Once upon a time, there was a beautiful young girl called Cinderella who lived happily in the countryside of Moscow with her Father, Stepmother and two Stepsisters.
A picnic celebration was arranged for Cinderella’s birthday and a handsome young Prince and his family attended.
Cinderella’s Father, Count Serbrenska, gave Cinderella a beautiful shawl as a birthday gift, but her Stepsisters decided to play a game with it and accidently threw it on to the other side of the bridge, across the river.
Cinderella was heartbroken. There were hunters in the field across the river and it was too dangerous to cross the bridge. Seeing how upset his daughter was, Count Serbrenska crossed the bridge to retrieve the shawl when suddenly there was a loud BANG …and he fell to the floor.
Cinderella’s Stepmother was filled with sadness at the death of her husband and blamed Cinderella for his death. She told Cinderella that she was now a servant for the family and must stay downstairs in the kitchen and work.
Time passed and Cinderella grew into a young woman and alone in the kitchen became lonlier and lonlier.
She went to the winter market to run errands for her Stepmother and was amazed by the stilt walkers and talented acrobats.
And a magician who, with a POP, a ZAP and a SWOOSH, performed exciting magic tricks to the crowd.
Cinderella then saw the Prince for the first time since they were children, but as she was just a servant girl, he no longer recognised the poor woman she had become.
When Cinderella returned home she learned that she had been invited to the Winter Ball at the palace with her Stepsisters and Stepmother.
RIP! RIP! RIP! Cinderella’s Stepmother tore her invitation in front of her then told her she could not go to the ball and must stay at home.
Cinderella’s Stepmother and Stepsisters left for the winter ball in beautiful dresses, leaving Cinderella alone in the kitchen with all her jobs to do.
Sat lonely in the kitchen Cinderella heard... KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! It was the Magician from the market shivering in the dark and she invited him in.
The Magician, moved by Cinderella’s kindness, insisted, “You will go to the ball!”
Pop! He used his magic to create an invitation Zap! And a sparkling ball gown Swoosh! And a beautiful sleigh, which took Cinderella, under a starlit sky, to the winter ball.
People from across the country came to the Ball in their finest clothes and danced beautifully.
Cinderella arrived at the ball, her dress shimmering like ice.
The Prince asked her to dance and they fell in love at once.
As the magic wore off and before her Stepmother could reveal who she really was, Cinderella ran home leaving behind her crystal slipper.
The Prince searched high and low for Cinderella and visited her home where he found out she was only a servant.
Feeling fooled and embarrassed that he could have fallen in love with her, he became angry and left.
Cinderella was heartbroken and sad and for the first time she stood up to her Stepmother and left.
She went to say goodbye to the Prince but he begged her to stay. He apologised for his actions and finally told Cinderella she was his true love.
The snow began to fall as the Prince and Cinderella kissed.
And they lived happily ever after.