the largest American Pumpkin she could find.
This virtuously democratic vegetable her
grandmother immediately changed into a
splendid coach. Then, she sent her for six
mice from the mouse-trap, which she changed
into prancing horses, free from the obnoxious
and oppressive post-horse duty. Then, to the
rat-trap in the stable for a rat, which she
changed to a state-coachman, not amenable
to the iniquitous assessed taxes. Then, to look
behind a watering-pot for six lizards, which
she changed into six footmen, each with a
petition in his hand ready to present to the
Prince, signed by fifty thousand persons, in
favour of the early closing movement.

"But grandmother," said Cinderella, stopping
in the midst of her delight, and looking
at her clothes, "how can I go to the palace
in these miserable rags?"

"Be not uneasy about that, my dear,"
returned her grandmother.

Upon which the old lady touched her with
her wand, her rags disappeared, and she was
beautifully dressed. Not in the present costume
of the female sex, which has been proved
to be at once grossly immodest and absurdly
inconvenient, but in rich sky-blue satin pantaloons
gathered at the ankle, a puce-coloured
satin pelisse sprinkled with silver flowers, and
a very broad Leghorn hat. The hat was
chastely ornamented with a rainbow-coloured
ribbon hanging in two bell-pulls down the
back; the pantaloons were ornamented with
a golden stripe; and the effect of the whole
was unspeakably sensible, feminine, and
retiring. Lastly, the old lady put on Cinderella's
feet a pair of shoes made of glass: observing
that but for the abolition of the duty
on that article, it never could have been
devoted to such a purpose; the effect of all
such taxes being to cramp invention, and embarrass
the producer, to the manifest injury
of the consumer. When the old lady had
made these wise remarks, she dismissed Cinderella
to the feast and speeches, charging
her by no means to remain after twelve
o'clock at night.

The arrival of Cinderella at the Monster
Gathering produced a great excitement. As
a delegate from the United States had just
moved that the King do take the chair, and
as the motion had been seconded and carried
unanimously, the King himself could not go
forth to receive her. But His Royal Highness
the Prince (who was to move the second
resolution), went to the door to hand her
from her carriage. This virtuous Prince,
being completely covered from head to foot
with Total Abstinence Medals, shone as if
he were attired in complete armour; while
the inspiring strains of the Peace Brass
Band in the gallery (composed of the Lambkin
Family, eighteen in number, who cannot
be too much encouraged) awakened additional
enthusiasm.

The King's son handed Cinderella to one
of the reserved seats for pink tickets, on the
platform, and fell in love with her immediately.
His appetite deserted him; he scarcely
tasted his artichokes, and merely trifled with
his gruel. When the speeches began, and
Cinderella wrapped in the eloquence of the
two inspired delegates who occupied the
entire evening in speaking to the first Resolution,
occasionally cried, "Hear, hear!" the
sweetness of her voice completed her conquest
of the Prince's heart. But, indeed the
whole male portion of the assembly loved
her— and doubtless would have done so, even
if she had been less beautiful, in consequence
of the contrast which her dress presented to
the bold and ridiculous garments of the other
ladies.

At a quarter before twelve the second
inspired delegate having drunk all the water
in the decanter, and fainted away, the King
put the question, "That this Meeting do now
adjourn until to-morrow." Those who were
of that opinion holding up their hands, and
then those who were of the contrary, theirs,
there appeared an immense majority in favour
of the resolution which was consequently
carried. Cinderella got home in safety, and
heard nothing all that night, or all next day,
but the praises of the unknown lady with the
sky-blue satin pantaloons.

When the time for the feast and speeches
came round again, the cross stepmother
and the proud fine daughters went out in good
time to secure their places. As soon as they
were gone, Cinderella's grandmother returned
and changed her as before. Amid a blast of
welcome from the Lambkin family, she was
again handed to the pink seat on the platform
by His Royal Highness.

This gifted Prince was a powerful speaker,
and had the evening before him. He rose at
precisely ten minutes before eight, and was
greeted with tumultuous cheers and waving
of handkerchiefs. When the excitement had
in some degree subsided, he proceeded to
address the meeting: who were never tired
of listening to speeches, as no good people
ever are. He held them enthralled for four
hours and a quarter. Cinderella forgot the
time, and hurried away so when she heard
the first stroke of twelve, that her beautiful
dress changed back to her old rags at the
door, and she left one of her glass shoes
behind. The Prince took it up, and vowed
— that is, made a declaration before a magistrate;
for he objected on principle to the
multiplying of oaths— that he would only
marry the charming creature to whom that
shoe belonged.

He accordingly caused an advertisement to
that effect to be inserted in all the newspapers;
for, the advertisement duty, an impost most
unjust in principle and most unfair in operation,
did not exist in that country; neither
was the stamp on newspapers known in that
land— which had as many newspapers as the
United States, and got as much good out of
them. Innumerable ladies answered the