It is told that once upon a time, a long long time ago, far far away, there was a little girl called Violetta.

She lived with her rich parents in a beautiful house, surrounded by a big garden where she happily ran.

Μια φορά και έναν καιρό, τον πολύ παλιό καρό, υπήρχε ένα κοριτσάκι που το έλεγαν Βιολέτα.

Her mom knew many stories, all new and all old. Every evening the little girl sat before her to listen to one of her wonderful fables.

…And she also had to: darn and mend, do the laundry, iron and stiffen all the clothes…

She was left with only the dress she was wearing, and it soon became as worn as a rag.

Nobody ever talked with Violetta, except to yell at her and give her more orders.

Deinde puella lintea et vestes sarcibat, lavabat et tendebat...

Her stepsisters teased her:

“Haha ha ha! You're just a miserable Cinderella!”

“With that ugly cat always around you!”

“Black cats bring bad luck!”

“Cat Cinderella! Ha ha ha!”

So, after losing all she had, she lost her name too.

Cum solus locus eae caminus esset, puella se cinere et filigine inficiebat.

Sorores eam irridebant:

- Tantum cinere sordida puella es!

- Pannosa Cinerula!

- Aspice ultro illa inspeciosa feles semper tecum!

- Nigra sinistra feles!

- Feles Cinerula!

-Δεν είσαι τίποτα από μια άθλια σταχτοπούτα!

-Με αυτό το μαύρο παλιογατί πάντα στα πόδια τους!

-Η μαύρη γάτα είναι γρουσουζιά!

-Γατοσταχτοπούτααα!

At last, the stepsisters and the stepmother left the house, strutting about in their gala dresses, sporting jewels and perfect hair and make-up. But they were as ugly as ever, and the stepmother didn't exactly look like a noblewoman, although she held theater glasses in her hands to try and make a better impression.

Με τα πολλά οι αδελφές και η μητριά ξεκίνησαν, καμαρωτές σαν παγώνια μέσα στα φορέματά τους, τα φτιασιδώματά τους, τα βαψίματά τους και τα χρυσαφικά τους. Όμως ήταν άσχημες όπως ήταν πάντα, και η μητριά δεν έμοιαζε μια αριστοκράτισσα, παρά το ότι για να δώσει αυτό το κάτι τις…. κρατούσε στο χέρι της ένα ζευγάρι κιάλια θεάτρου….   

When she was done cleaning and tidying up, Cinderella went to rest in the fireplace, like any other night.

And she cried.

“Will I always have to be covered in ashes?”

 Όταν τελείωσε με το ταχτοποίημα και το καθάρισμα, η Σταχτοπούτα κάθισε να ξεκουραστεί κοντά στο τζάκι, όπως κάθε βράδυ

Και έκλαψε.

-Μα θα μείνω για πάντα μέσα στη στάχτη;

“Meow! Meow!”

Her cat jumped on her… what was going on? There was a breath of wind, a strange swishing…

Cinderella wiped her tears and looked into the chimney hood.

And there appeared a foot, then a black dress, then… oh! The old fairy!

Before she could touch the ground, she cried:

“If you keep crying, you'll slow my flying doooooooooooown. Oh.”

Feles subito in Cinerulae gremium salit, quae levem sonitum audit: fluitantes vestes, venti flatum?
Cinerula deterget lacrimas suas et caminum aspicit.
Ecce pes apparet, deinde nigra vestes, dein... diva vetus! Priusquam terram contingeat, clamat:
- Lacrimas fundere perseverans, puella, volatum meum reprimis!

-Νιάου! Νιάου!

Η γάτα πήδηξε στην αγκαλιά της… Τι γίνεται; Ήταν σαν μια πνοή αέρα, ένα παράξενο θρόισμα…

Η Σταχτοπούτα στέγνωσε τα δάκρυα και κοίταξε μέσα στο τζάκι

Και να… φάνηκε ένα πόδι, μετά ένα μαύρο φόρεμα, και μετά…η γριά νεράιδα! Ακόμα πριν φθάσει στο πάτωμα, φώναξε:

-Αν συνεχίσεις να κλαίς καθυστερείς το πέταγμα!

Finally Cinderella arrived with the mouse whose nest was next to the fireplace:

“Hop!

With the magic of this stick,

you, moustached mouse without an owner,

you will be the coachman of this carriage!

Now go! Go: dash fast, don't make me wait!

You have to take Cinderella to the ball!”

“Oh! Yes, of course! Yes, madam, yes! Of course!”

Στο τέλος η Σταχτοπούτα έφερε ένα ποντίκι που είχε δίπλα στη φωτιά

-Οπαααα!

Αμπρα κατάμπρα

Εσύ μουστακαλί ποντικέ

Θα είσαι ο καροτσιέρης αυτής της καρότσας!

Τρέχα γρήγορα, μην με κάνεις να περιμένω,

Πρέπει να πάρεις αμέσως τη Σταχτοπούτα στο χορό!

