Drizella by Kristi
Gill
It’s just not fair. I’m really not as dreadful as everyone thinks I am. Just
because my mother always bought me nice clothes, I’ve never really done any
housework, and I’ve never really gotten along with my stepsister, everybody
calls me wicked. Everybody thinks of me as one of Cinderella’s wicked
stepsisters. That’s completely wrong! Let me guess, you’re probably on Cinderella’s side too, poor,
hard-working, mistreated Cinderella. That’s not right either. In fact, I bet you
have the whole story wrong. Let me help you, I know what really
happened...
When my sister Anastasia and I were six years old, our mother married a man with
a daughter who was also six years old. It was a long time ago, and I don’t
remember much about him, except that he died about two weeks after we moved
in. Anastasia and I loved to play with dolls and play dress up. Cinderella
loved to run around outside and get dirty. So you can see why we didn’t grow up
being the best of friends. She was very good with her chores. She tried
showing us how to help her, but she always said that we were doing things wrong
and that she would just do them herself.
She always wore ragged clothes because she never really cared about what she
looked like. I told her to try on one of my dresses so I could see what she
looked like with a little color in her wardrobe. While she was wearing it, she
started playing with the dog outside and got it all dirty and ripped a hole in
it when she tripped over a root. Mother made her wash it and sew up the hole.
But I decided that was the last time I was going to help her if that’s all the
thanks I was going to get.
Once we had grown up, you would think that things would have gotten
better. All Cinderella did when she wasn’t doing chores was talk to mice
and birds and sing to herself. By this point, I was convinced that she was a
little crazy. She never went anywhere.
“Cinderella, why don’t you dust off your skirt and go to town for a while, maybe
try to make a friend or two?” I asked her one day as she was vigorously
scrubbing the kitchen floor.
“There is too much work to do around here,” she sighed. “And if I don’t do it,
it won’t get done.”
She was right. Mother wouldn’t scrub a floor and Anastasia probably wouldn’t
either. She is always worried about breaking a nail. And if I even tried to
scrub a floor, Cinderella would tell me that I was doing it wrong. I can just
hear it now...
“Drizella, can’t you do anything right? You’re supposed to scrub
counterclockwise. And at this rate, it will take you all
night!”
So, Mother, Anastasia, and I go into town on a regular basis. We make friends
with the other upper class families in town and buy nice things while Cinderella
stays at home all alone. At least I have a life...
The next afternoon, as Anastasia and I were having our daily music lesson,
Cinderella stormed in and interrupted. This better be good, I thought. I
absolutely hate it when I’m interrupted in the middle of singing a song. Its so
rude!
“The mail just arrived! There is going to be a ball at the palace for the Prince
tonight! He requests that every eligible maiden in the kingdom be present,”
Cinderella exclaimed.
My heart began to race. The Prince wants every eligible maiden at his ball? That
means he is looking for a wife! I started to daydream. The Prince is so
handsome! We would have beautiful children with my big green eyes and his dark
hair....
Suddenly I snapped out of my daydream. What was I going to wear?? I looked at
Anastasia and could tell she was thinking the very same thing. We dashed off to
town as quickly as our carriage could take us to buy beautiful new gowns to
impress the Prince. The excitement was growing within me. This was the most
important night of my life! Tonight, the Prince could choose me to be his
bride!
As we were on our way out the door to the carriage that night, Cinderella came
hurrying down the stairs.
“Wait for me! I’m coming too!” she shouted. I had never seen Cinderella
dressed up before. She was wearing a beautiful, flowing pink gown with a string
of pearls around her neck. Something about her outfit seemed very
familiar.
“Have you finished your chores?” Mother asked her with a
smirk.
“Yes, they’re all done. Shall we be going?”
“You just wait right there! You little thief! That’s my sash!” cried Anastasia.
That’s when I realized what was so familiar. Cinderella was wearing my pearls!
And those bows on her dress were mine too!
“How dare you! You stole our things while we were gone! Those are my pearls and
my bows!” I accused.
“But this was all in my room when I finished my chores. I didn’t steal
anything!” Cinderella claimed.
“Oh sure, my girls just gave you their belongings and don’t remember it then,”
Mother added.
Anastasia and I were so upset that Cinderella had stolen from us. I guess our
tempers got the better of us, but we started snatching all the thing that were
ours from Cinderella. Soon, she was in rags again.
We left in a huff. We were almost late for the ball, all because of Cinderella.
Every time I got anywhere near the Prince, some other girl came up and started
dancing with him. That’s fine, I thought to myself. I have
plenty of time to dance with him before the night is over.
Suddenly, a mysterious girl appeared that no one recognized. As soon as the
Prince noticed her entering the ballroom, he immediately made his way toward
her. Soon he was dancing with the beautiful girl, who wore a shiny silver dress
and glass slippers. A few minutes, later they disappeared and no one saw the
Prince until about an hour later as he chased the girl across the ballroom. He
didn’t catch up with her before she got away, but one of her shoes fell off as
she ran.
Well, you know what happened the next day. The Duke came to our house with
the shoe and informed us that he had to try it on every maiden of the house
under orders from the King.