With a Foot on the Pumpkin Carriage

Cast -
Ella (Cinderella): Kathrina Griebel
Fairy Godmother: Niizuma Yae


Act One

Once upon a time, there was a kind hearted girl named Ella who was born into a happy family.

She grew up in a wealthy household, receiving all her parents' love and affection, but that happiness did not last long.

She lost her beloved mother to illness, and then her father remarried. The new mother and her two daughters cast a dark shadow over her life. The stepmother and stepsisters pretended to be good while the father was around, but once the father passed away, they showed their true nature.

The house quickly became a prison-like place for Ella.

The stepmother took away Ella's fancy dresses and made her wear rags instead, working her like a servant.

From early morning until late at night, Ella was kept busy preparing meals, doing laundry, cleaning, and raking out the ashes from the fireplace-her face and hands were always black with soot and dust.

Because of her appearance, the two stepsisters began to mockingly call her 'Cinderella' (ash girl).

However, no matter how hard her days were, Cinderella's heart never lost its beauty.

Her only allies were the mice and little birds living in the mansion. Cinderella communicated with them in her heart, sang for them, made little clothes for them, and nurtured a modest but genuine friendship.


Act Two

One day, a lavish invitation arrived from the castle.

It was an announcement that the young prince who ruled the land was holding a grand ball to choose a bride.

The invitation was sent to all unmarried young women throughout the land, and of course it also arrived at Cinderella's house.

The stepmother and two stepsisters were overjoyed at the possibility of becoming the prince's bride, and for weeks beforehand, they devoted themselves to preparing new dresses and shoes, and arranging their hair beautifully.

Cinderella also asked if she could go to the ball, but the stepmother coldly told her, "Do you think you can go to the ball looking so filthy?" and furthermore piled on so much work that it would be impossible to finish before the ball.

In despair, Cinderella quietly shed tears in a corner of the garden that night after she had finished one round of work.

Then, the mice and birds who knew her kindness gathered scraps of fabric and beads that the stepsisters had thrown away and made her a dress.

However, on the day of the ball, when the stepsisters saw Cinderella wearing that dress, they became angry that it looked shabby compared to their own outfits, and cruelly tore the dress to shreds.

In that moment, Cinderella's hope was completely crushed, and she collapsed in tears in the garden.


Act Three

Hearing Cinderella's sobbing, a woman appeared before her with a radiant light.

It was a fairy godmother, drawn by Cinderella's pure heart.

The fairy godmother waved her wand while chanting a spell.

Then the pumpkin in the garden emitted a dazzling light and transformed into a magnificent golden carriage.

Furthermore, the fairy godmother transformed the mice into fine horses to pull the pumpkin carriage.

And when the fairy godmother's wand touched Cinderella's tattered clothes, they changed into a light blue dress so beautiful it seemed not of this world, as if studded with stars from the heavens.

Finally, at her feet, a pair of shining glass slippers gently appeared.

The fairy godmother warned Cinderella, "The magic will break at the stroke of midnight. You must return home by then," and sent her off to the ball.

When Cinderella arrived at the castle, everyone gasped in awe at her beauty.

The prince, too, was captivated by her appearance, and no one else entered his field of vision.

The two enjoyed dancing throughout the night and talked with each other. For Cinderella, it was the first time in her life she experienced such a dreamlike, blissful time.

However, the pleasant time passed in an instant, and the clock began to strike twelve.

Panicked that the magic would break, Cinderella ran down the castle stairs without even time to bid the prince farewell.

At that moment, one of her glass slippers came off midway down the stairs, but Cinderella couldn't even stop to pick it up and left the castle.


Act Four

The prince resolved to "find that girl from that night" and, using the remaining glass slipper as a clue, set out on a journey throughout the land to have every young woman try on the shoe.

His servants went from house to house, and finally arrived at Cinderella's home. The stepmother locked Cinderella in the attic room and explained to the servants that there were only two daughters in this house-the stepsisters.

The stepsisters insisted that they were the prince's partner and desperately struggled to somehow squeeze their large feet into the small glass slipper, but of course it wouldn't fit.

Meanwhile, in the attic room, Cinderella's friends the mice picked the lock and freed her.

Just as the servants were about to give up and leave, they noticed Cinderella coming down the stairs.

"May I...try it too?"

Cinderella whispered timidly. The stepmother and stepsisters mocked her, but the servants, following protocol, offered her the glass slipper.

When Cinderella put her foot into the shoe, it fit perfectly, as if it had been made for her from the very beginning. Then the mice brought the other glass slipper.

The servants were convinced that she was indeed the girl the prince had been searching for.

The stepmother and stepsisters turned red and pale with shock and frustration, but their lies and the cruel treatment they had inflicted on Cinderella were exposed, and they were banished from the country.

Cinderella was welcomed to the castle and married the prince happily. Thus Cinderella was finally freed from her cruel family and lived happily ever after.


Kathrina Griebel
Heh heh...

Niizuma Yae
Kathrina-san, great work! Hmm? What are you looking at on your phone?

Kathrina Griebel
Good work. I got an email from Mona-san, and I was reading it.

Kathrina Griebel
She's saying the performance this time was wonderful. She even said such lovely things like wishing she could be right there on stage with me...

Niizuma Yae
That's wonderful, Kathrina-san!

Kathrina Griebel
I really need to thank you for all of this, Niizuma. Thank you so much, Niizuma.

Niizuma Yae
Eh? Me...you mean?

Kathrina Griebel
Yes, before the opening performance...you helped ease my tension when I was all stiff, remember? That really helped me a lot.

Niizuma Yae
Heh heh♪ I had fun too! I'm glad I could help you, Kathrina-san!

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Pub: 05 Nov 2025 21:31 UTC

Edit: 06 Nov 2025 18:25 UTC

Views: 9