The Story Traveller Read Free Page B

unwelcoming. As Lucy passed through them she shivered, for the air suddenly became much colder, and she was in two minds whether to turn back. Then she heard a sweet voice singing. The lovely sound cut through the bleakness of the rundown building like a dancing moonbeam and gave Lucy courage. She followed the sound round to the back, which was even darker and more depressing than the front, and where the forest had begun to encroach on the once well kept gardens. There Lucy spotted a flickering candle light in a small window, in what must have been the basement of the house. She carefully walked down the flight of damp stone steps and at the bottom found a wooden door that hadn’t seen a coat of paint for many years. But it was definitely the right place, for now the singing was crystal clear and quite heartbreaking.
    Not sure if Cinderella would be alone, Lucy carefully covered herself with her cloak and knocked gently on the door. The singing stopped at once and there was a short silence. Lucy knocked again. The door opened a little. A beautiful face peered through the gap. Lucy could see the bluest of blue eyes and the fairest of fair hair. It was definitely Cinderella.
    â€˜Who’s there?’ Cinders whispered nervously. ‘Is anyone there?’ Lucy quickly slipped off her hood and stretched out her hand to the frightened girl.
    â€˜Hello,’ she said simply. ‘I’m Lucy. I’ve come a long way to meet you Cinderella. May I come in?’ she added quickly, as Cinderella began to shut the door, at the same time, looking behind her nervously.
    â€˜I’d love to ask you in,’ she whispered. ‘But my stepmother doesn’t allow me any visitors.’
    â€˜Don’t worry,’ Lucy grinned. ‘I’ve my cloak of invisibility with me.’ Cinderella showed no surprise at such a comment. ‘Phew!’ thought Lucy. ‘If I’d said that at school I’d have caused, at worst amusement, at best surprise. But then I suppose magic is normal in Storyland!’
    Cinderella opened the door wider and Lucy stepped in and gave her the bunch of flowers.
    â€˜For me?’ Cinderella flushed with joy at the kind thought.
    â€˜Of course!’
    â€˜I did go out to pick some today, but I met this old woman, who was looking for firewood and…’
    â€˜And you collected the firewood for her instead!’
    â€˜How did you know that?’ Cinderella looked surprised. ‘Because you are such a kind person that’s the sort of thing you would do. Did the old woman have a grey cloak and a gnarled walking stick?’
    â€˜Why yes! You met her too?’
    Lucy smiled, as she remembered the pretty, upright lady she had been interviewed by.
    â€˜You could say so!’
    â€˜I felt sorry for her,’ Cinderella said. ‘She looked so weary.’
    Not wanting to break any of the rules, Lucy suddenly asked:
    â€˜Do you think I could have a drink of water?’
    Cinderella rushed over to the table and poured some water into a beaker, which she handed to Lucy. All the time she continued to look behind her at the door. Lucy thanked her and sipped slowly, in order to give Cinderella time to relax. The poor girl was torn between her usual kindness and her fear of being punished for inviting a stranger into the house.
    Suddenly, a shrill voice screamed out:
    â€˜Cinderella, where are you, you lazy good for nothing?’ Cinderella looked at Lucy with horror and then a slight smile reached her lips, as Lucy pulled the hood over her head and disappeared.
    The door crashed open. A tall, pompous woman with black hair and matching coal black eyes, strode in, followed by two crimped, simpering girls. All three were overdressed in what they obviously thought was the height of fashion, completely unaware that, rather than fashionable, they looked ridiculous.
    Their display of bad taste contrasted strongly with the threadbare dress that Cinders wore. Lucy