Sad News

Ella’s father was on a hunting trip. One morning Stepmother woke Ella. “Get up, lazy girl,” she snapped. “I have some news. Your father is dead!”

Ella gasped. Tears filled her eyes. “Oh no!” she cried in pain. “Father! My poor father . . .”

After that, nothing was the same. Ella was still kind and polite. But Stepmother was now mean.

Stepmother gave fancy dresses to her daughters. Ella wore ugly, old rags. The stepsisters slept in soft feather beds. Ella slept on a hard bed made of straw.

Gert napped all day long. Trudy ate all day long. But Stepmother made Ella work. She scrubbed, swept, and mopped.

“Pretty little Ella,” Stepmother said. “You think you’re better than we are. You think you’re prettier too.”