Ella nearly laughed out loud. Her fairy godmother? "But you can't be."

The beggar woman looked genuinely surprised. "Why not?"

"Because they don't exist," Ella replied. "They're just made up. For children."

"Now, you know that's not true," the woman replied. "Didn't your own mother tell you she believed in them? And don't say no, because I heard her."

"You heard her?" Ella repeated.

Ignoring the young girl's disbelief , Ella's fairy godmother, for that was truly who she was (it must be clear to you now, my loyal reader), began to look around the garden. "We really ought to get started if you're to make it to the palace in time."

"In time for what?" Ella asked.

"The ball, child. The prince's ball."

Ella sighed. Fairy godmother or not, there was no way she could go to the ball. "Look at this dress," she said, holding up the frayed ends of the pink gown. "It'll take me days to mend it, and it won't be marvelous then. And how would I get there? Even if I had something to wear? The coach has left and—"

The woman cut her off. "Oh, fiddle-faddle!" Then she paused. "First things first. Let me slip into something more comfortable."

As Ella watched, the beggar woman lifted her walking stick into the air. It suddenly transformed from an old gnarled piece of wood into a thin silver wand. Then she began to wave the wand, causing a coil of silver glitter to descend over her head. When the glitter cleared, the beggar woman was gone, and in her place was a beautiful woman with light hair that hung about her face in tight curls.

The dark tattered cloak she had worn had been replaced with a white gown that sparkled in the moonlight. (Truly a spectacular transformation, if I do say so myself! I can't even begin to tell you how itchy those beggar clothes can be. I've never been fond of burlap.) "That's better," the Fairy Godmother said when the transformation was complete. "Now, where was I?"

Ella didn't know how it was possible or why the woman had chosen this night to appear, but she couldn't deny it any longer: the woman was most definitely magical.

"Perhaps we should begin with the carriage," the Fairy Godmother was saying. "To be honest, I hadn't really thought about it, although I can't imagine why not. Let's see. . ." Spinning around, she looked over the garden. In the center, the fountain gurgled, while a greenhouse stood nearby, the strong smell of earth and flowers coming from inside. "What we need is something that sort of says ‘coach.' "

As her fairy godmother began to wander about, Ella followed. "That tub?" she suggested, pointing to an old claw-footed tub that was now used as a bird feeder. Her fairy godmother shook her head. "That barrel?" Again, her fairy godmother shook her head.

"I'm thinking fruits and vegetables," the woman said. "Do you grow watermelons?"

This time it was Ella's turn to shake her head.

"Cantaloupes?"

Again, Ella shook her head.

"Let me see," her fairy godmother said, racking her brain. "What about a pumpkin?" she finally suggested.

Ella's eyes lit up. "We do have pumpkins!" she said excitedly. "Here." Quickly she led her fairy godmother into the greenhouse. Inside, a whole row of pumpkins grew.

Clapping her hands in delight, Ella's fairy godmother began to inspect the pumpkins one by one. Several were far too small, others not quite ripe. Finally, she found one that seemed perfect. She tried to pick it up. But it was a rather large pumpkin and it didn't budge. "Never mind. We'll do it here."

"Do what here?" Ella asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" her fairy godmother asked, wiping dirt off her hands. "Turn the pumpkin into a carriage!"

"Oh," Ella replied, as though this were something that happened to her all the time. She looked at the pumpkin and waited for the magical transformation. And then she waited some more. Finally, she snuck a glance at her fairy godmother. The woman's eyes were closed in concentration. Feeling Ella's gaze upon her, she opened one eye.

"Don't hurry me," she said. "I just wish I'd remembered you'd have to get there. . ."

(Side note: I should have brought a cantaloupe. They really are much easier to transform. Pumpkins can be so stubborn.)

"Shall I turn around?"

"It might be better . . ." her fairy godmother began. But then she shook her head. "Oh, for heaven's sake. Let's just have a go." Pointing her wand at the pumpkin, she mumbled a few words, and a cloud of stardust blew out over the pumpkin. Then, as Ella watched in amazement, the pumpkin began to grow.

And it continued to grow. And it grew even more. It kept on growing until its sides pressed against the greenhouse's glass walls so hard that they shattered, sending glass and wood flying.

"Is that what you meant to do?" Ella asked.

"Do you think it's what I meant to do?"

Ella struggled to find something positive to say. After all, she didn't want to hurt her fairy godmother's feelings. "Well, it's much bigger. Well done."

"No need to patronize me, my dear," her fairy godmother retorted. Then, as if to prove her mettle, she waved her wand in the air once more.

