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Updated: May 14, 2025
"Allow me to introduce my family," said Polly; "this noisy little chap the boys named Nicodemus; and this dozy cat is called Ashputtel, because the joy of her life is to get among the cinders. Now, take off your things, and let me do the honors, for you are to stop to tea, and the carriage is to come for you at eight. I arranged it with your mother while you were upstairs."
But they did not know her, and thought it must be some strange princess, she looked so fine and beautiful in her rich clothes; and they never once thought of Ashputtel, taking it for granted that she was safe at home in the dirt.
And when they came back into the kitchen, there lay Ashputtel among the ashes; for she had slipped down on the other side of the tree, and carried her beautiful clothes back to the bird at the hazel-tree, and then put on her little grey frock.
'This is not the true bride, said he to the father; 'have you no other daughters? 'No, said he; 'there is only a little dirty Ashputtel here, the child of my first wife; I am sure she cannot be the bride. The prince told him to send her.
Then he took her for his bride, and set her beside him on his horse, and rode away with her homewards. But on their way home they had to pass by the hazel-tree that Ashputtel had planted; and on the branch sat a little dove singing: 'Back again! back again! look to the shoe! The shoe is too small, and not made for you!
Now when all were gone, and nobody left at home, Ashputtel went sorrowfully and sat down under the hazel-tree, and cried out: 'Shake, shake, hazel-tree, Gold and silver over me! Then her friend the bird flew out of the tree, and brought a gold and silver dress for her, and slippers of spangled silk; and she put them on, and followed her sisters to the feast.
'You, Ashputtel! said she; 'you who have nothing to wear, no clothes at all, and who cannot even dance you want to go to the ball? And when she kept on begging, she said at last, to get rid of her, 'I will throw this dishful of peas into the ash-heap, and if in two hours' time you have picked them all out, you shall go to the feast too.
The next day when the feast was again held, and her father, mother, and sisters were gone, Ashputtel went to the hazel-tree, and said: 'Shake, shake, hazel-tree, Gold and silver over me! And the bird came and brought a still finer dress than the one she had worn the day before.
Then the king's son lost sight of her, and could not find out where she was gone, but waited till her father came home, and said to him, 'The unknown lady who danced with me has slipped away, and I think she must have sprung into the pear-tree. The father thought to himself, 'Can it be Ashputtel? So he had an axe brought; and they cut down the tree, but found no one upon it.
Then he waited till her father came home, and told him that the unknown maiden, who had been at the feast, had hid herself in the pigeon-house. But when they had broken open the door they found no one within; and as they came back into the house, Ashputtel was lying, as she always did, in her dirty frock by the ashes, and her dim little lamp was burning in the chimney.
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