Cinderella Takes the Stage Read online

  “Bruno,” Ella said as she stopped. “Wouldn’t you rather stay home and play in the garden? I won’t be gone long.”

  Bruno licked Ella’s hands and wagged his tail.

  Ella thought for a moment. “You’ve never been to the village before. You’ll have to stay out of trouble. But maybe you can help sniff out that pig and make sure he knows we’re his friends. Do you think you can do that?”

  Bruno yelped and wagged his tail harder.

  “All right, then. Come along, and keep your eyes and nose out for Claudio.”

  Ella and Bruno continued down the path. Bruno paused every few steps to enjoy a new scent. “I think you’ll like the village,” Ella said as they walked. “There are many things to smell, people to meet, and crumbs to eat. Just don’t get any ideas about making a mess.”

  They reached the first line of shops, and Ella tried not to feel nervous. She rarely went to the village alone, and she wasn’t sure where to begin. All she had was a description of a girl and a pig.

  Gathering her courage, she approached the first person she saw: a man selling fresh bread from his cart.

  “Excuse me, have you seen a girl with short, dark hair? Kind of dirty, wears a flour sack, and carries a pet pig?” As she spoke, Ella realized there couldn’t possibly be more than one person who fit that description.

  “Hmmm.” The man thought. “Girl, yes. Pig, no. Try the west side of the village. I believe she comes from that direction.”

  Ella gave a little curtsy. “Thank you.”

  She and Bruno headed west. As they went, she asked a few more people. Again, no one had seen Claudio, but they seemed familiar with the girl. One shopkeeper pointed Ella toward a large estate looming atop a small hill.

  Ella was sure he was mistaken. She couldn’t imagine the thief living in such a grand home. But with nothing else to go on, Ella and Bruno headed up the drive. As they approached the gate, Ella began quietly calling out, “Claudio! Claudio!”

  They were almost to the top of the hill. Bruno’s ears pricked up and his nose twitched. It seemed they were getting closer. “Claudio!” Ella cried a bit louder.

  Suddenly, the thief appeared in front of her. And before Ella knew it, she was being yanked off the drive.

  Ella had been pulled into a small room. Or not just a room. A one-room home. A shack, really. The thief stood in front of Ella, her face angry. Bruno nosed open the door and sauntered inside, heading for a bed against the wall.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” Ella asked the thief.

  “What am I doing? What do you think you’re doing?” the thief responded, hands on hips.

  “I was looking for Claudio,” Ella said. As she spoke his name, the little pig crawled out from under the bed. There was only one in the room, as well as a small stove, a modest table with two chairs, and curtains draped across a corner.

  That was it. Does someone really live here? Ella wondered.

  “Listen, you can’t go around shouting his name.” The thief picked up the pig, and he snuffled her cheek. She placed a hand over Claudio’s head, covering his ears. “My mother and I live here. We take care of all the animals on the property: pigs, sheep, cows, chickens. The master of the estate can’t know about Claudio.”

  “Why not? Did you steal him, too?” Ella asked, putting her hands on her hips.

  “Stealing isn’t always bad, you know.” The thief pressed her hands harder against the pig’s ears. “Claudio was born to a pair of the estate owner’s prized pigs. He was the tiniest runt any of us had ever seen. The instant Sir Edgard saw him, he ordered my mother to”—the girl shuddered—“dispose of him. Of course we couldn’t do that. So I took him. Sir Edgard can’t find out, or I don’t know what he’ll do.”

  Ella could not believe what she was hearing. Not just the story about Claudio, but the name: Sir Edgard. Ella was sure she’d heard it before. Then it dawned on her. “Why, Sir Edgard! The judge of the puppet contest? That Sir Edgard?”

  The girl narrowed her eyes at Ella. “The very one. I’m not even so sure he’s a sir. He certainly tells us to call him that, but I can’t imagine the good king making that awful man a sir.”

  “Oh, my.” Ella couldn’t stand to think that the man who had been cruel to Claudio would be the same person to judge her puppets. But what could she do about it? She handed the bag of grain to the girl. “Anyway. This is why I came. I wanted to make sure Claudio had enough to eat.”