Ella let out a gasp as, in front of her eyes, the pumpkin once again began to transform. This time, it became the most beautiful carriage she had ever seen. Fragments of the broken greenhouse became its windows, the sides grew ornate decorations, and on top of the carriage, the pumpkin's stem became an immaculate roof.

Satisfied, Ella's fairy godmother began looking around the garden. "Now where are those mice?" she said. Spotting Jacqueline, Gus, and their children hiding under a nearby bush, she smiled kindly. "What do you think?" she asked them. "Will you help her?"

The mice poked their noses out from under the bush. Their whiskers wiggled up and down. The Fairy Godmother was pleased. "They said yes," she said.

"They can talk?" Ella asked, the night growing stranger still. True, her mother had told her animals could talk and listen. And true, she had spent many a lonely night telling the mice of her dreams and hardships, but she hadn't really thought they could understand her.

"Oh, certainly," her fairy godmother replied. "And they are very good listeners, too. They have told me all about you." Then, focusing her attention, she lifted her wand. In one smooth motion, she passed it over the family of mice.

As Ella watched in awe, the mice began to transform. Their faces and legs grew longer. Their haunches became more muscular and their thin tails were replaced by long hair.

Within moments, the mice were gone, and in their place stood four beautiful horses. Jacqueline had turned a fine white and gray, while Gus was midnight black. Their children, Jacob and Esau, were a stunning combination of the two.

The majestic creatures walked to the carriage and took their places in front. On her way, Jacqueline stopped and affectionately lowered her head toward Ella. Smiling, Ella patted the mare's silky mane.

With the horses and carriage taken care of, it was time to find the coachman and the footmen who would care for the horses while Ella was inside the palace. Once more her fairy godmother turned to the garden for inspiration. Two lizards became the footmen, and a goose became the coachman. When that was finished, the Fairy Godmother clapped her hands together. "Now, everyone into place. There's no time to be lost." As the coachman clambered up to his seat and one of the footmen opened the carriage door, Ella hung back. "What now, my dear?" the Fairy Godmother said. "I don't want to hurry you, but . . ."

Ella wrung her hands nervously. Her fairy godmother had already done so much. But… "My dress," she finally said. "I can't go in this dress."

"What's wrong with it?" her fairy godmother asked, tilting her head and looking over the gown.

"Well, it's in pieces," Ella replied, lifting a tattered shoulder."Do you think you can mend it?"

"I'll turn it into something new."

Ella began to shake her head vehemently . "No, no!" she cried. "This was my mother's, and I'd like to wear it when I go to the palace. It's almost, well, it's almost like taking her with me."

Her fairy godmother thought about it for a moment. "Very well. But she won't mind if we gee it up a bit?"

Before Ella could say a word, her fairy godmother waved her magic wand. Stardust surrounded Ella, and for a moment, she couldn't see through the mist. When it finally cleared, Ella stood in the most beautiful dress in the history of dresses. (Oh, my dear, it really was. And I'm not just saying it because I made it!)

True to her word, Ella's fairy godmother had kept elements of her mother's dress but enhanced it. The color had changed from soft pink to sky blue. The skirt filled out and now swirled around her as she moved, and the sleeves fell slightly off her shoulders, decorated with delicate butterflies. With another wave of the wand, fireflies descended and settled into Ella's hair, around her neck, and on her ears. Where they had landed, they transformed into dazzling diamonds that sparkled as they caught the moonlight. Ella was stunning.

"It is at the palace, after all," the Fairy Godmother said when she saw the astonished look on her goddaughter's face. "We might as well do things properly if we're going to do them at all. Now, off you go."

Shooting a grateful smile at her fairy godmother, Ella lifted the hem of her dress and headed toward the carriage.

"Just a moment," her fairy godmother called out, halting Ella mid-step. "Are those the best you have?"

Following her godmother's gaze, she saw that the woman was looking at her shoes. They were, Ella had to admit, a bit worn. But they were all she had, and her dress would cover them all evening, anyway. There was no need for new ones.

Her fairy godmother disagreed. "You really never do know when a little thing like shoes will matter a great deal," she said. She raised her wand, pursing her lips. "Let's have something new for a change. Then you can keep them as a memento."

As Ella took off her old shoes and placed them by the back door, her fairy godmother waved her wand one last time. There was a sparkle of magic, and then sitting there on the green lawn was a pair of beautiful glass slippers. Ella let out a gasp.

"You'll be surprised how comfortable they are," her fairy godmother commented.

