She was right. The slipper the ugly sisters were playing tug of war with was big and covered with bright jewels.

“What’s happened?” said Delphie.

Suddenly she heard the sound of chortling laughter. It was coming from a nearby alleyway.

Delphie went over and looked down it. What she saw made her gasp. “Sugar!” she hissed, beckoning Sugar over. “King Rat’s here with some of his mouse guards!”

They peered cautiously round the corner. King Rat had his back to them. He was wearing a dark cloak and boots and had a golden crown on his head. Five of his mouse guards were gathered round him. They were all bigger than Delphie and had sharp swords slung into their belts. Their teeth were pointed and their eyes gleamed.

“Oh, I am so clever!” King Rat preened the black greasy fur on top of his head. “That interfering girl and annoying fairy thought they had foiled my plan but now the Prince will have to marry one of the ugly sisters and Cinderella will never be happy again!”

“How did you do it, sire?” asked one of the mice.

“It’s easy when you have brains!” boasted King Rat. “I simply waited for Cinderella to run out and leave her glass slipper behind. Before the Prince came out, I swapped it for one of my own. Then I smashed Cinderella’s slipper so it can never be found and so she won’t get to marry her Prince!”

“Genius, sire!” said one of the mice.

“It is rather, even if I say so myself,” said King Rat. He glared round at his other guards. “You can all say it too.”

“You’re a genius, sire,” the mice said quickly. “A genius!”

King Rat sniggered. “That will teach Cinderella to turn down invitations to my castle!”

Delphie pulled Sugar back. “What are we going to do?” She couldn’t believe everything had gone so wrong. King Rat was right. Now Cinderella wouldn’t get to marry the Prince. She felt awful. “Oh if only we could change the slipper for the one that fits Cinderella’s foot, but it’s been smashed.”

Sugar stared at her. “Perhaps there’s a way!” she exclaimed. “You see I can use my magic to transform things. All we’d need to do is get near enough to King Rat’s slipper so that I could touch it with my wand and transform it into Cinderella’s! Oh, Delphie, it’s a great idea!”

Sugar began to dance. Music echoed faintly through the air but everyone else was too caught up in the argument to notice it. Everyone apart from Cinderella.

She looked up and seeing Sugar dancing towards her, her face lit up with hope.

Sugar placed a finger to her lips and danced past the manservant and up to the ugly sisters almost before anyone knew what was happening.