“Ah, I was forgetting! Be careful, girl: you have to leave the ball before midnight, because upon the twelfth strike you will be wearing the tattered dress again! Remember that you won't have anyone taking you home, because after midnight the carriage will turn back into a pumpkin, and instead of horses, coachman and valet you will find mice and lizards! Don't forget that, my little girl, don' forget it! Let's hope for the best!”

- Heu mihi! summam oblita sum! cave, puella, ut discedas a regia ante mediam noctem! Cum duodecimum tinnitus resonaverit non aliud quam pannulum lacerum indues, nec pilentum, equites, famulum et raedarium tuos umquam invenies, sed tantum cucurbitam, mures et lacertum! Memento mea verba!

Bene speremus...

-Και τώρα …αντίο! Α!  Ξέχασα …. Πρόσεξε κοριτσάκι αυτό που θα σου πω: από το χορό πρέπει να φύγεις πριν τα μεσάνυχτα, γιατί μόλις χτυπήσει ο δωδέκατος χτύπος του ρολογιού να ξαναγίνεις Σταχτοπούτα! Πρόσεξε γιατί δεν θα έχεις κάποιον να σε γυρίσει σπίτι, γιατί ακριβώς τα μεσάνυχτα η καρότσα θα ξαναγίνει κολοκύθα! Και αντί για άλογα, αμαξά και βαλέ θα βρεις ποντίκια και σαύρες ! Μην το ξεχάσεις! Πρόσεχε καλά!

“Farewell, dear fairy! Thank you, thank you… what did you say? Yes, of course, I will remember that! Thanks, thanks, thanks… farewell!”

The valet held out his arm to help her mount the carriage, then climbed onto the box. The coachman smacked his whip and the horses rode and galloped to the palace lightly, safely and as fast as the wind.

-Αντίο, αγαπημένη νεράιδα! Ευχαριστώ…. πως είπες; Ναι σίγουρα, ναι, ναι θα το θυμάμαι! Ευχαριστώ, ευχαριστώ, ευχαριστώ, ευχαριστώ…. γεια σου!

When the prince saw her, he walked to her extending his hand, and Cinderella bowed graciously.

“You enchant me, you are as beautiful as a dream!”

And they started dancing, dancing, dancing…

Cum princeps eam videt, obviam puellae it et manum suam eae porriget: ei Cinerula suaviter caput inclinat.

Princeps eam adoravit:

- Tota pulchra es puella, me infinite fascinas!

Όταν ο πρίγκιπας την είδε πήγε κοντά της και της έδωσε το χέρι, η Σταχτοπούτα υποκλίθηκε με χάρη.

- Με μαγέψατε, είστε όμορφη σαν ένα όνειρο !

Και άρχισαν να χορεύουν…

Cinderella ran through the hall so fast that she lost, ah! a crystal shoe. Oooh!

“Dear little shoe, why won't you help me find the girl who lost you? Bright jewel, I wouldn't give you up in return for the sultan's treasure, nor for Turkey itself! What magic created you? Little shoe, will you take me to your beautiful owner? Among many, none is like the stranger who disappeared into the night like a dream. She only left you with me, precious clue! And while waiting for her, I admire and kiss you.”

“Look! Ooh! It fits perfectly! Finally the crown prince will be able to… Oh, so it is you…!”

The Great Chamberlain was moved and bowed to his future queen, while Cinderella wore the other shoe that she had kept in a pocket of her apron.

“Nooooo! Cinderella wore it!”

“And she had the other one too!”

“They shine so brightly… where did she find them?”

- Adspicite ut fulget! Affabre calceat! Princeps noster denique... itaque tu, urbana et venusta puella, incognita pulcherrima es...

Commotus cubicularius futuram reginam suam adorabat, cum Cinerula secunda quoque crepidam, quem in sinu tenebat, calcearet.

- Heu nobis! Cinerula eam calceat!

- Et alteram quoque habet!

- Ut calceoli fulgent... ubi ea illas cepit?

Verum omnes felices erant, sed nemo felicior quam Cinerula et princeps.

Diva vetus, cum videret suae presentiae necessitatem iam non esse, magico baculo suo evolavit. Aliquis tradit eam sicut libellulam librantem vidisse, apud fenestram ubi quispiam lugebat. Atque sunt qui dicant divae fluitantis vestis levem sonitum audisse, sed venti flatus forsitan erat.

Όλοι μα όλοι, ήταν ευτυχισμένοι, κανείς όμως όπως η Σταχτοπούτα και ο πρίγκιπας.
Η γριά  νεράιδα, βλέποντας πως δεν την χρειάζονταν πια, πέταξε μακριά πάνω στο μαγικό μπαστούνι της,

Άλλοι λένε πως την είδαν να στέκει σαν να κρεμόταν από τον αέρα, σαν σύννεφο, στο παράθυρο ενός δωματίου που κάποιος έκλαιγε. Άλλοι διηγούνται πως άκουσαν το θρόισμα της ταφταδένιας φούστας της, αλλά ίσως ήταν μόνο η πνοή του ανέμου.