(In all the years before and all the years since, I have never crafted something quite as special as those shoes. Given the important role they played later, I'm rather glad I did. But I am getting ahead of myself. You will see just how important they were very soon.)

Gingerly, Ella slipped first one foot, then the other into her new shoes. They fit like gloves.

Her fairy godmother nodded. "Now, I really must insist you go and quickly . . ." Her voice trailed off as she saw a look of worry cross over Ella's face. "What is it now?"

"My stepmother and the girls," she said softly. "Won't they humiliate me and have me thrown out if they can?" Up until that moment, she had been too caught up in the magic of it all to think about it. But she knew her stepfamily all too well. They would never stand her presence at the ball.

Her fairy godmother smiled. "I can't think why," she said. "You're invited as much as they are. But never fear. Remember, there's none so blind as those who will not see."

Ella cocked her head. "You mean they won't believe it's me, dressed as I am?"

"I mean I will make sure they don't know you, which I think I can do."

Ella nodded, reassured. As she took a seat on the comfortable bench inside the carriage, her fairy godmother peered through the window. "Ella, remember this: the magic will only last so long. With the echo of the last bell at the last stroke of midnight, the spell will be broken— and all will be as it was before."

"Midnight?" Ella smiled. Just moments earlier, she'd thought she wouldn't be going to the ball at all. "That will be more than enough time!"

Without further ado, the coachman gave the signal and they were off. Ella took a deep breath and leaned back. The carriage was the most elegant one she had ever been in, every inch designed to sparkle and enchant.

As the horses' hooves clopped on the road, Ella looked out at the passing countryside. A full moon hung high in the sky, its light illuminating the roofs of houses and turning the green grasses silver. At that moment, Ella felt as if she were someone else. Someone who had never known sadness and loss. Someone who had always loved and been loved in return. At that moment, she felt like anything was possible.

瑞拉差点笑出声来。她的仙女教母？“可你不可能是。”

乞丐婆婆看起来很惊讶：“为什么不可能？”

“因为根本没有仙女教母，”瑞拉回答，“她们是编出来哄小孩的。”

“好了，你知道那不是真的。”老婆婆回答道。“你母亲没告诉过你她相信仙女教母吗？别否认，我亲耳听她说过。”

“你听她说过？”瑞拉重复道。

尽管瑞拉还是满腹怀疑，她的仙女教母——她确实是瑞拉的仙女教母(忠实的读者，这一点你应该很清楚了)——开始环顾整个花园。“你想要及时赶到王宫的话，我们必须马上开始。”

“及时去干什么？”瑞拉问。

“去参加舞会，孩子，王子的舞会。”

瑞拉叹了口气。不管她是不是仙女教母，瑞拉都没办法去参加舞会。“看看这件衣服，”说着她抓起自己粉红色礼服被撕碎的下摆。“要补好它得需要好几天，而且就算补好了也不漂亮了。再说就算我有衣服穿，我怎么去王宫呢？马车已经走了……”

老婆婆打断了她：“噢，小事一桩。”她停了一下然后说道：“先做要紧的事情。让我先换身舒服的衣服吧。”

瑞拉看着乞丐婆婆把拐杖举到空中。突然，这根粗糙的木棍变成了一根细细的银魔杖。老婆婆挥舞着魔杖，一个耀眼的银色的光环降落到她的头上方。光环消失的时候，乞丐婆婆不见了，她刚才站的地方出现了一个长着浅色卷发的漂亮女人。

她穿的那件破烂的黑斗篷变成了一件白色的礼服，在月光下闪闪发光。(如果非要我说的话，这确实是惊人的变化！我都不想提穿着乞丐的衣服身上有多痒。我向来不喜欢粗麻布。)“好多了，”仙女教母变身完后说道，“我说到哪儿了？”

瑞拉不知道她是如何变化的，也不知道为什么这个女人选择在今晚出现，但是她现在再也不能否认这一点：这个女人一定会魔法。

“也许我们该从马车开始。”仙女教母说，“说实话，我还没考虑过，虽然我不知道为什么没想过。让我想想……”她转来转去，看着花园。花园的中间，喷泉在汩汩流淌，旁边是一个温室，里面传来土地和鲜花浓浓的香味。“我们需要的是一种大概叫作‘四轮马车’的东西。”

瑞拉跟着仙女教母走来走去。“那个浴缸？”她指着一个带脚的旧浴缸建议道，那浴缸现在被用来喂鸟。仙女教母摇了摇头。“那个木桶？”仙女教母又摇了摇头。

“我想用水果和蔬菜，”仙女教母说，“这园子里种西瓜了吗？”

