PiggyBank小豬銀行

A beam of golden sunshine fell across Cinderella’s bed as two bluebirds fell in through her open window.

“Cinderella,” one bluebird chirped.

Cinderella sighed and rolled over, pulling a pillow over her head as she burrowed deeper under the covers.

“Cinderella,” the other bird sang softly in her ear.

“Wake up!” chirped the first bird, poking its head under the pillow.

Cinderella reached out from under the cover and flicked the bluebird’s tail. “Well, serves you right,” she said to the startled bird. “Spoiling people’s best dreams!” she laughed as the birds chirped and flew to the windowsill. I know it’s a lovely morning, but it was a lovely dream, too.”

The birds whistled loudly.

Cinderella sat up and began to unbraid her shoulder-length blond hair. “What kind of a dream, you ask? It’s a secret. Just like a wish, if you tell your dreams, they won’t come true.”

Cinderella sometimes thought her dreams were all that kept her from sinking into despair. Ever since the death of her beloved father, Cinderella had been treated like a slave by her jealous stepmother - Lady Tremaine – and her nasty stepsisters, Anastasia and Drizella. They ordered her around, dressed her in rags, and forced her to do all their household chores. To forget her troubles, Cinderella often escaped into dreams of happier life. She dreamed of falling in love…of being loved in return…of someday leaving her horrible home behind forever. And because her dreams were all she had, Cinderella never stopped believing in them.

Cinderella yawned and stretched. She smiled at the birds and mice who had come into the room – they were the only real friends she had. Then she sighed as she heard the loud ringing of the palace clock tower. She got out of bed, went to the window, and glared at the majestic clock. “I hear you! ‘Come on, get up,’ you say! Even that clock orders me around,” she said to the birds and mice. “Well, there’s one thing no one can order me to do. They can’t order me to stop dreaming.”

The bird chirped in agreement.

“And perhaps someday,” Cinderella said wistfully, “my wish will come true.”

 With the help of her animal friends, Cinderella quickly straightened her little room, which was located at the top of a steep, winding stair-case in the chateau’s highest tower. She made her bed and put on an old brown dress. Then she tied back her thick golden hair, put on her apron, and was ready for another day of washing and scrubbing and listening to the demands of her stepfamily.

She was about to leave her bedroom when two mice darted under her door. Chattering excitedly, they scampered up to the top of the bureau, waving their arms frantically to attract Cinderella’s attention.

 “Wait a minute. One at a time, please,” Cinderella told the mice patiently. She turned to one of them, a skinning mouse dressed in red. “Now, Jaq, what’s all the fuss about?”

“There’s a new mouse in the house,” Jaq squeaked. “A visitor.”

Cinderella smiled. “How nice,” she said. She opened the drawer where she kept extra clothing of the mice. “He’ll need a jacket…and shoes…”

The other mouse, who was dressed in blue, squeaked loudly.

“What’s the matter, Luke?” Cinderella asked, concerned.

“We gotta get him out of the trap.” Jaq blurt out before Luke could answer.

“He’s in the trap? Well, why didn’t you say so? Cinderella exclaimed. She rushed out of the room with her mice at her heels headed straight for the rusty old mousetrap at the bottom of the stairs. Inside the trap, a plump brown mouse cowered in a corner.

 “The poor little thing is scared to death.” Cinderella said.

She opened the door, and Jaq entered cautiously. “Take it easy,” Jaq reassured the newcomer, who was even trying to back even farther away. “There’s nothing to worry about. Cinderella is our friend. She likes you. We all like you.”

Cinderella flashed the frightened mouse a bright smile, and he finally smiled back and relaxed a little. “That’s better,” Cinderella said as Jaq let the new mouse out of the trap. “We have to give you a name. How about Octavius? Gus for short!”

By the smile on the new mouse’s face, Cinderella knew she had made a good choice – and a new friend.

“Now I’ve got to get to work. See that Gus keeps out of trouble, Jaq,” Cinderella said as she turned to leave. “And don’t forget to warn him about the cat!”

“Have you ever seen a cat?” Jaq asked after Cinderella had gone.

Gus looked confused. “A cat?” he repeated.

“Lucifer, that’s him,” Jaq explained. “He’s mean and sneaky.” Jaq curled his fingers to imitate a cat’s claws. “He’ll jump at you and bite you! He’s big – big as a house!”