The Star Dress
A long time ago, when the Monaco fritillaries were blooming, a young girl named Cendrillon gazed out the window of her hutte. She had woken up early to look at the dark night sky. It had no twinkling lights, just the soft glow of the moon. She sighed, rose from her bed, and started the long walk to the orange grove by the crisp blue sea. Here she would collect oranges all day long to make a special dessert for her father’s birthday. As the sun slowly rose over the sea, so did the people. All the servants and farmers walked to the orange grove where they too could collect oranges for meals.
One of the people who walked to the grove was a servant from the the leader’s hutte. He told the people that the son of the leader needed a wife, so they were going to hold a ball later that night. People started picking oranges as fast as they could so they could return to their homes and tell their families about the good news. Cendrillon, however, did not. She hung back from the crowd and sang sweet songs until midday. When she had collected the oranges she needed, she gathered her things and began the long trip home. There was no need for her to hurry, for she was the quickest weaver in the land. She had a secret stash of beautiful thread which she had been saving for a day like this to make a beautiful dress. But just as she was about to leave the grove, her wicked sister ran to her.
“You ignorant girl! Why did you not come running home to tell me that there was a ball tonight!” Malchanceux, her sister, yelled.
“ I had to finish collecting oranges for Père. I am going to fix him a birthday dessert” Cendrillon replied sweetly.
“ Because of your foolishness of not coming straight home to tell me to get a dress, I took all your thread and gave it to the weaver. I also wanted to tell you that you should get started on collecting oranges. ”
“ I have a giant basket right here,” Cendrillon protested
“ Well now you don’t,” Her sister snapped, Before Cendrillon could argue, Malchanceux grabbed the basket of the freshly picked oranges and threw them into the sea. She then turned on her heel and ran away leaving Cendrillon in the dirt.
For hours Cendrillon searched the foggy blue water for the oranges, with tears streaming down her face. However, when she sloshed out of the water she only returned with one mud covered orange and started her long journey back to her home with hope that she could piece together a special treat for her father.
On her way home, Cendrillon came across an elderly woman who looked helpless and alone.
“ Excuse me darling, do you think that you could give me one orange? I am very hungry and I fear that if I do not eat I will starve.”
Cendrillon looked at her muddy orange longingly. “My orange is muddy from being in the sea, but of course you can have it” she replied.
“ Oh, thank you!” the woman replied, taking the orange from Cendrillon’s hand. When she took a bite, the old woman transformed into a beautiful maiden. She then said:
“You gave your only orange to someone in need, even though it was meant for your Père, and for that I will be forever grateful. For your service I will give you four gifts.One is a beautiful dress and anklets for the ball; the second is a basket of oranges so you can bake something for your father; third and fourth gift will be revealed soon enough. Now go to the ball and be in your hutte by the time the full moon reaches the center of the sky because then your dress will disappear.” With that, the magic maiden spun her finger, turning Cendrillion’s rags into a perfect dress made with sparkling wool. Anklets appeared on her feet, and then the woman was gone.
Cendrillon ran to the ball and was warmly welcomed by everyone in the village, especially the leader’s son,Courageux. They danced all night long, and as the moon began to rise, they ran to a hill where they could look at the night sky. Before long, Cendrillon realized that the moon was almost in the middle of the sky.
“I have to go!” she said frantically.
“You can't leave now! I don’t even know your name!” he exclaimed, grabbing hold of her anklet. She wrangled her foot out of the anklet and ran to her home. Just as she touched the doorway of her hutte her dress changed back into rags, and when she walked in, all she saw was a huge basket of oranges in the middle of her hutte. Her anklet, her oranges, and her memory were the only things left from that special night.
The next day she woke up early yet again and made her famous pain d'orange for her father and left to go to the orange grove beach, where her misery had brought good luck. She sat on the crisp white sand and started to weave a blanket covered with memories of the night before. Little did she know that Courageux was going to every home in the village to see if the anklet fit on one of the maidens. When he reached Cendrillon’s hutte, Malchanceux answered the door. For an hour, Malchanceux tried to shove her giant foot into the anklet, and on the last try Malchanceux ripped the anklet into two. “Oh, no!” Courageux cried, “ Now how will I find the maiden?” From nowhere, the magic woman appeared. “Do not fret, for your maiden is on the orange grove beach, weaving memories of last night. You will find the other anklet on her foot.” Suddenly, the magic woman was gone.
Courageux quickly left the house and ran all the way to the beach ,where, just as the woman said, sat the maiden who danced with him the night before. When he reached her, he tapped her shoulder and asked for her name.
“My name is Cendrillon,” she replied.
Courageux whispered her name, got down on one knee, and asked for her hand in marriage. The next week they were married and the entire village celebrated. At the end of the ceremony, the magic woman brought Cendrillon the dress from the night of the ball.