这次轮到瑞拉摇头了。

“甜瓜呢？”

瑞拉又摇了摇头。

“我想想，”仙女教母说，她绞尽脑汁地想着。“南瓜呢？”她最后提示道。

瑞拉的眼睛一亮。“我们确实有南瓜！”她兴奋地说，“在这儿。”她连忙把仙女教母领进了温室，里面长着一排南瓜。

仙女教母高兴地拍着手，开始一个一个地查看这些南瓜。有几个太小了，还有一些不熟。终于，她找到一个看似非常完美的南瓜。她想把它拿起来。但是南瓜太大了，竟然一点儿都搬不动。“没关系，就在这里吧。”

“在这里干什么？”瑞拉问。

“不是很明显吗？”仙女教母擦着手上的泥土问道。“把南瓜变成一辆马车！”

“噢，”瑞拉回答道，仿佛成天看到这种事一样。她盯着南瓜，等待着神奇的变化。她又等了一会儿。终于，她忍不住偷偷地看了仙女教母一眼。仙女教母那时正全神贯注地闭着眼睛。她感到瑞拉在看着自己，便睁开了一只眼睛。

“别催我，”她说，“真希望我记得你要坐车去那儿……”

(旁注：我真该带一只甜瓜来。它们变化起来容易得多，南瓜太不听使唤。)

“我要转过去吗？”

“那样可能会好一点……”仙女教母说。不过她又摇摇头：“哦，看在老天的分上，我们先试一下。”她用魔杖指着南瓜，念念有词地说了几句话，南瓜便发出一片神奇的光芒。接着，瑞拉惊奇地看着南瓜开始变大。

它长啊长啊，越长越大，直到把温室的玻璃墙都挤碎了，玻璃和木材四处飞溅。

“你想做的就是这个吗？”瑞拉问道。

“你觉得我想做的是这个吗？”

瑞拉极力想说两句好话。毕竟，她不愿意伤害仙女教母的感情。“嗯，它变得大多了，很棒。”

“你不用安慰我，亲爱的，”仙女教母回应道。接着，好像是要显示她的决心，她又一次在空中挥舞起魔杖。

瑞拉看到眼前的南瓜又开始变化，忍不住吸了一口气。这次，它变成一辆她见过的最漂亮的马车。温室的碎片变成了它的窗户，四周的墙变成了美丽的装饰，马车顶上，南瓜的茎变成了完美无瑕的车顶。

瑞拉的仙女教母非常满意，她四处看了一下，问道：“那几只老鼠呢？”她看到杰奎琳、葛斯还有它们的孩子们藏在附近的灌木下面，便和蔼地笑了。“你们怎么想？”她问道，“要不要帮帮她？”

老鼠从灌木下面伸出鼻子，一上一下地摇晃着胡须。仙女教母高兴地说：“它们说愿意。”

“它们会说话？”瑞拉问道，这个夜晚变得更加不可思议。尽管，母亲告诉过她动物会说话，也会倾听。尽管，在无数个孤独的夜晚，她向老鼠们倾诉过自己的梦想和艰难，但是她从没想到它们真的可以听懂。

“噢，当然。”仙女教母回答道，“它们也非常愿意倾听。它们告诉了我你所有的事情。”然后，她集中精神，举起了魔杖，在空中平滑地一挥，指向了老鼠一家。

瑞拉惊奇地看到，老鼠开始变化。它们的脸和腿变得越来越长，腰臀变得粗壮有力，细细的尾巴也变成了长长的毛。

不一会儿，老鼠不见了，四匹骏马站在那里。杰奎琳变成一匹灰白相间的马，葛斯变成了一匹乌黑的马，它们的孩子，雅各布和以扫，巧妙地混合了杰奎琳和葛斯的颜色。

四匹高头大马走到马车前面各司其职。走过瑞拉面前的时候，杰奎琳还停下来，深情地朝瑞拉低下了头。瑞拉笑着拍了拍她光滑的鬃毛。

马和马车变出来了，现在还要找一个车夫和随从，这样瑞拉在王宫里面的时候，有人可以照料马。仙女教母又一次在花园里搜寻起来。两只蜥蜴充当了随从，一只鹅变成了马车夫。一切就绪后，仙女教母双手一拍。“好了，大家各就各位。别浪费时间了。”马车夫笨拙地爬上马车坐好，一个随从打开了车门，瑞拉却犹豫不前。“又怎么了，亲爱的？”仙女教母说道，“我不想催你，可是……”

瑞拉紧张地搓着手。仙女教母已经为她做了这么多，可是……“我的裙子，”终于她说道，“我不能穿成这样去参加舞会。”