  The girl looked at the gift. Claudio struggled in her arms to peek into the bag. “He does just fine. Claudio eats even before my mother and I do. But thank you anyway.”

  Ella shrugged and headed for the door. The girl called after her. “Wait. I’m sorry. I didn’t introduce myself. My name is Val, short for Valentine.”

  Ella turned. “You know, my name isn’t actually Cinderella. That was just a silly name you must have heard my mother call me. My real name is Ella.”

  Val waved her hand as if to dismiss what Ella said. “You really ought to stick with Cinderella, for the contest. You’re entering, right? I never go by Valentine, but that’s what I’m using for the contest. It’s a much better puppeteer name, and so is Cinderella. Mademoiselle Cinderella.”

  Ella was surprised. “You’re entering the contest?”

  Val set Claudio on the floor, along with the bag of grain. Bruno had been waiting at her feet for the pig and sniffed him hello. “Can I show you something?”

  “Of course.” Ella was curious.

  Val walked to the curtains hanging in the corner and pulled them to the side. A stack of crates was shoved against the wall, piled high with various puppets. Puppets like Ella had never seen before. Made from materials she had never seen before. Where Ella had been using fabric, thread, stuffing, and lace, Val’s puppets were made from all kinds of materials.

  “Your puppets—they’re glorious,” Ella could only whisper.

  “They’re getting there,” Val said. “Thank you, though. Once I win the contest, I plan to buy a goat with the gold coin.”

  “A goat?” Ella crinkled her nose. She thought it seemed like a strange prize.

  Val nodded, excited. “My mother has been saving to buy a farm out in the country. So we can get away from Sir Edgard once and for all. Of course, that’s a long way off, considering how little he pays her. He’s always finding reasons to dock her wages, too. A goat would be a good start. One animal of our own. Besides Claudio.”

  Ella had never thought about what it might be like to want to escape your home and start again somewhere new. But it made sense for Val. “Well, if you can finish them, you might have a good chance at winning.”

  Val sighed. “Yes. I wish I had more room to work. But I’ll get them done. I believe it.”

  Ella wanted to touch the puppets and examine them. She wanted to see how Val managed to sew leaves together when Ella couldn’t even attach a button. Then an idea formed in Ella’s mind. “Val, I have a proposal for you.”

  “You have a proposal for a thief?” Val smirked.

  “I think there’s a way we can help each other,” Ella said.

  “I’m listening, Cinderella.”

  Ella smiled. “I’m having a little…trouble working with my materials. Sewing anything, really. If you show me some of your tricks, I’d like to offer you space in my barn to work on your puppets. There’s plenty of room for both of us! And I promise I won’t copy your ideas, as long as you don’t copy mine.”

  Val chuckled. “I’ve got plenty of ideas. I won’t be taking yours.” She scratched her head, thinking. “It’s a deal!” she said, sticking out her hand.

  Ella shook Val’s hand, pleased with her own clever thinking. “Excellent. I’ll see you tomorrow morning, first thing.”

  “Claudio and I will be there!” Val said. Claudio didn’t look up from the food he was devouring.

  Ella and Bruno left the shack. Val’s puppets were going to be hard to beat. But Ella still believed her own puppets could win. Now that she
would have help, she was sure she was closer than ever to winning the gold coin. As they walked back through the village toward the chateau, she waved at the dress in the window that would soon be hers.

  The next morning, just after breakfast, Val arrived at the chateau, pulling a makeshift wagon. It was filled to the brim with puppet parts and other odds and ends. Ella couldn’t wait to see how Val would use the strange assortment of things.

  “Where do you want us?” Val asked, lifting Claudio out of the flour satchel on her shoulder. The pig ran into the barn as if he’d lived there for years. Bruno followed him, sniffing eagerly all the way.

  “Here.” Ella took the wagon handle from Val and walked inside, where she’d set up a table identical to her own.

  “Wow. There sure is a lot of space.” Val unloaded her cart, piling up pieces of wood, broken door handles, chain links, part of a horse blanket, flower petals, and more. Ella tried not to stare, but she was curious.

