Д. Л. Абрагин

And I don't love him because he's handsome, Nelly, but because he's more myself than I am.

"Друзья всегда забывают тех, кто несчастен"

Once upon a time, there lived a gentleman[1], who after his beautiful and kind wife died, married the proudest and meanest woman in all the land[2]. She had two daughters from a previous marriage who were just as nasty and haughty as their mother. The gentleman also had a young daughter by another wife[3] named Cinderella, who was one of the sweetest girls in the kingdom. Cinderella’s stepmother was extremely jealous of her beauty and charm and made her do[4] the hardest and most dreadful work in the house. Cinderella did the dishes[5], scrubbed the floor and made the beds[6] while her

Well, when they had all eaten, they began playing games with the bones, tossing them one to another. One little leg-bone fell close to the closet door, and the farmer was so afraid that the pixies should come there and find him in their search for the bone, that he put out his hand and picked it up. Then he saw the king stand on the table and say, ‘Gather the bones!’

It was impossible to take a walk that day

extremely jealous of her beauty and charm and

“Do not imagine any such thing, my sons,” said the merchant, “The Beast’s power is so great that I have no hopes of your overcoming him. I am charmed with Beauty’s kind and generous offer, but I cannot yield to it. I am old and have not long to live.” “Indeed, father,” said Beauty, “you shall not go to the palace without me; you cannot hinder me from following you.” It was to no purpose all they could say. Beauty still insisted on setting out for the fine palace, and her sisters were delighted at it, for her virtue and amiable qualities made them envious and jealous. The merchant was so afflicted at the thoughts of losing his daughter that he had quite