“裙子怎么了？”仙女教母问道，她歪着头打量着裙子。

“裙子撕破了，”瑞拉提起被撕碎的衣肩回答，“你能补好它吗？”

“我可以变一条新的。”

瑞拉急忙摇头。“不！不！”她大声说，“这是我母亲的，我想穿着它去王宫。就好像……嗯，就好像她陪着我一样。”

仙女教母考虑了一下：“很好。不过她不会介意我们把它变得更漂亮些吧？”

没等瑞拉回答，仙女教母挥舞起了魔杖。一片光芒笼罩了瑞拉，有那么一会儿，瑞拉什么也看不见。一切消失之后，瑞拉穿着一条史上最漂亮的裙子站在那里。(哦，亲爱的，确实是最漂亮的。可不是因为我变出来的我才这么说！)

和仙女教母说的一样，这条裙子保留了瑞拉母亲那条裙子的基本元素，但是比原来那条更漂亮。颜色从粉色变成了天蓝色。裙子现在撑了起来，一走路就绕着她旋转。袖子轻轻地垂在肩膀上，上面还点缀了别致的蝴蝶。仙女教母又挥动了魔杖，一群萤火虫落在瑞拉的头上、脖子上，还有耳边。落在瑞拉身上的萤火虫变成了耀眼的钻石，在月光下熠熠生辉。瑞拉惊呆了。

“毕竟，这是要去王宫。”看到瑞拉目瞪口呆的样子，仙女教母说。“事情要做就应该做得得体。好了，出发吧。”

瑞拉感激地朝仙女教母笑了一下，然后提起裙子的下摆，朝马车走去。

“等一下，”仙女教母叫住了正在迈步的瑞拉，“你没有更好的了吗？”

沿着仙女教母的目光，瑞拉看到她正盯着她的鞋子。瑞拉不得不承认，这鞋子是有些破旧。但是她没有别的鞋子了，再说整个晚上裙子都会把鞋子盖住，没有必要再穿新的了。

仙女教母没有同意。“你永远不知道像鞋子这样的细节有多么重要。”说着她举起魔杖，噘起嘴唇。“我们换一双新的，这样你也可以留作纪念。”

瑞拉脱下鞋子放在后门旁，仙女教母最后一次挥动魔杖。一阵神奇的光芒过后，草地上出现了一双美丽的水晶鞋。瑞拉吃惊得吸了一口气。

“它们舒服得让你吃惊。”仙女教母说。

(在那之前的好多年，以及以后的好多年，我都从来没做过那么特殊的鞋子。想到后来这双鞋起到的作用，我很高兴我那么做了。我好像有点透露后面发生的事情了。您很快就会发现这双鞋有多么重要。)

瑞拉小心翼翼地先穿上一只水晶鞋，又穿上另一只。它们非常合脚。

仙女教母点点头：“好了，现在得走了，快……”当她看到瑞拉脸上的那一丝忧虑后，她的声音顿住了：“又怎么了？”

“我继母和姐姐们，” 瑞拉低声说，“她们会不会羞辱我，再让人把我扔出来？”刚才她一直陶醉在仙女教母的魔法里，没顾上考虑这个问题。但是她太了解继母她们了。她们不会容忍瑞拉出现在舞会上的。

仙女教母笑着说：“怎么会呢？你和她们一样，是受到邀请的。但是千万别害怕。记住，视而不见的人才是真正的瞎子。”

瑞拉抬起头问：“你是说因为我穿成这样，她们不会相信是我吗？”

“我是说我会让她们认不出你，我觉得我可以做到。”

瑞拉放心地点点头。瑞拉坐在马车里舒服的座位上，仙女教母从车窗外看过来。“瑞拉，记住：魔法不会持续太长时间。午夜最后一次钟响敲击的回声消失时，魔法就会消失——一切都会恢复原样。”

“午夜？”瑞拉笑了。就在刚才，她还以为自己根本去不了舞会呢。“时间已经足够了！”

瑞拉说完，马车夫做了个手势，他们就出发了。瑞拉深吸了一口气，靠在座位上。这是她坐过的最精美的马车，每个细节都是那么闪耀迷人。

伴随着马蹄的得得声，瑞拉看着车窗外乡村的景色。一轮满月挂在天上，月光照亮了屋顶，让绿色的草地也变成了银色。那一刻，瑞拉觉得自己仿佛变成另一个人：一个从来不知道悲伤和失落的人；一个充满了爱，也备受爱护的人。那一刻，她觉得一切都是可能的。