  “Oh!” Val jumped back, dropping the broken leather shoe she was unpacking. “Hello?”

  A furry brown head had popped up in the pile of Val’s supplies.

  “That’s just one of the barn mice,” Ella said. “They’re quite friendly!”

  The mouse scurried into the pile. “No problem, mouse,” Val said. “You may want to avoid this table. It could be dangerous if you dart over here while I’m hammering.”

  “Hammering?” Ella shook her head in amazement. She sat down at her own table and picked up the maiden puppet, which still looked like a potato. She squished the stuffed shape near the bottom. She hoped if she attacked it with a needle and thread, she might be able to form a neck. A neck that would lead to a head.

  After she’d jabbed the puppet a few times, she noticed that the clanking and scraping of Val’s unloading had stopped. Ella turned and startled. Val was right behind her, watching her hands.

  “I see your problem, Cinderella,” Val said, a smile forming on her face.

  “Am I completely hopeless?” Ella asked.

  Val shook her head and sat down. “You just need some basics.”

  Val showed Ella how to begin a stitch and how to knot it at the end. In no time, Val had a neat, strong seam forming a neck that looked like a neck. Then a head that looked like a head. Ella paid close attention.

  “How would you sew something like this?” Ella held up a piece of her favorite fabric, a shiny blue silk. Part of it was covered in holes where Ella had accidentally torn the fabric with her needle.

  “Well, that’s very delicate.” Val retrieved some things from her supplies and brought them to Ella. “Take this rose petal, for example. Not an easy thing to sew with that large metal needle. But this can keep it from tearing.” Val pulled a thin threaded pine needle through the rose petal, creating a few perfect stitches down the middle. “Try it!”

  “A pine needle!” Ella was shocked. Val was full of surprises.

  “Of course!” Val said. “You’d be surprised what makes itself available to you when you’re in need. I use all the tools at my disposal. Even if they don’t seem like tools at first.” Val smiled. She gave Ella a handful of pine needles and sat back down to her own puppets.

  “Now, where is the thread I wanted to use for this silk? It’s a lovely blue. It looks like a wisp of sky.” Ella searched through her things. Another barn mouse crept out from under some fabric. The spool of sky-blue thread was balanced on his head. “Why, thank you,” Ella told the mouse as she took the spool.

  Ella picked up one of the pine needles. She wasn’t sure how Val had made such a perfect hole for the thread. The mouse sat, watching Ella think. His eyes were bright and curious. “Any ideas?” Ella asked the mouse as she held the needle out for him to see. The mouse bit into the end of the pine needle and scurried away before Ella could react.

  She looked at the needle. The mouse’s tooth had made a tiny hole in the end—just the right size. Ella threaded the pine needle and poked it through the silk. She found that even when she tugged, the fabric stayed in one piece. “It’s working. You’re a genius, Val!”

  “I can’t disagree with you,” Val said.

  “Where did you learn all this?” Ella asked as she continued weaving the pine needle through the fabric. She was making what she hoped would be the maiden’s skirt.

  “My mother taught me ages ago. If she didn’t, I wouldn’t have any clothes to wear!” Val spoke between loud bangs as she beat a brick with a hammer.

  Ella couldn’t imagine what she was going to do with pieces of brick.

  “Sorry,” Val said. “Is this noise going to bother you?”

  Ella shook her head. “If you want, I really do have plenty of materials here. You’re welcome to use some of them.”

  “No, thanks.” Val returned to her brick. “They’re very pretty. But I think I have a style of my own going here. Now that I have room to actually swing my hammer.”

  Ella finished the hem of the skirt. The next step in her plan was a lace top. She began looking for a piece of lace, but stopped. Use all the tools at your disposal. “Excuse me, little mouse? Are you there?”

  The mouse curiously crawled out of the fabric pile.

  “Do you happen to know where the ivory lace is? I think I brought it in a couple of days ago,” Ella told the mouse, who darted back into the pile. He returned moments later, the lace in his teeth. Ella was delighted. “Why, thank you! Do you have a name?”