“This is my final gift. Every time you look up to the night sky you will see the sparkles of this dress and remember the day you put others before yourself and the day you found true love.”
Thousands of years later, young people look to the star lit sky and wish for true love, just like Cendrillon.
One of the people who walked to the grove was a servant from the the leader’s hutte. He told the people that the son of the leader needed a wife, so they were going to hold a ball later that night. People started picking oranges as fast as they could so they could return to their homes and tell their families about the good news. Cendrillon, however, did not. She hung back from the crowd and sang sweet songs until midday. When she had collected the oranges she needed, she gathered her things and began the long trip home. There was no need for her to hurry, for she was the quickest weaver in the land. She had a secret stash of beautiful thread which she had been saving for a day like this to make a beautiful dress. But just as she was about to leave the grove, her wicked sister ran to her.
“You ignorant girl! Why did you not come running home to tell me that there was a ball tonight!” Malchanceux, her sister, yelled.
“ I had to finish collecting oranges for Père. I am going to fix him a birthday dessert” Cendrillon replied sweetly.
“ Because of your foolishness of not coming straight home to tell me to get a dress, I took all your thread and gave it to the weaver. I also wanted to tell you that you should get started on collecting oranges. ”
“ I have a giant basket right here,” Cendrillon protested
“ Well now you don’t,” Her sister snapped, Before Cendrillon could argue, Malchanceux grabbed the basket of the freshly picked oranges and threw them into the sea. She then turned on her heel and ran away leaving Cendrillon in the dirt.
For hours Cendrillon searched the foggy blue water for the oranges, with tears streaming down her face. However, when she sloshed out of the water she only returned with one mud covered orange and started her long journey back to her home with hope that she could piece together a special treat for her father.
On her way home, Cendrillon came across an elderly woman who looked helpless and alone.
“ Excuse me darling, do you think that you could give me one orange? I am very hungry and I fear that if I do not eat I will starve.”
Cendrillon looked at her muddy orange longingly. “My orange is muddy from being in the sea, but of course you can have it” she replied.
“ Oh, thank you!” the woman replied, taking the orange from Cendrillon’s hand. When she took a bite, the old woman transformed into a beautiful maiden. She then said:
“You gave your only orange to someone in need, even though it was meant for your Père, and for that I will be forever grateful. For your service I will give you four gifts.One is a beautiful dress and anklets for the ball; the second is a basket of oranges so you can bake something for your father; third and fourth gift will be revealed soon enough. Now go to the ball and be in your hutte by the time the full moon reaches the center of the sky because then your dress will disappear.” With that, the magic maiden spun her finger, turning Cendrillion’s rags into a perfect dress made with sparkling wool. Anklets appeared on her feet, and then the woman was gone.
Cendrillon ran to the ball and was warmly welcomed by everyone in the village, especially the leader’s son,Courageux. They danced all night long, and as the moon began to rise, they ran to a hill where they could look at the night sky. Before long, Cendrillon realized that the moon was almost in the middle of the sky.
“I have to go!” she said frantically.
“You can't leave now! I don’t even know your name!” he exclaimed, grabbing hold of her anklet. She wrangled her foot out of the anklet and ran to her home. Just as she touched the doorway of her hutte her dress changed back into rags, and when she walked in, all she saw was a huge basket of oranges in the middle of her hutte. Her anklet, her oranges, and her memory were the only things left from that special night.
The next day she woke up early yet again and made her famous pain d'orange for her father and left to go to the orange grove beach, where her misery had brought good luck. She sat on the crisp white sand and started to weave a blanket covered with memories of the night before. Little did she know that Courageux was going to every home in the village to see if the anklet fit on one of the maidens. When he reached Cendrillon’s hutte, Malchanceux answered the door. For an hour, Malchanceux tried to shove her giant foot into the anklet, and on the last try Malchanceux ripped the anklet into two. “Oh, no!” Courageux cried, “ Now how will I find the maiden?” From nowhere, the magic woman appeared. “Do not fret, for your maiden is on the orange grove beach, weaving memories of last night. You will find the other anklet on her foot.” Suddenly, the magic woman was gone.
Courageux quickly left the house and ran all the way to the beach ,where, just as the woman said, sat the maiden who danced with him the night before. When he reached her, he tapped her shoulder and asked for her name.
“My name is Cendrillon,” she replied.
Courageux whispered her name, got down on one knee, and asked for her hand in marriage. The next week they were married and the entire village celebrated. At the end of the ceremony, the magic woman brought Cendrillon the dress from the night of the ball.
“This is my final gift. Every time you look up to the night sky you will see the sparkles of this dress and remember the day you put others before yourself and the day you found true love.”
Thousands of years later, young people look to the star lit sky and wish for true love, just like Cendrillon.