The story revolves around a young woman who marries an older man with two daughters from a previous marriage. The stepmother and stepsisters are cruel to the protagonist, forcing her to do all the household chores. One day, the king invites all the maidens in the land to come to his castle so that he can choose a bride for his son. The stepmother and stepsisters prepare themselves for the occasion, but the protagonist is not allowed to participate. The protagonist's fairy godmother helps her get ready for the ball by transforming a pumpkin into a carriage, mice into horses, and a rat into a coachman. At the ball, the protagonist dances with the prince, but she has to leave before midnight when the magic wears off. The next day, the stepsisters try to fit their feet into the glass slipper that the prince found at the ball, but it doesn't fit either of them. The protagonist's foot fits perfectly, and she is identified as the mystery woman from the night before.
By Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm · First published 1819 · Genre: Fairy Tale, Comedy, Folklore