Cinderella Revisited

Cinderella Charming was dusting one of the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling of her enormously large ballroom. It was by far her favorite of the fifty rooms in the castle as it reminded her of a story book evening ten years before. And though the Prince told her time and time again, Cinderella often forgot (on purpose mind you) that she didn't have to slave over housework or a hot stove any longer. That all changed the day the Prince slipped the glass slipper on her foot, trading in a pumpkin for the Cadillac of carriages. Yet with all the servants she had at her disposal, Cinderella preferred to do many of their menial chores. You see she was never one to kick back and be pampered. In fact quite often she would "order" the servants to the pool, sauna or even the beauty salon, places where she belonged according to castle etiquette. Even her evil stepmother and sisters, whom she forgave after treating her so unkindly most of her life, were also showered with these royal amenities.1

Well, as I began to say, the princess was dusting a chandelier in the enormously large ballroom. Suddenly she heard the Prince shout from down the long Italian marbled hallway;2

"Hey Cind, have you seen my other blue sock? I'm already late for my Knight meeting!"3

"But it's only 10:00 in the morning!" the princess answered back, laughing at her own humor.4

"Please Cind, no jokes right now, this is an important meeting!" he shot back, instantly sorry to take it out on her.5

Cinderella grimaced while thinking to herself "I am constantly picking up his socks, no wonder he loses them all the time!"6

"One minute, I'll be right there to help you look" she answered more patiently than she felt7

Life in the castle over the years wasn't always a ball. Nor was charming always her husband's disposition, only the last name they shared.8

Then as the still quite beautiful, golden haired princess attempted to get down off the step ladder, the heel of her shoe got caught in one of it's silver rungs. Cinderella fell backwards while crying out loudly before her head hit the Italian marble floor with a thud, the same time the Prince was walking towards her annoyed, holding one sock in his hand.9

Well, as you can imagine, the sock dropped as quick as he did to his knees at the princess's side.10

"Please God, please let my Cinderella be alright!" the Prince wailed as he laid her head in his lap11

After several agonizing minutes, the princess's eyes started to flutter then finally opened wide.12

"Cinderella you're OK thank God, oh thank you God!" her husband said over and over.13

"Someone call a doctor immediately!" he barked as he saw the servants rushing in.14

"Oh my lady!!" one of the maids cried out while she turned and ran to fetch the doctor15

"Where's my Prince?" Cinderella asked, finally speaking.16

"I'm right here darling" the Prince answered softly and gently.17

"I don't know you, where is my Prince?" She asked again.18

"It's me Cind!" the Prince said, this time nervously.19

"Who are you?" she asked once more.20

"That's not funny, darling! No jokes right now!" The Prince answered, yet feared she had lost her memory when her head hit the Italian marbled floor.21

"Please find the prince for me!" she begged.22

Suddenly Cinderella's eyes focused on a blue sock laying near her on the floor.23

"Find the other sock and it's owner and I know he will be my Prince"24

"But that's my sock and I don't know where... " the Prince began but knew it was futile to try to convince her. He just had to find the sock.25

All at once the usually quiet, serene ballroom was as busy as Grand Central Station. Doctors, nurses, servants and even her stepmother and sisters were concerned for the most beloved princess the kingdom had ever known.26

Then the head doctor ordered "Please, everybody out of the ballroom including you my Prince. The princess needs complete silence while I examine her further".27

As they all made there way slowly but silently out of the ballroom, the Prince motioned the large group to follow him into the adjoining dining area.28

Gathering around him, the servants whispered within their little clicks wondering what he wanted to discuss. Possibly firing some of them they thought since they should have been dusting the chandelier, not his princess.29

A moment later the prince cleared his throat and began "It appears the Princess has had a temporary lapse in memory. She has asked that I find the match to this sock" the prince began holding it up for all to see, "she says when the other sock is found and it's owner, she knows it will be her Prince" he finished with a sigh.30

A gasp was heard around the dining room. Then a maid, the one in charge of the castle's second floor bravely stepped forward indicating she wanted to speak31

"Say what is on you mind" the Prince encouraged the frightened young servant32

"My Prince"....she began....."you, you sire are asking nearly the impossible." quickly she stepped back and stood back with the other maids33

"I realize that and therefore I will not penalize anyone for not finding it.. Just do your best. For the Princess's sake."34

Well, because the servants, in fact because the whole kingdom loved her, a massive two week search went on to find the missing sock and the owner of it.35

Within the span of those two weeks the Prince couldn't do enough for his Princess. He cancelled all meetings. He lavished her with gifts, with backrubs, foot rubs, even filled her bathtub. Nothing was spared for her comfort or enjoyment. But as the two weeks for coming to an end, Cinderella could not bear any longer the pampering, the foot rubs and most of all her bathtub. Finally she cried out to the Prince36

"I found the sock my Price" she said half relieved, half second guessing herself.37

"You did? Where and why didn't you say some...wait you recognize me! Oh thank God, thank God!" the Prince cried out.38

Then as he thought about it he asked "When did you find it?"39

"Well I just found the sock today but actually I started to recognize my Price Charming only a few days after I fell. I wasn't a hundred percent sure until today though."40

"Well what happened? I mean where did you find it? he was eager to know.41

"Let me tell you what happened this morning" she began, "I felt better than I had in days so I started to pick up after you. I began at a white sock near our bed then followed it like a maze until it led me to the blue sock matching the one you hung in the square." for the Prince had hung it there for all their subjects searched kingdom high and kingdom low.42

The Princess breathed in deeply trying to hold back the tears that threatened.43

Then she continued as the prince look on concerned for her.44

"The sock had been all along in a pair of your shoes. At first I didn't think it was the match. It looked so much newer than the one hanging in the square. That one was tattered and worn, ready for the trash rather than a palace. The one that was in your shoe was a royaler blue and the gold stitching was not frayed or missing like the other. And yet both socks fit your feet, one stiff and proper, the other more comfortable but the two part of the same pair nonetheless. It caused me to remember another perfect fit ten years ago."45

"When the glass slipper fit your own foot?" the Prince now shedding his own tears.46

"No my darling, it was the day a Prince and a lowly commoner together said 'I do'".47

And as Cinderella looked up to breathe a Heavenly thank you her eyes focused on a dusty chandelier. But this time the Prince put his foot down and called one of the servants to climb up the ladder, fearing the Princess might slip again. And just as the Prince took Cinderella into his arms in the same ballroom he did for the first time ten years before, she handed her beloved servant one of her own socks, winked then whispered in her ear,48

"Just so you know, chandeliers aren't the only things that socks clean cobwebs from!"