Cinderella Junior Novelization (8 page)

G
us and Jaq finally made it to the top of the first staircase. They were now in the hallway to Lady Tremaine's and the sisters' bedrooms. Poor little Gus could hardly walk. He was so tired. But Jaq was on a mission, and he moved even more quickly than before. He had to get Cinderella out of her room before the Grand Duke left! Jaq and Gus crawled under the door to the next floor and slid the key along with them.

Gus looked up and saw another great big staircase. Cinderella slept high in the attic tower, and the mice had a long way to go. Gus pointed and shook his head. He didn't think he could go any farther. He fainted at the mere sight of all the stairs. Jaq lifted him up and pulled on his hair to open his eyes, then slapped his chin to wake him and patted his back for encouragement. Gus snapped out of it and regained some strength. Still dragging the key, the mice continued up the steps one by one.

Meanwhile, Cinderella was crying in her room. She was leaning against the door when she heard little voices. She looked through the keyhole and saw Gus and Jaq coming up the stairs.

“We're coming, Cinderelly!” said Jaq to himself to as he pulled the key up the last step. Gus and Jaq finally made it to the top. They pushed the key toward Cinderella's door.

Jaq slid under the door first. Gus was right behind him, pushing the key.

“You got the key!” said Cinderella excitedly. “How did you ever manage…?”

Suddenly, there was a dark shadow over Gus. Then came a big crash. Cinderella gasped. It was Lucifer! He had slammed a giant bowl down on top of Gus—and Gus had the key!

“Lucifer!” yelled Cinderella. “Let him go! Please let him go!” Through the keyhole, she saw Lucifer holding the bowl over Gus. She begged the cat to release her friend. The other mice watched from holes in the wall. They wanted to help but didn't know how.

Jaq slid back under the door to confront Lucifer. Jaq was mad! He rolled up his sleeves and yelled, “Let him go! Let him out!” He ran toward Lucifer and grabbed on to his swinging tail. Lucifer swung his tail ferociously, but Jaq managed to hang on. He spread the fur on a piece of Lucifer's tail and bit him—hard!

Lucifer screeched in pain and jumped into the air, leaving the bowl on the ground. Jaq tried to move the bowl before Lucifer landed, but he wasn't quick enough. Lucifer landed on the floor, causing the bowl to bounce in the air—and release Gus! Gus tried to run with the key, but the bowl landed right back on top of him! Lucifer jumped onto the bowl and held it between his paws. The mean old cat smirked as he clutched his prize.

The other mice couldn't sit back and watch from the walls anymore. A couple of them grabbed forks that were hidden in the walls and charged Lucifer. It was no use. Lucifer hit the ends of the forks with his paw and flipped the mice into the air, smashing them against the wall.

A few other mice lit a candle and rolled it toward Lucifer on a spindle. Lucifer turned around and took a deep breath. He blew out the flame inches from his face. He laughed proudly.

Suddenly, Lucifer was hit on the head from above. Two birds had dropped plates and a pot on him. The plates broke as they crashed to the floor. Lucifer leaped up, trying to claw at the birds. But the birds kept dropping plates on his head.

Once again, Gus had a chance to escape. The bowl bounced off him in all the commotion. He looked around and saw that the coast was clear. He started to run away but realized he'd forgotten the key. He turned back to get it, but before he could escape, Lucifer smashed the bowl on top of him again.

In her room, Cinderella listened to the ruckus outside her door. She had an idea. “Quick, get Bruno!” she shouted through the keyhole.

Two little birds heard Cinderella's request and went flying out the window to get Bruno in the barnyard. Bruno was asleep on the ground outside the stable. The birds hovered over him, chirping as loudly as they could. They were trying to tell him that Cinderella needed his help. Bruno didn't budge. They tugged on his long, floppy ears and he just rolled his eyes. The horse in the stable knew something was wrong. He let out a huge whinny.

It scared Bruno and he jumped up. Then he finally paid attention to the chirping birds. He followed them toward the house, running as fast as he could.

I
n the parlor, the fitting continued. Drizella screamed at the assistant as he tried to squeeze the slipper onto her foot.

“I'll do it myself!” she yelled. “Get away from me. I'll make it fit.” She hit him on the head with her own shoe and kicked him away. He fell to the ground in a daze. She took the slipper and shoved it onto her foot. Her foot was nearly bent in half, but she managed to squeeze into the tiny glass slipper.

“There!” she said, holding up her foot crammed into the shoe.

“It fits!” declared Lady Tremaine with her eyes open wide.

“It fits?” echoed the Grand Duke, standing up from his chair for a closer look.

Everyone stared at Drizella's foot. Within seconds, her big foot popped out of the tiny slipper and the slipper went flying into the air.

