Original Size — Medium-Size
At once—although strange you may fancy the change,
And think I am drawing a bow at long range-
The pumpkin (of that as cock-sure as a bantam I’m)
Turned to a coach like a trick in a pantomime.
Then the worthy old fay touched her niece’s array—
Rags and tatters all vanished at once quite away,
And, lo! in their lieu, she appeared to the view
In a ball-dress of fashion the newest of new!
She’d such lovely jewels-
The thought of them cruel’s!-
Not at Hancock’s, or Ryder’s, or H. Emmanuel’s,
Or the shops of some forty more-
(Say Storr and Mortimore,
Hunt and Roskell, or any besides of the many
Where on things of the sort you may spend a nice penny)-
* No! But at the Adelphi some folks “I ’ve heard tell on”
Are often quite carried away by a Mellon.
Could you ever procure such pearls, diamonds, and top az:
I very much doubt if their equal the Pope has;
Though there are (so I’ve read in a newspaper par.) a
Good many gems in the papal tiara!
But what sort of shoes had the sweet Cinderella-
Polished leather, white satin, French kid, or prunella?
No! not one of those hid her dear little toes.
She wore—can’t you guess?—now what do you suppose?—
She wore—come, you know what she had pour ses souliers?—
She wore—as A. Ward would remark, ’t was “pekoolier”—
She wore, to be brief, then, a pair of glass slippers,
And what vulgar rapture calls “regular clippers!”
“And now,” said her aunt, “your sisters may flaunt,
And fancy they ’ll catch the young Prince—but they shan’t!
There’s one thing, however, I’m anxious to mention-
And I beg you will give to my words your attention:
If you stop at the ball till the hours that are small,
Your jewels and finery’ll vanish—that’s all!
So when twelve’s drawing near be careful, my dear,
And to get away safely take five minutes clear.
Yes; at five minutes to, pray take your adieu,
Or something may happen you ’ll long have to rue!”
Cinderella, quite charmed with her gorgeous array,
Scarce had patience to hear what her aunt had to say,
But the moment she seemed to be making an end to it,
Kissed her, and promised she’d strictly attend to it!
Cinderella steps into her carriage and eight,
Tantara-tantara-ta!
With coachman, and footmen, and pages of state,
She is driven away to the Prince’s grand gate.
Tantara-tantara-ta!
Oh, didn’t they think she was somebody great!
Tantara-tantara-ta!
The Prince’s Lord Chamberlain rushed to the door,
Tantara-tantara-ta!
And bowed very low that fair lady before,
While retainers and guards crowded round by the score,
Tantara-tantara-ta!
And even the solemn old porter said, “Lor!”
Tantara-tantara-ta!
The Prince, when he heard all the hubbub and din,
Tantara-tantara-ta!
Came down the grand staircase, and held out his fin
To the fair Cinderella, and welcomed her in,
Tantara-tantara-ta!
And a very sweet smile was so blest as to win.
Tantara-tantara-ta!
He leads her to the ball-room. As they enter,
At once all eyes on Cinderella centre.
Each noble of the land, well-born or grand,
Desires the honour of her tiny hand.
The women all are on the hooks styled tenter
To learn who she can be,
Though “really they can’t see”-
Like female jealousy there’s no fermenter
For turning tempers naturally placid
Into a bitterly corrosive acid-
“What all the men could find in her to praise-
They’d ne’er met one more plain in all their days.
Her clothes were fine,
And did with jewels shine,
But then, you know, they’d probably been lent her.”
What need to enlarge?—It appears woman’s duty
To differ from us upon questions of beauty.