  The mouse stared at her, whiskers twitching.

  “I see. Well, let’s call you Leopold. Leo for short,” Ella said as she patted his head.

  The mouse bowed and ran back to the mound of materials, squeaking. Ella could have sworn that the squeak sounded just like the mouse had said, “Good day, Cinderella.”

  Ella turned to Val. “Did you hear that? I’m sure that mouse spoke to me. Have you ever heard a mouse speak?”

  “Hmm, I don’t think so.” Val shrugged. “Maybe a fairy charmed him.”

  The girls continued working for hours, pausing only for the soup Florence brought them for lunch. Val sewed and hammered and fastened. Ella sewed and cut and beaded.

  By the time the sun was low in the sky, Ella’s maiden puppet was nearly finished. The girls took a break for tea and biscuits brought out by Ella’s father. He didn’t say a word to interrupt. He just gave the two girls, Claudio, and Bruno pats on the head and a tip of his hat.

  “So, what would you do with the prize money, Mademoiselle Cinderella?” Val asked as she sipped her tea.

  “What will I do with the prize money, you mean?” Ella grinned.

  “I admit you’ve made a lot of progress. But I have a trick up my sleeve that will guarantee me the win,” Val said.

  “Oh, do you?” Ella took a sip of tea. “It’s not just about the gold coin for me. The Midsummer Festival is my favorite day of the year. There’s so much magic in the air. And the puppets are the best part—besides the bonfires, of course.” She paused. For some reason, she felt silly telling Val about the dress. “But the prize is a bonus. I’ve had my eye on a dress in the village. I guess that might seem less important than a goat.”

  Val’s eyes lit up. “Is it the gold-and-silver one? In the window of Madame Colette’s?”

  “Yes!” Ella was surprised. Val didn’t seem like the type to care about a dress. She could make such beautiful things herself.

  “It’s absolutely gorgeous. It would look stunning with your hair,” Val said.

  Ella blushed.

  Val continued. “I don’t think a dream of winning a dress is any less important than a dream of winning a goat. We should all get the chance, right? Our hearts don’t always need to want the same thing. As long as they want something.”

  Ella felt much better. Val understood. “Exactly,” Ella said.

  “I’m just sorry your dream won’t come true this year,” Val said with a smirk Ella now knew well.

  “Oh, you.” Ella threw a handful of hay at Val.

  “Thank you! This will m
ake fabulous puppet hair,” Val said, giggling.

  The girls finished their tea. Claudio and Bruno were fast asleep on the hay after a day of playing. Val scooped the sleeping Claudio into her bag, and held out her hand for Ella to shake. “Same time tomorrow?” Val asked.

  “Same time,” Ella said. She waved good- bye as Val and Claudio trotted down the path toward the village. Ella felt warm inside, and it wasn’t only from the tea.

  The next day, Val showed up again, as promised. And the day after that, and the day after that—and every day leading up to the festival.

  Val and Ella worked side by side. They talked about everything. Val told Ella about living with her mother on Sir Edgard’s estate. Val’s mother used to care for the animals with Val’s father, and each earned a salary. After Val’s father died, Val’s mother had to take on double the work—but Sir Edgard refused to give her double the pay. Val tried to help her mother whenever she could, but Sir Edgard felt he was so important that he wouldn’t speak to Val directly. He would pass orders to her through her mother, saying things like “Tell the child this” or “Tell the child that.”

  Val told Ella about what her future farm would look like: not too big and not too small. There would be some geese, a cow, some chickens, and Val’s goat, to start. Val talked about how peaceful the farm would be. She and her mother would feel so free. There would be no one like Sir Edgard to give them orders. The work they did would be only for themselves.

  In turn, Ella shared her dreams with Val. She told Val of her morning visits to the garden, looking for the fairies and gazing at the castle. How she pictured herself dancing in the castle ballroom or even atop one of the clouds in the sky. Ella also dreamed of experiencing a great adventure someday. The kind of adventure that might be written down in books like the ones she read with her father in his study. She told Val how she couldn’t wait to grow up and see more of the world beyond their lovely but small kingdom.