The Duke gasped. He and his assistant jumped and ran to catch the slipper before it crashed to the ground. They didn't see each other and collided. The Duke fell on top of the assistant, stretched out his arm, and caught the glass slipper on one finger. He let out a huge sigh of relief.

“Oh, Your Grace, I'm dreadfully sorry,” said Lady Tremaine. “It shan't happen again.”

“Precisely, madam!” replied the Duke angrily.

Bruno made his way into the house and ran toward Cinderella's room. When he reached the top of the stairs to the attic, he saw Lucifer hovering over a bowl. He growled angrily and Lucifer hissed and screeched in fear.

All the cat's hairs stood up on his body. He backed up against Cinderella's door, clawing and hissing. He abandoned the bowl with Gus underneath.

Bruno lunged toward the cat and Lucifer jumped on top of the window ledge to get away. Bruno leaped up to reach the ledge, trying to bite him. Lucifer had no place to go but down. He jumped out the window to get away from the angry dog.

Jaq and three other mice ran over to the bowl and lifted it off Gus. Gus held the key tightly with his eyes closed. Jaq tried to pull Gus off the key, but Gus just wouldn't budge. He held on with all his might. Jaq tapped on his head and called his name. Gus shook his head no with his eyes still shut.

Jaq tugged on his tail so hard that he finally let go of the key. He opened his eyes and smiled. He was so glad to see Jaq and not Lucifer. Jaq picked up the heavy key and Gus helped him slide it under Cinderella's door.

T
he Grand Duke was ready to leave. He stood in the doorway of the house with one final question.

“You are the only ladies of the household…I hope…I presume?” he asked.

“There's no one else, Your Grace,” replied Lady Tremaine confidently.

“Quite so,” he said. “Good day!” He put his hat on, turned away, and headed down the outside stairs.

Suddenly, there was the sound of a young lady's voice. She was on the landing at the top of the inside staircase.

“Your Grace!” the girl called. It was Cinderella! “Please wait! May I try it on?”

Lady Tremaine, Anastasia, and Drizella looked up at Cinderella in shock—their jaws had dropped and their eyes were wide. How had she ever managed to escape?

The Duke turned back around and smiled. He removed his hat and looked through his monocle. He saw a beautiful young girl running down the stairs. He happily walked back into the house.

“Pay no attention to her,” said Lady Tremaine. “It's only Cinderella, our scullery maid,” said one sister. “It's ridiculous, it's impossible, she's out of her mind!” yelled the other sister. “Yes, yes, just an imaginative child,” said Lady Tremaine. She walked toward the Duke with her back to the stairway. She tried to block Cinderella's path and stop the Duke from getting any closer to her. But she couldn't.

“Madam,” began the Duke. “My orders were every maiden.” He continued toward Cinderella, moving Lady Tremaine to the side. His smile was warm. Lady Tremaine's eyes were cold with fear. The Grand Duke walked over to the bottom step and took Cinderella by the hand. “Come, my child,” he said, guiding her to a chair.

The Grand Duke then waved for his assistant, who excitedly stood in the doorway. He held the plush purple pillow with the glass slipper on top. He nodded and ran toward Cinderella happily.

Lady Tremaine had her eyes on Cinderella and the Duke, and then on the assistant and the glass slipper. She had to think fast. The wicked stepmother smiled deviously. Lightning quick, she stuck out her cane and tripped the assistant. He fell flat on his face, still holding the pillow with the slipper on it. When the pillow hit the ground, the glass slipper went flying into the air. It hit the floor right at the feet of Cinderella and the Duke—and shattered into a million pieces.

The Duke was devastated. He kneeled down, trying to pick up the shards. He had to put the pieces back together—he had to fix that glass slipper!

“Oh, no!” he yelled. He slid to the floor, banging his hands on his head. “Oh, no, this is terrible!” Then his mood changed. He became quite nervous. “The King! What will he say?”

Lady Tremaine smiled smugly. She was proud of herself. Cinderella would never have the chance to try on the glass slipper, and she would never find happiness. The Duke was still panicking. He sat on his knees and thought about the King's reaction. “What will he do?” asked the Duke, grabbing his throat.

“Perhaps…this would help,” said Cinderella, reaching into her pocket.

“No, no, nothing can help now,” cried the Duke, still sifting through the broken glass. “Nothing!”

“But, you see, I have the other slipper!” said Cinderella. She held the glass slipper up in the air. Lady Tremaine gasped.

The Duke grinned from ear to ear. His fingers shook with excitement. He took the slipper from Cinderella and kissed it repeatedly. He held it up in the air and watched it sparkle.

Jaq, Gus, and the other mice and birds had seen everything from the landing of the staircase. They jumped with joy, dancing and cheering.

The Grand Duke delicately placed the glass slipper on Cinderella's foot.

It didn't just fit—it fit perfectly, and it sparkled more brightly than ever before.