and soup. Quick! And clean the house!”
It was the second oldest sister in the fairy tale.
All day, she cleaned, did laundry, and did the dishes. Hailey was tired, but she was still okay because she was happy about her pretty face and she knew that she would be going to an amazing party soon.
Hailey was spending many exhausting days. Then one day, she heard a conversation between her stepmom and her two sisters on the first floor.
“(Laughing) I heard that the prince will be looking for someone to be his bride at the upcoming party.”
Hailey imagined herself wearing a beautiful dress and marrying the handsome prince in the big magnificent palace. Hailey was so happy. It felt like her heart was going to burst open. Hailey pricked up her ears and kept listening to her stepmom and sisters’ conversation.
“Really? I deserve to be the prince’s bride!”
said the second oldest sister with confidence, looking at herself in a fancy dress reflected in the mirror.
“What are you talking about? I am the one who deserves to be the prince’s bride!”
“Of course! Both of my daughters deserve to be the prince’s bride! You will be the most beautiful brides in the world!”
“Ha ha ha.”
The stepmom and the older sisters’ laughter filled the house. While listening to their conversation, Hailey suddenly became sad. It was because the stepmom said that her daughters were pretty. The words stayed on her mind.
The prettiest princess in the mom’s eyes . . .
Hailey had forgotten about her mom. Suddenly she missed her so much.
‘That’s right. Mom!’
Hailey had not been thinking of her mom. Feeling so excited that she was going to be a beautiful princess, she completely forgot about her mom. Hailey fell into a deep thought. Her mom always hugged her, telling her that she was so pretty and that she loved her so much. But she was not here.
‘What if I miss Mom so much? She is not here . . .’
Hailey became sad. No matter how pretty she was now, and even if she lived in the beautiful palace, her mom wouldn’t be with her. Since that day, Hailey cried, missing her mom every night. But whenever morning came, she said to herself,
‘Well! I’ve already become Cinderella. Let me forget about Mom for now. Snow White and Cinderella all lived happily ever after although they didn’t have moms. I will be happy, too.’
Hailey missed her mom, but she was more eager to become a princess. nce will be looking for someone to be his bride at the upcoming party.”
To be continued.