Cinderella's Prince

Cinderella's Prince by Marian Isabel Hurrell

Cinderella's Prince opens at Berryland Hall, where the four Snowden children — twins Kenneth and Rupert, Gertie, and little Marcia — learn from Nurse that Rose Cottage next door has been let to Mrs. Russell, an old lady once wealthy but reduced by a bank failure, and her granddaughter Ella, whose father, Gordon Russell, is away trying to make his fortune in Africa. Kenneth meets Ella in the garden, nicknames her "Cinderella" because she is sprinkling cinders on the icy path, and learns she dreams of her father as her "Prince" who will restore their fortunes. Ella slips and breaks her arm; Kenneth fetches Dr. Soames, and the incident opens a friendship between the households, though Mrs. Russell remains proud and standoffish. Soon after, Rupert defies Kenneth's warning and takes Gertie and Marcia sliding on the unsafe Barwell's pond. Marcia falls through the ice; Kenneth and his Newfoundland, Bruno, rescue her, and Dr. Soames tends her back to health. Mrs. Snowden invites Ella to visit during Marcia's recovery, cementing the children's friendship despite Gertie's jealousy. Mrs. Snowden's brother, naval doctor Phil Carteret, arrives unexpectedly from South Africa and reveals that Ella's father once saved his life and Bert Crofton's from drowning. Moved by this, Carteret anonymously sends Ella a parcel of clothing as her "Fairy Godmother," and arranges through Sir James Crofton (Bert's father) for Ella's school fees at Farley House to be paid. At school, Gertie steals answers using an Arithmetic Key and hides it in Ella's desk to avoid discovery, and Ella is wrongly accused of cheating by Miss Merton. Ella bears the blame patiently despite her grandmother's disappointment, while Gertie is tormented by guilt. Meanwhile Rupert disobeys school rules to buy Marcia a monkey, named Jenny, for her birthday, and is punished; a schoolmate's slip reveals to Rupert and Kenneth that Gertie was the real culprit in the Key incident. Gertie finally breaks down and confesses before the class, and Ella publicly forgives her; Dorothy Grey also admits her own cheating. Mrs. Snowden guides Gertie toward seeking God's forgiveness as well as everyone else's. At Marcia's birthday party, the monkey Jenny causes chaos, including pulling off the cook Mary's false hairpiece. Later, Marcia finds Jenny apparently dying of "homesickness" (per the spiteful cook's suggestion) and, with Ella's help — Ella having broken a promise to her grandmother to stay home — carries the monkey back to the gipsy encampment at Farley. While they are away, Rose Cottage burns down; Ella blames herself for neglecting Molly's washing by the fire. Mrs. Russell collapses with shock but is relieved to find Ella safe, though she is deeply displeased at Ella's disobedience. A letter from Gordon Russell in South Africa is lost in the fire, and news arrives that Sir James Crofton has died, throwing Ella's school fees into doubt. Mrs. Russell and Ella move to lodgings, and Ella nurses her ailing grandmother, eventually winning her forgiveness. Mrs. Snowden comforts Ella with a legend about birds whose burdens become wings, encouraging her to bear her troubles patiently. She then arranges a birthday party for Ella at the Hall, inviting Mrs. Russell and Dr. Carteret. In London, Dr. Carteret unexpectedly encounters Gordon Russell, now wealthy through a South African inheritance and unaware his letter home was destroyed. Carteret persuades him to come to the Hall as a surprise. At the party, during a charade acted out on the word "Cinderella," Kenneth engineers a surprise: instead of himself, Ella's father fits the slipper on her foot as the "Prince," and father and daughter are joyfully reunited, ending Ella's days of poverty and trouble.

By Marian Isabel Hurrell · First published 1910 · Genre: Children's Literature, Fairy Tale Retelling, Moral/Ethical Fiction · 12 chapters · 21,369 words

First lines

"ROSE COTTAGE is let at last!"

"How do you know?"

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children's fiction · fairy tale retelling · Cinderella · Victorian · morality tale · social class · poverty · friendship · family · orphan · England · benevolence

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Cinderella's Prince is listed on Textopian as a novella by Marian Isabel Hurrell, dated 1910 CE.

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