by Lindsay Baxter

Once upon a time, a young woman named Cinderella lived with her evil stepmother and three stepsisters. Everyday Cinderella was forced to sweep the floors, iron the clothes, wash the dishes and perform many other tiresome tasks. At night she slept in the chimney corner, thus earning her name from the "cinders."

One day an invitation arrived in the mail requesting the presence of Cinderella's stepsisters at a ball to be held at the King's palace. The stepsisters could talk of nothing else until the day of the ball and argued over who would win the heart of the handsome young prince. Cinderella wanted nothing more than to attend the ball, but instead labored to ready her stepsisters.

After the stepsisters had left, Cinderella sat in her chimney corner weeping, when suddenly a flash of silver light appeared and a kindly old woman stood before her. "Cinderella, I am your fairy godmother. You hardly look ready for a ball my dear!" proclaimed the woman. With a sweep of her wand, the fairy godmother outfitted Cinderella with a stunning gown and glass slippers. "But I cannot walk to the ball!" said Cinderella. Another flash of the wand produced a carriage out of an old pumpkin and six white stallions from six dirty mice. "Go and have fun, my dear," said the fairy godmother, "but you must return home by the stroke of midnight for that is when this magic ends."

With a quick thank-you and a grateful smile, Cinderella jumped in her carriage and left for the ball. As she walked up the stairs to the palace ballroom, she thought her heart would pound out of her chest. When she entered, all eyes turned to her. She was the most beautiful woman in the room, and all the men hastened to get her a glass of punch and take her cloak. Suddenly a handsome young man approached and asked her to dance. "Who are you?" asked Cinderella. The young man was the prince, but poor Cinderella, having never left her basement corner did not know this. They danced the whole evening, causing every other woman to be green with envy.

"Dong! Dong! Dong!" rang the huge clock. "Oh no! It's turning midnight!" thought Cinderella. She had forgotten the time and did not want the prince to see her returned to rags, so she ran from the ballroom down the stairs and to her carriage. "Wait! I need to know your name!" shouted her handsome prince, but Cinderella kept running. As the clock struck midnight, her glamorous gown and carriage disappeared. Her night of magic was over.

A few days later a knock sounded at the door. Cinderella opened it to see the prince and a servant. They were making all the women in the county try on a glass slipper, for whomever it fit was the true love of the prince. When neither of the stepsisters could squeeze their large feet into the petite shoe they cried "What shall happen to us without a man! We will be spinster women without a good husband and useless!" Then Cinderella tried the slipper on for size and it fit! "I will make you my wife and you will never have to work again," promised the good prince. The prince and Cinderella married and lived happily for a year. Cinderella was bored with her life as a housewife. "I am smart and capable, why must I sit around and drink tea and let servants do all my work?" thought Cinderella miserably. Just when she thought she would be trapped in this palace forever, she read of a school to train doctors and medical assistants, but it only accepted men. She began dressing as a boy and tucking her hair in a hat in order to secretly attend this school. This masquerade continued for a few years, when Cinderella was given her degree to be a doctor who specialized in helping children.

Upon graduating, Cinderella threw off her hat and proclaimed, "See! I am a woman! Women can be a doctors also!" The story of a princess dressing like a man and attending school brought scandal to their county, but the medical professors all agreed Cinderella had been a stellar student and deserved her degree as much as any man.

One night by the fire the prince asked Cinderella "Why have you disgraced us like this? Did I not provide you with a good enough life here in the palace?" Cinderella pleaded with him to understand her position. "Can't you see that as much as I love you, I am capable of doing more than being a wife? I want to help people and make a difference and use all of my talents! Women deserve a chance to participate in life!" Something about the passion in Cinderella's voice made the prince finally understand, and he issued a royal proclamation that he supported the actions of his wife. That county became the first to have a queen who was also a doctor, but soon more women began working as teachers, doctors, blacksmiths and nurses.