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　　The wife of a rich man was ill. When she felt that her end was near, she called her only daughter and said, “Dear child, be good, God will protect you.”Then she closed her eyes. Every day the girl went to her mother’s grave, and cried. She followed her mother’s words, and tried to be good.

　　god n. 上帝

　　protect v. 保护

　　grave n. 坟墓

　　A year later, the man married another woman. She brought her two daughters into the house. They were beautiful, but unkind. Then the bad time for the poor step-child began.

　　marry v. 和......结婚

　　step-child n. 继(子)女

　　They took her pretty clothes away, put old clothes on her, and gave her wooden shoes. She had to do hard work from morning till night. In the evening when she had finished work she had no bed, so she had to sleep by the hearth on the cinders. She looked dirty, and they called her Cinderella.

　　wooden adj. 木制的

　　from morning till night 从早到晚

　　hearth n. 炉边

　　cinder n. 灰烬

　　One day the father was going to the market. He asked his two step-daughters what they wanted. “Beautiful dresses,”said one. “Jewels,” said the second. “And you, Cinderella,” asked he,“what do you want?”“Father, break off a twig for me on your way home.”

　　step-daughter n. 继女

　　jewel n. 宝石

　　break off 折断

　　twig n. 嫩枝

　　So he bought beautiful dresses and jewels for the two step-daughters. On his way home, when he was riding through a green bush, a twig knocked off his hat. Then he broke it off. After he had reached home he gave his step-daughters the beautiful things, and to Cinderella he gave the twig from the bush.

　　bush n. 灌木丛

　　knock off 碰掉

　　Cinderella went to her mother’s grave and planted the twig on it. She wept, and her tears fell on the twig. It soon became a tree. After that Cinderella often sat under it, wept and prayed. A little white bird always came on the tree. If Cinderella made a wish, it would help her realize her wish.

　　weep v. 哭泣

　　pray v. 祈祷

　　make a wish许愿

　　realize v. 实现

　　The king would hold a three-day feast in his palace. All the beautiful young girls were invited, and his son would choose a bride from them. When the two step-sisters heard the news, they were quite glad. Cinderella wanted to go too, so she begged her step-mother.

　　feast n. 欢宴

　　bride n. 新娘

　　step-sister n. 异父姊妹

　　beg v. 乞求