Once upon a time, there was a girl named Ashley. Ashley had seven sisters and ten brothers. Ashley's family lived in two small, ugly cabins very deep in a very ugly swamp. It was the most horrible place in the world to Ashley because she had to do the chores all by herself. Ashley dreaded coming back after dusk because Ashley's father would yell at her and her mother would beat and bash her with a wooden cooking spoon. Sometimes she would come out of a cabin dressed in scars of black and blue. Then she would go into the other cabin and try to go to sleep, but every time she rolled over it kept her awake.
One day Ashley walked into town. Ashley walked by the library, the super market, and past the book store. Then she came to the Pasta Shop. Ashley went in. Ashley had $20.51. She saw five other customers. One of them was buying bread. Three were looking at noodles. The other one was looking at the cars passing by. Ashley went into the kitchen where the owner was. The owner knew her well. She asked him if he had any Signegior bread, pasta noodles, and bread sauce. The Signegiar bread and the pasta noodles cost $5.15 altogether. Now Ashley had $15.36. Then she jogged out of the pasta shop because if she missed getting into the butcher's shop before it closed, then her mother would beat her with a cooking spoon.
She ran to the butcher shop just in time to buy some meat. Ashley went into the butcher's shop. She got some meatloaf, lard, beef, pork, and bacon that cost $3.10 Now she had $12.26. Then she went back to the road and on to the super market. She found the carrots and ice cream. She picked up 36 carrots and 3 gallons of ice cream. The Ashley went to the cashier and paid for the carrots and the ice cream. That cost $4.32.
After that she went to the library. She ran up to the librarian, Mrs. Van Sicklen, and gave Mrs. Van Sicklen her book. Then Ashley went to the cooking section. She found three books. One was by Syd Hoff. The other two were by Victoria Chess. They were Ashley's favorite cookbooks. She had gotten them out over 35 times. She thought that she would get them again just once. Then Ashley went to Mrs. Van Sicklen and stamped the three books.
Ashley walked slowly home with her load. When she got home it was almost dusk. Her mother took the carrots and beef. Then she told her to fetch a bucket of water for stew. Ashley went out to the well and drew up a bucket of water. She looked into it. A strange thing happened. Ashley stared. She heard her mother bustling in the kitchen. She looked into the bucket again and saw amethysts, gold, silver, and rubies. Ashley filled her pocket with the amethysts, gold, silver and rubies. In the bottom she found five strands of pearls that were 10 feet long. She hid the pearls behind a rock. then she filled the bucket with water again and took it to her mother. Then she went to bed.
When everyone was asleep she crept outside. She packed a small bag for the trip. Then Ashley ran away. She tried to stop but her legs kept saying RUN! RUN! RUN! Get away! Then suddenly a fairy appeared in front of her. The fairy said, "Do not run anymore I have something to tell you. I shall make a path that your family cannot follow. It is called the butterfly path. The butterfly path is marked with green letters.''
''Were does the butterfly path lead?'' Ashley asked quietly.
''It goes to a small town named Camiare. It was a Roman City when I was your age. Now, you need to be on your way,'' the fairy told Ashley.
Ashley started to run. Soon she came to a small village . She knew it was Camiare. Ashley picked a small cottage to live in. It had three rooms. She picked the biggest room for the kitchen, the middle sized room for the living room, and the smallest room for the bed room. After Ashley moved in, she lived happily ever after.
Cinderella Page